The BAoL 10: They’ve done so much for us. Let’s stand by them! URGENT!
Update by Skywalker, Jan. 16th:
Dear everyone,
Thank you all for your support, both moral and financial. The sum donated so far has actually enabled us to seek legal counsel, and we are working hard to quash the Google/Automatic subpoena. More funds will be needed soon, so keep spreading the word about what is happening on this blog.
Thank you again
Skywalker
UPDATES:
- $2,300 at this moment.
- The BAoL 10 really need $5,000 to retain lawyers by Tuesday, 01/11/10. WE CAN DO IT!!!
- URGENT: Some people have generously offered to make up the difference between what we’ve raised and what we need: Please email me at jmknapp53@gmail.com.
- There’s now a comment on reddit about Ravi’s legal tactics against the BAoL 10. Please click, comment, and share: Let’s get our message out there!
By now, everyone has heard that Art of Living is suing the BAoL 10, the anonymous authors who created Beyond the Art of Living and Klim’s Confessions of a Guruholic.
This is serious stuff. Even if the suit is without merit—which I believe without a shred of doubt—in America it costs money to defend oneself.
Even against abusive legal practices.
The BAoL 10 are talking with lawyers. They MUST raise a
$5,000$6,500 retainer for a lawyer to take this case—immediately.This site is a labor of love. None of the bloggers we’ve come to care about—Skywalker, Klim, The Doctor, nor anyone else—have that kind of money.
They’ve done so much for literally thousands of us.
Let’s get their back on this one. They deserve our support.
Please donate whatever you can. Just click the button below:
I have set up a PayPal account through my new nonprofit, the Center for Healing Spiritual & Cultic Abuse, in order to maintain the BAoL 10’s anonymity.
Every dollar you donate will go directly to the defense fund. (PayPal charges a small processing fee.)
The Center for Healing is performing this service at no charge out of respect for everything the BAoL 10 have already accomplished. And will accomplish in the future.
And because we must fight bullying tactics by any so-called “spiritual organization.”
If you don’t see the amount you’d like to donate listed, you may make multiple donations in the shopping cart.
If you prefer to donate anonymously, please send a check or money order to:
CHSCA
40 Rockland Street
Malone, NY 12953
Remember:
- We must act immediately. The BAoL has literally days to quash AoL’s subpoena.
- Our immediate goal is small. If just 100 readers respond with a $50 donation, we meet our immediate goal instantly.
- Any amount is welcome—large or small. Please give whatever you can.
- Every dollar you give goes directly to the BAoL Legal Defense Fund (after PayPal’s processing fees).
If you love this blog, if you care what happens to Skywalker, Klim, The Doctor, or others, if you love free speech and hate Internet censorship, please give what you can.
Now is the time to stand by the BAoL 10.
J.
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Beyond The Art of Living 
Paypal button does not seem to be working. Is it just me, or are others having the same problem.
Whoops! I’ll fix it right away. Also to add this is all with Skywalker’s and Klim’s blessing.
Thanks for finding this out!
….still not working. on the website – when I click on the button, it takes me to paypal – but there is no email/account behind the button/link.
Thanks, Anonymous!!!
It’s working now.
J.
I am glad a defense fund has been created.
I will make my own small contribution to it.
Good luck to KLIM, Skywalker & all the other guys who are brave enough to speak out. You contributed immeasurably much to my own healing.
Thanks, Art of Leaving,
No gift is too small when we’re in this together.
J.
plz add a counter to the blog to display money donated to date…
Will do as soon as possible.
We’ve raised $1,ooo in the last hour!!!!
J.
Paypal worked for me. I would encourage others to donate. That organization is acting like a collection of bullies. Perhaps they need to review their course points or maybe they have changed them to be a football of others opinions. AoL is certainly living in fear.
THANKS!!!
Paypal works for me too and I am glad to contribute to show my support. I really appreciate what this blog and Klim’s blog have done. This is the true selfishless spiritual Seva to the whole human society — it wakes us up from delusion and deception, and saves many people’s lives and souls! Thanks for the great work!
The blog might be shut down but I believe thousands of more mirror blogs will pop up all over the world the next day. Nothing can stop the truth. Nobody can shut down free speech and free spirit.
Thanks, Support!!!
It might be wise for people to download the site. On the Mac there’s an app called SiteSucker that will do that. I know there are such apps for Windows and Linux, too.
This archive of experience and support should never die.
J.
Dear John,
I just made a small donation. However, I would like to point out that the receipt lists your centre wrongly as “Center for Spiritual & Cultic Abuse” instead of “Center for Healing Spiritual & Cultic Abuse”. I would urge you to correct this.
OMG! This is what happens when you’re in a hurry. Thanks, OO, for catching this.
J.
Good work John and co., it’s about time we saw something like this happening 🙂
I just want to add that had it not been for these blogs, I would now be an AoL teacher, which means I would now be more of a brainwashed zombie than I was previously, and I would also be considerably poorer as a result. Over the course of my lifetime, these blogs have probably saved me tens of thousands of dollars, not just for the cost of courses such as TTC, events such as Navratri, and anniversary celebrations, but also donations which I have come to learn many teachers feel compelled to make when they are asked.
But more than anything, I now have my life back again, my time is mine again, and I am in complete control of my destiny. No more following someone else’s dream, no more waiting for the Guru to decide my future, I’m doing exactly what I want to do and have rekindled many of the dreams that I had abandoned because of Art of Living.
As such, I really am grateful to KLIM for starting all this, and to Skywalker and Whistleblower for carrying the torch after KLIM retired, not to mention the many other contributors who helped to keep it burning along the way. They have laid the foundations for something truly incredible which I know that over the years will help thousands upon thousands of people to break free from the spell of Art of Living, to heal from all abuses they suffered at the hands of this evil organization, and to lead happy lives again afterwards, completely free of AoL. Just like they have helped me. And because of all that I’ve gained as a result of their efforts, I feel so happy that I now have the opportunity to give something back to them when they need it the most.
To all of you, if you can help here in whatever way you can, please do, it will be greatly appreciated. We cannot and will not let these bullies win.
Oh, and lastly, don’t be afraid of these blogs ever disappearing. They may not be hosted here in the future, but they will definitely be somewhere out there in cyberspace, and will continue to grow for some time to come. You have my complete assurance of that. 😉
I have done my true seva of donating $100 to the cause of free speech to express one’s view on a spiritual group on a wrong path and helping the Bloggers.
Expose the AOL goondas
Good Luck !
Fantastic! Thank you so much!
Many of us from India would also like to contribute. However dollar turned to rupees, $25 may be on higher side for many. Can you set up for smaller amounts for rupees contribution in the multiples of Rs.500?
Thanks, Prakash, for suggesting this!
The choice for Rs. 500 is now up.
BTW, we are receiving more donations from Bhārata then any other nation.
Come on North Americans!
J.
Hi, I’m from India, and sent a small donation via PayPal. I do hope identities will be kept confidential?
Absolutely!
We will send out a thank you note as soon as possible to everyone. I’ll ask if you would like to be thanked publicly. Without your express permission, your identity will remain confidential.
J.
Hi John, please update the amount collected on the blog, we have a group of ex AOLers in our midst and we will pass the hat around and collect some funds for this good cause. A benevolent soul mentioned that he will top up the difference if you can indicate the total collections to date. Could you give me your email address?
BQCT,
You may reach me at jmknapp53@gmail.com. We’ve raised $2,300 gross, which nets $2,185.44 after PayPal takes its fees.
We must have $5,000 by tomorrow in order to retain the lawyer who may be able to stop this action in its tracks.
If any benevolent soul can make up the $2,800 difference, please act now!
J.
I will be so sad if this blog just disappears. I am not in a position to contribute $2800. But guys be generous, it is our favorite blog after all. If some minor difference in the order of $ 100 is required , I will make it.
Thanks for saving me
I work in the USA and my wife is a regular reader of your blog. She is a homemaker and she suggested that she will pack lunch for me from home instead of buying at work. She wants to donate the approx savings. Also, as someone pointed out earlier, $25 in rupees is on higher side. Can you make it Rs 500. Let everyone have a chance to do this seva.
For people in Africa as well, it will be easier to donate if there is a $10 option.
Hi, Art of Leaving,
The same option of Rs. 500 is actually $11 US. Will that work?
Good suggestion!
J.
Your wife is a dear, dear woman! You’re lucky, anon_ny!
“None of the bloggers we’ve come to care about—Skywalker, Klim, The Doctor, nor anyone else—have that kind of money”
So is he a real Doctor if he has no dough?
Oh, dear. Julia, is that the entire substratum of this threat to you? Really?
No, he is not a real doctor. And I am not a real Jedi 😉
i am definitely peaceful though!!!
Uh,….
My middle name is really Matthew?
J.
Folks,
Is it possible to download the web-site and create an archive locally — of the articles posted and the comments. One can share this with bittorrent or other file sharing utilities. Even if they shut down the site, it may live.
best wishes
John,
Thank you very much for giving us a chance to contribute for a noble cause.
Deep gratitude and good luck to KLIM, Skywalker and other brave souls involved into this fight for FREEDOM.
Thanks!
I believe all the BAoL 10 are watching this thread closely.
J.
Seva completed. Thank you for your sharings and reflections, your courage and honesty!
I wish you all the best!
Thanks!
J.
Yes, John, please do let us know the donation gap and I will be glad to contribute more and at the same time, do some fund raising among my friends. Many of us have wasted lots of money and time attending AOL courses and we have graduately awaken to the ugly greedy truth of AOL and SSRS thanks to this blog/KLIM’s blog and our own observation and critical thinking judgement. Thanks a lot!
Going to court in US will let AOL’s cultish true color and greedy business expose to the whole world sooner and save many innocent people’s precious time and money. There is no fear if truth is in our hands. Truth will always win eventually and we will be proud to be part of this noble Seva course through our money contribution and emotional/spiritual support — this is the true good Karma, I believe.
Hi, Support!
We’re $3,000 short of our Tuesday goal, $4,500 short of our full retainer goal.
Yes, I think AOL really made a mistake this time. No time to write, but the discovery process could destroy AoL.
J.
Carry on the good work.
I was in the same position as doctor about to become a Part 1 teacher with the relaxed norms they have now. I am from India and did the last two courses (part 2 and Sahaj) in aug and sep. 2010. I was a bit uncomfortble with their recruiting tecniques and with god’s grace (no SSRS) I found these blogs. I really thank these blogs for saving me into getting into the clutches of AOL and becoming brainwashed zombie.
I have contributed equivqlent to course fee of last two AOL courses ($100) . I would not mind contributing more not against AOL but for freedom of speech, the same freedom by which they(AOL) teach lies.I really don’t mind their freedom of teaching these courses (lies in my opinion). But I do strongly believe right of individuls to know about other side of AOL and that is my prime motivation in supporting these blogs.
Finally, if AOL is a spritual organisation (which I donot belive it is), why should it fight these bloggers who are all real people and AOL according to their own principle should not become football of other’s opinion.
Thanks for saving me / Jabrun
Good points!
J.
@ John
Thanks for actively contributing to these blogs again. I really enjoyed your 3 posts. I hope you will continue posting.
Thanks!
I absolutely will continue posting. Just neeeded a break to work on the launch of the Center for Healing Spiritual & Cultic Abuse.
Will begin again once we have this fundraising project complete.
J.
I support you guys! Thanks John for giving us a means to donate. I hope this goes smoothly and in our favor!
You’re welcome!
It’s going great. We’re already a third there at $2,000.
Let’s put this puppy to rest so all the BAoL 10 can set this anxiety aside and continue their important work.
J.
If I was Ravi Shankar, I would co-opt the critics who have gathered here instead of fighting them. I would make changes to the organization to tighten standards, reduce fees, decrease the hype and talk of miracles, ensure accounts transparency.
What a shame good Yoga methods have got buried in a bad organization.
Makes you wonder about the value of enlightenment is, don’t it? Ravi seems more junkyard dog than guru….
J.
Hi Reform AOL – It’s possible that some of those changes have already started.
John – With all due respect, you have a lot of insight to offer when it comes to the psychology of spiritual groups and the traps that people can fall into, and therefore you can help empower a lot of people create a healthy relationship to their spirituality, but in my view this kind of comment is undignified and does not serve the discussion and exploration of truth.
Doreen,
I too had the sincere hope at one time that AoL would reform, and my first post on this blog in fact was entirely driven by that desire.
However the more time I spent analyzing all of the facts, the more I came to realize two key things. Firstly, that the Art of Living I wanted to save was just my idealized vision which had been implanted in my mind by the organization, and that this in actual fact was radically different to the reality of what Art of Living is. The real Art of Living is founded on lies, deceit, fraud, abuse, unethical practices, and as such we can accurately describe the organization as a dangerous religious cult. And secondly, at the core all of these issues stem directly from SSRS himself.
The changes cannot start from the outside and work their way inwards, they have to originate at the core of the organization, starting with SSRS himself. And I’m sure we all realize it is extremeley unlikely that this will ever happen.
So, based on this, it is only possible to reform Art of Living if SSRS is completely removed from it, and we all know this too will never happen while he is still alive. And as we have seen recently AoL have just gone from bad to worse in the way they have handled the criticisms on this blog, so all my hopes of ever saving Art of Living are have completely been dashed.
@Doctor,
To me, the accusations against AOL require more in depth and precise exploration. For me it’s not as simple as AOL/SSRS are evil, case closed… even though I have read the same blogs as you.
This doesn’t invalidate the confusion, fear or disappointment that some people have experienced through their association with AOL.
I find it difficult to accept that everyone who isn’t anti-AOL is a zombie, or just hasn’t seen the light yet, which has at times been implied on this blog. Nor would I say that AOL is a perfect organization.
Luckily there’s room for more than one opinion at the table.
Agree with you doreen – RS is a fallen yogi, but a yogi nonetheless. Sadhna, and yoga does have value, even if some spiritual leaders start to abuse power and privilege.
Hi, Doreen,
I apologize for my poor choice of words. I have no idea if Ravi is in some ways a good spiritual leader. I only meant to say that the attempts at defamation and legal tactics didn’t strike me as terribly spiritual.
This is a controversial and sensitive area. It does require my discretion.
What can I say? Sometimes I screw up.
Again my apologies. I never mean to reflect on the beliefs of someone who finds value in Ravi or any other group leader. Those are private and personal.
I do question policies and practices that cause suffering and pain.
Anyway, thanks for calling me out on this. Your point was well taken.
J.
@Doreen,
I’ve never held the belief that AoL/SSRS are evil, I’ve always maintained that there is both good and bad in both the organization and its founder. I’d like to think that most of us here who support the blog feel the same way, although I can’t speak for everyone else here.
I genuinely believe that SSRS started out with good intentions, and did not mean to create a cult from the outset, but rather the beneficent organization that many of us believed AoL to be. However over many years he has become corrupted by fame, money and ultimately power, all of which have resulted in AoL becoming a cult and SSRS its glorified leader. I see him as a victim, but this does not in any way absolve him from all the wrong-doings that we have reported here and elsewhere. Someone needs to be held accountable for the many things that have been reported here, a great many of which in fact incriminate him direclty, so it is only natural that many people blame him.
The sad thing is that I just don’t really see any hope of him ever improving. For example if you look at how he has handled the criticisms in this blog, it seems that over time he is getting worse and making AoL look more and more like a cult. Surely based on these actions alone it is obvious that he is past the point of no return, and so there is no real hope of recovery?
@Doreen,
Nobody here said that EVERYONE who isn’t anti-AOL is a zombie.
Your desire for in-depth and precise exploration will probably never be fulfilled. Nobody other than a govt agency can do this. Even that is sometimes incomplete/influenced. People here are posting their experience with AOL and their overall judgement. It’s up to you to decide whether your experience rhymes with that and make your own judgement.
I am curious how long was/is your association with AOL. Were/are you a teacher there?
I support this blog too and the forum it provides for people to share experiences and find peace in their own way.
John, thanks for taking the lead on this.
Doreen,
Thank you!
Their work is so important, what else could I do?
J.
A small contribution made.
Process is hassle free and fast.
Come on guys ….
John, did you have a problem with your father or something? You have absolutely no personal experience with AOL or SSRS yet you join in the attack from day one supporting unsubstantiated claims from disgruntled former AOLer’s. Is their some legitimacy to their claims? Perhaps, I don’t know. But their uncritical attacks and refusal to consider anything other than their own misguided convictions that SSRS is some sort of evil, scamming pseudo-guru is an immature rant of a child against a parent. I’d love to hear their concerns without all the indiscriminating hatred. Your own uncritical support of these people is profoundly unprofessional.
@Fishmanjoo / @Xiphobia / @tyuop / @Dr. Freud / @bouincepill,
Feel free to use as many aliases as you like but when you come on to this blog taking the stand you do, you represent Art of Living and SSRS. If you wish to be abusive, you are actually confirming much of what has been written in these blogs about AoL and its followers, so well done for helping us get our message out there.
You have shown not a shred of compassion or love in any of your posts, just hatred and abuse. Is this what following Art of Living and practicing Sudarshan Kriya for 25 years does to you? If so, I strongly recommend no one practices otherwise they may end up like you.
Shred of compassion? WTF are you talking about? You trash talk all you want about SSRS and AOL and you want a free pass? It cuts both ways, “Doctor.” I’d love to have a civilized discussion with you or any of you “anti” people, but my calm posts were completely ignored and dismissed. Also, compassion for what? Somebody had a bad time in their time with SSRS and AOL. So what? Most, not all, of what I’ve seen here is just absolute nonsense or claims that are silly. None of you seem to take responsibility for yourselves and want to blame somebody. Nobody tricked or deceived you. Nobody was conning you. Good Lord, grow up!
ROTFL!
It’s fitting you call yourself Dr. Freud.
Poor Sigmund was a dour old Germanic curmudgeon whose teachings, based on faith not science, are barely even taught anymore.
There’s a connection there somewhere.
Perhaps someone else can make it for me?
J.
You’re not answering the point, John. You have absolutely no experience with AOL, yet you take up the cause like a child with a a conflict with his cruel father. You know nothing about these people and their claims. Your experience is with the TMO, so go ahead and blast at them. But do you personally know these people who make these ludicrous claims against SSRS/AOL? Do you seek any sort of confirmation of these rumors? No you don’t. You disgrace your professionalism.
Also, unfortunately, typical masters level clinician. You have absolutely no understanding of psychodynamics and simply dismiss what you don’t understand. You are acting-out your unresolved issues with your father. No professional would blindly endorse these unsubstantiated claims without checking to see if they are legitimate or not.
“You’re not answering the point, John. You have absolutely no experience with AOL, yet you take up the cause like a child with a a conflict with his cruel father.”
Very true.
You can criticize Al-Qaeda only if you were inside it or lost someone in 9/11. If not just shut up. May be all others who claim to be affected by it are making up stories. Don’t just start criticizing it based on other peoples stories.
omg! wot have i missed? i thought i’d just pass by and see wot’s happening with my fav blog and i find this!
for what its worth, you have my support too but i cant say i’m surprised by the awful way the cult has behaved, sorry to say.
It was when I started to get my doubts about AoL when I discovered this blog.
And after reading the stories, all I can say is thank you!!!
I sent you my support through paypal.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Go for it!
Both for your story and your contribution.
J.
Where are we now with fundraising? Are we still at $2000 or do we have more?
Thanks for all your work.
There hasn’t been new donations since last night. The gross remains at $2,300 and the net at $2,185.44.
We have not yet raised enough money to retain a lawyer to defend the BAoL 10.
Come on guys! Please reach deep!
J.
240.000 people having read this so very informative blog and then to see the meagre contributions that have been made so far made me want to reach deeper into my pocket. Guys, once again thank you for what you’ve done for me! And go for it…, expose them;))
Yes, really sad to see such a small collection especially considering that somebody out there was sensible enough to start such a forum which gaave all of us an opportunity to share our stories. Many stories were eye openers and many I could empathize with. From this, I could draw comfort that I was not alone in being disillusioned by my “guru”/ god. The blog owners showed their strength a few months ago, as well, when AoL threatened to shut them down. I think this had been a fine moment to show that those who had dropped out could show that we were strong. Or capable of walking the talk? If no tangible action follows the grievences, then all the posts here were merely rants. Had I been the blog owner, I would have felt really sad to receive such little support.I made a very small contribution, what I could afford without making a dent in my pocket. Even if ALL of us could donate just $1 which tranlates into less than 50 rupees, would have shown unity and strength. What is the latest development on the legal front? Has a lawyer been contacted? Is this blog going to be shut down……..?
Please consider contacting the ACLU or public/state lawyers as someone else mentioned in the blog. USA has rich and strong public institutions so should be using them to defend free speech.
… and right to privacy.
John M. Knapp, LMSW..DFDTDOJG…FWSPKPKPKPKE …HAHAHAHAHA
KNAPP- looks like this guy has a masters in social work ….hahahha….in a few thousand dollars anyone can buy that degree… and in 400 dollars one can buy a LMSW….and this guy is representing you…hahahahahaha…best luck to you all….what will u do when the lawyers start asking for more money…hahahahahaha….KNAPP will have to sell his tie and suit…and pose for a toothpaste advert….hahahaha..btw nice teeth Knapp
Doctor has a plan to get back to art of living..hes not going to take it lightly..his freedom of speech is at stake…boooo…and what is the plan?hahahaha…he is going to email everyone telling how bad AOL is….hahahahaha…what a plan doctor….i always knew that you never had enough iq to be a real doctor..he is jumping up and down now…as his name doesnt appear in that chargesheet….
i have a free suggestion for you all….not going to charge you for it…..just start disappearing…or get ready to pay huge fines…
it has been documented that copyright violation was done on this blog…if you dont have money to get a lawyer, how will you have money to pay for the penalties of copyright violations? whatever little you have, that will be taken away too…and you will become naked…and then there wont be any blog to cry…..hahahaha…
sorry didnt want to write here again….but this all is so funny ..john m Knapp lmsw ..center for spiritual and cultic abuse….hhahaha….cant resist….i want to start another center..hahahah ‘center for treating people at center for spiritual and cultic abuse’…hahahaha
You really have a very robust sense of humor. Just the number of “haha-s” in your reply proves it.
what abt the advanced degree in physics and vedic science . do you also do hahahah about it.
Harshie, you do overestimate your own intelligence, buddy.
Hey, John has a legitimate MSW/LCSW which you don’t “buy”. I strongly disagree with his behavior here, but don’t minimize his masters level credentialing. Now, on the other hand I strongly feel that a master’s degree is grossly inadequate to treat people with mental health disorders and is far from making you an “expert” at anything.
See. John, I want to fight fair.
hahahahahaha…..these aol lackeys are soooo STUPID…….hahahahaha………they dont even realize that the money they earned for aol to do charity work is being used to sue blog owners( and for god’s sake, it’s just a blog not even a website) hahahahah….but they are right…..hahahaha…….that john could purchase a degree for $400, hahahaha…….because the american system is pretty much like it is here, in india….where degrees can be faked….hahahaha….like advanced physics degrees at the age of 18 …..hahahaha….and doctor is really wasting time…..hahahaha……sending out emails to expose aol…….hahahaha……as if aol cares what happens to it’s reputation…..forget the sueing bit……hahahaha…….
John, can you please update the amounts on top? Thanks.
Zhoro how much are you donating?….looks like you are still losing money for AOL..even after leaving AOL … Dont tell me you are falling for this LMSW guy..(doest it stand for……. Let.Me. Suck.Webspace? )…you have a doctoral degree from a big uni…you are falling for this 264$ LMSW guy?
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/sw/lmsw.htm
Dear Anonymous,
I have not found it necessary to bring up anyone’s, including mine, credentials in these discussions, because the issues and experiences shared are themselves authentic enough to not require the artificial boost of credentials and degrees. They ring true without any three- of four-letter abbreviations attached to them because they correspond to experience.
AOL’s need to invent credentials, on the other hand, as in the well known case of the “Guru’s” “advanced degrees”, may point to the deficiency of the organization in passing the test of authenticity on its own merits. That same deficiency is reflected in its habit of attacking the credentials of its critics rather than addressing the critiques themselves.
Thanks for your concern for what I may be losing by supporting this blog. I can assure you that any such potential loss would pale in comparison to the feeling of loss felt when listening to “The President” rehash the same stale scripted jokes time and again (and again) in the same breath as extolling the virtues of authenticity and creativity in the present moment or when “The Guru” would send people asking genuine questions in the present moment to buy his books where he has already answered all questions.
Such things (and many , many other examples presented in these blogs) don’t pass a common sense authenticity test which does not require any letter credentials to run. It is that innate little voice that we have that in the case of AOL screams very loudly one word: “FAKE!”.
Zhorro,
Hats off to you. What a fitting reply !Hope to see you posting more frequently in this blog.
I wish I could go in and buyout all the contributions to bring you back to zero.
After a long time comments from AOL supporters have again started appearing in this blog. One thing that always surprises me that one person (AOL supporter) leaves number of comments using the same IP address. This has been pointed many times by Doctor. May be they are zombies and commit the same mistake again and again. This flurry of comments from AOL supporters is either due to some new strategy of AOL (like Brahma/ Vishnu/ shiva type) or just scared by the impact of this blog.
@Dr French Fry Freud Tyup bouncepill Fishmanjo and whatever else you want to be called:
Most of us who aren’t in Art of Living can see how desperate all your attempts are at trying to create noise on this blog. But what you don’t realize is that you’re doing exactly what so many other AoL supports have done when leaving comments here, and that is to confirm that Art of Living followers are highly abusive and that Art of Living is a cult. You are panicking about what is going to happen, and are desperately doing what you can to stop it, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.
You say you’ve been practicing SK for 25 years, and yet you act in the way you have been on this blog! If you were someone who was truly spiritual, you wouldn’t be affected by any of the criticisms you have read here. You’d just accept these things, not be a football of other people’s opinions, avoid being defensive, and get on with your life. But you can’t even follow the most basic knowledge points you’ve been taught by Art of Living!
All your posts show that are actually deeply hurt by what is written here, and you are taking it out on everyone you can. Your mind has become so conditioned by the processes you have gone through in AoL that anything which attempts to shake your beliefs is considered a threat to your system. If practicing SK is supposed to remove stress, why are you so stressed and angry? Especially after 25 years of practice? Does this mean if we too practiced it for this long we would become stressed and angry people? If so, is it really a good idea to teach people this tecnhique?
It is obcious that you are so deeply committed to the belief that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is God that you will not accept any criticism whatsoever of either him or his organization. You are desperately trying to save Art of Living, and you are just ending up causing them even more damage by what you have written here.
You say we are uncritcally trashing AoL, yet you know fine well that there is a lot of truth contained here. You say you have read all the posts, yet from what you’ve written it appears you’ve only read a few comments. You say that we are using ad hominem attacks, yet it is you who has been employing ad hominem attacks from the start. You say you’d like to have a “civilized discussion” with us but that your “calm posts” were dismissed, and yet I can’t find a single post written by you that I would describe as being calm or civilized!
The following is a list of all the comments you’ve made on this site so far. I’ve divided them into Abusive and non-Abusive, and so it’s clear for all to see that the majority of the comments you’ve made here have been abusive. We’ve accepted all your comments because, whether you like it or not, they are actually adding a great deal of weight to this blog. So thank you, and please keep writing!
Abusive
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/the-baol-10-theyve-done-so-much-for-us-lets-stand-by-them/#comment-4150
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/time-to-fight-back/#comment-4213
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/time-to-fight-back/#comment-4214
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/the-baol-10-theyve-done-so-much-for-us-lets-stand-by-them/#comment-4215
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/the-baol-10-theyve-done-so-much-for-us-lets-stand-by-them/#comment-4216
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/the-baol-10-theyve-done-so-much-for-us-lets-stand-by-them/#comment-4218
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/secret-aol-knowledge/sudarshan-kriya-notes/#comment-4023
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/349/#comment-4151
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/secret-aol-knowledge/sudarshan-kriya-notes/#comment-4045
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/im-being-sued-by-a-religious-cult/#comment-4149
(As I’ve told you before, there is not private teaching material on here, it was taken down a long time ago.)
Non-Abusive
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/time-to-fight-back/#comment-4209
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/time-to-fight-back/#comment-4212
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/google-subpoenaed-to-reveal-bloggers/#comment-4044
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/secret-aol-knowledge/sudarshan-kriya-notes/#comment-4046
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/secret-aol-knowledge/sudarshan-kriya-notes/#comment-4047
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/secret-aol-knowledge/sudarshan-kriya-notes/#comment-4048
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/secret-aol-knowledge/sudarshan-kriya-notes/#comment-4049
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/secret-aol-knowledge/sudarshan-kriya-notes/#comment-4050
Fake doc: Does it occur to you that the main stream hard-working people in AOL do not bother writing on these blog? They have taken an appropriate action which was necessary and that has forced you and your friends to beg for money. What happened to 1000’s of teachers leaving AOL? You guys are really having a hard time collecting a small amount…which is telling of the fact that no one really supports you….
Most of the AOL people who write on the blog, are the ones like me, who want to have some fun at your expense.
Zhoro: You did not like the stale jokes? you did laugh at those and I am living proof to that? Was that laughter fake?All those smiles were fake? What does that make you?
The innate voice in me tells me that AOL was just one more thing in life which you wanted to try out 😉 OR is it the feeling of abandonment, a realization that AOL doest need you?What is it zhoro?Why so much resentment?
H., I laughed the first few times and I played the party line until I couldn’t any more. Anything else to clarify?
It wasn’t just another thing to try. It was very important for me until I got disillusioned. It’s a good thing to get disillusioned, right? Puts you back in reality. I wish it upon you some day. It’s painful in the short run, but worth it in the long run.
In the last part you are completely off. You may be projecting your own disposition on me, I don’t know. What you call resentment is really my caring for what I feel is the truth. The resentment might be on your part towards the people who don’t think much of your heroes. It shows through the infantile style of your posts. Not that untypical.
“Zhoro: You did not like the stale jokes? you did laugh at those and I am living proof to that? Was that laughter fake?All those smiles were fake? What does that make you?”
@Harshal
I am astonished that as a doctor you cannot countenance that human feelings can change over a lifetime. Human beings are not sheep who can be coralled into AOL mega-rallies forever and ever.
Wow. Looks like we should pray for a return to sanity for some of these AoL lackeys. HArshal, in the US buying social work degrees is not possible. Unless you mean by buying, paying tuition and taking classes and completing the work. There would be a legal consequence in most states for calling yourself a licensed social worker if you did not have the credentials. If someone has been practicing the AoL techniques for 25 years and is still abusive they should try something else., because AoL obviously does not work for them.My eyes are rolling at the pathetic comments by these AoL-ers.
here we go again…harshal your attitude and comments just reaffirm to me that leaving was the best decision. I would rather be around people who remain objective and see things as they are, not as they want it to be. The very fact that AOL feels threatened by a blog page reaffirms that this is not a spiritual foundation, but rather a very strategic business organisation. Why on earth would a man who purports to be GOD be threatened by a blog page? The pope doesn’t go around suing people, and even the Dalai Lama doesn’t sue the chinese government for their obsequitious c omments about him…but this man seems to go against all his spiritual teachings – he has become a football of our opinions, fails to accept people and situations as they are, see’s an intention behind our actions of posting on this blog, cannot accept the present moment that people are opening their eyes and speaking out against what they see and experience as unacceptable, and is trying to quell the roar of lions…All kudos to those who established this site, to give a voice and place to heal and grow stronger for us..
At Harshal – im stunned that after 25 years of SK, you still react this way. It just gives me confirmation that my time and energy was wasted in AOL.
So lets all roar like lions and face what we face, for freedom of speech is a vital part of our societies.
@freeagaiin, I completely agree with everything you’ve said, and I even did the same research on both the Dalai Lama and even the Pope just to see if they had ever sued anyone! Just for the record, though, Harshal isn’t the same person as our friend who has been practicing SK for 25 years, although I can see how you might have thought this as their abusive nature is almost identical and it is impossible to tell the difference between them just by reading their posts.
i forgot to add, this blog page is akin to AOL being in the hot seat..see how they handle the hot seat…not very well obviously! Can they deal with criticism..could they open their minds to the possibility that they could handle things better – NOPE…
@freeagaiin, I’ve replied to this here:
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/putting-art-of-living-in-the-hot-seat/
“you cannot countenance that human feelings can change over a lifetime. Human beings are not sheep who can be coralled into AOL mega-rallies forever and ever”
Yes they do change. Zhoro has already flip-flopped once…from a dedicated AOL teacher he has now gone done to team up with idiots on this blog…what is the guarantee that his feelings wont change again?
fakedoc: dont correct these people who need an imaginary punching bag …if they think I am old enough to have done SK for 25 years…let them think it…they are not different than you btw….
A slight correction there, H. I have only flipped in my position regarding AOL. I haven’t flopped yet, much to your chagrin.
I can understand how you are disappointed if you value staying the course over staying with the truth. Sorry but my priorities are different.
Zhoro: You were to the one who got carried away then and you are the one at the other extreme now….. like many others in the blog….you are the one who has lost objectivity and has flopped in both situations……
Can you see how you say ‘I wish it upon you some day’ …even then you wished the same for me….at that time you had a different reality though..
staying with the truth? How does one stay with truth zhoro? by writing negative things on a negative blog?
“staying with the truth? How does one stay with truth zhoro? by writing negative things on a negative blog?”
No. One cannot stay with truth by writing negative things on a negative blog. To stay on truth one has to drink dirty waters of his Guru like Ha-Ha Harshal does.
Great Skywalker,
Go ahead and let the Harshal’s of the AOL world know that this movement to keep this blog remain alive will continue and I am quite sure in the legal battle AOL will get exposed that it is not what millions have believed ‘a spritual organisation’ rather an out an out commercial organisation (except for paying taxes) runs a MLM type marketing for its courses and products and makes poor believers really poor finacially too.
“Update by Skywalker, Jan. 16th:
Dear everyone,
Thank you all for your support, both moral and financial. The sum donated so far has actually enabled us to seek legal counsel, and we are working hard to quash the Google/Automatic subpoena. More funds will be needed soon, so keep spreading the word about what is happening on this blog.”
You should repost your message on other sympathetic blogs like Guruphiliac and churumuri.wordpress
An anonymous organization
collecting money
to protect its noble anonymity?
..nice!!
Against an evil cult guru and its brainwashed zombie disciples.
“An anonymous organization
collecting money
to protect its noble anonymity?
..nice!!”
@2bit/stupid
It just shows how united we are in our disgust at being conned by AOL…the constant bombardment to take more and more courses and continuous demands for volunteering (read “forced labour”) for the sake of AOL.
Skywalker – any update on what’s happening with AOL’s subpoena. Did your lawyer send a rebuttal to AOL’s lawyer?
You gotta love the moola! Whose doing your auditing? Can I see your accounts… no spending money on perishables… such as coffee. Maybe I’ll post them on a blog and expose the fact that you drink coffee with donated money!!! I hope its good coffee and not the crappy type. Might I suggest you get some good Columbian Coffee!! Its a bit expensive but I’m sure that you can afford it!! If you dare get to doughnuts then we will have a war on our hands and I will expose you for the dough eating nuts that you are!!
Oh, how about that? An organization that takes in money to run?
Let’s see. Let’s offer the courses-services for free and look to the sky to pay rent, print books, fly teachers all over the world..
Why yes…That would be why none of you are cut out for running anything..even a soup kitchen,,
Does AOL make money? Of course
Is that a goal? Yes
Is that the main goal? No
What’s the Goal? To provide courses-services-events for awareness and to expand globally.
The Art of Living is in 140 different countries… Last I checked it takes money to move beyond your garage and basement..
When you have big plans – you need revenue..
Most people that have taken multiple multiple AOL courses think they have gotten more out of it than the price they paid.
If you don’t think it was worth it then you are in the minority. However, it is silly to think that 100%, 90% or even 80% of the people are gonna like the same thing. Maybe it’s not for you.
What cracks me up are the folks that have been in AOL years and years and years and now seem to be spouting the venom. ha ha ha ha ha…They just cant let go…They think they were such a huge part of AOL that they must be missed…Theyve found out that they are not missed and easily replaced and now want to TEAR it down..
That is the goal of this blog and the people behind it..To Tear down AOL..
If someone has taken the course for the first time and doesn’t like it. That’s fine. It’s like trying Strawberry Ice Cream and not liking it and going back to Vanilla. We all have our own tastes.
But, the ones that have been teachers and actively involved in the past…They cannot walk away QUIETLY..Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
It’s all about the EGOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Let it go people..And move on…
“When you have big plans – you need revenue..”
Sorry to burst your bubble, but money hardly goes to service of any plans. AOL hardly ever spends its own money on any service project. The VVM money goes into Sri Sri’s personal assets. Sumeru Realty, Sumeru Software, and Iniwex Pharma are few of the companies which are owned and controlled by SSRS and family. Money for these has not come from thin air – it comes out from course fees – People are volunteering their time and money in the mistaken belief that it is going for a good cause, while actually it goes into personal projects. Investigate the seva projects for yourself – you will see charity money is not going into educating poor kids (except for a small token amount) – it goes into personal coffers.
You can follow the money honey…
The question is: ‘Did any of you get anything good out of AOL while you were in it?’
If not, I need to question your intellectual prowess for staying in so long if it didn’t help. You people make it sound like someone put a gun to your head and made you pay course fees thru the nose. And all of you are acting like Victims.
There are different levels of participation in AOL…You CHOOSE the level of involvement. If you committed an extraordinary amount of time in this effort it was because you were getting joy out of it. Anything else won’t fly for rational minded people. You liked the basic course, you liked the part 2 course, you liked the blessings course, you liked the DSN course, you liked the TTC, you liked teaching….you went all the way into the forest and start screaming ‘bloody murder’ on the way out.
Once your involvement steps up – I’ve seen people become disillusioned because they weren’t getting enough attention for the time they put in. In the process, all the knowledge learned is wasted away by your own feverishness and jealousy looking for a reward.
The Gita says, ‘Do your Duty and expect nothing in return.’
You all wanted to be recognized more than you were. And since you didn’t get it – the jealousy has turned to anger/vitriol. I ME MINE…I ME MINE..
What makes you all happy today? When someone else leaves AOL. Why? Because MISERY Loves Company.. AGe old rule which hasn’t died yet
There are so many Spiritual Organizations out there….If you find something that fits your mould…Go for it…In the meantime you spend precious time trying to tear down your previous organization – AOL…
Sounds like a prospective employee I was interviewing. He was tearing down his former organization. He went on and on. I couldn’t hire him. So much anger, vitriol and hatred in him I didn’t want him carrying that to my team. He had a bad experience…The experience had him, he had no control over it..Another prospect I interviewed from the same company had a smile on his face and expressed gratefulness to his previous organization. He said, ‘The work was great, however, with my MBA I can contribute in many other areas which were taken in Company X. If I can contribute and have more responsibility – as well as be matched with a respectable compensation plan we both have a deal. I hired him on the spot….
All of you are still tied to AOL…AOL is on your mind day and night…
Sisupula cursed Sri-Krishna 100 times. Sri-Krishna killed him and sucked up his soul.
Krishna said, ‘His thoughts were so focused on me, that he came to me immediately.’
You guys never left AOL 🙂
I tell ya what…If you guys were in something else besides AOL your breed would come up with the same complaints and venom.
There’s a word for you people: Rejects..
Be it Art of Living or something else – If this were The Art of Sewing – your complaints would be about the cloths provided to the poor folks and Sri Sri is pocketing money to buy silk for himself.
If this were the Art of Cooking – you all would say your food tastes bland, but Sri Sri’s food has masala. Which he eats in private so nobody can smell the masala..
If this were the Art of Whining – you all would say the organization is not whining properly. They are not miserable inside, but whining just for the sake of whining. Eh – We’re the real Whiners look at us….
Clowns
Jacob,
This blog just tells outside world to use their own critical thinking before getting immersed into AOL – be it money or time.
I just had one part-1 course ( 3 months back) where the teacher told not to use rational thinking always. Some things like Guruji is byond rational thinking.
Atleast I come to this blog to read these discussions, and also to tell people that always use rational thinking.
And Jacob being in this blog is good for u also. Your association with art of living will be more productive. If you find any health issues you may consider stopping SK, before organising courses u may think about where the money will go, before going to events like Berlin you may start thinking whether this is the priority of a charity organisation ?
@Jacob
“All of you are still tied to AOL…AOL is on your mind day and night…”
No not really – I at least live my life fully, and still find time to blog. Sorry to disapoint you, but my life is good.
“What makes you all happy today? When someone else leaves AOL. Why? ”
Everyone loves company, misery or otherwise. But really, It is not about me or anyone having company. I personally feel that AOL is toxic to your being – and if this blog opens someone’s eyes – I’m glad to be of service. But really, I’m not such a loser to get my kicks by putting down someone. This whole situation is a tragedy and makes me sad.
Talking of anger and throwing vitrol – frankly the only one who is out of control and abusive in his remarks is you.
“Let it go people..And move on…”
lol, this blog really bothers you…
why don’t you move on? 😉
Jacob,
Go through the “recommended blog posts” also and comment…
Jacob/Corrector/Harshal,
If you actually took the time to read, you would see many of us have expressed that we liked many things about the courses. I personally enjoy the benefits of meditation. Others say they enjoy the breathing. Go read my story if you don’t believe me.
We’re happy to see when someone leaves AOL because we know they are now free, and not bound to a dangerous cult. Wouldn’t you be happy if one of your friends left Scientology? The nature of life is to be free, even SSRS says this. There’s little freedom in AOL.
You’re obviously just another person (or another alias) who is upset because you realized you’re following a fake spiritual movement.
“Theyve found out that they are not missed and easily replaced and now want to TEAR it down”
This is the whole point of this blog. Well said Jacob!
Harshal – No hope for these pukes…They are swimming in their own feces
I wish Ravi Shankar would go and actually meditate somewhere. For a Lonnnng Time. With all his senior teachers and followers. In some secluded place. For like 50 years. 🙂 And maybe he can take Nityananda with him too. And the sicko guru from that Yoga in Daily Life place. These ‘gurus’ are such losers.
Repeating what you said as the “whole point of the blog”, inspite of the clearly stated objectives of this blog, does not make it so.
What you are doing is called ‘trying to create a strawman’.
Just like any circus is AOL. And there is a sucker born every minute. Of course nobody who leaves will be missed. There are more fools where the first ones came from 😉
Critical Thinking eh?
You mean Executives at Cisco, Citi, KPMG, Ernst&Young, Pepsi, Juniper…etc..don’t have the powers of ‘Critical Thinking?’ Those are the type of people in AOL.
You mean people from the IIT’s in India lack ‘Critical Thinking’ ?
They are intelligent/successful in their careers and when it comes to AOL they are mind-numbing baaaaaaing sheep?
Forget about critical thinking…You guys lack logic and rational thinking. Combine that with being cowards and black sheep..
Beyond Repair
And among those who have left include executives from Citi, some folks with PhDs, some from IIT. So what? Just because you have such and such a job or affiliation, or education, doesn’t make you emotionally stable, or emotionally weak. What I noticed among those in AOL who had very good jobs and credentials and qualifications, was that many were emotionally very insecure. You can see this in some of the most senior teachers. Some talked about being abused as children, and they clung onto Guruji like little kids even though they were sometimes 30 or 40 or even 50 years old. Some were on the verge of divorce. Some had identity problems. It seemed that in spite of the many degrees and good placement in the world, these people did, indeed, lack critical thinking when it came to their personal lives and tried to fill that space up with Guruji and Art of Living. That’s just what I noticed, and I didn’t stay around long. All the scrambling around like lunatics to get a close seat to the Guru, running after his prasad as if the world would end. There just was no dignity. It was very childish and strange to see many very educated people behave in this odd way. It takes all kinds, and of course some will stay on with AOL and some will leave. And, sooner than later, Art of Living will be forgotten just as groups like TM seem to have mostly been now, in spite of that group being so famous some time back, I believe. There is no accounting for people’s needs and tastes. Somehow Art of Living appears to fill some emotional need for needy people from whatever background. But I don’t think it helps them. It appears to make them more dependent upon another person (Guruji). I’ve also seen people in responsible positions give up their life and career to run around behind Guruji. So yes, many do appear to lack ‘critical thinking’, since that was your question, Jacob.
“They are swimming in their own feces”
That is not as bad. In your organization you swim and consume others’ feces under the delusion that it is nectar. And behind your backs your guru and his inner circle laughs at you.
“You mean Executives at Cisco, Citi, KPMG, Ernst&Young, Pepsi, Juniper…etc..don’t have the powers of ‘Critical Thinking?’ Those are the type of people in AOL.
You mean people from the IIT’s in India lack ‘Critical Thinking’ ?”
@Jacob,
Just shows there are losers everywhere.
Why did you forget people with “Advanced degree in Physics and Vedic Sciences”. And I guess AOL spoke person, Ex Royal family -Swami Sadyojatha’s often shabby display on Indian TV channels epitomizing these Intelligent , Succesful AOL diaspora – The poor guy doesn’t even understand the sarcastic statements from the TV anchor and is so miserable parroting his guru’s cliches. Amply demonstrates the fake spirituality and feeble intellect of you folks.
I didnt get admission in IIT, does that mean I am inferior to an IIT guy ? Many of my friends got into IIT, does that mean they are more rational ?
Does being having more money and power makes the person a role model to people to follow ?
Yes, Im sorry you didn’t go to IIT. I never went either.
I went to Yale. My other friends went to Harvard and Columbia.
In AOL I met several folks from IIT and they seem to be a cut above the rest. Yes, even a cut above MIT, Harvard, Yale etc…
The ones I know from Citi, JP Morgan, Cisco are still w/ AOL..
And education does make a difference whether you realize it or not. That’s whu CEO’s, Presidents, Prime Ministers need to be of a certain caliber…
Well, im going on and on yapping to a village backward caste fucker from a squatter w/ brains filled with slumgrime..
My work is done here..Someone else will be here next week…
“I went to Yale. My other friends went to Harvard and Columbia.”
Really – you don’t sound even like a well educated person who can even hold a proper discourse. Double Shame on you – to be an educated person and to behave like this.
“someone else will be here next week.”
You mean, another one of your aliases. 😉
Education ( degrees), Pedigree , Relegion, Money are not the most important criteria in evaluating a person.
“Well, im going on and on yapping to a village backward caste fucker from a squatter w/ brains filled with slumgrime..”
Whatever happened to ‘Vasudhaiva kutumbakam’?! The Guru’s grace works in strange ways.
Same Jacob ?
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/seeking-bliss-among-the-honks-and-hisses/?permid=42#comment42
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/seeking-bliss-among-the-honks-and-hisses/?permid=41#comment41
Me from IIT Madras from the 1979 Btech batch and MTech from Berkely in 1984. The highest number of IITs in religious cults I have seen is in Sai Baba cult. They believe that the now comatose baba could materialize watches out of thin air. IIT does not make a person any more rational. I know several IITs and IIMs in AOL, several of them are drop outs who could not stand the harsh corporate world and neither did they have any enterprise for business and now have taken refuge in this place. I can name several of them if you want. Some of these IIT and IIM folks have started business ventures in AOL from the stolen charity money. These ventures are in loss. One IIT guy who ran a software business under AOL lamented to me once on how he was screamed at by Sri Sri Sri Ravishankar for being an idiot and loosing all the hard collected charity money into some silly IT business of website design for hotels. Can AoLers guess who that person is?
Yes, Jacob, they lack critical thinking when it comes to their personal lives, their emotional lives, etc. Many people with PhDs, others from IIT, execs from Citi, have left AOL. Staying or leaving doesn’t indicate what job/position/qualification you have in the world. Staying indicates that you have some emotional need to be around a group of people who run up like lunatics to reach the front seats near their ‘guruji’. Take a look at the senior teachers (if you even know any of them) and find out about them. People I met in AOL told of early child abuse done to them, of pending divorces, of all sorts of sadness and turmoil in their lives. Some of them went on to become big teachers, clinging on to their ‘guru’ in hopes of getting some kind of solace in their disturbed worlds. They lacked the critical thinking to understand that they needed other types of help. Some actually left good positions in the world to pursue careers as teachers, so they would always have access to ‘Sri Sri’. It’s ludicrous to say that because someone has good qualifications, or a good job, that they are emotionally stable and are able to manage their lives. It just isn’t so. I didn’t like to be around such people, so I left, and would advise anyone considering becoming more than just a casual participant, to carefully look at the foolishness that goes around this ‘guruji’. He makes the title ‘guru’ into something small.
“Well, im going on and on yapping to a village backward caste fucker from a squatter w/ brains filled with slumgrime..”
There he shows his true colors. It is evident what years of Kriya and meditation did not do to him
Jacob says that he went to Yale. His posts prove my point that education does not make a person stable, does not give a person a good emotional base. This “jacob” sounds very imbalanced, frustrated, and infuriated at a little blog like this one, which is just people commenting on their experiences with a little man named Ravi Shankar from India. If Jacob were emotionally at all sound, would he be so bent out of shape over this? It isn’t even of interest to him, he claims. He claims that everyone here is beneath him, yet he keeps commenting. I wonder if anyone would say that someone like this is a ‘critical thinker’ (since that was his phrase). Doubtful.
Anyway, back to the original discussion, before we were so rudely interrupted by AOL-hired jacobs…..
The New York Times article is so full of BS! There are so many lies in the article itself. I agree with the one comment that points out that it appears that the person who wrote it did zero research on Ravi Shankar and Art of Living. The NYT used to be such a great newspaper, but in the last years has become known for printing everything and anything and calling it ‘news’. The story was just a rah rah rah because someone unusual looking for New York City happened to be walking down the street. Oh well, so much for journalism.
Mr Observer,
What are you Observing? Are you Observing your Mother making your bed? Are you Observing the Money Daddy’s bringing home? Are you Observing your siblings and peers moving ahead in life and leaving you behind?
You are one of those 20-30 something leeches living at home and mooching off your parents.
Go get a job, move out and experience freedom. If you were ‘trapped’ in AOL. You will be trapped everywhere.
Speaking of Trap…We’ve built a nice mouse trap for all you pests…he he he he he
Just follow the cheese…
Sleep well
“You are one of those 20-30 something leeches living at home and mooching off your parents”
Fits the description of a typical young AOLer, right. Mooching off parents and filling the guru’s coffers.
” Go get a job, move out and experience freedom.”
Best advice for an AOL teacher.
“Speaking of Trap…We’ve built a nice mouse trap for all you pests…he he he he he”
FYI: The real world has started to smell a rat. They don’t need a trap as they recognize an AOL rat from far. Getting cheese is not going to be easy anymore, baby. You guru might blame stars and planets, but let him know, it is of no use.
Thank you Jacob.
Your interest in causing harm to others will surely keep thousands of people away from AOL. The last course in Texas with SSRS struggled to fill up compared to the old days.
The word is out, and thank you for your continued contribution. We wish you (to get) well. 😉
Zhoro – please investigate your new club – The Art of Homosexuality…
Take account of all revenues..
No fudging now. Ok..
Thats a good boy
Jacob, I’m afraid you’ve let the cat out of the bag — the other name for Art of Living is just what you’ve said here. It’s an open secret and a snickered at joke. Or don’t you know that yet? Are you on the periphery of the organization and don’t know what is going on yet? Seems like that from this comment. Anyone on the inside would be very afraid to post such a thing for fear of the Wrath.
Doesn’t matter where I am in the organization.
What does matter is I’m Right on Top of You.
What is your name? First and Last Name…
This is a Game you can’t Win!!!
Well Jacob, there is no dearth of that in AOL. Take advice for all of the above from the famous AOL teacher duo from Mumbai.
Yes, you seem to be the type to be on all fours.
You people all sound like Rape Victims on this blog.
So much traumatization.
Get Help…
I was told that when SSRS started a new school for BOYS ONLY in Bangalore he was told by Mahesh Yogi to stop it. SSRS refusal led to his instant removal from Mahesh Yogi Group. The land where the current ashram is built was given as a grant by the state to build a school. They still have a token school which is shown as AOL charity project to whole world. However, there is a blatant misuse of the grant of land. The objective was not to build a business headquarter for SSRS, family and friends. Many businesses are being run from the compound in addition to a temple built in the name of SSRS mother. It requires a serious investigation by Karnataka state authorities and the misused property (including the school) must be acquired by the state if the allegation is proved correct.
In addition to the main school, a religious school is also run. If this is closed altogether, these kids will be happy to be removed from lifelong slavery of AOL/SSRS. They are all PUNDIT boys and removed from their Brahman parents. They are manipulated into learning and practice rituals, which are similar to what is being taught in schools run by terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is sad to see them as clones to each other. No life skills, other than the chanting of mantras are imparted to them. What right does SSRS has over the life of these young kids?
The first part of your post appears accurate. But the last part, that the boys learning Veda at the school being like terrorists???? That’s waaaay off base. It could be that you have no knowledge of Indian tradition (Hindu) and so were confused by what you saw. Actually, the training they receive is not what you say — it’s simply chanting ancient texts. And, fyi, boys who grow into men who chant well get jobs in temples locally. Also, a good, competent pundit in Bangalore makes more than most IT people, if he is so placed. I know some living in homes that are the equivalent price to half million in dollars. Like everything else, it’s become a business — chanting Veda, and they make lots if they are good. So the last part of your post is totally misinformed.
The reference to similarity between religious teaching method between AOL in-house school for pundit boys and young kids learning Koran at schools run by terrorist funding was just to highlight the vulnerability of the kids.
Whether one becomes a “Terrorist” or a ‘Pundit/Mullah’ after the teaching is irrelevant. They may be able to earn more money than a normal citizen. The issue is of the ‘independence of life choices’. These kids do not have the option to develop their personality in various fields.
The adherence to only Hindu religious teaching to those kids is also one of the issues , especially when AOL and SSRS talk of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. Have they opened any other school to impart Christian, Muslim, Jews, Jainism, Buddhist, Sikh or any other religious teaching to young kids anywhere in word?
Jacob, another dirty version of Harshal and reconfirming my decision to left AOL.
Tiger_One is an idiotic version of doctor/shastry/freeagain/goneagain/Peaceful warrior and reconfirms the fact that they all are good-for-nothing ,toxic human beings on this planet..
Actually, Jacob, it appear you have innocently hit upon the snickered about “other name” for Art of Living among many who know well. It is not any sort of insult to call someone gay. However, it is a huge insult to the public to claim to be chaste, pure, holy, saintly, and then actually live your life like lots of other human beings behind the scenes. I guess you don’t know the ‘master’ very well, or his followers.
In all confidentiality – I heard a former AOL Teacher propositioned some YES + boy and was thrown out.
Now that Teacher with all the gay pride he can muster has joined this blog and is talking against AOL. While at the same time reaching out to his AOL buddies for $$$$$$$$$$$$
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
This blog (and Klim’s blog) has really opened mine eyes.It took me like 3 months to come out of the shock.I’m becoming the person who I always used to be…THANKS a ton and God bless you all!!!