In Defence of Engan
Engan’s friend #2 September 10, 2010
Engan opened ALL of South America (not just a few countries but an entire continent) and taught also in the US, Spain and Portugal, and was in charge of translating everything, etc. She taught APEX, prison course, created many projects in the slums, taught Yes, organized and translated many TTCs and Part 2 and Sahaj, trained teachers … interesting what bipolarity can do.
South-America Insider permalink September 10, 2010 9:25 pm
And, the exboyfriends Swami’s letter mentions, none of them were her exes. One is gay, the other is married with teenage children and was appalled with the letter, and Ignacio, she saved from suicide (not the guru) while the guru instructed her to be with him, making her understand that if he killed himself it would be her fault.
Ignacio joined the AoL because he liked her so much and not because he was taken by RS. He used to say Guruji knew he was fond of her and used her to keep him “in the path”. Too bad his memory is now twisted. As he had a psychotic breakdown, he was physically abusive with her too – RS was informed but was only interested in nailing the guy because of his family connections (or because, as some senior teachers said, “because he is pretty boy and he likes pretty boys”).
Guruji himself used to say he is border-line personality, bipolar, multiple-personality, schizophrenic because he has some big sexual issues. I guess he himself does not know any psychology and uses these terms freely whenever he needs to.
If Ignacio knew what he says behind his back, he’d break.The therapist who supervised him then also highly advised her to stay away from him for her own safety because he was radically violent. He wanted to put him away. Enag went thru a lot of shit trying to save him. It is too bad he now attributes it all to Guruji.
And Beatriz was never her ex boyfriend but her student who was very jealous and lied about her constantly. SSRS supported her instead because “she is older”, and basically, we all know it is because she had money and is highly ambitious. SS loves people with no scruples, psycho and rich. If they are going to defame, at least get it right. Not everyone is stupid or braindead.
Enag’s parents even hosted him at their house and many teachers, who even loved her mother’s cooking. It is embarrassing for the AoL if these very same teachers support these lies too.
We were well aware Janael insisted so much for her to become a teacher because she saw the potential of what she could do for AoL – and in fact did. Too bad if Janael is behind this letter too.
But ain’t this typical AoL retaliation and creative way of expressing gratitude to those who dedicated a good chunk of life time to them? It should make everyone think before they get more involved. It could happen to you too.
Hopefully people will think freely and not just believe everything that is being said. Maybe this will force people to think and question the true character of AoL and its leader. I believe Sri Sri does not know anything. He just gets out to hunt and take wild guesses. His spirituality is overwhelming.
Doreen says:
“for the record i do not agree with anyone making unsubstantiated claims against Engan either. i understand people’s hurt and anger when they feel someone has falsely attacked a person they love, but our response should also have integrity.
though i strongly disagree with what eng-an has done since deciding to leave aol, i feel compelled to set a few facts straight about her:
– as far as i know she has never been diagnosed as bipolar
– it’s not true that she was made a full-time teacher just out of compassion. she had a lot of fire in the belly to work for the organization. however people feel about her now, the truth is she opened art of living up in argentina, brazil, chile and many other countries in south america. there was a time when she was greatly admired for her work in aol, and was asked to speak at the TRMs about her work in south america.”
Wonder September 10, 2010
@ all friends of Eng-an,
It is so kind of all of you friends who have spoken up for Eng-an in time. The more the supporters of Eng-An write, it becomes clearer what Swami Sadyojathah is capable of. And how he represents the Art of Living.
I used to hear few very interesting stories in my TTC a decade ago, about how bad so and so was and how guruji’s compassion still saved her! Now i know better.
Chinnamasti permalink September 14, 2010 6:41 am
I have sent emails to both Beatriz Goyoaga and Ignacio Escribano asking for details about Engan’s behaviour and medical reports. It has been more than four days now and no reply. The swami had given their email IDs as a reference and it has turnedd out to be bogus.
With this we conclude that Disgruntled swami sadyojatha’s malicious tirade is baseless. Any lackeys who want to challenge this can raise their hands here.
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Beyond The Art of Living 
Guys,
Would all of you friends of truth in Engan’s country please call for a meeting with Beatriz Goyoaga and Ignacio Escribano, take their live statements on video and post it. Let their fellow volunteers hear what they have to say. Ask why their emails are not functional ? Ask them to clearly elucidate the sequence of events that lead to the many AOL achievements that are being talked about. Let them give names, numbers, dates. So its easy to verify. At this time its just the Swami’s email right ? Lets see how consistent / revealing their story is. I feel that the many cats will be out of the bag when this happens. Will they stay and face the music or will they flee ??. Me thinks AOL will get them out….So, guys get them before they run.
Also, would the therapist please write out an independent assessment of Engan and Ignacio. A clear personality sketch. This could happen if he/she were called into court to testify NO ?. So this could also do it offline.
This is such a powerful message exposing the Swami’s deliberate and malicious campaign which is now an almost defunct posting as its totally devoid of any standing or substance whatsoever. Is it possible, that the dumb Swami just lent his name to the email without verifying any of the facts ??? Me thinks that may have been the case. A total and complete football of his Guru’s opinion. Didn’t the Guru himself teach you not to be a football of anyone’s opinion ?.
Yes Friends.. We need to act fast and expose the true face of Sad Swami.. Otherwise there won’t be early end to their claims and counter claims..
Please.. Somebody in Engan’s country should approach Beatriz Goyoaga and Ignacio Escribano and find out the truth. Publish this to shut the mouths of AOL
2 more comments in favor of Engan
1) https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/eng-an-the-person-they-named/#comment-1899
Is this a silly joke by Sad Swami? I’ve been acquainted with Jonathan Tang, and though he was involved in art of living activities, there was never any contact of that nature between Jon and Engan except related to organizing courses and other activities some years ago.
This is Jon: http://www.facebook.com/jontang
This looks to me more like an attempt to bring down many birds with one stone. Maybe they have something against Jon now?
2) http://tech.mit.edu/V120/N7/breathing.7f.html
MIT Student: I rushed from a stressful day at work, then the gym, got on to the T, transferred to the No. 1 bus, got off at MIT, and ran to where the class was being held. I was late, tired and stressed. There were three coordinators — Janael, an elegant and soft-spoken woman with a beautiful and gentle looking face and a difficult to place accent. Kamlesh, an Indian, with long curly locks and beard covering almost his entire face. Eng-An, a vivacious, pretty younger woman from Argentina, but of Asian descent, was animatedly leading the class.
so umm is this campaign by a disgruntled aol swami to defame eng- an and has eng-an left the aol org or stopped teaching or what???
Yes, the campaign is directed against Engan. She is named explicitly. What she does now I don’t know. If you believe Sad Swami, she is no longer active in AOL. I certainly hope not, after her being treated like that.
I left AOL a while ago but sad swamis letter was what got me to contribute here as well. BTW, Eng-an is no longer with AOL for a couple of years at least. She is doing great and having a life finally 🙂 I know her for quite a few years already and she truly is an amazing woman. Very bright, sharp and super funny! I mean, if she would not be absolutely fabulous she would have never been able to do the scope of work she did for AOL. And instead of giving her a high five they stabbed her in the back. Her work speaks volumes and anyone who knows her, be it her friends or ex students, know swamis words are utter rubbish. Most of the things are already written by other individuals before me so no need to say it again. It’s all a fact and easily checked by anyone who wishes to do so.
@Independent Observer:
“Would all of you friends of truth in Engan’s country please call for a meeting with Beatriz Goyoaga and Ignacio Escribano, take their live statements on video and post it. Let their fellow volunteers hear what they have to say.”
@Genuine Seeker:
“Please.. Somebody in Engan’s country should approach Beatriz Goyoaga and Ignacio Escribano and find out the truth. Publish this to shut the mouths of AOL”
What makes any of you think that these people would speak the truth about Engan? Hasn’t it occurred to anyone that maybe these people were chosen as a negative character witnesses because they would back their guru? What “South American Insider” has posted about Beatriz and Ignacio on 9/10 under the post “Engan, the Person They Named” would lead me to believe that they are puppets in the hand of their guru, just like the sad swami.
Furthermore, @Independent Observer:
“Also, would the therapist please write out an independent assessment of Engan and Ignacio. A clear personality sketch. This could happen if he/she were called into court to testify NO ?. So this could also do it offline.”
Are you joking? Have you not heard of doctor-patient confidentiality? These people’s current state of mental affairs is nobody’s business and has nothing to do with the true point here.
The point is that an innocent party is being defamed, and by attempting to contact the listed people (Bestriz, Ignacio, etc) or by bringing them together in a conference, or in any other way pursuing them for their opinion on Engan, may put her in danger of further defamation or worse. This is not a game–people’s lives are being affected. I think it would be in the best interest of all involved to refrain from further contact with or mention of these people.
These types are heroes only behind an email (that too somebody else’s email). If Engan turns out to be just 10% of what everyone is writing about her….then these 2 would not be able to come anywhere close to a reasonable debate on anything with her. On a recorded video interview, all of us and any watcher can easily make out what is really happening. Their faces will give it away, so will their words and body language. I don’t see any reason why they should not be confronted. The current AOL intelligentsia operate on this well known principle that no one usually challenges them….and thats how they get away with blatant untruths all the time.
If these two had the guts to oppose Engan and all their country colleagues (who know the truth about Engan) then they would have written the e-letter not Sad Swami.
For AOL, this is a number game. Its mostly about the Indians that are still following AOL. Western minds are circumspect and do not fall into the adulation trap easily. The AOL idea on damage control is to somehow minimize -ive impact on existing sheeple base of mostly Indian devotees across the globe and the circle that have been serving for a long time now (10 years plus). Because if this group start leaving the game is up. This is the cash cow.
To understand the quality of the sheeple following, their total lack of reasoning power, utter disregard for anything that threatens their current belief system…. please take the time to read the exaltations and highs that they are having based on Sad Swami message on Kashi’s blog.
http://www.kashikar.net/2010/08/the-truth-about-the-negative-blogs-–-by-swami-sadhyojathah/
All of this so called counter attack by the Sad Swami is just a damage control mechanism……point all the sheeple the wrong way….distract them with stories of bi-polar, ex-lovers, other sleaze info….just so that they look everywhere ….and continue to spread the info that is similar to what they are seeing in TV soaps (very believable)…Just so long as they keep looking anywhere and everywhere ….except the true insides of the organisation.
AOL would never want that any of the (sh)people start questioning things or to start reasoning out for themselves… ….that is too dangerous….
Eng-And is from Argentina, right? I’m from Argentina and at least in Buenos Aires, AOL is becoming *VERY* popular. And they are aiming at young people! I have taken the yes+ course and, to tell you the truth, I liked it. However, when I took it for the second time, I felt that something was strange: there were many aol and sri sri ravi shankar fanatics. Fanatics who gave their 100% for the course. Honestly, they creeped me out. That’s why I researched the web: I knew that there was something hidden, something dark within the foundation. After reading these blogs, I immediately stopped recomending the yes+ couse to my friends. Many young people are appalled with our post-modernist way of life and I thought, at least after taking the first course, that with aol they could improve their lifestyle. However, if feeling better in this world means joining a group of fanatics…I have to say, “no, thank you.”
How did someone he praised so much in public, using her as an example become the most horrible bitch? Is he suffering of amnesia or dementia? I’ve heard him say she is “so intelligent, so much charisma, that she was more important than himself in South America …” I am confused. Did he not realize that by discrediting her he discredited all the areas she built and people she trained? If she was a problem then all her students and subsequent teachers also are good for nothing! She single-handedly started so many places for him and the countries she started happen to be some of the most active ones too, according to him. Something is not right about this. And by the way, bipolarity is not evil, it is a disease just like diabetes. Bipolarity is lack of lithium and diabetes lack of sugar. I have no words to describe this big embarrassing offensive mistake he’s made. He is just showing his ignorance and hatred. I wonder who is psychologically unstable …. Couldn’t he just “so what” all these blogs? Embarrassing. If they are to lie, at least they need to do it with more credibility, intelligence and elegance. This was just too low.
I first went to an aol meditation many years ago by invitation of my sister in law.
I remember a large room with soft music, candles, people sitting in silence. In the front of the room my eyes were caught by this porcelan-alike figure sitting in a lotus posture. With clear Oriental features, her face was glowing with kindness and serenity. She was youg, and her words were soft and low, but full of authority. As an artist, I couldn´t help to compare her with a talking figure of Kuang Yi. Only that her name was Eng An, and she was the most beautiful teacher ever teaching in The Art Of Living. Hey, hey, I didn´t get a crush for her… I´m an artist and as such, beauty really moves me.
It took me a couple of years to take the part 1 course. When I finally went to the placed they indicated me, I found another nice lady sitting in front, older than the previous one but still as friendly. Her name was Beatriz. By the end of the course I felt tempted to ask about eng an but something in the air told to better not.
As I got involved with the group while doing seva I also learned that Beatriz had been actually a disciple of Eng an, and that both woman befriended easily due to their love for the master. Beatriz then started assisting Eng An´s on eng an courses learning quickly and showing how good teacher she could also be.
Sadly, the devotion that united them at first soon turned into celousy and competition to get more personal attention from guruji´s side. And then -as well as nowadays- the way to guruji´s heart had more to do with figures -whether money raised or souls recruited.
I never knew much of Eng an´s background, only that she was a succesful bank executive before dropping it all to follow the master. Beatriz was married to a wealthy man and also came from a whealthy family, wich, in combination with her profesion -corresponsal journalist- allowed her direct access to the most important figures; artist, politicians, business man… you name it. With a bolding innate ambition and agressive determination, she rapidly put guruji´s name in the mouth of that people, plus his picture in gigantic billboards around the city. It was no brainer to foresee Beatriz winning that secret and hostile competition with Eng An… soon the country turned too small for both of them and Beatriz clearly showed she didnt want to share her new conquered territory with anyone!. The war was declared, and Beatriz used her experience, charisma and influences to make eng an feel like a missfit. Guruji soon got the news.
Not wanting to spoil Beatriz aggressive “Go-getter” qualities, he convinced Eng an about moving to Brazil and start pionering aol there. Although her feelings were hurting from loosing the armrestling, she hang on her love for guruji and did as he said.
As the years passed, aol argentina kept growing tremendously, but always under a too tough mandate of Beatriz, so much that many times the seva workers suffered a dictatorship. Those teachers not fully in agree with Beatrice´s manners were turned into enemies right away. Everyone had issues due to her constant mistreatment and terrible manners. There was a permanent display of two personalities that got many people very upset, but, again, most everyone stayed in aol for the love of the guru, and any possible report sent to guruji reporting the situation was quickly put away for the papers he wanted to see were the numbers: numbers in collecting and number of recruited.
regarding Ignacio, I first saw him playing bhadjans one night. he had the phisique do rol of aol teachers -very good looking- but except being the musical star during the satsang he was never there. Sweet eyes, a little melancholic, skeeny, one would offer him a glass of vitamin C and a blanket. I knew by then that he and Eng An had some history in the past, and although she wanted to break up she had to stay more in the relationship as per gurujis especial request. Another no brainer, Ignacio also comes from a very good family with influences in the media.
Finally, the last time I saw her was by gurujis kutir during the silver jubilee. A beautiful flower as always, her eyes looked sad though, and while we were chatting I could sense that the argentineans passing us by were discretely outcasting her. It gave me the chills to think that Beatriz was controlling who would dare to approach her.
Later that day chatting over a chai with my roomate, he says: That is not the way to treat an old timer devotee like her. That Argentinean girl loved guruji up to the point of almost getting married to a powerful man in brazil as per gurujis indication. And now she fell from his grace? why? she didn´t collected enough for the crown this time?
Finally my dear friends, and regarding her being said as bipolar, two things: 1) if she had it before AOL it was aol´s serious mistake having place such burden on her shoulders. 2) If she turned bipolar later – again is aol´s responsability for letting her so alone. Now that she left them, they find no clever way to assure she will keep her mouth shout by threating her and difamating her. That makes me think that AOLers outraged complaints for the way they feel the master is being diffamated, well, maybe is a cause and consequence effect… this Karma thing is actually super cool.
Trying to contact either ignacio or beatriz will no bring light nor redemption to all this…only guruji could, at least in recognition for the love, devotion and loyalty of a young talented woman who devoted -and lost- a great deal of her youth.
Namaste everyone
And all for what? because she walked away. And unlike many of us, she knows a lot. Hence the reason -unreasonable excuse!- to blacken her name.
Triying to get either ignacio nor beatriz to testify will bring nothing more than more rubish to pile up in her absence.
I only now, guys, I really hope all this aol matter is buried in her past and she is getting a life finally. but if someday she needs it, every aol victim will be having a moral responsability to evaluate… because we could have become her, we just happened to be lucky.
@thereslifebeyond. Really well written. I hadn’t thought of it like that.= because we could have become her, we just happened to be lucky.= That sends chills down my spine. One thing that has really puzzled me is people from prominent backgrounds, well educated, good jobs, how do they get taken into all this? Cults are ridiculed, SSRS really hardly has an intelligent thing to say, the org. is haphazard, the meditations too elementary or borrowed from Osho etc. Then how does a logical person get involved? I was appaled to read the stand AoL takes about mental illness. They are so outdated and coming from a total ignorance. Having seen bipolar very closely, I can say that bipolars are not inept. True, there is still a taboo about these things across the world, but you’d think that org.’s that deal with peoples inner core would be more liberal and knowledgable about such things. Just as you’d expect a doctor to be objective about such an illness, in the same way a humanitarian org be better informed is expected. Instead, they tarnished Eng an. Thank the Lord I’m out of this cult.
“One thing that has really puzzled me is people from prominent backgrounds, well educated, good jobs, how do they get taken into all this? “
It is PRECISELY because of these things that we somehow assume we are too intelligent to be duped into falling for this sort of thing, that no one could ever pull the wool over our eyes. AoL is full of people just like this, and this they actually use to pull more similar people in, because others will think to themselves, how can so many educated people be fooled? It must be genuine. The principle of Social Proof truly is incredibly powerful. I will elaborate more on this soon.
It’s not just social proof – we rationalize a lot of things by blaming our ego (mind) for creating problems by generating obstacles, and of course in AOL they like to drill thins message through. It is not easy to think critically with discrimination and figure out the truth. Hence people remain in AOL, and continue to ignore lot of things. When your prana is high from constant sadhana and group seva, it is easy to ignore these things as minor inconveniences – but in the long run it can be deadly, as many of us found out!
Skywalker, Doctor, thereslifebeyond’s comment is worthy of a separate post.
Folks, please disregard the paragraph right after my greeting “Namastè”. There was some previous text that I thought I had edited. It`s more of the same. Blessings
This is a Spanish article on Eng-An with her photograph
http://www.ecopop.com.br/publique/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?sid=3&infoid=124
Eng-An: benefits of breathing are visible
In this interview, Eng-An Argentine Chou, coordinator of Brazil in the Art of Living, one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world, talks about the experience of NGOs in low income communities who have participated in courses related to combat stress and increase the level of awareness and vitality.
In Brazil, the Art of Living has worked with scavengers in Sao Paulo, and residents of communities of Salvador (Bahia) and Duque de Caxias (Rio de Janeiro).Now, seeking support to expand its share in the country. Founded in 1982 by Indian pacifist Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the NGO develops in social work and education and has special status as a consultant in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (UN).