THE GURU IS DEAD
Can someone please explain it to me? When a guru tells you he needs you to have sex with him for your sexual grooming or advancement, why do people believe?
What is actually happening here?
I am shaking as I read the sexual abuse allegations over Satyananda's yoga center, while in Australia in the 70's and 80s.
I've read probably 20 books by Satyananda. I was in awe of him. Until ten minutes ago.
I am shocked and angry, because with Bikram I had a feeling that the guy was bad news, and Kausthub Desikachar too, because of his enormous aggrandizing of himself in his newsletters which pointed to delusion, but Satyananda had been a direct student of Sivananda, and I thought I trusted him and his teachings.
Before that there was also John Friend and even further in the past the founder of Kripalu, Amrit Desai, who resigned in 94:
"after admitting to sexual intercourse with followers. Kripalu paid $2.5 million
to settle a purported class action lawsuit brought by
more than 100 former residents who had served as unpaid staff"
But the truth is this points to a much more important point, which is:
WE MUST CHOOSE TO BE OUR OWN TEACHERS
Yes, we can seek advise.
Yes there are those who know a little more than us and can help us along the way on "asana", or "pranayama", or "meditation", but they CAN NEVER TEACH US ANYTHING.
Because the path towards clarity of mind is lonely and personal.
Teachers can point the way, but the moment we give our power away to them, i.e. when we call them "gurus", whomever they may be, that is when we lost it.
When we do that we are not grounded any more, we are at the mercy of another person's mind who is fragile, just like ours, and can be seduced by the adoration.
Yes, even the guru, in his or her own way, is as lost as we are at moments.
If you have not seen the movie Kumare, then do yourself a favor and watch it.
Because it is THAT easy to convince people, in OUR TIME, not in the 70's or in the 80's or pre-internet, or whatever. NO.
This is in our very own time, in New Jersey, in New Mexico, in the USA, it is THAT easy to lead someone to believe that a male dressed in rugs has "power" over you or me.
And convince not just easily confused people. But convince you and me. People just like you and me.
After the movie is over, after Kumare admits he is a fake, after it is all clear, there is still a woman that comes to him and says:
"I thought you had superpowers"
or something like that... I forget, point is, she still wanted to believe!
And so, on the screen, we read: "He doesn't"
Which is the joke. The big joke.
Who are we giving our power away to?
Whom do we think can save us? Elevate us? Bring us closer to a better career? Illuminate us? "Choose us"?
Why can we not see this is just all fake.
There are no more teachers of yoga if there ever were.
In the end, the goal of yoga is about clearing the delusions and being able to be present here and now, in this moment, without preconceptions, that is the goal of yoga, when the "mind stops going crazy".
I am angry because I learned quite a bit from Satyananda. He has well written books, he has literature that has inspired me.
But the anger stems from myself.
I am angry because I can still be stupid - I still think someone else knows better and has the power or the lineage to show me how to do it.
WE ARE THE LINEAGE. You and me, right now, in our private practice, in the decisions we make in every moment as we live in the real world, thank you very much.
We are the living aspiring practitioners of this time.
Nobody else has that power unless we give it away.
Please tell me why this happens.
P.S #1. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE SEEING THIS
In January of 2015 Gregor Maehle posted this article (link below), which is the second in a series of three, and on which he explores the topic even further. And I agree with him.
http://www.chintamaniyoga.com/teaching/end-guru-part-2/
Guru is the path... not the teacher.
Because the teachers's egos inflate
Makes me wonder why people fall under the spell. I don't think people are stupid. I think there must be some halo effect that happens that absorbs people into it. Is that true or what is it?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is it might be easier to thinnk someone else can do the work for us if we just "do as we are told" rather than see the truth that we must take responsibility for how we face life
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of the people who seek gurus tend to do so because they are feeling fragile or lost which puts them in a vulnerable position. As for the guru, I wonder if that tendency toward abuse was there from the beginning or if the power trip of having disciples caused it to fully manifest. Either way, it's all sort of depressing.
ReplyDeleteClaudia, thank you for writing this. My first Ashtanga teacher and I wound up getting sexually involved (no actual intercourse, but sexual activities together), causing a lot of trauma in both of our lives. We were both in long-term partnerships and the sexual nature of our relationship was found out. What happened damaged my relationship with my husband deeply. I can only assume the same for the teacher's relationship with his wife. I recognize my part in what happened. I'm not innocent. I sought out this teacher's attention. He was charismatic, strong, and intelligent. I wanted to be his favorite. I would have done just about anything to get his attention. Looking back, I see how ridiculously stupid it all was and how easily I could have avoided falling into the trap of teacher-worship. But in the moment, I just wanted him. So sad. Thanks for reminding us that the lineage exists most within ourselves.
ReplyDelete