Open letter to Pope Benedict XVI
Congratulation on you recent election as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Pontiff or Head of State of the Vatican. Please consider these two points I make as a child of the ONE God.
Countries and governments are asked to adhere to certain principles to belong to such organizations as United Nations, European Union, and NATO etc.
You sir, as the Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, and as a disciple and representative of Jesus the Christ, on earth, could lead as a peacemaker, by making a statement in support of the two requests enunciated below, which I believe your Lord, Jesus of Nazareth would readily endorse.
There is one principle that all spiritual movements, religions and in particular the major or “traditional” religions, non-profit and charitable organizations of the world should voluntarily adhere to so as to receive "charitable" status. The theological principle is:
God does not command people to kill, or God Forbids Murder or in Biblical terms: Thou shall not kill.
Religions that do not endorse and do not adhere to this theological principle should not be considered “charitable” and hence, not be "tax exempt". In some extreme cases where the criminal aspects of some "holy book" or "holy decree" can be shown to have a direct link to a criminal act, the leader of the group should be brought before the courts under "hate literature" or "inciting violence" legislation. If found guilty, such religions, spiritual movement, group, organization or cult should be disallowed from operating inside the boundaries of "civilized" countries (I.e. The countries that adhere to this principle). If found guilty, their wealth and belongings should be confiscated or seized and used to compensate the victims.
Churches who use "holy books" to condone "killing" also use "holy books" to marginalize or discriminate against certain groups in our society such as women, or the gay community. The "emotional" word attributed to the Biblical God, Yahweh, in this last case of discrimination is "abominable". Please help us put society's religious concepts of God, and the organization and business of religion, on trial for all to see, so as educate the masses in matters of theology, without jeopardizing anyone's right to "freedom of religion" or "worship".
You sir, as a theologian, can certainly agree with:
Point one: (The Principle): I ask you to voluntarily extricate from your Holy Books, all references to God commanding men (usually) or women to commit criminal acts. Specifically, killing, murder, war and genocide. (I.e. Bible: Joshua, Abraham, etc.)
Those acts, in a civilized society, should be viewed and dealt with in the same way we would deal with an individual, who today would claim that "God" told him/her to kill his offspring, neighbour, or members of another group. Hopefully with the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church, our Mental Health and Justice systems would be called in to deal with such a person. This act of depravity should be categorized either as a "sickness", a “disease” or a "criminal" act unless there is an element of “self defense”, as in a physical or violent attack by another individual or group.
Leaders of countries, and revolutionaries, claiming to be religious, and making claims of divine inspiration, lead their followers to war(holy wars). Some even make these claims in public. Some Gurus demand obedience to the point of "killing your mother". Some even write it in their books.
It is not acceptable theology, nor good morals or ethics. Churches and church leaders can be encouraged or pressured into expressing concepts of their ONE God who, at least, adheres to His/Her/Its own commandments and does not speak from both sides of His/Her/Its mouth. You sir, could thus command the respect of the Catholics and members of other religions, spiritual movement and even some atheists, and your numbers would grow. You could, if you wanted to emulate Jesus, the good shepherd, also decree that all Catholics will not kill in war anymore, as the Quakers have done. Catholics can obey the ONE God and follow or emulate Jesus at the same time.
Point two: (Science)
Churches, and in particular the Roman Catholic Church, have always historically claimed that science should not interfere with man's quest for the divine. Then I would ask you, as Pope Benedict XVI, to organize a seminar of "men of science" with the sole function of creating a "globally acceptable calendar" and get your religion out of the business of science. Churches historically, in their attempt to control the masses have always tried to control the method of counting time, hence the "Julian calendar" and later the "Gregorian calendar". So I would ask you sir, as Pope to give back to academia their "scientific" method of counting time; one that is tied to a cosmic event rather than the birth of some arbitrary character. Calendars should have either moon, sun or galaxy components (three calendars in one?) and no societal aspects. Help us get religion out of our science and help us get on with the huge job of uniting the people of planet Earth so as to deal with inevitable future cosmic events.
The history of religion is one of flawed theology. Flawed theology has developed into flawed philosophy, flawed morals, ethics and finally flawed societal systems, including justice and science. We can easily see such flaws in the "Julian" and "Gregorian" calendars and the persecution of men of science throughout the ages. This is not to mention the persecution and ultimate destruction of much superior calendars belonging to the "so-called" primitive cultures of the "new world".
You sir have the power and the responsibility of helping to make your religion more spiritual. Where religion ends, spirituality begins. One is extrovert, one is introvert. One is pomp, one is humble. One kills (even God), one offers life (God).
May the ONE God Bless you and all the Roman Catholics of Planet Earth.
4d-Don
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Meditators Beware! The (not so) Natural Path
Meditators Beware!
The (not so) Natural Path
Sahaj Marg or Shri Ram Chandra Mission
All statements from Sahaj Marg, Sahaj Marg Research and Teaching Institute (SMRTI), Yogabhyas (formerly Ramashram), and Institute of Ram Chandra Consciousness (ISRC), litterature are supported by copies of the direct quotes and I can e-mail the direct quotes and context if requested
I am not a "religious" person anymore, but have been exposed to religions all my life and now that the "new age" or "new" religions are reaching our shores under the guise of "spirituality" I have been prompted and encouraged to write this blog as a "heads-up" to other ex-religious and truly spiritual persons, after my wife of 35 years has become "enthralled" with one of these so-called "Gurus" out of India. Meditation yes, surrender and obedience to a man, to the point of "killing your mother" if ordered to, to show your obedience to the Guru (quote from Heart of the Lion)....NO! NEVER! It is not right for Christians. It is not right for Jews. It is not right for Muslims. It is not right for Sahaj Marg. Thou shall NOT KILL! Killing is not spiritual! I will not obey to that point!
This one group, Sahaj Marg, is targeting women of menopausal age and children (5-7) through a school curriculum, (see Sahaj Marg and its Children, by Hakewill, Elizabeth, And Romano, Leslie-Editors), and is involved with a group called the International Association of Spiritual Psychiatry, (one contributor on Sahaj Marg web site is a member of both groups). This European psychiatrist and preceptor of the Sahaj Marg group, has done studies on 54 of his "abhyasis" (disciples) and has reported his findings to the Guru. Creating a dependence on the guru and Sahaj Marg through "surrender" or "emtying the mind of wordly things" like the problems of family, friends, pets, etc...is high on their agenda. In his New Years (2001) address, Chari (the guru of Sahaj Marg) states: "you will have no relatives and friends "..... Sahaj Marg withdraws the "abhyasis" (disciple) from all responsibility in society and draws to itself all the love, affection and material support that would normally go to the family and friends of the disciples. This in the name of spirituality and reaching "liberation" of the re-incarnation process (birth and rebirth)
Sahaj Marg is also receiving support from a group called CICNS in Europe who takes on the role of "spiritual mercenary" and attacks anyone who, having been victimized by a pseudo-religious or pseudo-spiritual group, tries to expose the group that does the victimization. This group (CICNS) has recently defended Sahaj Marg in Europe after the "water purifier" or "Divine Water" scam in Denmark was exposed by European reporters. The CICNS, although abhorring "witch hunts" and "McCarthyism" in their charter, indulge in the same practice to protect their clients. I could be their next target so if you don't get my next instalment, call the cops, you will know why. Chari likes the term "spiritual warrior". It's sort of like the oxymorons "fornicating" for virginity or "War against War". Some reporters have since infiltrated Sahaj Marg and are preparing a report.
This group, Sahaj Marg, claims that one can be Christian or belong to other religions and still do their practice. This is a lie. The Guru of this group, Chari, through reference to the previous guru, claims to be the representative of God Himself (not Herself) and that the guru is the "flesh and blood incarnation of the Divinity". No Christian could serve that Master and Christ at the same time. According to Christians, Christ was the "Lamb of God", the "Messiah", and part of the Trinity. Chari, in his book "Heart of the Lion" wants his "abhyasis" (disciples) to be like lions. He even claims that "one lion is worth 500 sheep". The metaphor does not go un-noticed. Christians take notice. These groups often meet in Church facilities.
Read carefully (from their on-line newspaper)
Sahaj Sandesh No.: 2005.31 - Wednesday, June 22, 2005
ABHYASI'S QUESTION:"..... why do I have to give up my existing religious practices....."
MASTER'S ANSWER: "All religious practice involve the worship of God as being outside us. It is called Bahya Upachara in Sanskrit. Spirituality puts God where HE really is - inside the human heart, and indeed at the heart of every created thing, as Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita. One cannot mix the two. In the Vedas Murthy Pooja is called the lowest form of worship. Mantra is only a way of pleasing the mind, and bhajans please the senses, while giving the illusion of being a form of worship. I trust that this will be satisfactory. If people have more questions, they should be encouraged to read the Gita slowly, and try to understand it. Love to all."
The Sahaj Marg practice demands that the disciples "surrender" thenselves to the will of the guru and become a "living dead", to be done with as the Master wills. That way, the disciple is not responsible for his/her actions and does not accumulate any "samscaras" or Karma.
In Europe, the reaction of the citizenry has been that people who do not take responsibility for their actions do not make good citizens, parents, teachers, judges, politicians, etc.... According to media reports, some public figures have been forced to resign their posts or leave Sahaj Marg. It seems that we, as a society, are always trying to get our servants, the bureaucrats and the politicians to be "accountable" and now this guru wants his disciples to surrender to a man, and not be responsible for his/her actions. It seems regressive.
This group has had two schisms in the last 15 years, and the track record of their claimed "brotherly love" is not impressive. Law suits have taken away the right of the "break-away" groups to use the Ram Chandra material. That would be the equivalent of the Catholics stopping the Anglicans from using the Bible as their "Holy Book". Not exactly "brotherly love" and "Unity". They seem to be a group of businessmen who have taken over a small meditation group and changed it to serve their purpose: self aggrandisement. The guru and the organizers can have a life, have dreams and accumulate and live in wealth but the disciples, who feed them with gifts of money and adoration (idolatry) have to deny their dreams, their families, country, culture, etc....
Sahaj Marg has taken the "renunciation" of the spiritual (ascetic) path and made it "detachment" (one can acumulate as long as one is "detached" or "at arms length"), added the "obedience" of the warrior path, and is taking its disciples back to the Christian "dark ages" of "indulgences, or accumulation of "spiritual" credits (spiritual capitalism), which caused some of the christians of Europe to break away from the Holy Roman Catholic tyranny. In the Sahaj Marg system, the disciple does not have to be a "good", "kind"," generous" person, he just has to be "odedient" and the guru will save him. Suits our "quick fix" population. Sahaj Marg has been called the "Macdonald" of spirituality.
These groups could be listed among the "false prophets" mentionned in the Bible. They offer anything and everything that might sell. Here is a short list of their "come-ons".
Brotherly Love and Unity- Group has had two schisms and other "discontents" at the highest levels in India and Europe as Chari pushes for "commercialization" and more "converts" to support his financial investments in castles and commercial real estate. Ram Chandra use to say that religion divides and spirituality unites. by their own criteria, they are not "spiritual", and by their own record and statements, their religious or "charitable" status can certainly be questionned.
From Heart of the Lion...Page 14
....So I repeat, the Guru is the only friend. In fact, I have said this so often, that in the Sufi philosophy, the Guru is called Friend. "The Friend is coming". Because he is the only fellow who can give his life for you. He is the only fellow, therefore, to whom you must hand over totally, a Power of Attorney....."Do with me as you think I deserve to be done with. Kick me when I have to be kicked. Beat me when I have to be beaten. Curse me when I have to be cursed. But make of me what you think I should be eventually, because only you can do it."
So once more I say this in all humility....if you must have a Master, find a fellow who is capable of, you know, throwing you around, beating you up, cutting you to pieces. Remember Parushurama's father and the stern test that young boy had to make for obedience...."Kill your Mother"...."Yes"...
He pulled out the sword and cut off her head. He said, "I am pleased with you my son. Ask for anything you want." He said, "I want my mother alive." And He said, "So be it." and she got up and walked off. The Guru is the Guru, is the Master, when you say of destiny, it means life and death. He must be the Master of your life as he must be the Master of your death.
Bring peace to your life and family-Guru's son commits suicide. K.C. Varadachari's, (guru in waiting), daughter dies after refusing arranged marriage. Preceptor's husband dies, divorces new husband and now has "boy friend". My wife leaves after 35 years together. Other examples in Europe where victims are speaking out.
Learn to relax- main preceptor and husband of preceptor in Western Canada die of "stress" diseases (heart attack and stroke). Preceptor in US, contributor and web master of is on Blood Pressure medication and sounds like a man under stress, as he pathetically tries to please his guru who is trying to shut down his Web site. He boasts on his site of offering his son to the Guru on a stormy night, and transmitting to older women who do not want to be transmitted to. I have made a copy of his site and protected them and can show you his files. He might be off-line by the time you read this. And he is a writer for the group.
Heal your disease- (See above for examples of un-cured diseases at the "preceptor" level of Sahaj Marg) One preceptor stated in a news article that Sahaj Marg keeps diseases away. Physician heal thyself before you sell it to other!
Learn to meditate -(or learn to surrender, empty or "cleanse" the mind of, or ignore, your problems, and open up to "transmission" by a man....voluntary brain washing and instilling new Sahaj Marg values...obey only the "authority" of Sahaj Marg. Quote from Sahaj Marg Litterature: The fact of unknowing, which Lalaji expressed so simply- Ignorance is Bliss. When there is a fire and I don't know that there is a fire, I am comparatively happier than if I know there is a fire.....From "Salient features of Sahaj Marg" Series 2 (Page 20)
Learn to concentrate -(or learn to concentrate on the Guru or Sahaj Marg). Spokesperson claims in university newspaper that Sahaj Marg increases student's ability to concentrate. Group is targeting universities for recruits with the University of Texas, Austin, Texas as headquarters under Santosh Khanjee, a local developer, and preceptor in charge of international affairs for Sahaj Marg.
Take control of your life- (or become a "living dead" and surrender control of your life and death to a man in India, his family and successors)
Freedom....From "Salient Features of Sahaj Marg" Series 2 (page 26)....
In examining this idea of freedom, we have been led to the conclusion that what we have thought of as a loss of freedom is nothing but a state of surrender to the Master's will. We have not lost freedom in the sense that we have been deprived of it. We have voluntarily, whole-heartedly and devotedly surrendered it to the Master of our Soul. To those who are fortunate enough to arrive at this stage, the Master is no longer a guide for spirituality alone. He has now become the Master of one's life in all it's aspects of existence. He becomes the father, the mother, the son, the teacher, the doctor, in fact, there is no role that He does not play in the abhyasi's life. He has taken total charge of the abhyasi. So we see that only our surrendering to Him can bring about a state where He can take total charge of us!
Analysing this further we find, surprisingly, that a great and unimaginable freedom is now confered on the abhyasi. It is the freedom from freedom itself. It is the freedom of invulnerability. We may even say that it is the freedom of invincibility. We are no longer answerable for our actions. We merely obey. The person who issues the orders, the Master, assumes complete responsibility for anything we do. We are no longer vulnerable to the world.
Try it for six months and see- (or within six months you will not be able to leave)
Non religious and non-denominational (you don't have to leave your Church)- (A lie...their organized events are on the same dates ie Christmas, Easter, etc... and both claim to BE representing the ONE and only God and both want all your time, devotion, and financial support. Their numbers are growing with "disillusionned" Christians and the "lost sheep" of other religions. Claiming to be "not a religion" does not make it so. This group is "organized" and are as much an idolatrous "religion" as a cult of the individual or "special person" and not a "spiritual" movement. The focus is on a Guru, a man, and not a Spirit. Sahaj Marg is not a system, like other yogas or spiritual practices that empower the individual. Sahaj Marg empowers the Guru and Sahaj Marg. The abhyasis is and will remain a "serf". The women of Sahaj Marg, certainly will, as they cannot become gurus as they are not destructive enough, as stated by Chari in a speech at Satkol airport. It is an "idol" worship very much akin to what we see in the entertainment and sport industry. The entertainment industry is more honest about it's goals.
From Salient Features of Sahaj Marg (SMRTI Series 3) Page 52-53
Idol Worship;
Sahaj Marg has nowhere said temple worship is wrong, nor does Master expressly forbid idol worship. ....
To other abhyasis, the preceptor has become such an idol. I believe that any abhyasi who says, "my preceptor" when talking about the preceptor who is serving him has fallen into this form of idol worship. Here it is the preceptor who has been transformed into an idol, or idolised. Here again the Master may be in the background, but is that Master's rightful place? When Master says that every gods are fuctionaries of Nature, and are there to serve, and not to be served, can we deify preceptors and relatives in this way?
I must say that preceptors generally do not fall into this error. But abhyasis idolize them to the extent of ascribing to them the credit which should go to the Master. Where our credit is given, there goes our gratitude and this is followed by our love. So, wrongly ascribed credit can be disastrous in leading to the creation of an idol for us. So Master's message is quite clear. All credit goes to our Master. When we give credit where it is not due, that too is a form of idol worship. We should beware of falling into such errors.......
Sahaj Marg is Free - From Salient Features of Sahaj Marg (SMRI Series 3)- Page 25
"To think that my Master depends on my donation could very possibly be a sin. Masters exist in a dimension where money does not play a part. Whenever he makes us donate something, he does so to lighten our burdens. Our contribution to our Master's work is perhaps of the same proportion as the squirrel's contribution to Lord Rama's work."
Note: His oders are for the disciple to obey, and purchase all his books, tapes, and attend all his seminars and pay for the "regurgitated" material over and over, as well as his and his entourage's travel and living expenses. Let us not forget that the disciples are expected to to "proselytize". I figure my wife (who became a disciple three years ago) has given him and Sahaj Marg, between $5,000 and $10,000 so far. That's a pretty big "squirrel's contribution" for our humble (disability pension) household.
The scam of "transmission" is one worthy of any cult. The disciples actually believe that the Guru is in India transmitting from his "club", or his retreat in the Indian ocean. It is the "preceptor" (usually a woman) who is actually doing the transmission work for the Guru (without pay) and on a voluntary basis. And God only knows what they are transmitting to the "marks". They (the preceptors) have "surrendered", are not responsible for their own lives, and are "living dead" and hence, are not in control of their own lives.
In my area, the preceptors and abhyasis I have met are no Sister Theresa's involved in the plight of the sick, and the poor in the community and in my opinion, not people I would teach my kids to emulate. I think that Sahaj Marg teaches them to not care, or as they call it "be detached". I see that at the upper levels of Sahaj Marg where Chari mentions in one of his books that Ram Chandra was not a generous man as he would not give 5 rupees to a beggar. The few donations I have seen from the group have been "high profile" and have PR value. And the ethics of spending one's meagre income on a trip to India rather than on one's family on "social assistance" is, in my mind, questionable. If I had money to spend on spirituality, I would help the food bank, my family, or the poor in my community rather than millionaires who invest in castles and commercial real estate. Most religions would agree that service to the poor is more spiritual that living in a castle. Sell the castles, feed the poor.
Chari (P. Rajagopalachari), the current guru, is a retired mill manager, brahmin of the "upper caste", who spent most of his life as a plastics engineer and manager of a Textile Paper Tube mill, in India. The Chief Preceptor (Priest) is a Mr. Bhaskar K. Rao, retired General Manager of the State Bank of Mysore in India, and in charge of North America and International Affairs is a Mr. Santosh Khanjee, businessman. Not high "spiritual" credentials. These are not Mahatma Ghandi's or Dalai Lama's who have devoted their lives to spirituality or philosophy or philanthropy. They have devoted most of the time in their lives to money and real estate, but now they want to be revered as Saints and Holy Men....
The Group, Sri Ram Chandra Mission, purchases and owns castles and Commercial property all over Europe and around the world and they constantly travel, free of charge, to be adored by their "fans"....not exactly humble and Christlike. On idolatry, according to Chari, it is accepted as long as the disciple "idolizes" the Guru and not the preceptor. They give very little to the poor, though they claim legal "charitable" status. Since they meditate, in India, they claim to be "Environmentalists" helping to clean the slums of the world through meditation. They have been placed on a list of "cult activity" by a committee of the french government. They recently moved their headquarters in Europe from France, where the citizens of the village of Augerans raised the alarm, to Denmark where they purchased another castle. Ah! The simple life of the saintly capitalist.
The original Ram Chandra (Lalaji... there are two Ram-Chandras, Babuji, the Founder of Sahaj Marg, and Lalaji, a Sufi guru the Founder (Babuji) met a few times, and who is claimed by him as "adi Guru"...thirteen years after his death) meditated for seven months and became a Master. Chari's father joined the group and one week later was traveling through Europe, claiming to be a Master through a "mirror image ritual" (you see me as a man but I am a Guru). This caused a stir in Europe. Dr. K. C. Varadachari, a professor of philosophy, who was to be the next guru before Chari came along, and who wrote extensively on Sahaj Marg including an introduction in one of Ram Chandra's book, took distance the group. In his story on the ISRC Web site, there is mention of his turmoil and anguish over his daughter's death after an arranged marriage that she did not want to go along with, and Guru Ram Chandra's son committed suicide. (see ISRC web site-Story of Varadachari) After Dr.Varadachari's son left the group he formed the "Institute of Ram Chandra Consciousness" (see web site) and has warnings by his father on his site about Sahaj Marg and about the "commercializing" of spirituality in Sahaj Marg by "certain people". The courts have been used to prevent ISRC from using the Ram Chandra material. That would be the equivalent of the Catholics using the courts to prevent the Anglicans from using the Bible as their Holy Book. Not very "spiritual" or "brotherly" or "uniting".
Beware of real estate and other scams. Real estate and property rentals are for sale on the Internet with "come-ons" such as "live next to the Master". According to a newspaper report, a questionable "Water purifier" is for sale on the internet from Vrad Castle, Sahaj Marg headquarters in Denmark, by the mate of the main "preceptor". Before moving the headquarters of Sahaj Marg to Denmark, the Peugeot (auto manufacturer) castle in Augerans, France was the group's headquarters. The French citizens raised the alarm and the Shri Ram Chandra Mission moved. (there are many French newspaper articles about the battle between the citizens of Augerans and the "cult of the Living Dead" in the Augerans region of France, as Shri Ram Chandra Mission is listed in a French Government Report on Cult activity in France)
I am still researching this group and will have other material to offer in the future. I have read most of their material and have protected myself by making copies of everything I find and I am ready to send copies to anyone who e-mails me.
Information is our best protection. These groups have found resistance in Europe and have found a soft underbelly for their "immorality on the path to the great Morality" in North America with the Christian Church scandals that have hit the news in the past years. People are confused and seek answers. It seems that the more fundamental or extreme the answer, the better it is for some. We are seeing that the fastest growing religions are the more fundamentalist (Islam, Fundamentalist Christianity etc..) It is sad to see women's issues lose the ground that was gained over the years with the support of men like myself (I organized two unions for women..one failed, I lost my career and one succeeded) and sell their new-found power and freedoms so quickly to these new religions. Maybe Margaret Atwood is accurate in her "A Hand-Maiden's Tale". I hope that not all women will voluntarily give up their new powers. I hope and I trust that not all women are gullible enough to acceptand swallow all these man-made rules by "god-appointed" god-men.
This Guru states "women cannot be gurus because they are not "destructive" enough. He also is quoted as saying that we can only talk to women about unimportant things like "food and the weather or they (women) make a scene". In other words, to be a Guru, one has to be destructive. I agree with that one...
So, my warning is "watch out for your families". Maybe North American and European women will get up off their knees and show these so-called teachers or gurus, what "transformation" means and not "destruction".
Links:
Institute for Ram Chandra Consciousness (Dr. Varadachari's Site)
http://www.sriramchandra.org/
Listings of Real Estate and rentals near the Guru
http://www.becomeanotary.us/ashram.htm
Just one or two of Sahaj Marg requests for Donations (see President's Fund)
http://www.srcm.org/members/ssandesh/2005_49.jsp
Peace on Earth to All of Goodwill
The (not so) Natural Path
Sahaj Marg or Shri Ram Chandra Mission
All statements from Sahaj Marg, Sahaj Marg Research and Teaching Institute (SMRTI), Yogabhyas (formerly Ramashram), and Institute of Ram Chandra Consciousness (ISRC), litterature are supported by copies of the direct quotes and I can e-mail the direct quotes and context if requested
I am not a "religious" person anymore, but have been exposed to religions all my life and now that the "new age" or "new" religions are reaching our shores under the guise of "spirituality" I have been prompted and encouraged to write this blog as a "heads-up" to other ex-religious and truly spiritual persons, after my wife of 35 years has become "enthralled" with one of these so-called "Gurus" out of India. Meditation yes, surrender and obedience to a man, to the point of "killing your mother" if ordered to, to show your obedience to the Guru (quote from Heart of the Lion)....NO! NEVER! It is not right for Christians. It is not right for Jews. It is not right for Muslims. It is not right for Sahaj Marg. Thou shall NOT KILL! Killing is not spiritual! I will not obey to that point!
This one group, Sahaj Marg, is targeting women of menopausal age and children (5-7) through a school curriculum, (see Sahaj Marg and its Children, by Hakewill, Elizabeth, And Romano, Leslie-Editors), and is involved with a group called the International Association of Spiritual Psychiatry, (one contributor on Sahaj Marg web site is a member of both groups). This European psychiatrist and preceptor of the Sahaj Marg group, has done studies on 54 of his "abhyasis" (disciples) and has reported his findings to the Guru. Creating a dependence on the guru and Sahaj Marg through "surrender" or "emtying the mind of wordly things" like the problems of family, friends, pets, etc...is high on their agenda. In his New Years (2001) address, Chari (the guru of Sahaj Marg) states: "you will have no relatives and friends "..... Sahaj Marg withdraws the "abhyasis" (disciple) from all responsibility in society and draws to itself all the love, affection and material support that would normally go to the family and friends of the disciples. This in the name of spirituality and reaching "liberation" of the re-incarnation process (birth and rebirth)
Sahaj Marg is also receiving support from a group called CICNS in Europe who takes on the role of "spiritual mercenary" and attacks anyone who, having been victimized by a pseudo-religious or pseudo-spiritual group, tries to expose the group that does the victimization. This group (CICNS) has recently defended Sahaj Marg in Europe after the "water purifier" or "Divine Water" scam in Denmark was exposed by European reporters. The CICNS, although abhorring "witch hunts" and "McCarthyism" in their charter, indulge in the same practice to protect their clients. I could be their next target so if you don't get my next instalment, call the cops, you will know why. Chari likes the term "spiritual warrior". It's sort of like the oxymorons "fornicating" for virginity or "War against War". Some reporters have since infiltrated Sahaj Marg and are preparing a report.
This group, Sahaj Marg, claims that one can be Christian or belong to other religions and still do their practice. This is a lie. The Guru of this group, Chari, through reference to the previous guru, claims to be the representative of God Himself (not Herself) and that the guru is the "flesh and blood incarnation of the Divinity". No Christian could serve that Master and Christ at the same time. According to Christians, Christ was the "Lamb of God", the "Messiah", and part of the Trinity. Chari, in his book "Heart of the Lion" wants his "abhyasis" (disciples) to be like lions. He even claims that "one lion is worth 500 sheep". The metaphor does not go un-noticed. Christians take notice. These groups often meet in Church facilities.
Read carefully (from their on-line newspaper)
Sahaj Sandesh No.: 2005.31 - Wednesday, June 22, 2005
ABHYASI'S QUESTION:"..... why do I have to give up my existing religious practices....."
MASTER'S ANSWER: "All religious practice involve the worship of God as being outside us. It is called Bahya Upachara in Sanskrit. Spirituality puts God where HE really is - inside the human heart, and indeed at the heart of every created thing, as Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita. One cannot mix the two. In the Vedas Murthy Pooja is called the lowest form of worship. Mantra is only a way of pleasing the mind, and bhajans please the senses, while giving the illusion of being a form of worship. I trust that this will be satisfactory. If people have more questions, they should be encouraged to read the Gita slowly, and try to understand it. Love to all."
The Sahaj Marg practice demands that the disciples "surrender" thenselves to the will of the guru and become a "living dead", to be done with as the Master wills. That way, the disciple is not responsible for his/her actions and does not accumulate any "samscaras" or Karma.
In Europe, the reaction of the citizenry has been that people who do not take responsibility for their actions do not make good citizens, parents, teachers, judges, politicians, etc.... According to media reports, some public figures have been forced to resign their posts or leave Sahaj Marg. It seems that we, as a society, are always trying to get our servants, the bureaucrats and the politicians to be "accountable" and now this guru wants his disciples to surrender to a man, and not be responsible for his/her actions. It seems regressive.
This group has had two schisms in the last 15 years, and the track record of their claimed "brotherly love" is not impressive. Law suits have taken away the right of the "break-away" groups to use the Ram Chandra material. That would be the equivalent of the Catholics stopping the Anglicans from using the Bible as their "Holy Book". Not exactly "brotherly love" and "Unity". They seem to be a group of businessmen who have taken over a small meditation group and changed it to serve their purpose: self aggrandisement. The guru and the organizers can have a life, have dreams and accumulate and live in wealth but the disciples, who feed them with gifts of money and adoration (idolatry) have to deny their dreams, their families, country, culture, etc....
Sahaj Marg has taken the "renunciation" of the spiritual (ascetic) path and made it "detachment" (one can acumulate as long as one is "detached" or "at arms length"), added the "obedience" of the warrior path, and is taking its disciples back to the Christian "dark ages" of "indulgences, or accumulation of "spiritual" credits (spiritual capitalism), which caused some of the christians of Europe to break away from the Holy Roman Catholic tyranny. In the Sahaj Marg system, the disciple does not have to be a "good", "kind"," generous" person, he just has to be "odedient" and the guru will save him. Suits our "quick fix" population. Sahaj Marg has been called the "Macdonald" of spirituality.
These groups could be listed among the "false prophets" mentionned in the Bible. They offer anything and everything that might sell. Here is a short list of their "come-ons".
Brotherly Love and Unity- Group has had two schisms and other "discontents" at the highest levels in India and Europe as Chari pushes for "commercialization" and more "converts" to support his financial investments in castles and commercial real estate. Ram Chandra use to say that religion divides and spirituality unites. by their own criteria, they are not "spiritual", and by their own record and statements, their religious or "charitable" status can certainly be questionned.
From Heart of the Lion...Page 14
....So I repeat, the Guru is the only friend. In fact, I have said this so often, that in the Sufi philosophy, the Guru is called Friend. "The Friend is coming". Because he is the only fellow who can give his life for you. He is the only fellow, therefore, to whom you must hand over totally, a Power of Attorney....."Do with me as you think I deserve to be done with. Kick me when I have to be kicked. Beat me when I have to be beaten. Curse me when I have to be cursed. But make of me what you think I should be eventually, because only you can do it."
So once more I say this in all humility....if you must have a Master, find a fellow who is capable of, you know, throwing you around, beating you up, cutting you to pieces. Remember Parushurama's father and the stern test that young boy had to make for obedience...."Kill your Mother"...."Yes"...
He pulled out the sword and cut off her head. He said, "I am pleased with you my son. Ask for anything you want." He said, "I want my mother alive." And He said, "So be it." and she got up and walked off. The Guru is the Guru, is the Master, when you say of destiny, it means life and death. He must be the Master of your life as he must be the Master of your death.
Bring peace to your life and family-Guru's son commits suicide. K.C. Varadachari's, (guru in waiting), daughter dies after refusing arranged marriage. Preceptor's husband dies, divorces new husband and now has "boy friend". My wife leaves after 35 years together. Other examples in Europe where victims are speaking out.
Learn to relax- main preceptor and husband of preceptor in Western Canada die of "stress" diseases (heart attack and stroke). Preceptor in US, contributor and web master of is on Blood Pressure medication and sounds like a man under stress, as he pathetically tries to please his guru who is trying to shut down his Web site. He boasts on his site of offering his son to the Guru on a stormy night, and transmitting to older women who do not want to be transmitted to. I have made a copy of his site and protected them and can show you his files. He might be off-line by the time you read this. And he is a writer for the group.
Heal your disease- (See above for examples of un-cured diseases at the "preceptor" level of Sahaj Marg) One preceptor stated in a news article that Sahaj Marg keeps diseases away. Physician heal thyself before you sell it to other!
Learn to meditate -(or learn to surrender, empty or "cleanse" the mind of, or ignore, your problems, and open up to "transmission" by a man....voluntary brain washing and instilling new Sahaj Marg values...obey only the "authority" of Sahaj Marg. Quote from Sahaj Marg Litterature: The fact of unknowing, which Lalaji expressed so simply- Ignorance is Bliss. When there is a fire and I don't know that there is a fire, I am comparatively happier than if I know there is a fire.....From "Salient features of Sahaj Marg" Series 2 (Page 20)
Learn to concentrate -(or learn to concentrate on the Guru or Sahaj Marg). Spokesperson claims in university newspaper that Sahaj Marg increases student's ability to concentrate. Group is targeting universities for recruits with the University of Texas, Austin, Texas as headquarters under Santosh Khanjee, a local developer, and preceptor in charge of international affairs for Sahaj Marg.
Take control of your life- (or become a "living dead" and surrender control of your life and death to a man in India, his family and successors)
Freedom....From "Salient Features of Sahaj Marg" Series 2 (page 26)....
In examining this idea of freedom, we have been led to the conclusion that what we have thought of as a loss of freedom is nothing but a state of surrender to the Master's will. We have not lost freedom in the sense that we have been deprived of it. We have voluntarily, whole-heartedly and devotedly surrendered it to the Master of our Soul. To those who are fortunate enough to arrive at this stage, the Master is no longer a guide for spirituality alone. He has now become the Master of one's life in all it's aspects of existence. He becomes the father, the mother, the son, the teacher, the doctor, in fact, there is no role that He does not play in the abhyasi's life. He has taken total charge of the abhyasi. So we see that only our surrendering to Him can bring about a state where He can take total charge of us!
Analysing this further we find, surprisingly, that a great and unimaginable freedom is now confered on the abhyasi. It is the freedom from freedom itself. It is the freedom of invulnerability. We may even say that it is the freedom of invincibility. We are no longer answerable for our actions. We merely obey. The person who issues the orders, the Master, assumes complete responsibility for anything we do. We are no longer vulnerable to the world.
Try it for six months and see- (or within six months you will not be able to leave)
Non religious and non-denominational (you don't have to leave your Church)- (A lie...their organized events are on the same dates ie Christmas, Easter, etc... and both claim to BE representing the ONE and only God and both want all your time, devotion, and financial support. Their numbers are growing with "disillusionned" Christians and the "lost sheep" of other religions. Claiming to be "not a religion" does not make it so. This group is "organized" and are as much an idolatrous "religion" as a cult of the individual or "special person" and not a "spiritual" movement. The focus is on a Guru, a man, and not a Spirit. Sahaj Marg is not a system, like other yogas or spiritual practices that empower the individual. Sahaj Marg empowers the Guru and Sahaj Marg. The abhyasis is and will remain a "serf". The women of Sahaj Marg, certainly will, as they cannot become gurus as they are not destructive enough, as stated by Chari in a speech at Satkol airport. It is an "idol" worship very much akin to what we see in the entertainment and sport industry. The entertainment industry is more honest about it's goals.
From Salient Features of Sahaj Marg (SMRTI Series 3) Page 52-53
Idol Worship;
Sahaj Marg has nowhere said temple worship is wrong, nor does Master expressly forbid idol worship. ....
To other abhyasis, the preceptor has become such an idol. I believe that any abhyasi who says, "my preceptor" when talking about the preceptor who is serving him has fallen into this form of idol worship. Here it is the preceptor who has been transformed into an idol, or idolised. Here again the Master may be in the background, but is that Master's rightful place? When Master says that every gods are fuctionaries of Nature, and are there to serve, and not to be served, can we deify preceptors and relatives in this way?
I must say that preceptors generally do not fall into this error. But abhyasis idolize them to the extent of ascribing to them the credit which should go to the Master. Where our credit is given, there goes our gratitude and this is followed by our love. So, wrongly ascribed credit can be disastrous in leading to the creation of an idol for us. So Master's message is quite clear. All credit goes to our Master. When we give credit where it is not due, that too is a form of idol worship. We should beware of falling into such errors.......
Sahaj Marg is Free - From Salient Features of Sahaj Marg (SMRI Series 3)- Page 25
"To think that my Master depends on my donation could very possibly be a sin. Masters exist in a dimension where money does not play a part. Whenever he makes us donate something, he does so to lighten our burdens. Our contribution to our Master's work is perhaps of the same proportion as the squirrel's contribution to Lord Rama's work."
Note: His oders are for the disciple to obey, and purchase all his books, tapes, and attend all his seminars and pay for the "regurgitated" material over and over, as well as his and his entourage's travel and living expenses. Let us not forget that the disciples are expected to to "proselytize". I figure my wife (who became a disciple three years ago) has given him and Sahaj Marg, between $5,000 and $10,000 so far. That's a pretty big "squirrel's contribution" for our humble (disability pension) household.
The scam of "transmission" is one worthy of any cult. The disciples actually believe that the Guru is in India transmitting from his "club", or his retreat in the Indian ocean. It is the "preceptor" (usually a woman) who is actually doing the transmission work for the Guru (without pay) and on a voluntary basis. And God only knows what they are transmitting to the "marks". They (the preceptors) have "surrendered", are not responsible for their own lives, and are "living dead" and hence, are not in control of their own lives.
In my area, the preceptors and abhyasis I have met are no Sister Theresa's involved in the plight of the sick, and the poor in the community and in my opinion, not people I would teach my kids to emulate. I think that Sahaj Marg teaches them to not care, or as they call it "be detached". I see that at the upper levels of Sahaj Marg where Chari mentions in one of his books that Ram Chandra was not a generous man as he would not give 5 rupees to a beggar. The few donations I have seen from the group have been "high profile" and have PR value. And the ethics of spending one's meagre income on a trip to India rather than on one's family on "social assistance" is, in my mind, questionable. If I had money to spend on spirituality, I would help the food bank, my family, or the poor in my community rather than millionaires who invest in castles and commercial real estate. Most religions would agree that service to the poor is more spiritual that living in a castle. Sell the castles, feed the poor.
Chari (P. Rajagopalachari), the current guru, is a retired mill manager, brahmin of the "upper caste", who spent most of his life as a plastics engineer and manager of a Textile Paper Tube mill, in India. The Chief Preceptor (Priest) is a Mr. Bhaskar K. Rao, retired General Manager of the State Bank of Mysore in India, and in charge of North America and International Affairs is a Mr. Santosh Khanjee, businessman. Not high "spiritual" credentials. These are not Mahatma Ghandi's or Dalai Lama's who have devoted their lives to spirituality or philosophy or philanthropy. They have devoted most of the time in their lives to money and real estate, but now they want to be revered as Saints and Holy Men....
The Group, Sri Ram Chandra Mission, purchases and owns castles and Commercial property all over Europe and around the world and they constantly travel, free of charge, to be adored by their "fans"....not exactly humble and Christlike. On idolatry, according to Chari, it is accepted as long as the disciple "idolizes" the Guru and not the preceptor. They give very little to the poor, though they claim legal "charitable" status. Since they meditate, in India, they claim to be "Environmentalists" helping to clean the slums of the world through meditation. They have been placed on a list of "cult activity" by a committee of the french government. They recently moved their headquarters in Europe from France, where the citizens of the village of Augerans raised the alarm, to Denmark where they purchased another castle. Ah! The simple life of the saintly capitalist.
The original Ram Chandra (Lalaji... there are two Ram-Chandras, Babuji, the Founder of Sahaj Marg, and Lalaji, a Sufi guru the Founder (Babuji) met a few times, and who is claimed by him as "adi Guru"...thirteen years after his death) meditated for seven months and became a Master. Chari's father joined the group and one week later was traveling through Europe, claiming to be a Master through a "mirror image ritual" (you see me as a man but I am a Guru). This caused a stir in Europe. Dr. K. C. Varadachari, a professor of philosophy, who was to be the next guru before Chari came along, and who wrote extensively on Sahaj Marg including an introduction in one of Ram Chandra's book, took distance the group. In his story on the ISRC Web site, there is mention of his turmoil and anguish over his daughter's death after an arranged marriage that she did not want to go along with, and Guru Ram Chandra's son committed suicide. (see ISRC web site-Story of Varadachari) After Dr.Varadachari's son left the group he formed the "Institute of Ram Chandra Consciousness" (see web site) and has warnings by his father on his site about Sahaj Marg and about the "commercializing" of spirituality in Sahaj Marg by "certain people". The courts have been used to prevent ISRC from using the Ram Chandra material. That would be the equivalent of the Catholics using the courts to prevent the Anglicans from using the Bible as their Holy Book. Not very "spiritual" or "brotherly" or "uniting".
Beware of real estate and other scams. Real estate and property rentals are for sale on the Internet with "come-ons" such as "live next to the Master". According to a newspaper report, a questionable "Water purifier" is for sale on the internet from Vrad Castle, Sahaj Marg headquarters in Denmark, by the mate of the main "preceptor". Before moving the headquarters of Sahaj Marg to Denmark, the Peugeot (auto manufacturer) castle in Augerans, France was the group's headquarters. The French citizens raised the alarm and the Shri Ram Chandra Mission moved. (there are many French newspaper articles about the battle between the citizens of Augerans and the "cult of the Living Dead" in the Augerans region of France, as Shri Ram Chandra Mission is listed in a French Government Report on Cult activity in France)
I am still researching this group and will have other material to offer in the future. I have read most of their material and have protected myself by making copies of everything I find and I am ready to send copies to anyone who e-mails me.
Information is our best protection. These groups have found resistance in Europe and have found a soft underbelly for their "immorality on the path to the great Morality" in North America with the Christian Church scandals that have hit the news in the past years. People are confused and seek answers. It seems that the more fundamental or extreme the answer, the better it is for some. We are seeing that the fastest growing religions are the more fundamentalist (Islam, Fundamentalist Christianity etc..) It is sad to see women's issues lose the ground that was gained over the years with the support of men like myself (I organized two unions for women..one failed, I lost my career and one succeeded) and sell their new-found power and freedoms so quickly to these new religions. Maybe Margaret Atwood is accurate in her "A Hand-Maiden's Tale". I hope that not all women will voluntarily give up their new powers. I hope and I trust that not all women are gullible enough to acceptand swallow all these man-made rules by "god-appointed" god-men.
This Guru states "women cannot be gurus because they are not "destructive" enough. He also is quoted as saying that we can only talk to women about unimportant things like "food and the weather or they (women) make a scene". In other words, to be a Guru, one has to be destructive. I agree with that one...
So, my warning is "watch out for your families". Maybe North American and European women will get up off their knees and show these so-called teachers or gurus, what "transformation" means and not "destruction".
Links:
Institute for Ram Chandra Consciousness (Dr. Varadachari's Site)
http://www.sriramchandra.org/
Listings of Real Estate and rentals near the Guru
http://www.becomeanotary.us/ashram.htm
Just one or two of Sahaj Marg requests for Donations (see President's Fund)
http://www.srcm.org/members/ssandesh/2005_49.jsp
Peace on Earth to All of Goodwill
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Open Letter to John Walsh- The Not So Natural Path
Open Letter to John Walsh....
The Not So Natural Path
Dear John:
Re: Shri Ram Chandra Mission or Sahaj Marg
I watch and enjoy your show and because, in my mind, you seem to be a man of integrity, I thought I would send you some information and quotes from the Sahaj Marg (Shri Ram Chandra Mission) litterature and from their current Guru "Chari" (retired CEO of Textile Paper Tube mill in India), of whom my common-law wife (now ex-wife) of 35 years has become a disciple.
This practice has her going to a "preceptor" once a week for a "trasmission" to her heart (from Chari via a "preceptor") and twice a week for "group sittings" where they all get a "transmission" and read from his books. Add to that three daily meditations, purchasing and “repeated” reading of books, listening to tapes, spreading the word (posters, attending recruiting seminars etc) special group sittings (2 days) on birthdays of the current Master, Chari and the two past "guru" (both named Ram Chandra), seminars across North America ( one in San Jose, California in May 2003), and India to see the Master, following and trying to please the Master, reading his litterature over and over, doing his work and attract his blessings,- and this group is controlling a lot of her life (time and money). The rest of the day is to be spent in "constant remembrance", where she surrenders herself (becoming a "living dead") to the Master's will, and where the suggestion is that the Guru (Chari) is doing everything in her place and takes the place of everyone in her life (mother, father, son, doctor, etc...). This way, she does not accumulate "samskaras", (imprints on the soul) and does not have to be responsible for her actions as she is not the one performing them. All responsibility stops with the Master, and her duty also stops with her duty to the Master. The goal is "liberation" from being re-incarnated into this terrible world.
Although this group operates as a non-denominational church and a non-profit society in North America, the Guru, as President of the society, through internal statutes and parallel bureaucracy, is in fact in complete control of the financial, political and spiritual aspects of the society. (dictatorship or theocracy). He even has the right of Veto in all matters. (see internal statutes on French web site).
There have been two "schisms" since Chari's take-over. The "Institute of Ram Chandra Consciousness" is from one Indian split (including some very close friends of the second Ram Chandra, such as the son of Dr. K.C. Varadachari, University philosophy professor who wrote the introduction to a book by Ram Chandra, and was to be the next guru). This split happened after the death of Dr. Varadachari's daughter's death after an arranged marriage and Ram Chandra's (the second guru of the lineage) son's suicide. The commercialization of Sahaj Marg was also a concern mentionned in Dr. Varadachari's "history" on their web site. Some of the French "disciples" have also split (no web site for them). There is also a another break-away group from the original Ram Chandra, They have a Web site called: Yogabhyas (formerly called Ramashram), whose Master, Dr. Chaturbhuj Sahai Maharaj, now deceased, was a disciple of the original Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh.
The original Ram Chandra became enlightened after meditating for 7 months. The Guru from Yogabhyas, Dr. Chaturbhuj Sahai Maharaj, (see web sites) claims to be the rightful spiritual heir of the original Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh. Apparently, according to French sources, Chari's father, traveled in Europe calling himself a Master after a few weeks with the Mission. This caused a stir in the group in Europe and India. The "Chief Preceptor" is Mr. P Rao, retired General Manager of the State Bank of Mysore, and in charge in North America (and international affairs) , is a Mr. Santosh Khanjee, businessman. There is an "over-structure" of approximately 300 businessmen around the world, not necessarily "meditators".
As you probably know, women in India and Afghanistan are beginning to raise awareness about the negative social impact of the "spiritual" gurus (not organized religions, but certainly as organized) and certain religious teachings that propagate and serve the “old boys network” while neglecting the family’s and the broader society's needs. This is a question now being raised by the United Nations and many countries in Europe. These "teachers" are now migrating to our shores and spreading their questionable teachings and culture in our western countries, strangely enough via "women".
As you will notice, on the French site, the make-up of the initiates of Sahaj Marg is 75% women of "change of life" (menopausal) age. On one of Sahaj Marg web-sites (SMRTI-Sahaj Marg Research and Training Institute), they are targeting kids (from 5 yrs in the "Value Based Spirituality" Link (now available only with a password, but I have enclosed a few samples of their lessons as I made a copy before they took it off, if you want it)), and youth (see "Youth" link). Of course, the "education is done via stories, some of which, in my opinion, are of questionable morality. This school curriculum apparently works well in India. (see also Sahaj Marg and its Children, by Hakewill, Elizabeth, And Romano, Leslie-Editors)
Is it something we want in North America? Is it now being introduced here, as it was apparently attempted to be introduced in Augerans, France (European headquarters in castle purchased from Peugeot, automobile manufacturer) where the group offered the little village of 150 persons (5 or 6 kids) to take over the education of the local children. According to French local newspapers, the group showed themselves to be "bad citizens" when they tried to influence the local elections by registering non-resident "disciples" before the elections. The French citizens raised the alarm. (see below for lessons of concern).
Sahaj Marg (Ram Chandra Mission) has two web sites but you will only find most of the quotes I enclose in the books mentionned below. These books are on sale on the web site store. I don't know if the audio and video tapes, and transcripts are readily available on-line but they came to me via e-mail from some initiates and preceptors, as my ex-wife is a practitioner. This is what raised a "red flag" for me as I have three grandchildren.
I am also enclosing a list of links from Europe (most in French, but some English on one site) where a French government committee report on cults, has listed this group. The media has been exposing their activities calling them the "cult of the Living Dead", (see quotes from their material below) and acquisitions of real estate around the world (Peugeot castle at Augerans, France, castle in Denmark, 5 story building in Lausanne, Switzerland, property on major boulevard in Nice, France, and also properties in New Delhi, Australia and the USA (Molena)....The site mentions that this list is not complete, and mentions the purchase of 89 properties around the world in the past 15 years. ....When Chari took over after Ram Chandra's death, they were a very small group, focussed mainly in India.). Officially, their money comes from selling of books and publications, donations and membership fees(In Europe, in North America- id cards-$8.00), apparently all voluntary. Seminars are a major source of funding.
According to one site, recruiting has targeted the Healing Therapies (Mental Health and Alternate Field) for preceptors (local priests), and has lured influential people (politicians and judges) with a system some have called "psychiatric spirituality" (voluntarily emptying the mind of all attachments (problems) and filling it with the Master through repetitious suggestions, reading and listening to tapes etc., and surrendering one's will to the will of the Master). You will notice in the litterature, that the words "God" and "Master" are used inter-changeably as the Master is the "flesh and blood incarnation" of Divinity. Apparently, some people of influence have had to resign their positions and/or leave the group, as surrendering oneself and strict obedience to an individual (the Master) would put in question their impartiality (politics, judiciary, military, etc...).
Since you have shown some comittment to protecting our kids (I have three grand-children) and, I hope you or your staff will research this issue and specifically this group, discreetly and see if anything can be done to protect our kids from this "endoctrination" and "de-sensitization" at such an early age(5-11yrs). (notice in lesson one the introduction of meditation (instead of prayer) and the obedience of the child in "shooting the toy bird with an arrow in the left eye" and in lesson 2, God himself (in the form of a East-Indian man, Gopal, helps the child overcome dangers). This at a time when we are warning our kids about "strangers". In another lesson, they praise the simplicity of their founding Master (Babuji or Ram Chandra). Is a "castle" a simple life? All this in the name of instilling "spiritual values", or detachment in the child. In the adult litterature, the initiate is encouraged to "obey without thinking".
If you can address the adult question of mind control, it would be a gift to those of us who feel betrayed by their partners. I believe in freedom of religion but this has the markings of a cult and has been very divisive in our family as I see my wife's ideas rapidly changing , rationalizing questionable morality and accepting authoritarianism and theocracy where previous to this group, she was a believer in democracy and the resposibility of the individual. Now the responsibility is shifting to the Master for her life, death, thoughts, and even her soul. Every time the group's questionable ethics and morality is brought up, she attacks our relationship and me. You may notice that the Master can do and suggest things that appear immoral and unethical, but the initiates, having surrendered to the will of the Master, cannot judge him as they cannot see the true picture (become a "living dead"?).
This may be a task for the courts (under "hate litterature" or "mind control") or United Nations in their current questioning of religious or spiritual writings and removing such suggestions of surrendering of reponsibility of individuals to another person (the Master and/or his appointees), or other unethical religious or spiritual practices.
To surrender to God (ONE) could be acceptable, but to surrender to a man ( a mill manager) is idolatry.
These are just a few quotes from this "spiritual" leader....If you are interested, I can get more to you as I am now researching this group extensively. Should you or your research team come up with anything that could help our family deal with this, I would appreciate being placed on your list of interested people. I am fluent in English and French and can assist in translation if needed.
God bless you and yours and keep up the good work....
PS I have much more material available. Just e-mail me and I will send it.
4d-Don...
P.S. There are three sites on the WEB that are related to Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh (the first Ram Chandra) but are not affiliated. As a matter of fact, there are three different schisms in this group. Yogabhyas (formerly Ramashram), and Institute for Ram Chandra Consciousness are different from the one in question, Chari’s group SRCM (Shri Ram Chandra Mission). Although they use the teachings of both Ram Chandras, Law suits have ruled in favor of SRCM and they have the rights to the name and the litterature of the group.
Quotes from various Sahaj Marg (Shri Ram Chandra Mission) litterature..
From Heart of the Lion...Page 14
....So I repeat, the Guru is the only friend. In fact, I have said this so often, that in the Sufi philosophy, the Guru is called Friend. "The Friend is coming". Because he is the only fellow who can give his life for you. He is the only fellow, therefore, to whom you must hand over totally, a Power of Attorney....."Do with me as you think I deserve to be done with. Kick me when I have to be kicked. Beat me when I have to be beaten. Curse me when I have to be cursed. But make of me what you think I should be eventually, because only you can do it."
So once more I say this in all humility....if you must have a Master, find a fellow who is capable of, you know, throwing you around, beating you up, cutting you to pieces. Remember Parushurama's father and the stern test that young boy had to make for obedience...."Kill your Mother"...."Yes"...
He pulled out the sword and cut off her head. He said, "I am pleased with you my son. Ask for anything you want." He said, "I want my mother alive." And He said, "So be it." and she got up and walked off. The Guru is the Guru, is the Master, when you say of destiny, it means life and death. He must be the Master of your life as he must be the Master of your death.
Ignorance is Bliss....From "Salient features of Sahaj Marg" Series 2 (Page 20)
The fact of unknowing, which Lalaji expressed so simply- Ignorance is Bliss. When there is a fire and I don't know that there is a fire, I am comparatively happier than if I know there is a fire.....
Freedom....From "Salient Features of Sahaj Marg" Series 2 (page 26)....
In examining this idea of freedom, we have been led to the conclusion that what we have thought of as a loss of freedom is nothing but a state of surrender to the Master's will. We have not lost freedom in the sense that we have been deprived of it. We have voluntarily, whole-heartedly and devotedly surrendered it to the Master of our Soul. To those who are fortunate enough to arrive at this stage, the Master is no longer a guide for spirituality alone. He has now become the Master of one's life in all it's aspects of existence. He becomes the father, the mother, the son, the teacher, the doctor, in fact, there is no role that He does not play in the abhyasi's life. He has taken total charge of the abhyasi. So we see that only our surrendering to Him can bring about a state where He can take total charge of us!
Analysing this further we find, surprisingly, that a great and unimaginable freedom is now confered on the abhyasi. It is the freedom from freedom itself. It is the freedom of invulnerability. We may even say that it is the freedom of invincibility. We are no longer answerable for our actions. We merely obey. The person who issues the orders, the Master, assumes complete responsibility for anything we do. We are no longer vulnerable to the world. Therefore, a great calm, a great freedom comes to us. Out of our apparent loss of previous freedom- largely illusory as we have seen- we now receive a divine gift, the true freedom of a spiritual state, a real freedom which some saints have called "The Great Liberation".
The Prayer to be recited every day (also in the Youth and Kids programs)
Master! Thou art the real goal of human life; we are yet but slaves of wishes putting bar to our advancement. Thou art the only God and power to bring us up to that stage.
To Whom is the Mission Prayer Addressed and Why
Babuji himself has written that ultimately He (pointing upwards) is the real Master . . . and all the human Masters who come on this world, on this earth, are His representatives. If that is so, then why do we address the prayer, "Oh, Master" and not "Oh, God". Now today I am giving you the answer for that. Because God, it is a living God who is before you in the form of the Master ...this is an embodied flesh-and-blood divinity . . . who can understand our needs; who can understand our temperaments; who can sympathize with us, being human himself; who can accept our failings, perhaps having failed himself in some way . . .
Everyone is familiar with the principle of telegraphy. When one end is connected to electricity, the message is immediately carried over to the other end. Similar is the case with the devotee, who makes himself known to the Master by the current of his own power. Now by effect of devotion, that which is with the Master begins to flow towards the serf through the medium of the connecting link set up between the two. Gradually everything of the Master begins to flow into the serf. In the beginning the devotee (servant) had only conveyed his own cognizance to the Master but subsequently by the effect of devotion, the Master began to adopt nearness to him, which went on developing till the thought of actual communion began to pervade within him. Divine revelations and Nature's commands then begin to descend upon him and the first phase of initiation thus comes into effect.
Maxim 2...
Now for the form of prayer which may ensure the greatest good to everyone. I may say that one should be brought to the same state of mind which is usually developed at the time of prayer. The feeling that he as a true servant approaches the great Master in the humble capacity of an insignificant beggar must be engrossed upon his mind. He may put up everything before his Master, resigning himself completely to His will. In other words he may assume his real form after surrendering everything to the Master. He should withdraw himself from all sides and turn completely towards Him losing all worldly charms. The remembrance of everything should merge into the remembrance of One -- the Ultimate, resounding all through in every particle of his being. This may be known as complete annihilation of self. If one develops in this state, in my view he should be considered as an embodiment of prayer. Every thought of his will be synonymous with that of the Master. He will never turn towards anything that is against the Divine will. His mind will always be directed towards that which is the Master's command.
From Web Site....
How to surrender?
To effect the surrender of God in the easiest way, only an act of will is required. Self surrender is nothing but a state of complete resignation to the will of Master with total disregard of self.
The only effective way to attach one’s self firmly to the Abhyas is, to link himself with the Unlimited or in other words with one who, having linked himself with the unlimited, has attained the state of perfection. When you have linked yourself thus it means that the great personality has taken you in the bosom of his heart. Your effort towards going deep into it means you have taken up the path towards the Ultimate. That is what the word surrender conveys and which is the only surest path for the attainment of complete perfection. So long as you do a thing and know that you are doing it, it is not the right course and you are away from the level of surrender, because the feeling of ego is also there. Surrender is free from any conscious idea of ego. Everything there goes on in an automatic way according to the need of the moment without any previous or after thought.
The easiest and surest means to achieve this end (Absolute State) is to surrender yourself to the great Master in true sense and become a ‘Living Dead’ yourself. This feeling of surrender if cultivated by forced and mechanical means seldom prove to be genuine. It must develop automatically within you without the least strain or pressure upon the mind. Even if the knowledge of this fact is retained then it is not the true form of surrender. What remains to be done, when you have surrendered yourself in true sense, is, I believe, nothing. In this state you will be in close touch with Reality all the time and the current of Divine Effulgence will continue its flow to you without a break.
From Master Talk tape transcript....
I expect anticipate the US to break up. I mean, take Yugoslavia. When it can break up, when Slovenia, which is half the size of Kerla (a small state in India) can manage itself and Croatia is even smaller than Slovenia, can manage itself, why not? Texas is a huge state. So is Alaska. It will all (He gestures with His hands as if a whole is getting split into so many fragments).
Transcription From Talk (tape) with Chari...(Cheenai Airport, en route to New Delhi
On why a lady cannot be a Master Babuji said that a Master of that caliber gets orders from above, and their work includes that of destruction. A woman is not capable of such destruction. All this talk about equality between men and woman the more they talk about something, the less they will get it. Equality is different from equalization. There are high pressure and low pressure areas. In the process of equalization, the wind flows from here to there, and this process if what creates the climate. If the pressure were the same everywhere, there would be no climate. This is the way of nature: Inequality Equalization Inequality Equalization (alluding to a low pressure building, winds blowing from other high pressure areas, another low pressure building up, etc.)
(LaterAn abhyasi recalled a dream in which he saw Lalaji as Babuji as Love, and Chariji as Discipline). Master recalled Babujis directive in Paris (1982) to Him to bring discipline into the mission. But there are several people still in the mission who are undisciplined. So saying, He turned and looked at a girl who was sitting right next to Him (As if He was saying this to her). And almost immediately, she began to wipe off some tears from the corner of her eyes. And Master, looking at this, said Now, Dont you start. I do not understand women at all. Say the slightest of things harshly, and they begin to create a scene. It appears that I should only talk about superficial things like the food, the weather, etc. to them. Anything stronger than that, they cannot take it. I do not know what Mami (referring to His late wife) will think about all this. Maybe she will pull me up for what I am saying now, once I get to the brighter world. I do not know whether I am going there or not, but she is there.
From: Rev. Master's New Year’s Message at the Dawn of 2002
So, since you asked me to speak, I’m speaking. I hope you are listening carefully, and you will ATTEMPT to follow the practise sincerely, with dedication, with absolute faithfulness to the practice, so that within a few short months, you will be able to feel in yourself that, "Yes, there is something in me which has changed. Yes, I see it myself, therefore I don’t need others to tell me anything about it. I am happy, so I don’t other people to make me happy. I am content, I don’t need anything else to make me content. Where I sit in peace, thinking of my Master, I have the sole companion in my life whom I need. I don’t need anybody else to give me company. Then you will find happiness in Sahaj Marg , you will find fulfillment in Sahaj Marg . You will be ALONE but NEVER LONELY. You will have no relatives, but you will have the one friend without whom we can do nothing and whom we don’t have, though we have many friends! He who has no Master, may have many friends but no real friend. He who has the Master may have only one friend but He is the real friend. And may that true friend be with you, guide you, help you, and take you to Himself.
Class 2
For Kids from 5 to 7 according to SMRTI Value based Spirituality
CHAPTER I - GOD AND GURU
Ask them—“Are you afraid of your friends or do you love them? Do your friends help you or leave you when you are in trouble? If you think of God as your friend, will you be afraid of Him or will you love Him? As your friend, will He help you or leave you? What will you do to show your love for Him?” Discuss this point.
Tell them that teachers are our Gurus at school. Without their help it will be difficult to learn things. We will learn better if we respect and love our Gurus. Parents act as Gurus at home.
Story 2 - Do you know that in the olden days there were no schools as we have them today? There were teachers who lived in their ashrams. They were highly respected and students would go to them, stay with them for a few years, serve them in every way and learn from them. At the end of their study period they would offer something as their Guru Dakshina. The following story is about a boy who was eager to learn from a guru.
Jathila was the son of a poor widow. He wanted to study with a guru who lived across the forest but he was scared to go alone. His mother told him not to be scared and to call out for brother Gopal. Jathila believed in her and called out Gopal’s name when he went into the forest. Soon a cowherd appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. When he learnt about Jathila’s fears he told him not to be afraid and that he would help him. Everyday Jathila would call out to Gopal and with his escort, cross the forest. Soon the school term came to an end and Jathila was in a fix what to give his teacher as Guru dakshina. Gopal solved this problem by giving him a pot of curd. When the teacher tasted the curd, he found it so sweet and tasty that he wanted to know from where Jathila had got it. When Jathila narrated who had been helping him all these days, the teacher realized that innocent Jathila’s escort was no one else but God himself!
Story 3 - Here is a small story to show how God is always there with us and takes care of us. Once a man happened to be able to talk to God. “ Where have you been all these years?” he asked God, “ I never saw you!” “ I have always been with you, my son, I never left you” said God. To prove this, God gave the man the capacity to look back into his life. The man saw his life unfold before him. He saw all through his life there were two pairs of footsteps. “ See the second pair of footsteps? Those are mine. Now do you believe that I was always there with you?” asked God. “ Wait a minute,” said the man, “ At some places I can see only one pair of footsteps and those were the times when I was in great trouble! You left me at those times. You left me when I needed you the most!” accused the man.
God smiled gently at him. “Look again, my son” He said with love, “The footsteps you see were mine. When you were in trouble, I did not leave you. But I carried you in my arms!”
When we pray to Him in a group, it is very effective. For example, when a teacher enters the class, if all the students get up together and wish the teacher, the effect is wonderful and the teacher responds. Likewise, when we pray together, the effect is greater.
CHAPTER III - GREETINGS
HELLO! VANAKKAM!! NAMASTE!!!
Ask the students to think of a situation where some guests come home while the parents are there and when they are away. What will they say and do? Let them enact this scene. (You can be the guest!) Ask the other students to comment on the scene and offer suggestions for improvement. (Make sure the children offered some water to the guests, made them feel comfortable and after they had left, made a note of their names and the time of their visit to inform their parents. Also warn the students NEVER to let anybody unknown come inside the house when they are alone!)
Notice….contradicts what they taught earlier about “God appearing as a man” and helping the kids…..conflicting information and instructions is what religions and cults use to confuse and control.
CHAPTER IV - LOVE
I LOVE MY FRIENDS!
Objectives
Be friendly and not quarrelsome.
Show your love for your friends by sharing in their joys and sorrows.
Only people who love us and care for us criticize us by pointing out our mistakes. We must take the criticisms in the right spirit.
A way to begin
Tell them the story of Krishna and his friend Sudama. Since most of the children may be familiar with this story, ask them questions in between or deliberately make a mistake to see how attentive they are!
Tell them the story of how Krishna helped Arjun fight the Kurukshetra war. When Arjun declined from fighting the war because all his relatives were lined up against him. Krishna, who was Arjun’s best friend, advised Arjun and reminded him of his duties. This was how the immortal verses of Gita were born.
The two stories show what a good friend Krishna was. He helped when it was necessary but also criticized when it was needed. Let the children understand that God, who is our best friend, does the same way. He helps us when we need his help. When we do something wrong, He reminds us of it too!
Notice…They seem to want to repeat the story of Arjun fighting his relatives as a duty or destiny …..Is this a preparation for the kids fighting their family to become a disciple of the Guru???? Is this a friend or a foe???? This God of theirs is much like the Christian “God with a Beard” who talks and interferes in our affairs…..Eventuallly most religions say that God had messengers “The Guru” or the “Priest”, or the Amim…..
Notice…The next two chapters deal with being happy with what you have and not being greedy…..They insert their master as an example….This while they purchase castles and commercial buildings while the poor starve...Chari even boasts in one of his books that Ram Chadra was not a "generous man" having refused 5 rupees to a beggar..….. Sounds like a double standard…one for the disciples and the kids and one for the Guru and the management team (Chari(Guru and retired Mill Manager), Roa (retired general manager of State Bank of Mysore, and Santosh (businessman in charge of WEB site and US affairs)
CHAPTER V - HAPPINESS
BE CONTENT, BE HAPPY
Objectives
Happiness does not depend on expensive and costly things but on contentment.
Happiness lies in not being greedy.
Be happy with the special things that God has given us, namely, our body and mind.
Introduction
We often think that the more we have, the more expensive the things are, the happier we will be. Children sometimes throw tantrums to acquire more things. But happiness does not automatically follow acquisition of these things. Only contentment gives us true happiness.
Greediness and desire for things that others possess also leads to unhappiness. We should learn to be happy with whatever we have. God has given us many things that we take for granted, for example, the body that we have. We must be thankful to Him for that.
CHAPTER VI - NATURE
BE IN TUNE WITH NATURE
Objectives
God is the creator of all Nature and man is part of nature.
We should remain in contact with nature.
We should be simple and natural.
Introduction
It is not just the physical part of the world with its flora and fauna and hills and valleys that constitutes nature. This can be said to be the external part of nature. We have to seek the real Nature inside. Man is also very much part of nature and there is even a saying, 'God created man in His own image.' When we do good things in life, we come closer to this ideal. Living the way God created us to live, is the one way to thank Him. Children who live in the urban cities, miss out being in contact with nature. Many of them sit glued to their TV sets and get second hand information. Encourage them to be out in the open and enjoy what nature has to offer. Be simple and natural and avoid things that are artificial.
A way to begin
Ask them whether they have been to a place rich in Natural beauty and how they felt then. Does it feel good just to see hills and rivers on the TV or would they prefer to see them in real? How does it feel when they let the light rain drops fall on them? Can they get this experience sitting inside the house?
Tell them how we should emulate Nature and remain simple and natural. Give examples and show how being artificial and exhibiting one’s wealth should be avoided.
Talk to them about people who are simple and in tune with Nature. Babuji, the founder of Shri Ram Chandra Mission at Shahjahanpur was a living example of simple living. When Babuji started the mission, there were very few people with him. But as word spread about him, many more people started to come to his place to listen to him. He told them about the need to bring in divinity into their lives. He told them how they should become natural and lead a simple life. He himself set an example. He gave very simple but wholesome food to the people who came to visit him. There was just minimum comfort available. People who were used to a very comfortable lifestyle came to Shahjahanpur and had to eat this simple food and sleep on the floor. But no one suffered any discomfort and no one complained!
Notice….These seminars are one source of money for the Guru. Not cheap. The organizers do not sleep on the floor.
Gandhiji was a great leader and yet he lived a very simple life. Do you know that he always wore only a dhoti and went to UK in it even when it was freezingly cold!
Notice….Now they use Gandhi…..Gandhi did not buy and live in castles while children are starving….These guys do…..They have no shame….Check out who they are "charitable" to so as to receive "charitable " status.....
CHAPTER VIII - WORK AND PERSEVERANCE
UNITY IS STRENGTH
Notice….Chari, since becoming Guru has been the instrument of division in this group in India
( read the history of Dr. Varadachari, the Guru in ISRC on their web site) and France (see sri ram chandra .org on the web) and now as I look in Canada, the original West-coast preceptor(male) is dead (stroke), the husband of one preceptor (female) is dead (heart attack)…both quite young, and another preceptor’s husband is dead and she divorced the next husband…now living with a “boy-friend”.. Not exactly Unity…..and the strenght is materialist (money), not spiritual….apparently, there have been lawsuits and some are outstanding regarding the splits in India, Europe ...re. the name of the society, who controls the books written by Ram Chandra, and the Shri Ram Chandra Mission.
Notice…..In one of their books, honesty is said to be unimportant but that rightness is recommended…..and rightness is obeying the Guru in everything…..The Guru should speak the truth and only one truth….
Objective
Courage helps you to always speak the truth.
Courage helps you to admit your mistakes.
Introduction
Sometimes we are afraid of speaking the truth because of the consequences. It may seem easier to tell some convenient lie and escape. But when you tell the truth, you don’t have any conflicts in your mind and you feel peaceful. Being truthful gives you mental strength and confidence. When you tell a lie you are always afraid that you will be found out. People who tell the truth are respected and trusted.
It requires courage to admit your mistakes and to say that you are sorry. But when you repent, your sense of guilt is removed and you feel relieved.
Links....
French Government Report on Cults (click on link at this French news site)..
http://membres.lycos.fr/tussier/rapportf.htm#page67
French site with news articles on Cults
http://membres.lycos.fr/tussier/rapportf.htm
Great French research site on Cults (Some part in English available)
http://membres.lycos.fr/mielk/index.html
http://www.prevensectes.com/sriram4.htm
Blog from a Montreal anthropologist Sergei Tarkovsky, regarding Sahaj Marg
http://srcm-sahaj-marg-decodage.blogspot.com/
http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/rap-enq/r2468.asp
This is one of the break-off group of Dr. K.C. Varadachari
http://www.sriramchandra.org/
This is the other break-away group of Dr. Chaturbhuj
http://www.yogabhyas.org/Ramashram.htm
The Not So Natural Path
Dear John:
Re: Shri Ram Chandra Mission or Sahaj Marg
I watch and enjoy your show and because, in my mind, you seem to be a man of integrity, I thought I would send you some information and quotes from the Sahaj Marg (Shri Ram Chandra Mission) litterature and from their current Guru "Chari" (retired CEO of Textile Paper Tube mill in India), of whom my common-law wife (now ex-wife) of 35 years has become a disciple.
This practice has her going to a "preceptor" once a week for a "trasmission" to her heart (from Chari via a "preceptor") and twice a week for "group sittings" where they all get a "transmission" and read from his books. Add to that three daily meditations, purchasing and “repeated” reading of books, listening to tapes, spreading the word (posters, attending recruiting seminars etc) special group sittings (2 days) on birthdays of the current Master, Chari and the two past "guru" (both named Ram Chandra), seminars across North America ( one in San Jose, California in May 2003), and India to see the Master, following and trying to please the Master, reading his litterature over and over, doing his work and attract his blessings,- and this group is controlling a lot of her life (time and money). The rest of the day is to be spent in "constant remembrance", where she surrenders herself (becoming a "living dead") to the Master's will, and where the suggestion is that the Guru (Chari) is doing everything in her place and takes the place of everyone in her life (mother, father, son, doctor, etc...). This way, she does not accumulate "samskaras", (imprints on the soul) and does not have to be responsible for her actions as she is not the one performing them. All responsibility stops with the Master, and her duty also stops with her duty to the Master. The goal is "liberation" from being re-incarnated into this terrible world.
Although this group operates as a non-denominational church and a non-profit society in North America, the Guru, as President of the society, through internal statutes and parallel bureaucracy, is in fact in complete control of the financial, political and spiritual aspects of the society. (dictatorship or theocracy). He even has the right of Veto in all matters. (see internal statutes on French web site).
There have been two "schisms" since Chari's take-over. The "Institute of Ram Chandra Consciousness" is from one Indian split (including some very close friends of the second Ram Chandra, such as the son of Dr. K.C. Varadachari, University philosophy professor who wrote the introduction to a book by Ram Chandra, and was to be the next guru). This split happened after the death of Dr. Varadachari's daughter's death after an arranged marriage and Ram Chandra's (the second guru of the lineage) son's suicide. The commercialization of Sahaj Marg was also a concern mentionned in Dr. Varadachari's "history" on their web site. Some of the French "disciples" have also split (no web site for them). There is also a another break-away group from the original Ram Chandra, They have a Web site called: Yogabhyas (formerly called Ramashram), whose Master, Dr. Chaturbhuj Sahai Maharaj, now deceased, was a disciple of the original Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh.
The original Ram Chandra became enlightened after meditating for 7 months. The Guru from Yogabhyas, Dr. Chaturbhuj Sahai Maharaj, (see web sites) claims to be the rightful spiritual heir of the original Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh. Apparently, according to French sources, Chari's father, traveled in Europe calling himself a Master after a few weeks with the Mission. This caused a stir in the group in Europe and India. The "Chief Preceptor" is Mr. P Rao, retired General Manager of the State Bank of Mysore, and in charge in North America (and international affairs) , is a Mr. Santosh Khanjee, businessman. There is an "over-structure" of approximately 300 businessmen around the world, not necessarily "meditators".
As you probably know, women in India and Afghanistan are beginning to raise awareness about the negative social impact of the "spiritual" gurus (not organized religions, but certainly as organized) and certain religious teachings that propagate and serve the “old boys network” while neglecting the family’s and the broader society's needs. This is a question now being raised by the United Nations and many countries in Europe. These "teachers" are now migrating to our shores and spreading their questionable teachings and culture in our western countries, strangely enough via "women".
As you will notice, on the French site, the make-up of the initiates of Sahaj Marg is 75% women of "change of life" (menopausal) age. On one of Sahaj Marg web-sites (SMRTI-Sahaj Marg Research and Training Institute), they are targeting kids (from 5 yrs in the "Value Based Spirituality" Link (now available only with a password, but I have enclosed a few samples of their lessons as I made a copy before they took it off, if you want it)), and youth (see "Youth" link). Of course, the "education is done via stories, some of which, in my opinion, are of questionable morality. This school curriculum apparently works well in India. (see also Sahaj Marg and its Children, by Hakewill, Elizabeth, And Romano, Leslie-Editors)
Is it something we want in North America? Is it now being introduced here, as it was apparently attempted to be introduced in Augerans, France (European headquarters in castle purchased from Peugeot, automobile manufacturer) where the group offered the little village of 150 persons (5 or 6 kids) to take over the education of the local children. According to French local newspapers, the group showed themselves to be "bad citizens" when they tried to influence the local elections by registering non-resident "disciples" before the elections. The French citizens raised the alarm. (see below for lessons of concern).
Sahaj Marg (Ram Chandra Mission) has two web sites but you will only find most of the quotes I enclose in the books mentionned below. These books are on sale on the web site store. I don't know if the audio and video tapes, and transcripts are readily available on-line but they came to me via e-mail from some initiates and preceptors, as my ex-wife is a practitioner. This is what raised a "red flag" for me as I have three grandchildren.
I am also enclosing a list of links from Europe (most in French, but some English on one site) where a French government committee report on cults, has listed this group. The media has been exposing their activities calling them the "cult of the Living Dead", (see quotes from their material below) and acquisitions of real estate around the world (Peugeot castle at Augerans, France, castle in Denmark, 5 story building in Lausanne, Switzerland, property on major boulevard in Nice, France, and also properties in New Delhi, Australia and the USA (Molena)....The site mentions that this list is not complete, and mentions the purchase of 89 properties around the world in the past 15 years. ....When Chari took over after Ram Chandra's death, they were a very small group, focussed mainly in India.). Officially, their money comes from selling of books and publications, donations and membership fees(In Europe, in North America- id cards-$8.00), apparently all voluntary. Seminars are a major source of funding.
According to one site, recruiting has targeted the Healing Therapies (Mental Health and Alternate Field) for preceptors (local priests), and has lured influential people (politicians and judges) with a system some have called "psychiatric spirituality" (voluntarily emptying the mind of all attachments (problems) and filling it with the Master through repetitious suggestions, reading and listening to tapes etc., and surrendering one's will to the will of the Master). You will notice in the litterature, that the words "God" and "Master" are used inter-changeably as the Master is the "flesh and blood incarnation" of Divinity. Apparently, some people of influence have had to resign their positions and/or leave the group, as surrendering oneself and strict obedience to an individual (the Master) would put in question their impartiality (politics, judiciary, military, etc...).
Since you have shown some comittment to protecting our kids (I have three grand-children) and, I hope you or your staff will research this issue and specifically this group, discreetly and see if anything can be done to protect our kids from this "endoctrination" and "de-sensitization" at such an early age(5-11yrs). (notice in lesson one the introduction of meditation (instead of prayer) and the obedience of the child in "shooting the toy bird with an arrow in the left eye" and in lesson 2, God himself (in the form of a East-Indian man, Gopal, helps the child overcome dangers). This at a time when we are warning our kids about "strangers". In another lesson, they praise the simplicity of their founding Master (Babuji or Ram Chandra). Is a "castle" a simple life? All this in the name of instilling "spiritual values", or detachment in the child. In the adult litterature, the initiate is encouraged to "obey without thinking".
If you can address the adult question of mind control, it would be a gift to those of us who feel betrayed by their partners. I believe in freedom of religion but this has the markings of a cult and has been very divisive in our family as I see my wife's ideas rapidly changing , rationalizing questionable morality and accepting authoritarianism and theocracy where previous to this group, she was a believer in democracy and the resposibility of the individual. Now the responsibility is shifting to the Master for her life, death, thoughts, and even her soul. Every time the group's questionable ethics and morality is brought up, she attacks our relationship and me. You may notice that the Master can do and suggest things that appear immoral and unethical, but the initiates, having surrendered to the will of the Master, cannot judge him as they cannot see the true picture (become a "living dead"?).
This may be a task for the courts (under "hate litterature" or "mind control") or United Nations in their current questioning of religious or spiritual writings and removing such suggestions of surrendering of reponsibility of individuals to another person (the Master and/or his appointees), or other unethical religious or spiritual practices.
To surrender to God (ONE) could be acceptable, but to surrender to a man ( a mill manager) is idolatry.
These are just a few quotes from this "spiritual" leader....If you are interested, I can get more to you as I am now researching this group extensively. Should you or your research team come up with anything that could help our family deal with this, I would appreciate being placed on your list of interested people. I am fluent in English and French and can assist in translation if needed.
God bless you and yours and keep up the good work....
PS I have much more material available. Just e-mail me and I will send it.
4d-Don...
P.S. There are three sites on the WEB that are related to Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh (the first Ram Chandra) but are not affiliated. As a matter of fact, there are three different schisms in this group. Yogabhyas (formerly Ramashram), and Institute for Ram Chandra Consciousness are different from the one in question, Chari’s group SRCM (Shri Ram Chandra Mission). Although they use the teachings of both Ram Chandras, Law suits have ruled in favor of SRCM and they have the rights to the name and the litterature of the group.
Quotes from various Sahaj Marg (Shri Ram Chandra Mission) litterature..
From Heart of the Lion...Page 14
....So I repeat, the Guru is the only friend. In fact, I have said this so often, that in the Sufi philosophy, the Guru is called Friend. "The Friend is coming". Because he is the only fellow who can give his life for you. He is the only fellow, therefore, to whom you must hand over totally, a Power of Attorney....."Do with me as you think I deserve to be done with. Kick me when I have to be kicked. Beat me when I have to be beaten. Curse me when I have to be cursed. But make of me what you think I should be eventually, because only you can do it."
So once more I say this in all humility....if you must have a Master, find a fellow who is capable of, you know, throwing you around, beating you up, cutting you to pieces. Remember Parushurama's father and the stern test that young boy had to make for obedience...."Kill your Mother"...."Yes"...
He pulled out the sword and cut off her head. He said, "I am pleased with you my son. Ask for anything you want." He said, "I want my mother alive." And He said, "So be it." and she got up and walked off. The Guru is the Guru, is the Master, when you say of destiny, it means life and death. He must be the Master of your life as he must be the Master of your death.
Ignorance is Bliss....From "Salient features of Sahaj Marg" Series 2 (Page 20)
The fact of unknowing, which Lalaji expressed so simply- Ignorance is Bliss. When there is a fire and I don't know that there is a fire, I am comparatively happier than if I know there is a fire.....
Freedom....From "Salient Features of Sahaj Marg" Series 2 (page 26)....
In examining this idea of freedom, we have been led to the conclusion that what we have thought of as a loss of freedom is nothing but a state of surrender to the Master's will. We have not lost freedom in the sense that we have been deprived of it. We have voluntarily, whole-heartedly and devotedly surrendered it to the Master of our Soul. To those who are fortunate enough to arrive at this stage, the Master is no longer a guide for spirituality alone. He has now become the Master of one's life in all it's aspects of existence. He becomes the father, the mother, the son, the teacher, the doctor, in fact, there is no role that He does not play in the abhyasi's life. He has taken total charge of the abhyasi. So we see that only our surrendering to Him can bring about a state where He can take total charge of us!
Analysing this further we find, surprisingly, that a great and unimaginable freedom is now confered on the abhyasi. It is the freedom from freedom itself. It is the freedom of invulnerability. We may even say that it is the freedom of invincibility. We are no longer answerable for our actions. We merely obey. The person who issues the orders, the Master, assumes complete responsibility for anything we do. We are no longer vulnerable to the world. Therefore, a great calm, a great freedom comes to us. Out of our apparent loss of previous freedom- largely illusory as we have seen- we now receive a divine gift, the true freedom of a spiritual state, a real freedom which some saints have called "The Great Liberation".
The Prayer to be recited every day (also in the Youth and Kids programs)
Master! Thou art the real goal of human life; we are yet but slaves of wishes putting bar to our advancement. Thou art the only God and power to bring us up to that stage.
To Whom is the Mission Prayer Addressed and Why
Babuji himself has written that ultimately He (pointing upwards) is the real Master . . . and all the human Masters who come on this world, on this earth, are His representatives. If that is so, then why do we address the prayer, "Oh, Master" and not "Oh, God". Now today I am giving you the answer for that. Because God, it is a living God who is before you in the form of the Master ...this is an embodied flesh-and-blood divinity . . . who can understand our needs; who can understand our temperaments; who can sympathize with us, being human himself; who can accept our failings, perhaps having failed himself in some way . . .
Everyone is familiar with the principle of telegraphy. When one end is connected to electricity, the message is immediately carried over to the other end. Similar is the case with the devotee, who makes himself known to the Master by the current of his own power. Now by effect of devotion, that which is with the Master begins to flow towards the serf through the medium of the connecting link set up between the two. Gradually everything of the Master begins to flow into the serf. In the beginning the devotee (servant) had only conveyed his own cognizance to the Master but subsequently by the effect of devotion, the Master began to adopt nearness to him, which went on developing till the thought of actual communion began to pervade within him. Divine revelations and Nature's commands then begin to descend upon him and the first phase of initiation thus comes into effect.
Maxim 2...
Now for the form of prayer which may ensure the greatest good to everyone. I may say that one should be brought to the same state of mind which is usually developed at the time of prayer. The feeling that he as a true servant approaches the great Master in the humble capacity of an insignificant beggar must be engrossed upon his mind. He may put up everything before his Master, resigning himself completely to His will. In other words he may assume his real form after surrendering everything to the Master. He should withdraw himself from all sides and turn completely towards Him losing all worldly charms. The remembrance of everything should merge into the remembrance of One -- the Ultimate, resounding all through in every particle of his being. This may be known as complete annihilation of self. If one develops in this state, in my view he should be considered as an embodiment of prayer. Every thought of his will be synonymous with that of the Master. He will never turn towards anything that is against the Divine will. His mind will always be directed towards that which is the Master's command.
From Web Site....
How to surrender?
To effect the surrender of God in the easiest way, only an act of will is required. Self surrender is nothing but a state of complete resignation to the will of Master with total disregard of self.
The only effective way to attach one’s self firmly to the Abhyas is, to link himself with the Unlimited or in other words with one who, having linked himself with the unlimited, has attained the state of perfection. When you have linked yourself thus it means that the great personality has taken you in the bosom of his heart. Your effort towards going deep into it means you have taken up the path towards the Ultimate. That is what the word surrender conveys and which is the only surest path for the attainment of complete perfection. So long as you do a thing and know that you are doing it, it is not the right course and you are away from the level of surrender, because the feeling of ego is also there. Surrender is free from any conscious idea of ego. Everything there goes on in an automatic way according to the need of the moment without any previous or after thought.
The easiest and surest means to achieve this end (Absolute State) is to surrender yourself to the great Master in true sense and become a ‘Living Dead’ yourself. This feeling of surrender if cultivated by forced and mechanical means seldom prove to be genuine. It must develop automatically within you without the least strain or pressure upon the mind. Even if the knowledge of this fact is retained then it is not the true form of surrender. What remains to be done, when you have surrendered yourself in true sense, is, I believe, nothing. In this state you will be in close touch with Reality all the time and the current of Divine Effulgence will continue its flow to you without a break.
From Master Talk tape transcript....
I expect anticipate the US to break up. I mean, take Yugoslavia. When it can break up, when Slovenia, which is half the size of Kerla (a small state in India) can manage itself and Croatia is even smaller than Slovenia, can manage itself, why not? Texas is a huge state. So is Alaska. It will all (He gestures with His hands as if a whole is getting split into so many fragments).
Transcription From Talk (tape) with Chari...(Cheenai Airport, en route to New Delhi
On why a lady cannot be a Master Babuji said that a Master of that caliber gets orders from above, and their work includes that of destruction. A woman is not capable of such destruction. All this talk about equality between men and woman the more they talk about something, the less they will get it. Equality is different from equalization. There are high pressure and low pressure areas. In the process of equalization, the wind flows from here to there, and this process if what creates the climate. If the pressure were the same everywhere, there would be no climate. This is the way of nature: Inequality Equalization Inequality Equalization (alluding to a low pressure building, winds blowing from other high pressure areas, another low pressure building up, etc.)
(LaterAn abhyasi recalled a dream in which he saw Lalaji as Babuji as Love, and Chariji as Discipline). Master recalled Babujis directive in Paris (1982) to Him to bring discipline into the mission. But there are several people still in the mission who are undisciplined. So saying, He turned and looked at a girl who was sitting right next to Him (As if He was saying this to her). And almost immediately, she began to wipe off some tears from the corner of her eyes. And Master, looking at this, said Now, Dont you start. I do not understand women at all. Say the slightest of things harshly, and they begin to create a scene. It appears that I should only talk about superficial things like the food, the weather, etc. to them. Anything stronger than that, they cannot take it. I do not know what Mami (referring to His late wife) will think about all this. Maybe she will pull me up for what I am saying now, once I get to the brighter world. I do not know whether I am going there or not, but she is there.
From: Rev. Master's New Year’s Message at the Dawn of 2002
So, since you asked me to speak, I’m speaking. I hope you are listening carefully, and you will ATTEMPT to follow the practise sincerely, with dedication, with absolute faithfulness to the practice, so that within a few short months, you will be able to feel in yourself that, "Yes, there is something in me which has changed. Yes, I see it myself, therefore I don’t need others to tell me anything about it. I am happy, so I don’t other people to make me happy. I am content, I don’t need anything else to make me content. Where I sit in peace, thinking of my Master, I have the sole companion in my life whom I need. I don’t need anybody else to give me company. Then you will find happiness in Sahaj Marg , you will find fulfillment in Sahaj Marg . You will be ALONE but NEVER LONELY. You will have no relatives, but you will have the one friend without whom we can do nothing and whom we don’t have, though we have many friends! He who has no Master, may have many friends but no real friend. He who has the Master may have only one friend but He is the real friend. And may that true friend be with you, guide you, help you, and take you to Himself.
Class 2
For Kids from 5 to 7 according to SMRTI Value based Spirituality
CHAPTER I - GOD AND GURU
Ask them—“Are you afraid of your friends or do you love them? Do your friends help you or leave you when you are in trouble? If you think of God as your friend, will you be afraid of Him or will you love Him? As your friend, will He help you or leave you? What will you do to show your love for Him?” Discuss this point.
Tell them that teachers are our Gurus at school. Without their help it will be difficult to learn things. We will learn better if we respect and love our Gurus. Parents act as Gurus at home.
Story 2 - Do you know that in the olden days there were no schools as we have them today? There were teachers who lived in their ashrams. They were highly respected and students would go to them, stay with them for a few years, serve them in every way and learn from them. At the end of their study period they would offer something as their Guru Dakshina. The following story is about a boy who was eager to learn from a guru.
Jathila was the son of a poor widow. He wanted to study with a guru who lived across the forest but he was scared to go alone. His mother told him not to be scared and to call out for brother Gopal. Jathila believed in her and called out Gopal’s name when he went into the forest. Soon a cowherd appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. When he learnt about Jathila’s fears he told him not to be afraid and that he would help him. Everyday Jathila would call out to Gopal and with his escort, cross the forest. Soon the school term came to an end and Jathila was in a fix what to give his teacher as Guru dakshina. Gopal solved this problem by giving him a pot of curd. When the teacher tasted the curd, he found it so sweet and tasty that he wanted to know from where Jathila had got it. When Jathila narrated who had been helping him all these days, the teacher realized that innocent Jathila’s escort was no one else but God himself!
Story 3 - Here is a small story to show how God is always there with us and takes care of us. Once a man happened to be able to talk to God. “ Where have you been all these years?” he asked God, “ I never saw you!” “ I have always been with you, my son, I never left you” said God. To prove this, God gave the man the capacity to look back into his life. The man saw his life unfold before him. He saw all through his life there were two pairs of footsteps. “ See the second pair of footsteps? Those are mine. Now do you believe that I was always there with you?” asked God. “ Wait a minute,” said the man, “ At some places I can see only one pair of footsteps and those were the times when I was in great trouble! You left me at those times. You left me when I needed you the most!” accused the man.
God smiled gently at him. “Look again, my son” He said with love, “The footsteps you see were mine. When you were in trouble, I did not leave you. But I carried you in my arms!”
When we pray to Him in a group, it is very effective. For example, when a teacher enters the class, if all the students get up together and wish the teacher, the effect is wonderful and the teacher responds. Likewise, when we pray together, the effect is greater.
CHAPTER III - GREETINGS
HELLO! VANAKKAM!! NAMASTE!!!
Ask the students to think of a situation where some guests come home while the parents are there and when they are away. What will they say and do? Let them enact this scene. (You can be the guest!) Ask the other students to comment on the scene and offer suggestions for improvement. (Make sure the children offered some water to the guests, made them feel comfortable and after they had left, made a note of their names and the time of their visit to inform their parents. Also warn the students NEVER to let anybody unknown come inside the house when they are alone!)
Notice….contradicts what they taught earlier about “God appearing as a man” and helping the kids…..conflicting information and instructions is what religions and cults use to confuse and control.
CHAPTER IV - LOVE
I LOVE MY FRIENDS!
Objectives
Be friendly and not quarrelsome.
Show your love for your friends by sharing in their joys and sorrows.
Only people who love us and care for us criticize us by pointing out our mistakes. We must take the criticisms in the right spirit.
A way to begin
Tell them the story of Krishna and his friend Sudama. Since most of the children may be familiar with this story, ask them questions in between or deliberately make a mistake to see how attentive they are!
Tell them the story of how Krishna helped Arjun fight the Kurukshetra war. When Arjun declined from fighting the war because all his relatives were lined up against him. Krishna, who was Arjun’s best friend, advised Arjun and reminded him of his duties. This was how the immortal verses of Gita were born.
The two stories show what a good friend Krishna was. He helped when it was necessary but also criticized when it was needed. Let the children understand that God, who is our best friend, does the same way. He helps us when we need his help. When we do something wrong, He reminds us of it too!
Notice…They seem to want to repeat the story of Arjun fighting his relatives as a duty or destiny …..Is this a preparation for the kids fighting their family to become a disciple of the Guru???? Is this a friend or a foe???? This God of theirs is much like the Christian “God with a Beard” who talks and interferes in our affairs…..Eventuallly most religions say that God had messengers “The Guru” or the “Priest”, or the Amim…..
Notice…The next two chapters deal with being happy with what you have and not being greedy…..They insert their master as an example….This while they purchase castles and commercial buildings while the poor starve...Chari even boasts in one of his books that Ram Chadra was not a "generous man" having refused 5 rupees to a beggar..….. Sounds like a double standard…one for the disciples and the kids and one for the Guru and the management team (Chari(Guru and retired Mill Manager), Roa (retired general manager of State Bank of Mysore, and Santosh (businessman in charge of WEB site and US affairs)
CHAPTER V - HAPPINESS
BE CONTENT, BE HAPPY
Objectives
Happiness does not depend on expensive and costly things but on contentment.
Happiness lies in not being greedy.
Be happy with the special things that God has given us, namely, our body and mind.
Introduction
We often think that the more we have, the more expensive the things are, the happier we will be. Children sometimes throw tantrums to acquire more things. But happiness does not automatically follow acquisition of these things. Only contentment gives us true happiness.
Greediness and desire for things that others possess also leads to unhappiness. We should learn to be happy with whatever we have. God has given us many things that we take for granted, for example, the body that we have. We must be thankful to Him for that.
CHAPTER VI - NATURE
BE IN TUNE WITH NATURE
Objectives
God is the creator of all Nature and man is part of nature.
We should remain in contact with nature.
We should be simple and natural.
Introduction
It is not just the physical part of the world with its flora and fauna and hills and valleys that constitutes nature. This can be said to be the external part of nature. We have to seek the real Nature inside. Man is also very much part of nature and there is even a saying, 'God created man in His own image.' When we do good things in life, we come closer to this ideal. Living the way God created us to live, is the one way to thank Him. Children who live in the urban cities, miss out being in contact with nature. Many of them sit glued to their TV sets and get second hand information. Encourage them to be out in the open and enjoy what nature has to offer. Be simple and natural and avoid things that are artificial.
A way to begin
Ask them whether they have been to a place rich in Natural beauty and how they felt then. Does it feel good just to see hills and rivers on the TV or would they prefer to see them in real? How does it feel when they let the light rain drops fall on them? Can they get this experience sitting inside the house?
Tell them how we should emulate Nature and remain simple and natural. Give examples and show how being artificial and exhibiting one’s wealth should be avoided.
Talk to them about people who are simple and in tune with Nature. Babuji, the founder of Shri Ram Chandra Mission at Shahjahanpur was a living example of simple living. When Babuji started the mission, there were very few people with him. But as word spread about him, many more people started to come to his place to listen to him. He told them about the need to bring in divinity into their lives. He told them how they should become natural and lead a simple life. He himself set an example. He gave very simple but wholesome food to the people who came to visit him. There was just minimum comfort available. People who were used to a very comfortable lifestyle came to Shahjahanpur and had to eat this simple food and sleep on the floor. But no one suffered any discomfort and no one complained!
Notice….These seminars are one source of money for the Guru. Not cheap. The organizers do not sleep on the floor.
Gandhiji was a great leader and yet he lived a very simple life. Do you know that he always wore only a dhoti and went to UK in it even when it was freezingly cold!
Notice….Now they use Gandhi…..Gandhi did not buy and live in castles while children are starving….These guys do…..They have no shame….Check out who they are "charitable" to so as to receive "charitable " status.....
CHAPTER VIII - WORK AND PERSEVERANCE
UNITY IS STRENGTH
Notice….Chari, since becoming Guru has been the instrument of division in this group in India
( read the history of Dr. Varadachari, the Guru in ISRC on their web site) and France (see sri ram chandra .org on the web) and now as I look in Canada, the original West-coast preceptor(male) is dead (stroke), the husband of one preceptor (female) is dead (heart attack)…both quite young, and another preceptor’s husband is dead and she divorced the next husband…now living with a “boy-friend”.. Not exactly Unity…..and the strenght is materialist (money), not spiritual….apparently, there have been lawsuits and some are outstanding regarding the splits in India, Europe ...re. the name of the society, who controls the books written by Ram Chandra, and the Shri Ram Chandra Mission.
Notice…..In one of their books, honesty is said to be unimportant but that rightness is recommended…..and rightness is obeying the Guru in everything…..The Guru should speak the truth and only one truth….
Objective
Courage helps you to always speak the truth.
Courage helps you to admit your mistakes.
Introduction
Sometimes we are afraid of speaking the truth because of the consequences. It may seem easier to tell some convenient lie and escape. But when you tell the truth, you don’t have any conflicts in your mind and you feel peaceful. Being truthful gives you mental strength and confidence. When you tell a lie you are always afraid that you will be found out. People who tell the truth are respected and trusted.
It requires courage to admit your mistakes and to say that you are sorry. But when you repent, your sense of guilt is removed and you feel relieved.
Links....
French Government Report on Cults (click on link at this French news site)..
http://membres.lycos.fr/tussier/rapportf.htm#page67
French site with news articles on Cults
http://membres.lycos.fr/tussier/rapportf.htm
Great French research site on Cults (Some part in English available)
http://membres.lycos.fr/mielk/index.html
http://www.prevensectes.com/sriram4.htm
Blog from a Montreal anthropologist Sergei Tarkovsky, regarding Sahaj Marg
http://srcm-sahaj-marg-decodage.blogspot.com/
http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/rap-enq/r2468.asp
This is one of the break-off group of Dr. K.C. Varadachari
http://www.sriramchandra.org/
This is the other break-away group of Dr. Chaturbhuj
http://www.yogabhyas.org/Ramashram.htm
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