Debunking “Guruji’s Grace”

Shortly after the inception of this blog, WhistleBlower wrote a post entitled Original Sin in AOL & the final Salvation in which he discusses one of the most powerful techniques which Art of Living employs to ensare its followers. This technique goes by various names throughout both this blog and AoL, but here I will refer to it simply as “Guruji’s Grace”.

In his original post WhistleBlower defines “Original Sin” in Art of Living as follows:

What is this Original Sin? Simply put, it is attributing the student’s healing, spiritual experience or insight, gained through some spiritual practice or knowledge, to the guru, in this case Ravi Shankar. This happens in AOL, right from the word go & continues throughout & it gets hammered into conscious & subconscious of the students by so many subtle & not-so-subtle ways & means.

As an interesting sidenote, if you re-read the article you will note that WhistleBlower predicted “By the end of this year [2010] Sri Sri has to think of more effective damage control measures than his two current counter-blogs or sending threatening legal letters to those whom he suspects are the authors of artoflivingfree blog”. Lo and behold, barely had the New Year started when Google and Automattic (owners of WordPress) were served with subpoena’s demanding that they reveal the identities of a number of key contributors to these blogs.

Another interesting thing mentioned in WhistleBlower’s post is that those who unwittingly fall victim to Guruji’s Grace become completely blind to all the wrong-doings in the organization and will in fact exonerate the guru from these happenings. Since that post was written, we have seen so many Art of Living devotees on this blog who even though they have admitted they are aware of some of the wrong-doings going on in Art of Living, find it almost impossible to believe that SSRS is responsible for them. So intense is the power of this mechanism for enslaving people.

In this post, I’d like to cite a number of examples which I feel go a long way towards debunking “Guruji’s Grace” and verifying what WhistleBlower wrote about it previously. In a future post I will go into detail into some of the psychological techniques which Art of Living employs to make people believe in Guruji’s Grace.

Long Kriya
Anyone who attends a Basic Course and asks if they can take the tape or a copy home with them is inevitably told that the tape won’t work for them, that it will just be silent or contain static, or some variation of what we now know is a complete lie told to participants who want to take the tape away. This lie is part of bigger lie surrounding the Kriya tape, and that is that the tape will only work when a teacher is present to conduct the session.

We know this is a lie because many of us have tried listening to the Kriya tape with no teacher present and can verify that the effects are exactly the same. But Art of Living followers are led to believe that those who undergo TTC become channels for “Guruji’s Grace” to flow through, and that it is Guruji’s Grace which is responsible for any positive effects received during Kriya. As a sidenote, shouldn’t Guruji’s Grace also be responsible for any negative effects received during Kriya???

So, if no teacher is present, how can the Kriya tape possibly produce the same effects as if a teacher was present? How does “Guruji’s Grace” make its way to the participant? Furthermore, what about the short kriya? This is done in the privacy of one’s own home, usually by oneself. Again, how does Guruji’s Grace come to the home practitioner? If they happen to live with a teacher then I can understand it, but for the majority who don’t, there doesn’t seem to be any way.

From this we can conclude that the effects of practicing Kriya, both positive and negative, have nothing whatsoever to do with Guruji’s Grace, but are entirely due to the technique. The lies told are simply to enslave people to the tape, the organization and ultimately to SSRS.

Reviving the dead, but unable to prevent accidents?
There have been various rumours that SSRS had once brought back someone from the dead. The following was posted on esatsang last year and provides a good example of this:

Date: 7 February 2011 22:03
Subject: Guruji’s Grace

When we are all in bliss still trying to come out of 30th Jan 11. I wish to share the news as how Guruji’s grace has flown and we have seen a Miracle during Naadhavaibhavam. While I am writing this I am getting goose pimple all thru my body.

One of our Pillars of Nanganallur Centre, Mr K M Subramanian, (Facilitator-Nanganallur) affectionately called as KMS mama was brought back from the jaws of death. We all have been working in the Musicians Volunteers team for nearly 1 month at his residence. He works like an 18 year old boy with full of enthusiasm.He has been an inspiring figure for all of us.

on 16th Jan Sunday KMS had some pain in his Left shoulder and left hand. But he ignored it considering the work load. More over he had similar muscular pain few months back. He got treated and came out of that. Probably that has made him to think that it may be due to physical strain. He used some balm and other methods to reduce the pain,

The next day (17th) morning as usual he was on Nadhavaibhavam duty though the pain did not subside. He went to handover the donor pass to one of the devotees place .Came back and  did his regular Pooja at home and after having Brunch he went to the nearby Sri Chakra Hospital for check up. He took his wife Smt Gomathy along with him in his own Scooter. Smt Meenakshi another Seva warrior of Nanganallur Centre helped him to get the emergency  appointment with the doctor. ECG was taken and doctor did  not see anything unusual . But within a few minutes, in the hospital itself KMS mama collapsed.He had a massive Heart attack. Immediately he was taken to the ICU and started the treatment. Few minutes later the Doctor (Dr.Satyanarayana) called up Mrs Meenakshi  to tell her that Mr Subramaniam is no more. But she said a person who  does Guruji’s work tirelessly cannot leave and requested the doctor to do everything possible to bring  him back .The doctors have put in their best efforts to revive his heart pumping again. This is when Guruji’s grace was seen by everybody. The doctors have started giving us a ray of hope. Every hour passed by he has started responding to medicines.Though his heart started functioning,the doctors had put him on Ventilator and termed his condition as critical . Only after 24 hours anything can be decided they said. By this time the news reached all the volunteers and we all surrendered to Guruji and prayed for his speedy recovery. Guruji answered our prayers. Guruji says YOU DO MY WORK AND I DO YOURS. Even today the doctor says its a Miracle that he survived. Thank You Guruji Its all because of you.

It was a set back but with KMS Mama’s Inspiration and Guruji’s Grace ,Tambaram Zone had done fairly a good Job during Naadhavaibhavam.

The Cruel fact is that KMS Mama lost his both the sons few years back. We the Volunteers in Nanganallur are all his sons and daughters.  When we say that our eyes become wet. Its true we are one world Family. Dear KMS Mama and Gomathy Mami. You are not alone we are there with you.

JAI GURU DEV.
N.MANIKANDAN

The following story, taken from artoflivinglifestories website also bears mentioning here:

Sanja Kordić, Croatia
International Art Of Living Teacher, Croatia

I am an international full time teacher from Croatia. In April last year, I had a terrible car accident in Bulgaria. I was injured very much. Art of Living people from Bulgaria found the best hospital for me, came every day to see me in numbers that was problem for the staff in the hospital, bringing me everything what I needed.

From the very beginning of this story, from the accident, I had a very strong awareness of Guruji’s presence all around me. He phoned me twice in the hospital and helped me so much. Also at least more than 10 young Art of Living Bulgarians gave their blood for my operation. A girl from Art of Living Macedonia, came daily from Macedonia to take care of me, and after 15 days came Snježana. Art of Living full time volunteer from Croatia and continued to take daily care until the end of my stay there. I’ve got so many cards, SMSes, from satsang groups all over Europe.

Love Beyond Anything I Knew
After coming home, I was completely immobile and I live alone. So, Art of Living Croatians had a list where they put their names to cover me 24 hours a day. I had full care from them and it wasn’t just bringing me a tea, remember, I was immobile, I couldn’t do anything for myself, even toilet or washing. Still I wonder how they could do this. It was love beyond anything I knew. They gave me so much love, care, attention, service, that for all doctors, my recovering was a miracle. After one year, I started to walk. Ayurvedic doctor recommended 28 massages, 14 Marmas and 14 Abhyangas, you know how expensive that is. Then one couple, both Art of Living teachers from Slovenia took me to their house and during 3 weeks they gave me massages and special Ayurvedic treatments just for seva. After that, I could walk without crutches.

The security and feeling of being protected
I was twice in Art of Living International Center Bangalore to see Guruji. Every time I’ve got the best accommodation and nobody ever asked me for any money. Now, everybody treats me as a miracle. I’m walking, I still have some problems with my body, but Art of Living family saved my soul. From the very beginning of this story,from the accident, I had a very strong awareness of Guruji’s presence all around me. He phoned me twice in the hospital, but I don’t mean just that. It was just a feeling of being protected and security that I’ll have place in his life whatever happened. However this ends, he will give me the meaning of life, include me in spreading of the knowledge. My body was suffering, I was in pain, but my soul was very relaxed. This is the secret of my recovering.

For a year and a half, I was not able to work, but they, the Art of Living Foundation pays me regularly. God bless them all, my gratefulness is unlimited.

I fell so very grateful to Guruji. It is just a feeling of being protected and the security that I’ll have place in his life whatever happens.

One thing that pains me when reading Sanja’s account is that although she acknowledges that so many people gave of their time to look after her and to be with her when she needed it the most, she is strongly hinting that it is because they are Art of Living people, and she gives the impression that ultimately it is all because of SSRS and his purported grace that these people helped her. Otherwise why would this story even have appeared on the Art of Living Life Stories blog? This again is just another example of how the mechanism of Guruji’s Grace is employed to make people feel indebtedness to SSRS by attributing all the good things in their life to him.

Now, going back to the first story above, those who were present clearly believed that Guruji’s Grace was responsible for bringing back the gentleman mentioned from the dead. Likewise, so too did those who saw fit to publish the account in esatsang. And this is what they would rather believe than any other explanation, for instance that it was the doctor’s which brought him back to life or that they might have been wrong in the first place. No, they would much rather believe what they have been conditioned to believe from their time in Art of Living, that those who work hard for Guruji are somehow protected by his grace, and that nothing short of a miracle took place.

Ok, but let’s look at the second account.

Sanja tells us that she was in a terrible road accident, that she couldn’t walk at all, and that “From the very beginning […] I had a very strong awareness of Guruji’s presence all around me. ” Indeed she also tells us “It was just a feeling of being protected and security that I’ll have place in his life whatever happened. ”

Although she doesn’t refer to it by the same name, Sanja here is beyond any doubt talkiing about what we are referring to as Guruji’s Grace here. So the first question is, when she says “From the very beginning [...]“, when exactly does “the beginning” refer to? This is absolutely crucial here. At what point did Sanja begin to feel Guruji’s Grace? If she has been with Art of Living for over 10 years and has obviously worked tirelessly given that she is a full time teacher, then surely she must have felt this grace ongoing throughout her experience? And so, surely then, she would have felt the grace prior to the accident happening? If this is indeed the case and that Guruji’s Grace is so omnipresent and powerful, how on earth was it that Sanja wasn’t protected by Guruji’s Grace when she had the accident? In other words, why was Sanja involved in a car accident at all?

On the one hand, we have a story of Guruji’s Grace being able to revive someone from the clutches of death, whereas on the other hand this same grace was not able to save poor Sanja from being involved in a terrible car accident.

If Guruji’s Grace were real, then surely Sanja would have been saved from this terrible accident which left her incapacitated for over a year? But it didn’t. Which begs the question, outside of devotees’ heads, is there really such a thing as Guruji’s Grace?

You decide.

Questions AOLites should ask themselves

by Strong Volunteer

Harshal,

AOLite needs to ask following questions to themselves.

1. When all of us are decalring him as our strong Guru in public (Including Social Networking Sites), Why Guruji is not declaring the name of his guru once in a public ?
2. If my Guru is God, Do we really need to pay anything to learn from him in advance ?
3. If all the teachers are pure and working for Humanity why do they not organizing the course even though the targets are not met.
4. Why they are always ready for the fund raising events or marketing propoganda and why not for doing course with few participants.
5. Do we really need to pay anything for doing Volunteering work ?
6. We are the only one who are responsible for seva having new no. of courses to attract the people ?
7. Do we really need to ask foreigners to pay more money for all this courses e.g. TTC for Indian is 10,000 and for Foreigners 5000 US $ – Is it spirituality ? Do we seriously working for Humanity.
8. Do you really think all other courses except basic one is really needs to be so costly ?
9. If we are on a path on Moksha and Purity , dont you think so we should be transparent in all financial aspects of organization with all employees and teachers and volunteers ?
10. Why do we need to start the project which are only for fund raising ? Sumeru Reality and Sri Sri university ?

Its enough for now i think. Wake up guys. Don’t allow them to control your mind in any matter. If you think you donate or doing seva for the Courses and have magic then your mind becomes more and more weak and you start loosing your confidence.

This practices are only useful when Human Mind is unhappy or in stress.

Do you allow someone to earn from your unhappiness or stress ?

Wake Up Sid.

JGd

How can my mind be controlled by AoL like this?

by Sridhar

Since two days I have been reading the messages on this blog and I figured out who the sad swami being referred to is (by cross-referencing the other blogs). I found this blog after I realised I have been a victim of some kind of “mind control” in AOL. As instructed by AOL teachers, I have been regularly doing kriya for past 3 years and since 1 year I have noticed I am spending money from my wallet freely for AOL courses, publications, trips for events in different countries as if I am a controlled robot…

Doc and others on this blog, with your vast exp, could you please let me know how my mind can be freely controlled like this by AOL? Is it pre-planned and executed? I can clearly see that every 6 months my mind wakes up and again it goes into zombie state…how can I break this cycle? I don’t mind if I get nasty replies from the likes of Harshals’, I don’t care as they are doing their job…allocated to them. God bless them.

Recently my brain suddenly woke up again when I met a senior teacher who is also a board member in my country who pushed himself into my house (on pretext of volunteer meeting), and later forced my family to go for a unplanned dinner with him (fortunately he paid his share) and started speaking as if he is controlling my life…and saying things like Ravi is the present day Lord Sri Krishna and we are all Radhas (of Krishna) so we are attracted to him…blah blah blah…thank God he spoke to me like that so I know his true colours now (or maybe he is a controlled robot by now, and he doesn’t know that). Suddenly it flashed me that I was pulled into it for “stress free life by a simple breathing technique” and now I am listening to all this crap of present day Sri Krishna etc. I am sure if it were a different faith teacher, he would have said “present day Allah”, “present day Jesus” etc. I wonder if they teach their teachers to say these things but fortunately I didn’t fall in that trap.

You are doing a great service to humanity by exposing the true face of AOL. Please continue to do so. I will closely follow the posts and will be glad to help if and when required.

Confused – Please Help

by Ms Confused

Hello Everybody..

I never thought I wud be writing on this site but finally I am writing.

I am not that much associated with AOL but recently I attended Part II with Rishi NP in Dec 2011. Earlier I did Part I in 2009 and DSN in 2010. But I never got carried away by any teachers. But Rishi NP being a very charming person, very good Satsung Singer, I got carried away by him. I had decided that I will remain unmarried, leave my career, go to Ashram and do Seva full time (in just 4 days of the course time).

After the course I went through various sites just to get additional info about RS, Rishi NP & AOL. Then I came across this site. Earlier I cudnt believe it that AOL is like this and decided not to go thru this site. After around one week I went thru some of the blogs from this site and KLIM’s site out of curiosity. Then I felt that something must be wrong in AOL.

All I can say is that because of my GOD’s grace (not Guru’s grace) I was not that involved the way some were involved for 5-10 years. I am lucky that I was involved just for 3-4 weeks and not for long time. But I am feeling the same pain as when one is being cheated. I believed that Rishi NP was very Good and I had lots of respect for him. He had changed me a lot in the course. Also during the course I felt great. During his Satsung I felt a different kind of energy in me. I had even planned for a big amount for Donation to Ashram. But Thank God!! I am saved because of this site.

I dont know what to do now…I am totally confused. I cant believe that Rishi NP is fraud. He is such a devotional singer I still listen to his Bhajans and feel good. However I dont enjoy doing Padma Sadhana, Kriya, Sahaj Samadhi anymore as I keep thinking of AOL (as Fraud) all the time…

I had told my family members great things about AOL and now I cant say these bad things to them. Also I know some of the acquaintances who want to join AOL for seva. I want to tell them about such happenings. Should I tell them?? or Should I wait for them to realise??

I am totally confused. Please help me out to forget this RS, AOL and Rishi NP.

Characteristics of a Spiritual Business

by SP

Dear all,

I am an Indian citizen, having involved in few Humanitarian/spiritual/volunteer based organizations in India, my kind request to fellow brothers and sisters from different part of the world as below.

Keep an eye on organizations or the so called spiritual masters, Guru’s …etc from India, their organizations are basically called NGO, Volunteer based, Humanitarian, Spiritual, Foundations, charity..etc and also has association in Europe, US and most of other countries .

More than 80% of the people in the world are emotionally week, such organizations are targeting these kind of people.

You may take all that good things they show and teach, well that is what we should do, yet without allowing them to take control of you or your life.

Culture and values are good as long as it promotes human values, having freedom to care and serve others without any indentation behind it.

Below are business approach characters of these organizations to evaluate before you decide to involve or spend time, money and energy.

1. Is the organization promoted by showing the strength of the organization, we have xx billion members..xxx service..etc – Pure hypocrisy
2. Is there a culture which is forcing everyone to follow – Be aware of sugar coated poison
3. Is this in the hand of one or two person who rules, say Guru, Master, Yogi, founder, President.- Easy to say it is masters wish to get the job done.
4. Are there enough proof declares that good amount of money collected has been spend for service/charity – Please ensure to see a valid third party audited report available.
5. Are they collecting money in the name of charity, in that case are they clearly mentioning the projects the money is going to be or spend for- make sure before you pay.
6. Are there many products they have so that they can slowly force you to buy or promote- They start with Basic or the first part of it, then the list grows.
7. Is there a transparency of money been collected and spend – Hide and seek is general policy of cult organizations
8. Does this organization has more assets, like collage, Institutes, Agriculture..etc- These are the holistic ways to spend the collected money to develop the business
9. Do they have more focus on celebrities, politicians and business people of the society – To get more Media and marketing support to sell the product rather than serve the product
10. Are they boosting the ego of volunteering to get the things done (Divide and rule) – Political approach to get the things done from members
11. Are they giving the members enough freedom to express their views – Bureaucracy
12. Are they respecting the members/volunteers or forcing to serve the organization by interested people – Making members to work like donkeys in the name of service/humanity.
13. Is this organization directly or indirectly involved in politics in the name of conflict resolution….etc – Getting Political power to support
14. Does freedom to serve society /humanity exist to members or been asked to do only on behalf of this organization or Guru..etc.- Don’t want others to grow
15. Are these organizations focusing on adding more members – Basically called getting more Milking cow to generate regular income by selling their products
16. Does this organization in any manner claim that their founder/Guru/Master is rebirth of Jesus, Krishna..etc – an emotional blackmailing
17. Is these organization spending more money on Marketing, say Media, Big events..etc – To boost the profile

Master our Mind and learn the organization of our life, let us not give our Mind to Masters to organize their life!

Scammed by Sumeru Realty

by Money Lost

My intention of writing this post is to educate people who are interested in investing with Sumeru Realty, to think before their hard earned money is invested in this venture.(though I wouldn’t recommend it at all)

The Realty Company launched by RS is purely to build flats for the benefits of his devotees, but their prices were so exclusive (High) that only his NRI devotees could be fooled with those rates, a commoner would never buy the flats knowing the rates. The rates on Kanakapura Road, (15kms inside) were nowhere near 3000/sft , but it was Sumeru realty who were the first to price so high.

However, after all the large amounts of money collected by them, they have not even delivered the project in time.

I booked a flat with them in the year 2008 and have paid almost 80% of the money, now the building is still to be completed. The promised dates have all been continuously skipped, and not a single schedule has been maintained so far, and now they say they ‘ll be handing it over by July 2012, which also does not seem to be happening form the information I get and the way in which the work is in progress. It would be a miracle if the project finishes by 2013 Navaratri!! Now I can’t even take back my money and book else where as I would lose large sums of money (thanks to the strange contract they fooled us in to signing as, we customers have no benefit and all the benefits go only to them) . MAKE US PAY, DELAY WORK, AND USE RS’S NAME TO GET AWAY!!. Wonderful scheme to loot people!

The next best thing is that, Sumeru Realty claims that the building is vastu compliant, but the land has the poorest vastu I have ever seen, and several of the apartments have nothing called vastu at all in it. The vastu story is all but a pack of lies and a selling gimmick used by Digvijay (CEO) who himself dosen’t know the difference between plastering and painting. He is all talk and No Work. And RS keeps on encouraging people to invest in such projects.

On digging deeper, I got to know recently that this Project is a “LEARN AS YOU BUILD PROJECT” handled by inexperienced people like Digvijay and his PS Ruchika and a few other Ashramites who aren’t professionals at all. People like us who are investing our hard earned money, for their learning are the only major losers. Delay the project and play double money with our money. BRILLIANT SCHEME!!.

They terminated their contract with Aluwalia Contractors, who were working in the project, and then for months the site was dead. On questioning about this, there is no clear reply from Sumeru. After months of repeated mails and follow-ups, the Sumeru marketing gives us the next finishing date, which is also not met. The people who are handling this project are totally incompetent and are unable to answer any of our queries. I even hear that all the staff of Sumeru has left them due to unethical practices. Starting form irregularities in sanctions and delays in decisions to improper handling of project and funds, to extreme irregularities, the project is yet to see the light of the day.

Enormous amount of Bribes have been paid for this project and RS claims in his satang that he and his organization are very clean and have not paid a rupee bribe in his tenure of 30 years .Such BIG FAT LIERS!!

First let, SSRS Correct the corruption in his organization before he goes around correcting the same in the country. RS turns a blind eye to all the corruption inside his Organisation and is busy playing Political games to correct corruption in the country. Ha Ha ….Such a Do Gooder!!!

A Better and Safer Alternative to Sudarshan Kriya

Over a year ago now, WhistleBlower (one of our regular contributors at the time) wrote this post where he presented a strong case that the kriya tape is used to enslave people to SSRS/AoL, and where he also debunks much of the magical thinking surrounding the tape.

He also briefly mentioned an alternative to SK for those who continue to leave comments on the blog asking for a copy of the Kriya MP3. To this day, we still receive many such comments, so it would seem that a great many people still want to practice the technique though without having to attend the group sessions.

For some time, I’ve been meaning to look into this alternative technique but I never really got round to it. As it happens, a good friend of mine who left Art of Living not long after I did recently got in touch with me and told me they had discovered the very same technique and encouraged me to check it out. So I did, and here’s what I discovered.

The technique, which is known as Eiriu Eolas (herein abbreviated to EE), can be found an the site http://eiriu-eolas.org/about/. I discovered that there are an amazing number of similarities between EE and SK, and also some key differences.

Like SK, EE also involves a 3-stage preparatory breathing exercise which is almost identical to SK’s 3-stage pranayamas with one key difference: instead of ujjayi breathing, it utilizes what is known as pipe breathing. After this, there is something known as Warrior’s Breath, which is their version of bhastrika. And finally comes the breathing exercise and meditation which they call beatha (pronounced “ba-hah”), or bio-energetic, breathing. Yes, the similarities between EE and SK are indeed striking!

In the title of this post I have asserted that EE is both better and safer than SK, so I think it is only reasonable that I take the time to justify these.

Better
There are a number of immediately obvious advantages that EE has over SK.

Firstly, the technique is completely FREE to try out, with everything you need to do it available on the above website (the online version can actually be found at http://eiriu-eolas.org/online-version/) There are two videos, one which contains an overview of the technique, including purported benefits as well as a scientific explanation as to how the technique works. For those who want to get straight to the technique, I would at the very least recommend you watch the Pipe Breathing segment of this video and the Practice segment which follows. The second video contains an audio commentary for the whole exercise, which includes the 3-stage breathing, Warrior’s Breath and beatha breathing and mediation. The whole thing lasts a little over an hour.

Since the technique is available online, this means that it is accessible to anyone and everyone who wants to try it, without needing to pay any money to the organization behind it. If you do find the technique useful, you can optionally donate some money to the organization, or buy a DVD/CD set for 40 Euros so you can have your own copy. Remember, the donation is optional and not a “compulsary donation” as it is with AoL.

It also means that anyone who wishes to practice the technique can do so in the comfort of their own homes without having to travel to and from a local center in order to do so. For many who practice SK this will usually involve a money as well as time saving.

It also means that no one need continue their association with the organization who is making this technique available, and in fact no association is required at all. On the video the presenter makes absolutely no attempt to try to entice people into her organization using the technique.

Another advantage is that the overall time taken to practice EE is shorter than SK, 1 hour compared to 1.5 hours for the latter. There is no need to practice it daily every morning (which is another huge time saving) as it is recommended to do it only twice a week.

But most interestingly of all, the technique works without anything which vaguely resembles the “magical thinking” which surrounds SK. It is presented as a “revival of an ancient breathing technique”, and not something which was revealed to the person who developed it from “the divine”. Although I understand that one can become a teacher of the technique, there is no mention or belief that they somehow become channels, “instruments of the Divine”, or any of the other BS which revolves around SK and SSRS. The effects the technique produces are completely independent of who is present.

This is actually one of the biggest advantages that EE has over SK. The organization behind EE are not trying to enslave people in the same way as AoL is clearly doing through SK. They haven’t even tried to patent or copyright any aspect of the technique. And in fact, the fact that EE works in the way it does without any magical mumbo jumbo is further evidence that there is nothing magical about SK, that any effects which participants feel as a result of practising SK are purely down to the breathing alone and nothing else.

Safer
To assert that one breathing technique is safer than another may seem to be a purely subjective statement to make, however it is not one I have made without good reason.

Possibily the most common criticism against SK which is made across these blogs is that the fast breathing cycle is little more than hyperventilation. This is supported by the fact that many of the symptoms of SK do indeed match those produced by hyperventilation. What makes EE any different then?

Well, if any of you take the time to watch the overview of the technique on the first video explaining the physiology of EE, you will note that the presenter actually mentions hyperventilation and specifically states that the faster of the three breathing cycles which are part of the bio-energetic breathing is not hyperventilation, although it is faster than normal breathing.

However, the presenter goes on to mention that if you feel any discomfort whatsoever during the fast breathing cycle then you can simply skip it and just do the other cycles. This is another key aspect of EE which makes it safer that SK, since AoL teachers do not teach this in the courses at all.

It is difficult to determine just from listening to the recording whether the fast cycle does actually classify as hyperventilation or not, however what we can do is to compare the breathing cycles of EE against those of SK and try to objectively determine how the two compare against each other.

The SK tape lasts for 60 minutes, the first 30 minutes being the SK breathing itself, the last 30 minutes being mostly silence followed by SSRS’s voice giving instructions to come out of SK. As everyone who is familiar with SK already knows, the breathing portion of the kriya tape consists of a number of successive rounds of long, medium and short breath cycles. The duration of each of these is detailed in the following table, together with the actual breaths/minute for each cycle:

Time (minutes)	Breath Cycle	Breaths	Duration	Breaths/minute
00:00 – 00:10	Silence
Round 1
***	Long	***	***	17.1
***	Medium	***	***	36.3
03:29 – 04:00	Short	33	0:31	63.9
Round 2
***	Long	***	***	16.6
***	Medium	***	***	28.4
06:22 – 06:46	Short	28	0:24	70
Round 3
***	Long	***	***	43.3
***	Medium	***	***	38.9
09:59 – 11:10	Short	109	1:11	92.1
Round 4
***	Long	***	***	17.4
***	Medium	***	***	47.3
15:10 – 16:11	Short (*1)	90	1:01	88.5
Round 5
***	Long	***	***	17
***	Medium	***	***	33.7
20:23 – 21:29	Short (*2)	34 + (112) = 146	1:06	132.7
Round 6
***	Long	***	***	12.9
***	Medium	***	***	35.1
26:26 – 26:51	Short	26	0:25	62.4
Round 7
***	Long	***	***	12
***	Medium (*3)	***	***	41.5
28:29 – 29:35	Short (*4)	51 + (37) =	1:06	80
Round 8
***	Long	***	***	13.3
***	Medium	***	***	32.5
30:26 – 01:01:48 (End)	Lie down

() – numbers in brackets indicate an estimated breath count when the instruction is to breath at your own rhythm, based on the current rhythm at the time of the instruction
*1 – own rhythm halfway through, but if you listen to the tape you will clearly hear a person hyperventilating in the foreground
*2 – own rhythm from 20:47-21:29
*3 – including “MMM” sound
*4 – own rhythm from 29:16-29:35

UPDATE (19/12/2011): certain values which were original posted have been redacted as a precautionary measure.

The EE recording also lasts 60 minutes, however only 17 minutes of that is dedicated to the bio-energetic or beatha breathing (which is equivalent to SK). It too consists of long, medium and short breathing cycles, and the durations of each of these together with the corresponding breaths/minute are detailed in the following table:

Time (minutes)	Breath Cycle	Breaths	Duration	Breaths/minute
Round 1
00:00 – 03:27	Long	30	3:27	15.4
03:27 – 04:44	Medium	30	1:17	20.7
04:44 – 05:33	Short	30	0:49	36.7
Round 2
05:33 – 09:00	Long	30	3:27	15.4
09:00 – 10:18	Medium	30	1:18	20.5
10:18 – 11:07	Short	30	0:49	36.7
Round 3
11:07 – 14:34	Long	30	3:27	15.4
14:34 – 15:52	Medium	30	1:18	20.5
15:52 – 16:41	Short	30	0:49	36.7

Remaining 26 minutes until end of recording:
- one deep breath
- lie down, a few rounds of pipe breathing
- meditation on “Prayer of the Soul” seed.

By comparing these two tables, a number of things are immediately obvious. Firstly, that the short cycles of EE are are at much lower respiratory rates (breaths/minute) than SK. In actual fact, they are about equivalent to the medium cycles in SK.

Secondly, EE is repeated for only 3 rounds, and lasts for 17 minutes, whereas SK takes 8 rounds and lasts for 30 minutes.

Over the 8 rounds of SK, the short cycle varies between 63 and 132 breaths/minute, each cycle lasting between 30 seconds and a little over a minute. For EE it lasts 49 seconds each round and only 36.7 breaths/minute, a little over half that of SK.

We know that breathing faster than normal causes CO2 to be expelled from the body at a higher rate than during normal breathing. And we also know that if too much CO2 is expelled from the body without anything in place to re-address this imbalance, then this increases the chances of experiencing the various symptoms of hyperventilation (e.g. claw hands / pins and needles, light-headedness).

Now, since the body can re-balance this loss of CO2 during the long cycles, a quick glance at our two tables shows us that with SK the long cycles last on average 30 seconds – 1 minute, whereas with EE they each last 3:27, though the rates are at least comparable. This tells us that during EE the body has more time to rebalance any CO2 levels which were expelled during the short cycle than during SK.

So with EE, we have shorter short cycles at much lower respiratory rates and much longer long cycles at slightly lower rates to SK. And EE lasts a little over half as long as SK. This is sufficient to conclude that EE is a considerably safer technique than SK.

It is also interesting to note that the breath counts for EE remain constant at 30 for each cycle and across each round, whereas during SK they vary greatly. It almost makes you wonder if with SK they are just made up by SSRS each time without any real consideration as to what he is doing.

And it can’t have escaped anyone’s notice that the short cycles in SK reach alarmingly high breathing rates which are clearly hyperventilation. And looking at these figures it now seems obvious why Art of Living have done everything in their power to keep the tape a closely guarded secret: because if it were ever made public, it would only be a matter of time before someone examined the tape in the same manner as I have done above and come to the same conclusions.

I cannot say for sure if EE is 100% safe, and although the majority of the criticisms made in these blogs against kriya do not apply to EE, the same precautions we have advised over and over again should still be considered if you decide to practise EE.

Why the need to proselytize at all?

by The Meditator

I have a strong feeling that Harshal is actually Bawa. Same arrogance, same stupidity, same nonsense. Even if not, they both are ‘enlightened’ idiots and brainwashed people who have nothing better to do in life than loot peoples money along with their gang leader.

BTW Harshal / Bawa – a few days back I received a text msg from one of your types to come for “Nadi Pariksha” organised at the devotees home. I never responded. He then called me up and I politely told him that I will not be able to make it. The next day he called me again and I told him clearly that I will not be able to make it. He then asked me to call up my friends to see if they can make it as quite a few slots were vacant !!

Why don’t you guys stand on the road with a begging bowl in hand. Alternatively, as we were told by your enlightened zombie teachers during the basic and advanced courses that Guruji calls the person for the course when the timing is right. So why not use the Guru power to call people for all the great courses that AOL has to offer rather than harassing people by calling them up and sending unwanted text messages. Afterall he has so much power – he can stop rains, he can send text messages to devotees in remote places where there is no signal, he provides battery power to mobiles in case of emergencies, he has sent people to Iraq for charity work without VISA and the devotees have reached there successfully…….the list of miracles performed by Guruji goes on and on. I bow to his highness but I still do not believe in this idiot as I do not want salvation after this life. I love this world and want to be reincarnated again and again till I have learnt my lessons on my own. Why trouble the fake Guru to take away my bad Karma knowing fully well that he will not take away my Karma but only my money.

In fact sometimes I wonder why AOL had to file a case against the owners of this website. HHSSRS would definitely know who the criminals are considering the clout that he enjoys with the heavens. But then realization dawned on me. All those who write against AOL over here were at one time associated with AOL and thus the GURU is protecting them. So all the AOL haters / criminals bow down to this great fake master. So what if he wants to make money. He is protecting all of us and all that he is asking for is protection money.

Editor’s note: This was left as a comment some time ago now, but I felt it deserved its own post because it highlights a key issue which Art of Living has been heavily criticized for and one which really brings out the cult-like nature of the organization.

According to the Vedas, those who follow the teachings are specifically encouraged NOT to try to preach and convert others into followers, but rather to follow the wisdom and work on their own lives, and in so doing they will help to make the world a better place. This is what Gandhi meant when he said “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

This begs the question, why are AoL followers encouraged to do the opposite of what the Vedas say? If Sri Sri really was a true Hindu as he claims to be, shouldn’t he actually follow these simplest of teachings, encouraging his followers to actually work on themselves spiritually rather than instructing them to go out and essentially force his teachings on others by trying to recruit them into his organization? Especially if, as is mentioned in the post, SSRS himself will call the student when the timing is right? Isn’t this further evidence that the whole thing is a complete sham?

Sadly I have a feeling that these will become rhetorical questions, because I am fairly convinced that no one in AoL will come forward and even attempt to answer them. But it is something which definitely needs to be highlighted as another way in which the tenets of Hinduism are abused (in this case completely opposed) to forward SSRS’ agenda.

Your Choice: Coercive Persuasion or Critical Thinking

by anonymous

I have always wondered how so many existing AOL devotees come to this site…and still do nothing about their lives.

So, for those of you reading this article….here below is some reasoning as to why you may be just staying put and not able to take any corrective action.

Read on

The reason you haven’t helped yourself, regardless of how many different ways you may phrase it in your own mind, is simply because you’ve been ‘conditioned’ not to….and this ‘conditioning’ has a name…Its called Coercive Persuasion.

A Coercive Persuasion programme is a behavioral change process applied to cause the ‘learning’ and ‘adoption’ of a set of behaviors or an ‘ideology’ under certain conditions.

The essential conditions necessary for a Coercive Persuasion programme to succeed is ‘immorality,’ ‘fear’ and ‘control.’The purpose of a Coercive Persuasion programme is to control a society by making it believe that the needs of the state, or society at large, outweigh the needs of the individual.

The spreading of a Coercive Persuasion programme throughout a society is based on utilizing the education system (read AOL courses, follow ups, tapes, books and so on). A Coercive Persuasion programme is specifically designed to destroy individuality in order to supplant it with the ‘mind set’ of the state…whoever its ruler may be.

Just revisit history — The occupied British Colonies all over the world lived under a Coercive Persuasion programme which saw their socities ‘controlled’ by a monarch and this system was beset upon by an ‘immoral’ set of laws designed to strip indigenous people from the every ounce of human dignity, and lived in constant ‘fear’ should they dare go against the brutal forces set to fall upon them at the slightest sign of discontent.

AOL only feels like a peaceful ashram. But look at the pressures of performance that your favourite AOL teacher is under. Is this not similar to the British raj collecting taxes. Wake up guys and smell it !!!!

The first recognized formal uprising against Coercive Persuasion ended On July 4, 1776. The American colonists became the first people in modern history to strike out against Coercive Persuasion programmes and in their Declaration of Independence simply, and eloquently, stated: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The power of these words were such that within 50 years the power of the European monarchies were all but destroyed, and within 100 years our human race was propelled to heights of advancement never before experienced in thousands of years….and all because of one powerful idea…”the individual mattered more than the state (for AOL-ites read real estate ?…pun intended)”.

It’s a different matter that the past 100 years, however, have showed the reemergence of these ‘state powers,’ all across the world, and made even worse by the fact the United States FORGOT its original founding Principle and has been leading the charge to, once again, destroy individuality for the ‘benefit’ of society at large.

In order to accomplish their destruction of individuality through the use of Coercive Persuasion they will destroy their mortal enemy…Critical Thinking. Critical Thinking includes a complex combination of skills. Among the main characteristics are the following:

Rationality- We are thinking critically when we rely on reason rather than emotion, require evidence, ignore no known evidence, and follow evidence where it leads, and are concerned more with finding the best explanation than being right analyzing apparent confusion and asking questions.

Self-awareness- We are thinking critically when we weigh the influences of motives and bias, and recognize our own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view.

Honesty- We are thinking critically when we recognize emotional impulses, selfish motives, nefarious purposes, or other modes of self-deception.

Open-mindedness- We are thinking critically when we evaluate all reasonable inferences, consider a variety of possible viewpoints, or perspectives, remain open to alternative interpretations, accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is simpler, or has fewer inconsistencies or covers more data, accept new priorities in response to a reevaluation of the evidence or reassessment of our real interests, and do not reject unpopular views out of hand.

Discipline – We are thinking critically when we are precise, meticulous, comprehensive, and exhaustive, resist manipulation and irrational appeals, and avoid snap judgments.

Judgment – We are thinking critically when we recognize the relevance and/or merit of alternative assumptions and perspectives recognize the extent and weight of evidence.

In sum,
Critical thinkers are by nature skeptical. They approach texts with the same skepticism and suspicion as they approach spoken remarks. Critical thinkers are active, not passive. They ask questions and analyze. They consciously apply tactics and strategies to uncover meaning or assure their understanding. Critical thinkers do not take an egotistical view of the world.

They are open to new ideas and perspectives. They are willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing evidence.

Critical thinking enables us to recognize a wide range of subjective analyses of otherwise objective data, and to evaluate how well each analysis might meet our needs. Facts may be facts, but how we interpret them may vary.

By contrast,

Passive, non-critical thinkers take a simplistic view of the world. They see things in black and white, as either-or, rather than recognizing a variety of possible understanding. They see questions as yes or no with no subtleties.

They fail to see linkages and complexities.

They fail to recognize related elements.

Non-critical thinkers take an egotistical view of the world. They take their facts as the only relevant ones.

They take their own perspective as the only sensible one. They take their goal as the only valid one.

Do you really think that collective needs be met when individual needs are sacrificed ? Devising a system when both are addressed is creative.

How does it work when AOL teachers get poorer and the AOL organization gets richer ? How does it work when AOL teacher’s pay tax and the AOL organization does not ?
How does it work when most of the day your are thinking AOL and he thinks about you only when you are physically next to him (that’s 2 minutes a year during an advance course which you paid for).

Common guys take a call….its your LIFE

What you have to decide right now is what kind of world you want to live, or have your children and grandchildren grow up in…one controlled by Coercive Persuasion, or one where Critical Thinking determines the fate of mankind.

If you believe that you aren’t part of this battle then you are indeed very disconnected from what is happening to you. On the other hand….if this message has hit some resonance within you. You can start right now…..just disengage. It is that easy.

Lies, Damned Lies, and even more Lies

by anonymous

Forget the ethics, principles and values. You are the whole and soul and master of a large business. You made friends in high places that helped you acquire prime government real estate at throw away prices / terms to run your so called educational trusts. In the process many documents and deeds had to be signed. These are hidden and secret at the present time but then nothing can also be undone about some of these. Fortunately or unfortunately, when the government is not very well computerised, the documents are lying all over the place in different places (Village records, sub-urban development offices, Land registrar, lawyer’s office, volunteer’s homes, and so on). There could be clear trails (or lack there of)…both of which are damaging if and when they come out.

Thieves in arms. Is Yeddy is innocent of any corruption…..no one has a doubt on this. Now when Yeddy visits SriSri as below

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_hurt-bs-yeddyurappa-seeks-sri-sri-ravishankars-healing-touch_1573231

What do you think issued as a conversation. Were they alone or were all the hang outs also there ? Do you think their discussion was around the following

a.  The present moment is inevitable ?

b.  Accept situations and people as they are ?

c.  Don’t be a football….

d.  Forget politics Yeddy, look at me, its enlightenment that is important, remember ?

Now the man takes the movement in his own direction. Another link to substantiate the above book launch bit.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/IAC-founder-Sri-Sri-says-asked-for-BJP-s-help-on-Jan-Lokpal/857582/

You are not in a position to allow your dear fellow brother in crime to suffer. Because then he may talk. He may be sued in a criminal court. He may then cough up and expose everything that has happened before.

SriSri tactics will follow some basic guidelines. They are

1. Create uncertainty and doubt (this he does with everybody……). The Master is unpredictable.

2. Go where some more publicity can be had (read free advertising)

3. Create masterful diversions so the real issue is lost in a spaghetti island. He is now telling all AOL BW devotees not to support the Anna Hazare movement because too many right wing elements have been let in. Ha Ha….who let them in ?

4. Vindictive, it is my guess that Arvind, Anna and co figured out the devious man. They all used each other at launch time. Over the course of the next 6 months up to the time of the recentDelhievents it became clear who and what SriSri is. Afterall Anna and Co are not wet behind the ears. So they masterfully eased SriSri out. The indication was clear when SriSri was the only one to appear for a team Anna meeting. Arvind and Bhushan abstained from the meeting proclaiming that there was too much media presence. Then later on the same day, on TV SriSri himself proclaimed to the media that team Anna will be represented by Arvind and Co, and that his job as mediator is over and he is heading back. (Read to lick his wounds). Who gave him that job description ?. Who authorized him to represent team Anna. These are all self proclaimed statements of  a devious mind. He has access to media and he gets a statement out first. He will even furnishes data that cannot be validated and his BW devotees will get creative about spinning the stories to justify the Master’s statement. You need to exercise your thinking a little….if you can that is. Here are some egs

1.  We had 2.5 Million people come for Silver Jubilee (http://srisriravishankar.org/cultural-events). Pl go to google earth. Check out Jakkur airfield’s dimensions. The perimeter at its maximum best will be 2.65 km. The usable area needs to be calculated after minus-ing  parking, stalls, toilets, stage, perimeter fencing, any other vacant unused areas. So length available for SJ function would have AT BEST been 650 m x  350 m. Area is 227,500 Sq m. Assuming it was packed FULLY with only people. 1 Sq m per person (thats seriously cramping it) on an average.That’s 2.3 Lakhs people (Max). It was the same set of people that came on all 3 days. So SriSri simply multiplied this by a factor of 10 and claimed 2.5 Million people.

2.  May 2010 – The Assassin tried to kill me. I know it was an attempt on my life. Oh!!, it was a farmer who was shooting at dogs. Which version do you believe ?…when there so many interesting ones ? (http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/one-question-im-dying-to-ask-sri-sri-ravishankar/ ). Common Dear Godman since when did Dogmen start hitting on you ?

3.  AOL has adopted 25,000 villages (http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/Compassion/Havens_of_Engaged_Spirituality102005.asp ). Anybody seen at least 250 fully adopted village or even 25, or even 1 ? Any idea what it would cost to adopt a village. Lets say 1 Rupee per person per day for a 1000 people village (thats the Indian average). Thats 30 million rupees every day now since the year 200x ?.

4. We love the environment. We will plant a billion trees. (http://www.missiongreenearthpune.org/ ). If each tree costs at least Rs 10 (20 US Cents say at that time) that is a cool US$ 200 million and then the costs of planting each tree will be at least another Rs 10 (actually much more since its a very dis-organised distributed volunteer setup and not at all mechanized). Thats 400 MillionUS$.  The cost of maintaining these trees over their life time. Each of the Billion trees will need at least US$ 1 worth of water every month ? No ? Thats a recurring US$ 12 Billion every year from the AOL treasury. WOW !!!! Whatever happened to this stuff.

And there are tons of such examples.

The poor average AOL devotee is fed stories after stories after stories and they still do not see it coming ???.

When a man can fib about all this. What else could he be lying about ? Anyone within the AOL camp knows that these numbers originate from him and him alone. When he can lie about trivial things….and furnish such BS numbers……what else is he BS-ing about.

There is only one clear conclusion that one can arrive after all this….in he AOL parlance, becoming a good zombie is an important step towards becoming enlightened.

Hmmmm…..When-lightened of your wealth, your family and friends, your self esteem, and your brains……. there would be just one thing left…you become an honorary member of the un-enlightenned club. But you will need to reserve your seats in advance…..we already have a waiting list of a 30,000 villages (About 30 million people), 2.5 million people from 2006. So even if  we take a 1000 members every working  day that is going to take us the NEXT 100 years to do. We hope you got the cue….otherwise its going to be a one long queue…..

Business Lessons from the Master

by anonymous

My partners and I were looking to buy land for commercial reasons (We are in Agri processing business for over 20 years). We are all devotees of Guruji. So we decided to visit Bangalore for Navaritiri and do land survey and if possible acquisition. We can then get 2 fruits with one stone (you see AOL made us vegetarian, we dont do birds anymore).

I am a great admirer of Guruji. He had nothing in the beginning. No money, No land, No Guru….and see where he is today. He still has no Guru but see how many gurus he has created from just thin air. And they are all working towards bringing in world pieces to him. By taking care of the individual. and ….it has a multiplying effect. More peace in individuals, meaning more peaceful world. While the peace is multiplying abundance manifests in our piece (more land, more money, more power…etc).

Also, you see its about Vasudeva Kudumbakam. Anyone of us can use all of these ashram land and buildings for our own use. Its come from all our contributions. Guruji himself says, all of this belongs to you, treat it like your home. I know Guruji I told him, but its so risky to own all this, I cannot pay the property or the income taxes, for now you only keep it, on our behalf. Just manage it as you have been doing it for the last 30 years. The last thing I want after sending all my donations to you is also to pay tax for something I legally do not own. He laughed at my fear. Anyway, what I did not tell him was that renting Visalakshi mandap for a day is really expensive for me. I thought he might think I am being very money minded.

The ashramites were so busy and so beautiful during this Navaratiri. I was happy so see such brisk business. So many poojas. So many opportunities to donate for good causes. So many foreigners getting married. And the billing per wedding I was told running into lakhs of rupees. I look at it 20 years back….we did not have so many products, only Sudarshan Kriya. And now….wow.

Seeing all this I decided I should get some land driving distance from the ashram. This way I can get some real time lessons in doing good business and methods to do them paying as little tax as possible. Also, I think I can get some volunteers, from the ashram, in case they are bored with what they are doing. I found that many of them are bored doing the same thing everyday. In fact they are very busy only when Guruji is there. Whenever he is travelling, they are quite free and there is no work pressure. One should not work under pressure….especially when you have to bring in world peace. Since Guruji blessed my project, I can say this is also Guruji’s work and I am sure I can get volunteers for work in my business. That way my overheads are less.

I looked around and I saw that Guruji had a lot of land on both sides of the road and I was told that Sumeru realty had some land interests too. On checking with them, I could get not much help or direction, They were very keen to sell me land at commercial prices for Villa or even an apartment but they would not tell me how to get Agricultural land. So I inquired myself and I came to understand from the authorities that if you are not from Karnataka and if your ancestors have not been farmers, the Karnataka government does not allow you to own agri land. Similar rules apply for companies. There its even more complicated. However, that is not true, I know that the government was lying, after all Guruji is not from Karnataka, Guruji’s father is from Papanasam TN. So there must be a way around this…I know this. So, I prayed to Guruji for answers.

The master always hears a devotee’s prayer. Mine was sincere. I got the below email. Today. Wonderful. His grace is boundless. Silently, with just the click of the mouse, I realised the solution through my blackberry.

Jaigurudev Dear Ones,

You are invited to attend / watch live webcast (open for All) of the talk by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on ‘Ayurveda – An Ancient Treasure for Global Health’ on the occassion of inauguration of Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science and Research Hospital.
Date: 7 October 2011

Event/Webcast Timings:

5:30 pm IST (Inauguration function of Hospital)

6:30 pm IST (Talk by Sri Sri at Art of Living International Center, Bangalore)

Link to watch webcast: http://www.artofliving.org/satsang OR http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv

Note: The link to watch live webcast will be activated on 7 Oct 2011 as per the schedule

All are welcome to attend this event! Please share with all!

Regards
Art of Living Webteam

Unsubscribe

Now I know what to do. All I have to do is start an educational organisation and I will get Agri land I need. Just clever documentation is needed to make my Agri business look like a education business. Hey, maybe I will even set up an NGO that for free will propagate some knowledge from my business. Volunteers can do this and that is also free marketing for me. I can feel that one day I will also be famous. Today, every lamp post in the south of Bangalore is adorned with AOL posters for the last 1 week announcing the Hospital and AOL Ayurveda Hospital and other initiatives. Guruji is an expert on strategy. Once when interviewed and asked how come he never made hospitals, he said, I am in the business of keeping people healthy. I dont need hospitals. But today, you see, he is forced to make a hospital. he realises the need for it. If you do not make your devotees feel better how can they continue to work for you for a longer time. ? Any good businessman will realise his mistakes and make amendments. My Guru is great.

Now, I have seen what you are all posting on this Blog. Baap re, you all seem to know a lot about what is happening behind the scene. So, I want to make friends with all of you now itself. Please please do not write about me and my ventures, it could hurt my business. You are all welcome to my land/ashram/business when it starts. You will know it is me when you see me.

Our secret code word is “jaigurublog”….just whisper that to my security guys at the gate and everything else is taken care off by me. And…….pssssssstttttt…..keep this our secret…this is just between me and all you nice bloggers.

An objective participant reasons that Sudarshan Kriya is Hyperventilation

by Rawen Maharashi

Editor’s Note – The following post was recently sent to us with the Spanish version first and what appears to be an English translation afterwards. Here I have simply reversed the order.

English Version
From Argentina, September 28/09/2011

… Continued below … which is part of a note sent to the International Foundation where I expose my particular experience, research and opinion on the practice of Sudarshan Kriya, after attending the Level 1 course

Part of the letter ….

… .. So, as I said before, in search of food that nurtures my experience and knowledge, come to decide to take the seminar “The Art of Living” in June of 2011, with the question in my mind: ” And this concerned? “.

Before continuing with my story, let me make it clear that both before the experience, and afterward, I have not taken a position for or against everything the Foundation does, but simply have carried out an investigation – if you want to call it science – of which I think you probably will not share, just because (I assume) has taken place and this is logical because it is part of the Foundation. So I ask only that what follows will relate not take it personally and give rise to any discussion, because that’s not my intention.

It’s just a personal opinion – for now – as a result of having to dig deeper into the depths of a respiratory technique for Shankar intellectual record, which by its complexity and procedure, has as many supporters as destroyers. For my part I am neither with nor with any other, is only one objective and vision research that leads me to some conclusions, which may agree or not. Here and only “free will” play for those who have access to them.

First I noticed that despite what it was asking the breathing techniques that were proposed and many benefits that allow and even improve the physical, I got no answers, but to take the course and I knew from my experience “that it was.”

Already in the course or seminar I saw that beyond the concepts of philosophy of life (for some very valid and constructive) would be followed by a series of basic yoga exercises – so far not known anything – and then carry out the specific techniques exercise “physio-lung” that the Foundation called “Let’s breath or breath” or Sudarshan Kriya (registered) before performing Bhastrika. (This of others dwell on this because we know the whole process)

The long breath calling (Long Kriya) and shortness of breath (KRIYA SHORT) came at the end of each day to the twenty-seven people, experience different emotions and experiences, which are accessed only when you come to a “Altered Consciousness.” Well, this caught my attention, did not know until then that was happening among the seminarians. Many exhausted exhaustion and even expressed feelings of anger, other emotions emotive (pun intended) and even some depression. I kept calling attention to the need of drinking water in some, dry mouth, dizziness in others, cramps in extremities, cold hands and feet despite being in a climate controlled environment.

For my part, given my experience and intuition did not feel that the practice enforced physiological lung was necessary to instruct then meditate and reach a state of “altered consciousness.” If this was all because he understood that he was wasting his time and have wasted my money. So the third day choose to make the letter physio-pulmonary exercise, thus reaching the point of what unconscious in that state allowed me to enter “Astral Travel” and “Astral Projection” (practices that made long with sleep therapy system (Feel-e-Learning – Transpersonal Psychology). For this state it is necessary that the brain waves have dropped from 12 to 13 Hz at 5 to 7 Hz

At the end of the day a lot of questions circling in my mind. As it had reached an “Altered Consciousness” through a physiological strain, achieved by particularly frequent short breaths?. Why physical and emotional reactions that the group experienced in different ways?. Because we were thirsty?. Because we felt cold in the upper and lower extremities, dyspnea, palpitations, weakness and fatigue?. Why we recommended not eating meat / fat during the seminar, not to disclose in the technical family and friends, drink lots of water and not practicing those suffering from hypertension or eye pressure?.

At home and meditating on all the questions set out above came to my mind read “Shamanic Journey” and “Cosmic Game” among other well-known works of Dr. Stanislav Grof (born in Prague, a city of the former Czechoslovakia around 1930. Freudians were the thoughts that moved on to become doctors and psychiatrists.) creator of “breathwork” (The Breathwork was created in 1976 by Dr. Stanislav Grof and his wife Christina and has since then and many countries, important psychological therapeutic ranges under strict medical supervision because it is a natural method of self-exploration and healing based on the healing power of altered states of consciousness. these states is reached through a mode of breathing faster and deeper than usual, or by hyperventilation, accompanied by evocative music), that just the whole technique was FISIO-LUNG hyperventilate.

While this technique had read in history and ancient shamanic practices yogic masters, had not used to consider an unnecessary risk to my health. For to reach an “altered state of consciousness” is not necessary to go against nature to the breath and the mere fact of threatening death to a single neuronal cell (for lack of irrigation), is precisely against the meaning of life even just knowing that there is the slightest risk of injury or even that possibility is potential.

Thus, the fourth day did not attend the meeting. Hypertension and fatigue plagued me and the information recalled was reason enough not to go. Received course called “My Angel” for it to be. Well I could not tell the reasons for my absence I still had much to investigate, before issuing my opinion.

While that day is still developing the seminar, I went to consult my cardiologist trust. Well, after explaining in detail the breathing technique received, his response was more than obvious and consistent with everything I had read about hyperventilation.

What I really regret was that we were not informed at any time we are going to induce an altered state of consciousness through the practice of hyperventilation, ie: it consisted explain-benefit and risk – and then each one to decide whether or not to continue with this practice. I believe that if instructors know it is serious and silent. And if you know it too .. (In response that such practice is a medical procedure used both to establish the resistance coronary cardiac deficiencies, as well as psychological therapy for the treatment of panic, epilepsy, etc.)

And I say this? Then try to be as clear as follows:

Hyperventilation and expanded states of consciousness

The acid-base balance of the body depends básicamene of 3 substances, two gases, oxygen and carbon dioxide and baking soda. Other cations and anions contribute to giving the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the body.

Altered states of consciousness through breath control technique is old. The Yogi practice breathing techniques to induce hypnotic states and ecstatic states, and so on.

From a homeostatic point of view this is related to the dissociation and association curves of oxygen from hemoglobin, depending on the concentration curves of oxygen displace carbon dioxide. Secondary to this physiological mechanism of the gases are compensatory mechanisms involving the phosphorus, and to a lesser extent HCO3 other anions and cations such as calcium, sodium and chlorine.

If a person hyperventilate at high concentrations will decrease the concentration of C02 (let’s say the normal concentration of CO2 is 40 mmHg and decreased to 20 mm / Hg, (this because there is a high oxygen affinity of hemoglobin)

Hyperventilation (ventilation in excess), is to breathe faster and deeper than necessary.

When hyperventilation is a set of chemical changes in the blood, because you exhale more carbon dioxide than normal.

The following are symptoms of hyperventilation, which in less than a minute can occur:

Head light, staggering, dizziness, shortness of breath or dyspnea, palpitations, tingling, especially in the extremities, chest pain, dry mouth and throat, difficulty swallowing, trembling, sweating, weakness and fatigue. Symptoms similar to those of even a panic attack.

What are the consequences of hyperventilation?

Every time we breathe, lungs, hemoglobin is oxygenated blood, allowing oxygen to carry all the tissues of the body through the circulation and removes carbon dioxide or CO2 produced by cellular metabolism. The bloodstream carries the CO2 from the cells and tissues to the lungs, where it is exhaled or eliminated by breathing.

When you hyperventilate hemoglobin oxygen saturation and there is excessive loss of CO2, creating a metabolic imbalance. This drop in CO2 leads to alkalosis (blood pH rises), this is on one hand a signal, which indirectly causes hyperventilation symptoms such as dizziness and paresthesia.

Another change brought about by respiratory alkalosis is the constriction of the arteries to the brain, which are generated dizziness and even fainting (with possibility of neuronal cell death). If this continues, the kidneys try to compensate the gap of lack of CO2 (drinking water demand) and can reduce symptoms, but the person remains in a precarious balance.

The human respiratory system is quite complex. The purpose of breathing is to assimilate oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. So when hyperventilating breathing means that we are above our metabolic needs: that is, we are taking more oxygen our body needs and expelling excess carbon dioxide.

Our body is, in principle, a perfect machine in maintaining a constant balance between CO2 and O2. Thus, the body reacts to the decrease or increase in CO2, again trying to match the situation

This has serious consequences: Narrowing of blood vessels, or more specifically of the vessels that carry blood to the brain.

The lack of blood supply to the brain can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision, unreal … Not enough oxygen reaching the tissues, increased heart rate need to get where you need to pump blood, your hands will stay cold and wet, we will notice muscle stiffness, tingling in the extremities … Symptom of chest tightness, shortness of breath occurred before.

Being aware of all this – scientifically proven fact – the hyperventilation is not harmful as long as they do in full knowledge of the possible consequences and of course the proper technique for making and specialized medical control, which procedure should not last more than two minutes. (Medical advice)

Hyperventilation is a natural reaction of the body, designed to provoke a response of fight or flight.

Needless to say also that they are strongly discouraged against resistance forced breaths, because it forces the flow of blood to the lungs, exposing the practitioner to a pulmonary edema serious risks.

In summary, hyperventilation is a valid technique as long as the person who does it is fully skilled in the art and aware of the possible consequences, so that will not carry his body to the limits of its possibilities – used only by medical professionals trained to use it for emergencies or cardiological treatments and / or psychological.

… Other research institutes attached to universities …. And national and international medical associations, have labeled the practice of forced hyperventilation as a medical procedure and only reserved as a treatment for respiratory failure (COPD) and / or heart. (DCC) and psychological (for treatment of phobias, fears, schizophrenia, etc.).

In short, the hyperventilation produces sanguíea decreased circulation in the brain, consequently their performance deteriorates and reaches the minimum of its function indipensable active leaving emotional and defense field, leading the person to a state of “altered consciousness “- ideal time to meditate on showing all the effects listed above, with the described risk.

Besides carrying the body to an effort not only physical but psychological (through hyperventilation) causes a high stress occurs where the body takes precedence emotional, coming to light from the unconscious to the conscious (in some cases), psychological trauma , which would otherwise remain in its field, the stress acting as a trigger to manifest those repressed emotions. (For level and are discussed in psychology, phobias, schizophrenia, etc.. .. Etc.)

But finding the unknown organism under stress, the emotional body searches of reports that banks and similar previous situations of stress occurred, to order the brain to release endorphins necessary to restore balance and reduce stress has been subjected to all the body by the fact hyperventilate.

Given this situation the brain through the hypothalamus gland puts the system on alert and shoot through the bloodstream enough endorphins to produce a general rebalancing.

This makes it produce what is called “State of Analgesia” where all physical ailments can go for up to about 24 or 48 hours. Which also occurs in Chinese acupuncture is called “Door Lock”. Therefore, the practice of hyperventilation produces short-term welfare, but does not provide solutions to the background conditions in the medium or long term, the risk always present (and I reiterate the word potential) to produce the consequences set out above.
It is recalled that in our country any medical procedure (Including hyperventilation), must be previously informed – before their practice – to patients by health professionals, under pain of being severely punished. (Required by Law N °: 26 529)

And the practice of any medical procedure performed by non-medical professional title recognized by the Ministry of Health, commits the offense of illegal practice of medicine ..

All this information is not only freely available, but personally I have confirmed through interviews with health professionals and having also requested information with respect for Heart … Associations of Respiratory Diseases, Medical Association … Psychiatric Association, among others.

In closing, I reiterate that does not attend any intention on my discussion or circumvent the work of the International Foundation, is just another opinion. But I must let you know that mine is not the only opinion, in like manner I have mentioned by other participants in the seminar / course, those who simply did not follow the practice and have not said anything or not express their opinions.

It is true what you say to that millions of people take the course and everything else, but it is also true that those who take the course only between 18.5 to 22.4% with the practice followed by some months after long-term decline from what has been explained above. Another so many millions do not take the course

Anyway most people who come to take these courses (not saying all) is the first time you are given the opportunity to meet and watch from inside another lifestyle perspective, and open to the wonderful world and the transcendental meditation. And this is very positive in a society that lives in time to the same demand soaring, thinking only of the future, without living the present.

In this sense, and everything else is gratifying to know that the Foundation brings this lost wisdom share in humanity and aim in particular to: be more human.

But … … … .. but from my objectivity, the only thing I question is the use of the practice as I understand it “unnecessary and risky” because it can do the same without compromising (even POTENTIAL) a single cell body.

I must let you know that …. Have long since been a source of concern, the practice of youth to the game called “Death.” And because he knows his name??, Precisely because many young people die through this practice in just two minutes. And know which is the technique? “Hyperventilation”. Of course that makes it different. Combine it with alcohol or drugs – super booster – but without it they have died. A clear example of the practice can see it on YouTube home videos uploaded by young people, but also found throughout the country in the “House of Big Brother.” You tell me .. make it different, squeezed his abdomen to accelerate the faint, take drugs, they are drunk, and so on. etc. But the technique is the same. It was understood when I say BUT IN POWER THERE THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES MINIMUM it should not be done, but it is only the therapeutic and medical professionals.

Links to videos:

Dear …. NN, I assume that you know all the information presented. And in response to, issues not people warn you practice your breathing – if you want to call it minimal? – Possibility of risk. Is a constitutional right that every human being has: “The to be informed properly,” it is beyond legislated in our country as I have mentioned above.

You ask me how I felt after the course. The answer is simple. “Disappointed”, but not for all that the Foundation provides at meditation, personal knowledge, and so on. etc, but not informed “THAT IS BREATHING TECHNIQUE patent.”

I would say previously that the technique is a style – so to speak – of hyperventilation, explain their origin and history, plus benefits and / or consequences and then let each person choose to take the course or not, would be fine.

Each one takes his own risk and I think you definitely should sign the agreement of the course-taking, with the formalities prescribed by law … ..-

If both you and the instructors know what they say exposed and not IS SERIOUS ..

If you do not know, is even worse …

Applying the apologies of the case, if some parts of this note has affected him or feelings, if this has happened, has not been my intention and as I said before does not enter into polemics or exchange hereafter has been only one position objective to contribute to the Foundation to continue its mission, but may see some guidelines set forth herein adjusting the benefit of all.

Served to me very positively because I finally found my answer to the question I had before starting the course and also initiate an inquiry, which has allowed me to open new paths of knowledge, not only for what to do, but also to know what not to do.

Appreciated my respect.

Yours atte.

Dr …. Anonymous (for now)

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En español
Desde Argentina, setiembre de 2011-09-28

……lo que continúa abajo es parte de nota remitida a la Fundación Internacional en donde expongo mi experiencia particular, investigación y opinión sobre la práctica del SUDARSHAN KRIYA, luego de haber asistido al curso nivel 1

Parte de la carta….

…..Por lo tanto, como dije antes, en busca del alimento que nutra mi experiencia y conocimiento, llegue a decidir tomar el seminario “Del Arte de Vivir” en el mes de junio del 2011, con la pregunta en mi mente: “¿Y Esto de que se trata ?”.

Ante de seguir con mi relato, quiero dejar en claro que tanto antes de la experiencia vivida, como después de ella, no he tomado una posición a favor o en contra de todo lo que hace la Fundación, sino que simplemente he llevado adelante una investigación – si quiere llamarla científica – de la que seguramente creo Ud., no compartirá, porque sí (debo suponer) tiene una posición tomada y ello es lógico porque forma parte de la Fundación. Por ello sólo le pido que lo que a continuación le relate no lo tome como algo personal y dé lugar a debate alguno, ya que esa no es mi intención.

Es solo una opinión personal – por el momento – como consecuencia de haber indagado más en las profundidades de una técnica respirativa –Registrada intelectualmente por Shankar- que por su complejidad y procedimiento, tiene tantos adeptos como destructores. De mi parte no estoy ni con una ni con otra, es sólo una visión objetiva e investigativa que me lleva a algunas conclusiones, de las cuales se puede estar de acuerdo o no. Aquí ya sólo “El libre Albedrío” jugará para quienes tengan acceso a ellas.

En primer término me llamó la atención que a pesar de preguntar de qué se trataba las técnicas de respiración que se proponían y que permiten tantas bondades e incluso mejoras a nivel físico, no obtuve respuestas, sino hasta tomar el curso y darme cuenta por mi experiencia de “que se trataba”.

Ya en el curso o seminario ví que más allá de conceptos sobre filosofía de vida (por ciertos muy válidos y constructivos) se seguía con una serie de ejercicios básicos de yoga – hasta el momento nada no conocido – y luego la realización de las técnicas especificas de ejercicios “fisio-pulmonar” al que llaman desde la Fundación “vamos a respirar o respiración” o SUDARSHAN KRIYA (registrado) previo de efectuar Bhastrika. (esta de demás abundar en esto ya que es sabido todo el proceso)

La que llaman respiración larga (KRIYA LARGO) y respiración corta (KRIYA CORTO) llego al final de cada día al que veintisiete personas, experimentamos diferentes emociones y vivencias, las que sólo se acceden cuando se llega a un estado “Alterado de Consciencia”. Pues esto me llamo la atención, no sabia hasta ese momento que estaba sucediendo entre todos los seminaristas. Muchos exhaustos expresaron su agotamiento y hasta sensaciones de ira, otros de emociones muy emotivas (valga la redundancia) y hasta algunos de depresión. Me siguió llamando la atención, la necesidad de beber agua en algunos, sequedad bucal, mareos en otros, calambres en extremidades, frio en pies y manos a pesar de estar en un ambiente climatizado.

De mi parte, dada mi experiencia e intuición no sentí que la práctica fisio-pulmonar forzada que se estaba instruyendo fuera necesario para luego meditar y llegar a un estado “alterado de consciencia”. Si esto era todo, pues entendía que estaba perdiendo el tiempo y haber malgastado mi dinero. Por eso al tercer día opte por efectuar al pie de la letra los ejercicios fisio-pulmonar, llegando de esta manera al punto de la incosciencia lo que me permitio en ese estado entrar en “Viaje Astral” y “Proyección Astral” (prácticas que efectuó desde hace mucho tiempo junto con terapias del sueño (Sistema Feel-e-Learning – Psicología Transpersonal). Para este estado es necesario que las ondas cerebrales hayan bajado de los 12 a 13 Hz a entre 5 y 7 Hz.

Al terminar ese día muchas preguntas daban vueltas en mi mente. Como había alcanzado un estado “Alterado de Consciencia” a través de un esfuerzo fisiológico, logrado por las respiraciones especialmente cortas y frecuentes ?. Porqué las reacciones física y emocionales que el grupo experimentó de diferentes maneras ?. Porqué nos daba sed ?. Porqué sentiamos frio en las extremidades inferiores y superiores, disnea, palpitaciones, debilidad y fatiga ?. Porqué se nos recomendó no comer carnes/grasas durante el seminario, no divulgar en familiares y amigos la técnica, beber mucha agua y no practicarlos a aquellos que sufrian de hipertensión o presión ocular ?.

Ya en casa y meditando sobre todas las preguntas antes enunciadas vino a mi mente lo leído en “El viaje Chamanico” y el “Juego Cósmico” entre otras obras del tan conocido Dr. Stanislav Grof, (Nace en Praga, ciudad de la ex Checoslovaquia aproximadamente en 1930. Fueron los pensamientos freudianos que lo movilizaron a convertirse en medico y psiquiatra.) creador de la “Respiración Holotrópica” (La Respiración Holotrópica fue creada en 1976 por el Dr. Stanislav Grof y su esposa Christina y tiene desde entonces y en muchos países del mundo, importantes alcances terapéuticos psicológicos bajo estricto control médico por tratarse de un método natural de autoexploración y sanación basado en el poder curativo de los estados alterados de conciencia. Se llega a dichos estados a través de un modo de respiración más rápido y profundo que el habitual, o sea mediante la hiperventilación, acompañado por músicas evocativas ), de que simplemente toda la técnica FISIO-PULMONAR había sido HIPERVENTILAR.

Si bien dicha técnica la había leído en historia de prácticas chamanicas y de antiguos maestros yoguis, no la había utilizado por considerar un riesgo innecesario para mi salud. Pues para llegar a un “Estado Alterado de Consciencia”, no es necesario ir contra natura a la respiración y el sólo hecho de poner en riesgo la muerte a una sola celular neuronal (por falta de irrigación), va precisamente contra el sentido de vida, aun con solo saber que existe el más mínimo de riesgo de daño o incluso que esa posibilidad es potencial.

Así, el cuarto día no asistí al encuentro. Hipertensión y fatiga me asolaban y la información recordada eran motivos más que suficientes para no ir. Recibi por supuesto llamados de “Mi Angelito”, para que fuera. Pues no podía decirle los motivos de mi ausencia aún me faltaba mucho por investigar, antes de emitir mi parecer.

Mientras ese día se seguía desarrollando el seminario, concurrí a consultar a mi médico cardiólogo de confianza. Pues luego de explicarle minuciosamente la técnica respiratoria recibida, su respuesta fue más que obvia y concordante con todo lo que había leído sobre hiperventilación.

Lo que lamente en verdad, fue que no se nos informara en ningún momento que se nos iba a inducir a un Estado Alterado de Conciencia con la práctica de una hiperventilación, por ej: explicar en que consistía –beneficio y riesgos – y luego que cada uno decidiera si seguir o no con dicha práctica. Considero que si los instructores saben de ello y lo callan es grave. Y si no lo saben también.. (en atención que dicha practica es un procedimiento médico utilizado tanto para establecer la resistencia coronaria en deficiencias cardiológicas, como así también como terapia psicológica para el tratamiento del pánico, epilepsia entre otros)

Y por que digo esto ? A continuación tratare de ser lo más claro posible a saber:

Hiperventilación y estados ampliados de conciencia

El equilibrio de ácido-base del cuerpo depende básicamene de 3 sustancias, dos gases, el oxígeno y el bioxído de carbono y el bicarbonato de sodio. Existen otros cationes y aniones que contribuyen a otorgarle el pH (su acidez o alcalinidad) al cuerpo.

Los estados alterados de consciencia mediante el control respiratorio es técnica vieja. Los Yoguies practican técnicas de respiración para inducir estados hipnóticos y estados extáticos, etc.

Desde el punto de vista homeostático todo esto se relaciona con las curvas de disociación y asociación del oxigeno a la hemoglobina, curvas que dependiendo la concentración de oxígeno desplazan el bioxído de carbono. Secundario a este mecanismo fisiologico de los gases existen mecanismos compensatorios que involucran al fósforo, al HCO3 y en menos medida otros aniones y cationes como calcio, sodio y cloro.

Si una persona hiperventila en concentraciones altas se disminuirá la concentración de C02 (digamos que la concentración normal de CO2 es de 40 milímetros de mercurio y la disminuye a 20 mm/Hg, (esto porque existe una gran afinidad de oxígeno de la hemoglobina)

Hiperventilar (ventilar en exceso), es respirar más rápido y profundamente de lo necesario.

Cuando hiperventilas se produce un conjunto de cambios químicos en la sangre, debido a que se exhala más dióxido de carbono de lo normal.

Los siguientes son síntomas de hiperventilación, que en menos de un minuto pueden producirse:

Cabeza liviana, tambaleo, mareos, falta de aire o disnea, palpitaciones, hormigueos, sobre todo en las extremidades, dolor de pecho, boca y garganta seca, dificultades para tragar, temblores, sudoración, debilidad y fatiga. Síntomas incluso similares a los de una crisis de pánico.

¿Qué consecuencias tiene la hiperventilación?

Cada vez que respiramos, en los pulmones se oxigena la hemoglobina sanguínea, lo que permite llevar el oxígeno necesario a todos los tejidos del cuerpo, a través de la circulación y se elimina el dióxido de carbono o CO2 producido por el metabolismo celular. El torrente sanguíneo lleva este CO2 desde las células y los tejidos a los pulmones, donde será exhalado o eliminado por la respiración.

Cuando uno hiperventila la hemoglobina se satura de oxígeno y hay pérdida excesiva de CO2, creándose un desequilibrio metabólico. Esta baja de CO2, lleva a una alcalosis (se eleva el PH sanguíneo), esto es por un lado una señal, que produce indirectamente los síntomas de hiperventilación, como mareos y parestesias.

Otro cambio producido por la alcalosis respiratoria es la constricción de las arterias que van al cerebro, con lo que se generan mareos y hasta desmayos (con posibilidad de muerte de células neuronales). Si esto se prolonga, los riñoñes tratan de recompensar el desnivel de falta de CO2 (demandando ingerir agua) así los síntomas pueden disminuir, pero la persona permanece en un balance precario.

El aparato respiratorio humano es bastante complejo. El objetivo de la respiración es asimilar oxígeno y eliminar anhídrico carbónico. Así cuando hiperventilamos quiere decir que estamos respirando por encima de nuestras necesidades metabólicas: esto es, estamos tomando más oxígeno del que nuestro organismo necesita y expulsando excesivo anhídrido carbónico.

Nuestro organismo es, en principio, una máquina perfecta en la que se mantiene un constante equilibrio entre el CO2 y el O2. Así, el cuerpo reaccionará ante el descenso o el aumento de CO2, intentando igualar de nuevo la situación

Esto tiene serias consecuencias: Estrechamiento de los vasos sanguíneos; más concretamente de los vasos que llevan la sangre al cerebro.

La falta de riego sanguíneo en el cerebro puede producir vértigos, mareos, falta de aliento, confusión, visión borrosa, irrealidad… Al no llegar el oxígeno necesario a los tejidos, necesitaremos una mayor frecuencia cardiaca para conseguir bombear sangre donde se necesita; las manos se quedarán frías y húmedas, notaremos rigidez muscular, hormigueo en las extremidades… Síntoma de opresión en el pecho: producido ante la dificultad respiratoria.

Siendo conscientes de todo esto – hecho probado científicamente – la Hiperventilación no es peligrosa siempre y cuando se realice con total conocimiento de las posibles consecuencias y por supuesto de la técnica para su correcta realización y control médico especializado, cuyo procedimiento no debe durar mas de dos minutos. (recomendación médica)

La Hiperventilación es una reacción natural del organismo, destinada a provocar una respuesta de lucha o de huida.

Ni que decir también que están totalmente desaconsejadas las respiraciones forzadas contra resistencia, ya que se fuerza la afluencia de sangre a los pulmones, exponiendo al practicante a un edema pulmonar de graves riesgos.

En resumen la Hiperventilación es una técnica válida tanto en cuanto la persona que la realiza es totalmente conocedora de la técnica y consciente de las posibles consecuencias, de tal forma que no llevará a su cuerpo a los límites de sus posibilidades – utilizado sólo por profesionales médicos entrenados que lo utilizan para situaciones de emergencia o tratamientos cardiológicos y/o psíquicos.

… distintos institutos de investigación dependientes de las Universidades ….y Asociaciones Médicas Nacionales e Internacionales, han catalogado a la práctica de hiperventilación forzada como un procedimiento médico y solo reservado como tratamiento para deficiencias respiratoria (EPOC) y/o cárdiacas. (DCC) y Psícologicas (para tratamiento de fobias, miedos, esquizofrenia, etc.)

En resumen: la hiperventilación produce la disminución de la circulación sanguíea en el cerebro, por consecuencia su funcionamiento se deteriora y llega al minímo indipensable de su función dejando activo el campo emotivo y de defensa, llevando a la persona a un estado “alterado de consciencia” – momento ideal para meditar en donde aparecen todos los efectos antes enunciados, con los riesgo descriptos.

Además al llevar al organismo a un esfuerzo no solo físico sino psíquico (por medio de la hiperventilación) hace que se produzca un alto estrés en donde el cuerpo emocional toma preponderancia, saliendo a relucir desde el incosciente al consciente (en algunos casos) traumas psicológicos, que de otra forma quedan en su ámbito, actuando el estrés producido, como gatillo para que se manifiesten aquellas emociones reprimidas. (Pues así se tratan a nivel de la Psicológia, las fobias, la esquizofrenia, etc. etc..)

Pero encontrándose el organismo bajo un estrés desconocido, el cuerpo emocional busca en los bancos de memorias que situaciones anteriores y parecidas de estrés sucedieron, para ordenar al cerebro que liberen las endorfinas necesarias para restablecer el equilibrio y bajar el estrés a que se ha sometido todo el organismo por el hecho de hiperventilar.

Ante este cuadro el cerebro a través del hipotálamo pone todo el sistema glandular en alerta y dispara a todo el torrente sanguíneo las endorfinas suficiente como para producir un restablecimiento del equilibrio general.

Ello hace que se produzca lo que se llama “Estado de Analgesia” en donde toda dolencia física puede desaparecer hasta por unas 24 u 48 horas. También se produce lo que en acupuntura china se denomina “Bloqueo de Puerta”. Por ello, la práctica de la hiperventilación produce bienestar a corto plazo, pero no aporta soluciones a las patologías de fondo, a mediano ni a largo plazo, con el riesgo siempre latente (y vuelvo a reiterar el término POTENCIAL) de que se produzcan las consecuencias antes enunciadas.
Se recuerda que en nuestro país todo procedimiento médico (Incluida la hiperventilación), debe ser previamente informado – ante de su práctica – a los pacientes por los profesionales de la salud, bajo pena de ser severamente sancionados. (Obligatorio por Ley N°: 26529)

Y la práctica de cualquier procedimiento médico realizado por personas sin título profesional médico reconocido por el Ministerio de Salud, incurre en el delito de Ejercicio Ilegal de la Medicina..

Toda esta información no solo esta libremente disponible, sino que la he corroborado personalmente mediante entrevistas con profesionales de la salud y habiendo también solicitado información al respeto a las Asociaciones de Cardiologica… de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Asociación Medica …, Asociación de Psiquiatría, entre otras.

Para terminar, vuelvo a reiterar que no asiste en mi ninguna intención de discusión ni soslayar la obra de la Fundación Internacional, es simplemente una opinión más. Pero he de hacerle saber que no es la mía la única opinión, en igual sentido se me han expresado otros participantes al seminario/curso, los que simplemente no siguieron con la práctica y tampoco han dicho nada o no expresan sus opiniones.

Es cierto lo que Ud. dice de, que millones de personas toman el curso y todo lo demás, pero también es cierto que de los que toman el curso sólo entre un 18,5 a un 22,4 % siguen con la práctica por unos meses, decayendo luego a largo plazo por lo ya antes explicado. Otro tantos de millones no toman el curso

De todas maneras la mayoría de las personas que llegan a tomar estos cursos (no digo todas) es la primera vez que se le ofrece la posibilidad de encontrarse con su interior y observar desde otra perspectiva su estilo de vida, y abrirse al maravilloso mundo de la meditación y lo trascendente. Y esto es sumamente positivo en una sociedad que vive al compás vertiginoso que la misma demanda, pensando sólo en el futuro, sin vivir el presente.

En este sentido y en todo lo demás es gratificante saber que la Fundación aporta esa cuota de sabiduría perdida en la humanidad y tender especialmente a: SER MAS HUMANO.

Pero……pero….., desde mi objetividad, lo único que cuestiono es la utilización de la práctica a mi entender “Innecesaria y riesgosa”, pues se puede lograr lo mismo sin poner en peligro (aunque sea POTENCIAL) una sóla célula de nuestro organismo.

He de hacerle saber que ….desde hace ya tiempo ha sido fuente de preocupación, la práctica de jóvenes al juego llamado de “La Muerte”. Y sabe porque se lo llama así ??, precisamente porque son muchos los jóvenes que mediante esta práctica se mueren en solo dos minutos. Y sabe cual es la técnica ?? “LA HIPERVENTILACION”. Por supuesto que la hacen diferente. La combinan con alcohol o drogas – super detonante – pero también sin ella se han muerto. Claro ejemplo de su práctica puede verla en YouTube en videos caseros subidos por los jóvenes, pero también se vio en todo el país en la “Casa del Gran Hermano”. Ud. me dirá.. lo hacen diferente, le apretan el abdomen para acelerar el desmayo, se drogan, están alcoholizado, etc. etc. PERO LA TECNICA ES LA MISMA. Se entiende entonces cuando digo AUNQUE EN POTENCIA EXISTA LA MINIMA POSIBILIDAD DE DAÑO ello no DEBE PRACTICARSE, sino es sólo a los efectos terapéuticos y por profesionales médicos.

Enlaces de videos:

Estimada ….NN, debo suponer que Ud. conoce toda la información aquí expuesta. Y en atención a ello, cuestiono que no se le advierta a las personas de la práctica respirativa con sus – si quiere llamarla MINIMAS ? – POSIBILIDADES de riesgo. Es un derecho CONSTITUCIONAL que todo ser humano posee: “El de ser informado debidamente”, más allá que ello esta legislado en nuestro país como se lo he mencionado anteriormente.

Ud. me pregunta cómo me he sentido luego del curso. La respuesta es simple. “Defraudado”, pero no por todo lo que aporta la Fundación a nivel meditación, conocimiento personal, etc. etc, sino en no INFORMAR “DE QUE SE TRATA TECNICA RESPIRATIVA PATENTADA”.

Si dirián previamente que la técnica es un estilo – por así llamarlo – de hiperventilación, explicaran su origen e historia, más beneficios y/o consecuencias y luego dejaran que cada persona eligiera tomar el curso o no, estaría bien.

Cada uno asume su propio riesgo y creo además se debería firmar la conformidad de tomarlo –el curso- con las formalidades previstas por ley …..-

Si tanto Ud. como los instructores saben de lo expuesto y no lo dicen , ES GRAVE..

Si no lo saben, es aún MAS GRAVE…

Solicitando las disculpas del caso, por si en algunas partes de esta nota haya afectado su persona o sentimientos, si ello ha sucedido, no ha sido mi intención y como dije antes no entrare en polémicas o intercambio en lo sucesivo, ha sido sólo una posición objetiva, con el fin de contribuir para que la Fundación siga su cometido, pero tal ves ajustando algunas pautas aquí expuestas en beneficio de todos.

A mi me ha servido muy positivamente porque al fin encontré mi respuesta a la pregunta que me había hecho antes de iniciar el curso y además inicie una investigación al respecto, que me ha permitido abrir nuevos caminos de conocimientos, no sólo para saber que hacer, sino también para saber que no hacer.

Mi más apreciado respeto.

Le saludo muy atte.

Dr….Anónimo (por ahora)

How Sri Sri Uses Knowledge to Enslave Devotees

by anonymous

Originally posted in response to this comment: http://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/reflections-after-leaving-art-of-living/#comment-7664.

Quite frequently when I was teaching, I witnessed spontaneous healing manifest in class. At that time because I was brainwashed I would insist with all my participants that it was only because of the grace of SriSri. However, in actuality it had been happening even in those times when I had not been introduced to AOL. It continues to happen after I have left AOL. And, if anyone wants to understand better how this works and how you can make it work for you…. please find Bruce Lipton and/or Greg Braden on youtube and listen to their videos. This is about being fully informed and educated.

Also, you may want to read Herbert Benson’s books. He is an American cardiologist and the founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. You will be exposed to much scientific evidence that most of the human body’s ailments are psychosomatic. Switch your belief system and your body changes (instantly). Dr Bruce Lipton makes easily understandable, scientific illustrations as to how this actually works and how spontaneous healing is effected by change in our belief system / attitude. His style is also very passionate and speaks from his heart. Great viewing actually.

The point is that none of the formal education systems teach us about the magic and functioning of our own human systems (mind and body). All of us mostly take our bodies and minds for granted and do not bother to study or investigate them. Our curiosity about this has never been allowed to grow (especially amazed that it happens within AOL when it is supposed to be spiritual school…..Imagine a debate in Visalakshi Mandap between the world’s best Pranic healers and AOL practitioners). That will never happen, because AOL has to keep its current audience in control and keep them together like a herd. My God….if this audience realises that the magic exists elsewhere and all over the place and that they are not necessarily tied to AOL to experience it…..WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ?
Can’t milk them and tax them anymore can we ?

A little bit of a wild example…just to illustrate a point. It is like this…..you have never seen a car in your life. Even if you see one you would not recognize it or know that it is a vehicle to move things around. And now, you have come to me seeking something. Your life is stressed, dull and difficult…or so it seems, you seek answers and solutions. You need some magic to re-enter your life. You filled out an application form, so I know you live with your grandmother and your home address. I blindfold you, walk you a little, sit you down, and drive the car for 1 hr, all the while playing you music you love. Before long you are in your grandmother’s house. I slowly guide you out of the car and then remove the blindfold. And for you its sheer magic, after all you were just sitting down and listening to music now you suddenly materialised your Grand mom’s house. Amazing. And since your only interaction was with me you attribute the special powers to me. I also know about aircrafts, spaceships, the structure of the fractal universe, the various energy systems that drive the human body, the relationship between these energy sources and the human mind, and many of these principles apply strongly to all other subjects that interest humans. Now, I can do 1 of 2 things. Share them all with you provided you want to learn and then you are free. But, the risk here is that, if I shared all of this with you and educated you about all of this, I will lose your adulation. After all I am not the one that made the car or the aircraft or the spaceship. I just happened to stumble on them (or somebody else showed them to me). I did not create these things. Hence to not lose your adulation, I have to keep this hidden and make it more mysterious as if only I can reproduce them.

Now you go around tom tomming and proclaiming to the whole world that I am God and that I moved you some 40 km in a very short time which is impossible for us human’s to do. I don’t stop you….AND am happy with all the adulation/admiration I get. A crowd starts to follow me wherever I go. In fact, soon, I get addicted to it. Its like a drug. I like the adulation so much, that I never want to lose it. Then I start to live in fear that I may someday lose it. I fear this, because I have been manipulative. I engineered this situation, knowing fully that I was not the creator of the car. My insecurity forces me to develop systems that nobody, yes nobody ever figures out how the car works. So I camouflage it. I hide it. I disguise it. I make sure that none of you is ever exposed to another car from another car maker. If any of you find out the truth, which is bound to happen, in secret I make you my partner in business. However the hidden understanding here is that I am still head honcho and you play 2nd fiddle to me. After all you too for many years created this branding of me being the ULTIMATE savior. After some time some of you partners suddenly awaken to the fact that you do want to be a part of the scam anymore and are unhappy about misleading innocent people. I cant let this happen. This will expose my whole game. So, I badmouth you and do my very best to keep the rest of the herd from following you or even questioning your move. Soon I observe that other scam artists like me have developed other systems and are doing very well. I get jealous, I want them to fail, so my supremacy is not threatened. Its all about timing and when each one of the scam artists started. The earlier guy always feels threatened by the newer entrant. They are eating into his pie. I hope you can see the parallels here. (Nithy, Ramdev)

Now, lets take the case of the reported miracle of the dad being cured of his lung cancer. It could also be any one of the following

1. The doctors goofed and were reporting on somebody else’s Catscan. This happens all the time. However once you plant into someones mind that they have cancer, they start suffering immediately because they trust the doctor, do not question the bad news and most importantly their own mind now starts to panic. Obviously you will feel unwell.

2. The healing (if at all it was needed) could have also have very well happened because of all the prayers of the loved ones. And prayers work…all the time. Thats a whole subject in itself. How to pray and what to pray for. How not to pray. Much of it can be learned from the movie “The secret”. If we notice we will see the relatives were completely sincere, did EVERYTHING they could without holding back on intent, money, effort for dad. For those few days and hours their one and only intent was hat dad recover and become well. They manifested it.

How many of the relatives know and have faith in the power of their own prayers ???

3. The point is that if these people should do the same to another person (other than dad) that is needy with the same intensity they will find that their will manifests again. And it will work again….and again…..The process is the same. Existence has to re-arrange the furniture to suit your will. It works for you, so you can discover your own creative genius. And there are rules that you need to use to communicate clearly to existence what you want. That is all.

4. Take the art of living blessing course for eg. It has been working or not working for you way before you put yourself through the course. You were not aware of it thats all. That, IT is made to look like some major transference thingie is happening from the source (Sri Sri) thru his Blessing teachers and then onto you and NOW you can finally bless someone…..is just a scam process utilized by some twisted minds playing with your low self esteem (Yes low self esteem…..hiw so ? Well, afterall it is you who subscribed to the philosophy that only the AOL teachers and Guruji could bless and you could not since you were not pure enough). Now, do not get me wrong. Deciding to go to the blessing course is in itself a great step. You got out of the rut, decided that its time you have more of yourself to the world…..which is beautiful. That itself will make it work. The rest is just symbolic and irrelevant. It is your readiness that makes it work. However, at no time take the credit away from your willingness to start, to explore, to see, to experience, to transfer and importantly to connect and acknowledge the love and compassion in your own heart. This is what makes things really work, not the 1000s of Rupees you paid or the so called guru grace as is attributed to within the AOL circles.

5. Forget about how sad your past has been. Forget about any guilt that you may have ever held within you. Right at this moment, just go sit next to another human in need. Just be there for them. Listen to them intently and wholly. Bless them (you don’t even have to touch them to do this) with all your heart and pray to existence to deliver the best results to them so they can be peaceful and happy……..

Be completely alert and alive to what happens next (the less you doubt yourself the faster the result) and once you acknowledge to yourself as to what has transpired …simply enjoy every moment of the rest of your journey. Its time….

The Many Faces of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

by stupidseeker

I came across this interview IANS had with ravi shankar. In this interview ravi shankar candidly admits that the Jan Lokpal Bill is incapable of rooting out corruption. This line is in contradiction with that of the other members of Team Anna, who drummed up massive support by proclaiming the bill to be the end of corruption of India.

Its anyone’s guess why ravi shankar revealed his lack of faith in the bill, even as he proclaimed himself one of the prime drivers of the IAC movement.My own take is that he didn’t want to be seen as being too anti establishment either.

But to continue, when he was further asked why then did he support the bill, his open ended and succint two word answer was “common sense”.While the rest of the agitators were supposedly motivated by patriotism, this individual states common sense as the reason for his support of the Lokpal bill, even as he reveals his lack of faith in the same to eradicate corruption.Maybe it was common sense to support a bill that hamstrung the government but kept NGO’s (AOL is second largest NGO in india) like his completely out of it’s purview.

Read the interview here:

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5417534

Spirituality and enlightenment apart, common sense we know, is a virtue ravi shankar prizes.
Thus it was common sense to then sport a beard, wear white garb, flash a million dollar smile and put out stories of, advanced science degrees at age 17, of having mastered the Gita at age 4, of being an enlightened being,to a society that was economically ascendent and and on the lookout for relief from the stresses and insecurities of material life.

Thus the economic ascendency ensured the competency of society to pay for his courses while at the same time the increasing materialism with its usual side effects of mental unease, ensured that he would remain in business, what with his SKY being touted as a cure all and he himself an incarnation of krishna and jesus all rolled into one.

Thus it also was common sense to portray himself and his teachings and his kriyas, as being spiritual as opposed to being religious, as being beyond religion, as being scientific even, when he toured the west and then cosying up to the hindu right when back in his home country to let them know that he was actually in their camp and was willing to act as a softer alternative/conduit for their brand of Hindutva especially in the west. Thus his “scientific” spirituality wins him devotees in the west while his religiosity and indulgence in Hindu rituals, and the validation of the hindu scriptures through his own enlightenment, wins him devotees back home even as his supposed charitable works gets his organisation an NGO status and his books and magazines where he tells the world how similar Islam and Christianity are to Hinduism, keeps his secular credentials intact. An whats more, by giving each one in the organisation the unique identity of being an AOL member, he ensured that his identity is kept unique and distinct from other similar organisations and spiritual leaders in society.After all this it was surely common sense to proclaim than the concepts of ownership of wealth and creation of wealth were not anathema to spiritual growth and that wealth creation walked hand in hand with spirituality.So that put to rest any unease, a by now besotted devotee may have had over the widely proclaimed inverse relationship between wealth and spirituality. Thus wealth was not bad as long as you gave charity to the point that it hurt. And who better to give it to, than an NGO who was engaged in creating a divine society.

Thus by merely applying his commonsense ravi shankar made sure that it appeared, that he had something to could give to everyone in society i.e the stressed in search of relief, the seekers looking for spiritual growth, the dispossessed and oppressed in need for material succour, the militant rightwingers seeking support for their religious identity,the orthodox seeking validation of their scriptures,the sceptics looking for truths beyond the material world etc. etc. etc. etc. You name the pie and be sure ravi Shankars got his fingers in it.

If anything the whole AOL structure and the whole business of these new age gurus by extension is nothing but a validation of how far applying common sense can take you.Thus we now have a multifaceted individual who is spiritual,scientific, religious, compassionate, knowledgeable, all inclusive and yet does not shy away from materialism, orthodoxy and traditionalism.

Sounds too good to be true??? Its delicious to think about the Nobel Peace Prize Committee asking themselves this question, and then applying their common sense and answering, “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t” and then summarily trashing his nomination.Common sense cuts both ways, and a man like ravi shankar who has so much of it, should know that best.

Reflections After Leaving Art of Living

by anonymous

The basic essence of spirituality for me is about truth and integrity. All the knowledge that is provided by a spiritual system, to me, is meant to integrate me back to the truth and to nature. For me, the presence of truth is very palpable, its a great feeling….and it moves me very strongly. And, there is much truth that I experienced when I was in AOL. I realize that up to a point they created the platform for me to reach deep within myself and experience the best of who I can be. I am grateful.

Looking at how I am used to operating, at most times, I have noticed, that I am usually just a function of my own acquired habits. There are times however, when I am alert to my own thoughts and programing. At these times, I make it a point to make sure that I do not BS myself….and I make corrections to my perceptions and to the best of my ability I subsequently I attempt to communicate this to all the stakeholders that my new decision will impact.

Overall, for me, it was not really about any criminal prosecution or about any retribution/redemption. What had happened earlier, is that I had aligned myself fully and completely with AOL (actually SriSri) with the belief that this is my home and only path. Soon, I found that I had become a face to the organisation and that many others followed me blindly because I was involved and so also the rest of my family. Their whole thinking was Oh….these guys are involved…..they saw my family as a unit being very dedicated and assumed that the rest of the AOL was the same. This is fine as long as the intent and source was pure. I too, at one time had assumed the same…..and this came of great personal admiration for SriSri’s stamina and the immense travel, work and dedication and tirelessness which I had witnessed. However, as it became evident later, this aspect turned out to be only a part of the Whole picture. Much of manipulation and lies are hidden from easy viewing, until you go close and choose to observe all that happens on the inside with all your senses / values intact your intellect switched “ON” and on to high alert.

Now that I have been away from AOL for a while……..I can see how zombified I was when I was on the inside….and there is only one reason for this. “ME”. The buck starts and ends there. I had bought in totally to my romantic notions about AOL and about life and that clouded my judgement and actions for a very long time. Plus, at that time, I believe that I enjoyed sharing my so called views somewhat passionately with the world at large…and in the process ended up with a fairly large AOL circle with yours truly in the centre. During these times, AOL occupied 80% of my mind and all my external activity. It was a love affair and now I can see, even a major obsession. An end all and fix all for all problems and therefore it was mandatory for very human, as far as I was concerned. There had also been moments with myself when I had asked myself the question………”Dude, would you give up your teachership ?”. And the honest answer was a BIG NO…….”this is my whole life…..what ? Give up he love of my life ? why give it away ?….for what ?. Forget it.

Life has its way of surprising you. It never tires out like we do. It very elegantly showed me from outside the AOL system the flaws within the AOL system. And for those of you that are following this blog ….when this happens it is painful. Life needs to create the pain for us to bring in the voice of reason again. Life wants to set us free with the truth and if we refuse to wake up she has our way of waking us up. Most folks that are caught up deep in the AOL framework are inwardly deeply unhappy. All you need to do is look closely with diligence and you will see that the smile is purely external and plastic. Within them is a lot of conflict. Which human has no conflict ?. We all do to varying degrees. But AOL folks will mostly claim that they have none and that they are in complete acceptance of WHAT IS. Some anger, some frustration etc have been labelled as negative and you train yourself to fake it until you make it. Make it for what exactly ? To be seen as the perfect devotee ? There is just no authenticity of being. The perpetuity of the zombification process starts this way. Soon, you feel drawn to and compelled to conform. You start demonstrating certain characteristics as that is shows that you are happy and positive. You have to smile all the time and say YES to everything an AOL teacher says. Very soon, there is a certain set of prescribed notions that everybody starts to subscribe to rather automatically. (Wear white flowing robes, wear a tikka, say Jai Gurudev, smile all the time, carry the favorite AOL texts with you and talk about it, grow a beard, have long hair, go for follow-up and satsang every week, play AOL Cds in your car).

When my waking up process happened it was easy to identify with the stuff that does not work….(The money management, the potential tax evasion, the lack of integrity amongst the entire 2nd tier AOL fraternity, the bogus fronts and other AOL companies). However, what became important was to me was that I needed to find out the truth behind the many many repeated mystical moments that I had had when I was in AOL. Now how did that work ? Luckily for me, existence provided all of them for me. I could see clearly how the many types of healings that manifested in many of my classes, how certain other elements fell into place….and that many of these phenomenon had several parallel explanations. I could easily relate to this as I had explored deeply with other spiritual schools before coming to AOL. Even while at AOL I never fully restrained myself from reading about other schools and paths. Many a times, Sr AOL faculty and SriSri himself will pass casual remarks and indirect comments that allude the following

1. Anyone still doing spiritual shopping is blind and stupid…!!!! Bawa is very good at making a sales pitch or creating a tag line that indirectly points to such a leaning.
2. All the good stuff cannot happen without the grace of the master. Thats the ONLY stuff you can be sure about. This is pure Myth. SriSri is just one element of existence. At AOL at some point in time they will start drilling into your head that existence had to find a way to reach out to us, hence it decided to manifest itself in the human form of SriSri.

Now I realise what this was. It was to keep us all within the compound. A clear herding strategy.

I wonder whether you have all have seen the Leonardo Di Capiro movie “Inception” ?. In that they show that that the best way to totally brainwash somebody is to plant an small idea in their head until the idea consumes them all together. AOL does that amazingly well. Every follow-up, every satsang, every email, every video….none of this is without the subtle programming. The more frequent and regular you become with the activities, the more deeper you will sink.

Before long you career moves, your home that you buy, your new born’s name, your daughter’s marriage, even your own name, your holidays, your family expenditure, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the people you invite to your homes and events……..will SOON be all AOL. The many non-AOL people once in your life would have now gone away. You would have not noticed that and even if you did see it you and your family would be saying amongst yourselves “Poor them” they do not know what they are missing. Its good that we are away from them. For those that are within AOL, that is the only world they need and want. Everything they ever wanted is within there. Why look anywhere else. Looked from one angle this almost feels like contentment. Actually, thats only a partial view……viewed from another angle its a complete negation of everything else that Life is offering you. Also, by making you believe that all your answers/requirements are within AOL, they will kill all your skills/abilities and instincts to do well and succeed in the outside world. This is what many of the senior teachers are finding out. Without AOL they cannot fit in anywhere. Hence, here is the moral and ethical dilemma….and they end up taking the easy way out….”for me to survive, I have no choice but to close my eyes to some of the untruth about AOL…. let me take what is good for me and leave the rest”…..and by not calling the untruth a lie and by not stopping its continued propagation …..the madness continues to grow. This growth however, is not sustainable. While there is some goodness in the movement, there is too much darkness, hidden agendas and lies that continue to remain relatively hidden till date….It is only a matter of time before the implosion happens.

For those that actively contribute to this blog, we managed to overcome the AOL stupor. Either we were plain lucky or we have been helped. Somehow, we managed to retain our spirituality and keep our instincts intact. We managed to stay somewhat alert, despite many many years of subtle but powerful influences and lies that we at one time actively subscribed to and allowed to happen, either because we were totally blinded or because it was still convenient and not yet painful enough to start questioning.

I am generalizing here since I do not know any of the other contributors personally. If we could all break free and be happy and pursue active lives, then so can the very many others who are still trapped in the AOL fold. Hence, for me, this BLOG is a symbol and representation of HOPE and therefore Healing for all those people.

By contributing to this BLOG we keep that hope alive. My post is dedicated to all those who are currently caught up with AOL, but have not ceased following their hearts altogether. Some of them, at sometime in their journey may need a sounding board for themselves. I pray that this blog will provide them that service.

Namaste, With Much Love and Blessings

Support for “Art of Living Illegally” article and a challenge to AoL devotees

The following comment was made by an anonymous contributor on this blog in response to another comment left on this blog questioning the reliability of the article The Art of Living Illegally by Imran Khan of Tehelka.

by anonymous

I agree partly with the way you have looked at the article. You do not want to see it with a biased anti AOL pair of eyes. That is applaudable. However, by the same weight-age you also what if Imran Khan was right. We cannot be sure that he is Zakir Naik’s buddy…and even if he is….he may have his own views about things.

Given that all that is said about Imran Khan may be potentially true. Maybe he is even prejudiced against Sri Sri. However, what has any of that got anything to do with the correctness of content ?.

1. Tehelka was amongst India’s first newspapers that has some track record of doing sting ops.

2. His title at the bottom of the article says Sr Correspondent (So at the very minimum the man has some experience and the risk of irresponsible reporting are lower as he would have done some background work).

3. A whistleblowers name. picture, title is on display. If the information is wrong, Tehelka can be sued. Unless there isn’t any ACICM convenor M Lakshmana. Google his position and name and I found a few instances where is creating awareness and campaigning for the public on issues that are important for them. On the face of it seems to be a people’s fellow. We could equally argue that he is a publicity hungry animal.

4. There is a clear table, with name of places (locations) and current assessment of land value. No newspaper editor would allow publishing such data unless it is backed by serious documentation.

5. They have mentioned dates. 2002 acquisition. Names (Raghu). Dec 20th letter. Fines…..a lot of specifics. And this is not a simple we need more space… ashram expansion, this is 5 Acres in Mysore. Any preliminary research on the land would tell you this was once earmarked by the govt for housing for the poor. These are the basics. Before you buy such land one always seeks legal opinion. AOL should have had one. Did AOL’s land acquisition team not forewarn SriSri ? OR did not matter …because there were other relationships that would negate all other regulatory or legal requirements. I have heard of an NRI lady who was closely related to SM Krishna (Congress party and earlier CM of Karnataka till 2004) who had land near the Ashram which she lost to land grabbing by AOL around 2008/9. Being connected, she attempted to exercise political pressure and get it back. After fruitless wandering around for a year plus she was finally told by Yeddy to go direct to Sri Sri and that he would compensate her for something like 15% of market value for the land. This information came to me from a friend and well wisher who I have known for many decades now. He had some business dealings with the lady and was aware of this particular case as this was turning out to be a drag on their deal. In my eyes, this information makes me lean more towards the authenticity of the article. BTW I have personally met some business people who claimed that they used the same Goondas as SriSri to acquire land. I have taken the trouble to meet poor villagers around the AOL Ashram and have been told what they feel about the Swami who owns the Ashram. At the time I did this I had a lot to lose. For more than a decade I had gone out on a limb professing and claiming that AOL was a clean organisation. I had recruited participants, raised funds, contributed to many seva schemes, had strongly and forcefully converted a large part of my family and friends into AOL, become a teacher, helped many others become teachers. The reason I say this, is because, at the time this information started to come my way, I so desperately wanted it to be wrong. My world was crumbling under my very nose. However, the fact is, since that time that this happened to me, I have not seen a shred of evidence (even remote) that points to anything other than what is insinuated in the Tehelka article.

AOL in many instances represents India and what comes from India. As a regular strategy they cultivate the High Commissioners of all the Indian Posts abroad and use these offices to contact and present to in country dignitaries. I have personally made use of this myself when I was on the inside. Due to their spread, presence and a very strong cultural message (just as they attempted in the recent Berlin Festival) they need to be very cautious about what they say and do. They impact brand India and the perception of an average Indian way more than others.

Hence as far as I am concerned….I need to see clear facts and documents emerge from AOL that prove the situation otherwise. Also, AOL is a leading spiritual organisation that carries a far bigger responsibility to the people when compared to a regular realtor. They also have to manage perceptions of the people they set out to serve. In AOL’s case the whole world. They are an acclaimed NGO…. NO ? what is the need to even go close to such wild real estate schemes ? Anyone with common sense will know that for an NGO reputation is everything. So, why play with it. Unless, you are an NGO under disguise ? In which case its time they declared their REAL(Estate) agenda.

To start with I challenge all AOL devotees to do the following. Get a consolidated statement from the Ashram as to how much land is actually there under the name of all the trusts that operate under the AOL framework ? (Ayurveda (factory), Ayurveda College, SriSri University, SriSri Inst for Media studies, Sumeru (Travel, software, real estate), SSRVM, Inwinex Pharma……there are many).

One thing I am sure off….the minute you ask for this above…..you will be looked at as if you are vermin and the lowest scum on the planet. They talk about belongingness……well if you are a close contributing member/volunteer that is asking for some basic information, you are entitled to it. Isn’t it SriSri that asks all of you to develop a sense of belongingness. Well it starts in your own home and Ashram. Do pay heed to your own truth and experience when you do this. Forget about everything else said on this blog. This experience alone will show you where you stand with respect to the truth. If you are an AOL devotee and are reading this….Its worth some leg/brain work now, compared to your serious pain later when AOL self destructs the same way it has happened to Nithi, Ramdev, Kalki, The Sathya Sai group…and others that were not who they claimed they were.

This is not as much as to whether AOL will survive as much as it is about defining what your relationship should be with AOL. An organisation that has packaged some useful spiritual truths around a breathing exercise, showcases to the unsuspecting public a lot of entertainment and pseudo seva and continue to OPENLY coverup some serious hanky panky business from the back office.

Art of Living using the Anna movement for its own shameless self-promotion

Thanks to ABCD for sending us the following internal email.

from *****
to *****
cc media.coordinator@artofliving.org
bcc
date Fri, Sep 2, 2011
subject Anna Hazare
mailed-by gmail.com
signed-by gmail.com

Dear friends of ABC & AOL,

As you know, the Anna Hazare movement against corruption, which recently happened in India, was an extraordinary movement, entirely non-violent and an example to the world.
What is less known is the intense,, behind the scenes involvement of the Art of Living movement and the essential role played by HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Guruji asked me to write an article on this role and gave me quite a few pointers.
It is important, for reasons that you may fathom, that this role be widely known around the world.

What you should do is adapt the attached article to the standards and outlook of your own country (for example in South Africa, a few added sentences on the inspiration of the Mahatma Gandhi on Anna Hazare), translate it if necessary and get it published in a mainstream newspaper and magazine.

It need not be publlished under my name, if you feel that yours or someone else would be a better passport and the fee for the article can be donated to your local AOL chapter.
You can forward the article to as many contacts within and without the AOL movement, who would be susceptible to get it published.

Please send scanned copies of published article to ABC central, Bangalore ashram (media.coordinator@artofliving.org).

Counting on all of you

JGD
François Gautier / Director Media ABC
THE TRUE STORY_ANA HAZARE .doc
40K View Download

THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE ANA HAZARE MOVEMENT IN INDIA

Often, what we read in newspapers or see on television, represents only the
partial truth, or even sometimes a distortion of truth.

The recent Anna Hazare movement in India embodies one of the most
significant and extraordinary happenings in the history of the world: one
man, using only the tools of his own will power and without any violence
whatsoever, brought an entire government to its knees, forcing it to tackle the
cancer of corruption which is eating his country’s entrails. It is an example
for the world to follow.Yet, the whole truth has not been told: Anna Hazare
succeeded in part because he had the backing of well known spiritual leader
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and his entire Art of Living Foundation. Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar is one of the most popular figures in India and has a significant
following all around the world.

It all started on December 1st, 2010, in Delhi. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Anna

Hazare, and civil activists Arvind Kejriwal, Swami Agnivesh, Prashant Bushan
and Kiran Bedi,launched the India Against Corruption IAC) campaign. One
of the outcomes of this meeting was the first draft of the Jan Lokpal bill which
was signed by them and sent to the Prime Ministe of India. On the 5th of April,
2011, Anna Hazare began a fast unto death.

Before the movement, Anna Hazare’s support, was mostly in Maharashtra
(central India), his native state, but Sri Sri, as he is affectionately called, has
the backing of the largest middle class base in India – and he brought these
to the Anna Hazare movement, not only in New Delhi, the capital, but in all
the major cities of India, such as Bangalore, Kolkata, or Mumbai. Hazare’s
movement would not have caught fire as it did, without that all round support.
Another spiritual guru, Swami Ramdev, had also earlier canvassed support
for an anti corruption movement, logging nearly 100.000 kms in India, but
the police clamped down on his followers and he was forcibly removed. Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar, who benefits from a moderate and responsible image
with all political parties, including the one in power, went even further: he
personally travelled to more than 16 states across India to address hundreds
of thousands at Art of Living satsangs (public meetings) raising awareness
about the Jan Lokpal Bill and offering holistic solutions to tackle corruption.

The Art of Living Foundation, which is the second largest NGO in the world
(after the Red Cross), in terms of volunteers, many of them youngsters, also
brought to the Anna Hazare movement a badly needed structure: Sri Sri’s
volunteers quietly handled the security system in Delhi’s vast Ramilla grounds
where Anna Hazare conducted his hunger strike; some of Sri Sri’s key
lieutenants informally advised the Hazare core team and his singers provided
round the clock entertainment, singing patriotic songs to the crowds. This
came to the attention of the Media, which began to give extensive coverage to
the movement.

It is also to be noted that Sri Sri Ravi’s Shankar’s support to Anna Hazare
was right from the beginning, whereas many of India’s celebrities rallied in
the end, when they saw how the movement had caught the imagination of
India’s youth and middle class. Meanwhile, the Art of Living which has 10,000
teachers in urban areas and about 50,000 yuvacharyas (rural volunteers)
in villages of India, each of them with thousands of students, continued
spreading awareness about corruption and its solutions and exhorted
people not to take or give bribes. Stickers saying “I don’t take a bribe’ were
distributed and enthusiastically pasted by Government employees all over
India.

At a gathering in Bangalore recently, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar pointed out that
corruption exists at many levels, the first being in the minds of the
general public. “We tell God: if you do my work, then I will offer you this or
that. Let alone our bosses we don’t even spare God!” The next levels of
corruption, he pointed out, were at the official level and ministerial levels,
which the Lokpal Bill seeks to address. He asked people to develop a strong
resolve not to pay bribes, no matter how much discomfort it causes them
and bureaucrats not to take bribe. Hundreds and thousands attended these
gatherings and they all pledged to fight against corruption.

Finally and most importantly, Sri Sri saved the movement when it was on
the brink of disaster. Its back to the wall, as the Government was thinking of
forcibly hospitalizing Anna Hazare. It is then that he went personally to meet
the leaders of the BJP, who were originally hostile to the left-leaning aides of
Hazare, and convinced them to press for the acceptance of draft favorable to
Anna Hazare’s demands in India’s parliament. Mr Advani then met then the
Prime Minister, a draft was agreed upon. The outcome of Anna Hazare’s fast
was thus the passing of a 3 point resolution by both houses of the parliament.

The Art of Living continues to fully support Anna Hazare’s fight for a strong
and independent Anti-corruption authority, as the Government is seen
sometimes as backpedalling. Thus, the right hand man of Anna Hazare,
Arvind Kejriwal, publically thanked Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and his Art of Living
volunteers who united for this noble cause.

*****

The author, correspondent in India for Le Figaro, France’s largest
circulation newspaper, for ten years, is the author of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s
biography, “The Guru of Joy”, which sold 100.000 copies worldwide

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Betrayal of Anna Hazare and India

by anonymous

I have some explosive info for you!

A very credible source has given me information that Guruji’s assets are more than Rs 10,000 crores.
He and the Art of Living have major accounting fraud and can be raid by income tax dept tomorrow were it not for Sri Sri’s powerful ties with the Government and Mukesh Ambani who controls Sri Sri through his financial contributions to him.

Also, Sri Sri keeps changing sides and can’t be trusted, once he backed BJP in the last general elections but because of threats by Sonia Gandhi and Congress which came into power he has now become their agent to protect his misgivings.

He has been playing an unethical double role in Anna Hazare’s team of both support and also being a congress agent. Similar to Swami Agnivesh. He is also getting tremendous media and public attention though awesome PR in the Anna Hazare anti-corruption campaign.
At every deadlock he met with both the BJP and Congress leaders and brokered deals more favorable to Congress. That’s why team Anna’s demands kept getting diluted down to just a discussion of 3 points in Parliament. And he convinced team Anna that a bill will take a long time to pass we need to first start with discussion on 3 major points, and insisted that Anna break his fast as per the Congress demand.

Swami Agnivesh’s conversation was recorded by one of his followers using a cell phone so he was caught red handed. That has not happened yet with Sri Sri but he was exposed by former Election Commissioner, TN Seshan (if anyone heard the interview he gave). Seshan said that he gave the draft he created of a ‘Lokpal Commission’ to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ONLY. I DON’T KNOW WHO SRI SRI GAVE MY IDEA AND DRAFT TO, but Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Parliament on the Lokpal Commission was word by word from that draft. My insider source tells me that Sri Sri gave this draft to Sonia, Rahul and the core Sonia gang. They then discussed this and came up with a strategy to derail and delay the Anna movement by a speech in Parliament by Rahul. Which of course back fired and gave a political setback to Rahul rather than making him a hero. The PM, Mr. Singh, is not in the Sonia gang and there has been a divide in the Congress party.

I hope that if Sri Sri is playing this unethical game, that he be exposed like Swami Agnivesh, so that he stops betraying Anna and India.

World Culture Festival Review

Located on http://www.pravasitoday.com/despite-rains-thousands-attend-art-of-living-festival-in-berlin (under comments)

Mia says:

July 19, 2011 at 6:43 pm

Waste of time and money. Misleading advertising. The yoga activities, which was our reason for being there, got cancelled without notice. There were a few talks about the benefits of yoga, but we already knew all these things. (No need to preach to the converted.) There was nothing at all that deepened my understanding or practice of yoga. The performances were mostly mediocre and didn’t match the venue at all. Choir of 300 people, 1,000 guitars in the Olympia Stadion etc. Sounds great on paper, but in reality, you only hear 5 people or 5 guitars as they only had a few microphones. There were also 2,000 “dancers” from Bulgaria who did nothing but walk and swing their right foot over their left leg and vice versa. Most other performances were like that: quantity over quality. As for the food, there was only one Berlin-based caterer which served expensive bland food in small servings, and we had to pay using their impractical non-refundable tickets. Totally did not match the theme of world culture and diversity. Can’t believe we spent over 50 euros per person on this. It’s not at all a “mega-yoga event” or “world culture festival” as advertised. It’s actually the 30th anniversary celebration of a cult organization called the Art of Living, whose members are fanatical about its founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The program brochure, the videos that interspersed the shows and everything else was full of Sri Sri, Sri Sri, Sri Sri. So sickening! When we got home, we did some research on Sri Sri and it turns out our hunches are right. This guy is a total scam and PR stunt guy. Just google the following phrases: “The The great great Sri Sri NGO NGO scam scam”, “Beyond the Art of Living”, “Beware of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and AOL”.

 

A Message to the Common AOLer: Wake up and Make a Change

by Independent Observer

At exactly this time (a week or 2 after this incident), SriSri had planned to run an international TRM at the Ashram. When this protest happened he hastily moved the TRM to Malaysia. (Vague reasons given).

Also, do you think

1) That the protestors are Jealous of SriSri’s success ? Or perhaps are they in deep pain.
2) Do you think, that unless you had a real cause you would be able to generate these 100s of people who came to protest ? Would you be to generate this protest using false pretenses ?
3) Do you think this has been brewing for a long time ? or Agni Sridhar did it over night by paying some money to the local villagers (like our politicians do for votes…but for much smaller stakes).
4) All it takes is to visit the many of the nearby villages that surround the Ashram and find out the following

a) All the villagers there….how come they are not devotees to the living God just across the fence. (Why does AOL have such big walls…when the key message is ALL ARE WELCOME ?). Once when I was visiting Bangalore last year I did. I could see the fear in their eyes. They are paranoid that the Swamiji in white will usurp their land someday. When they look at Vishalakshi Mandap from a distance, this is what they go through.

Perhaps this explains the paranoia behind the fabricated assassination story that had no witnesses or physical evidence of any sort whatsoever.

Elementary question to the reader here : Do you have any idea how much of an effort it takes to buy contiguous land in Bangalore that too many 100s of acres and that too around an existing enterprise (AOL enterprise). Do you even have a clue ???. And with Yeddy’s totally corrupt BJP govt, running rampant until recently, do you think that all the land acquired by the ashram over the last 5 to 10 to years have actually been gotten by legitimate means. Common, if you give this a more than 1% probability, then the world you live in is a false Utopia….maybe even very naive.

For me—The reason I ever wanted to be in AOL, was because at one time it represented to me the epitome of goodness and balance. It helped me recognize, acknowledge and express the innate goodness in me and provided me a platform to be catalyst for others that were seeking the same experience…..in the tough competitive often cruel world with limited ethics where we lose track of ourselves and miss the opportunity to explore our own silence, compassion, spontaneity, and even develop a sense of grander/larger then life purpose. From the periphery AOL is perfect for all this. Go deeper, and you find out that its just another greedy business that exploits an average person’s lack of relaxation, loneliness, confusion about life, self doubts and insecurity by lacing some finely woven spiritual messaging around a fast moving ponzi MLM business. In the process, they are actually saying “We know everything”….trust us to take charge of your life.

The key here is that the ground level volunteer is FRESH and PURE. They are un adulterated. They are the ones who do the recruiting. Also most part-1, Art Excel teachers and so on are so focussed on the goodness that they are helping to propagate that they have neither had the time or the opportunity to look at the GRAND Deception. Even if they did see it……they would simply brush it aside or bury it under the carpet rationalizing it as just a small aberration. This is what I did. Hence, as long as you stay in the periphery….you are actually OK. ie you dont go deep, just stay on the surface, volunteer whenever it suits you, have limited curiosity and are not spiritually ambitious, not get into any more serious seva but one off volunteering. As long as it as this level…..it is still fine.

Then you start getting deeper…..more seva projects, more hard recruiting, fill up the class, fund raising, money management (or lack of it), TTCs….then then conflicts start to appear clearly. At that time you are given lessons on how Krishna himself was a communist and an innate politician (you are supposed to make the connection now —- hence by association or even as a reincarnation….who is Sri Sri). The tough times you are having are because of your Karma. All the full classes and big funds raised are HIS GRACE. I lapped this all up. After all I was ambitious. I wanted more. However, after many years into this, I missed simple things like integrity and companionship amongst my fellow companions. And yet, I was on this most perfect path. Perhaps something is wrong with me…..spiritually wrong? How come I am not able to generate all the love that I am capable off when I am with my peers and colleagues who are also seniors like I am now. The only true happiness came when I was teaching….because the class was still innocent. The rest of it made me want to run. Until one day I could stand it no more and I started to voice my suspicions about the money management. And guess what ? no one slapped me back. Many even echoed my doubts. I investigated further. Saw that this mismanagement was the case with AOL everywhere in the world. The same politics and management style has been played everywhere. It became clear that this lack of accountability was arising out of lack of information …lack of proper systems. Think, that a person of SriSri’s intelligence does not understand the value of having proper systems (especially with regard to finance). What does it take for AOL to generate a team of 2 CAs per chapter and ask them to financially clean up every chapter where they are operating ??. Just 1 word from the Master…..that is all.

When was in the inside, I volunteered to lead this many times for the organisation. I was told every time, Yes you are right…it needs doing. It did not happen for 7 years. Then I left. The point here is that SriSri is not unaware of any of this ….nor can this always be goofs in the process. The intent is deliberate fraud (especially when he has all the knowledge)….I know, because I have bought it to his attention many times myself. And then you still did nothing. In which case…..you are accountable for everything you do and everything you dont do. Hence it will manifest. There is accountability…..

Its time the common AOLer woke up and roared. You have been taken for great ride. If you are totally enjoying it….thats great. If not, get off and make a change.