Promoting Increased Critical Reasoning among AOL Followers
by Independent Observer
I am constantly amazed by the negative reactions to this blog when on a simplistic level all we are doing is asking folks to take a 360 degree view of the whole AOL phenomenon. In fact, considering that we are helping people see more of the AOL movement that the so called regular followers, technically we are closer to AOL than the so labelled AOL devotees.
All we are recommending and promoting here is “increased critical reasoning” among the followers by encouraging the questioning and therefore deeper understanding of what is told to them by the so labelled experts. Rather than simply accepting what such experts suggest without a second thought. Such an ideal—that of informing ourselves, rather than relying upon authority to do the thinking for us is the very foundation required for participating in a peaceful co-existence.
AOL’s inherent drive is convert everybody to AOL, as they believe that this is the only way we can all exist peacefully. Nothing to beat this for sheer hypocrisy (Whatever happened to harmony in diversity ??). The question is how diverse is diverse ???. There is only a certain amount of diversity that is allowed (read permissible, and permitted by whom ?, none other than the great SSRS). Beyond that allowable point its not diversity any more, its adversity. Hence if we sense that it is adverse then its divorce (the law is bought in).
Followers should participate in guiding and structuring policy and action. And this requires critical reasoning.
On a very concrete level, our call is for all involved to think critically—rather than absent-mindedly accepting the declarations of the so called experts. This is so necessary to prevent the abuse of power, which may be overt or covert, intended or unintended.
To illustrate the point, an extreme parallel example is the (in)famous Milgram conclusions. Milgram’s experiment showed how uncritical acceptance of authority can lead to very problematic behavior. Milgram conducted these experiments in order to determine how the population of Germany could allow the Nazis to kill six million people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
All pro Sudarshan Kriya reports are produced by AOL devotees and practitioners. They have a vested interest already….this is a conflict of interest. Its like the Pharma companies funding free testing in the malls.
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Beyond The Art of Living 
You want to promote critical thinking among people who believe that drinking their master’s bodily fluids is the way to enlightenment?
There is one very jolly person on this forum who laughs a lot (ha ha ha ha ha ha). He even defends his right to drink his master’s bodily fluids as his sacred religious practice. You think such zombies are even capable of critical thinking?
Years of hyperventilation, faked smiles, inane JGDs and gallons of master’s nectar are capable of completely damaging all critical faculties.
Yes, very much.
Just as they once let go of their critical thinking upon AoL repeatedly telling them (“mind is evil, thinking is the cause of all unhappiness, just do what u-know-who says” etc), surely they can learn to go back to how they were, before that. Nobody is beyond hope.
@Prakash – spare a thought for those in the middle!… who suffer from dissonance, and want to get out, but are psychologically and socially enmeshed in AOL, and those who came out, but still need to heal themselves. Ultimately, what people make their own decisions, but maybe our sharing experiences and insight can help.
Even this middle group is very large. Added to it are innocent unsuspecting newcomers, if they all can be saved, great job will be done. This is very much possible and one can actually forsee it. Please take it as a mission for the good cause. Please educate people that anything which takes away ur critical thinking and reasoning just can not be good. Let ‘extreme AOLers suffer their own fate in long run.
here is the latest email doing the rounds..
JGD All- Just back from Sp Advance course for teachers with Swami Brahmatej ( from the 6th-10th this month)-& What an amazing course it was- we meditated and meditated- no wasting time on too many explanations – everyone was on time eagerly awaiting the teacher to arrive so that we could meditate some more..lots of inspiring Guru Stories from Swamiji ( felt like a TTC 3)
Heard Guruji plans on having more of these- do go if you get a chance.
Best thing I heard was that we should all be like I-PODS- Inner Peace, Outer Dynamism..sums the course really- Guruji kept emphasizing on how we really need to reach out more- Commit more- The more we stretch ourselves, the more we will grow ( in talent, energy and joy)
Change your attitude from “What can I have ” to “What Can I do?” This year say you decide you will help 10 people, then next year 100 and so on..Greater the commitment, greater the resources will come to you- we usually work the other way round- Have resources and then commit
Also one of the satsangs Guruji reminded us that Prosperity is not about having a big bank balance but acknowledging the magnanimity of life- Confidence, Valor, Knowledge and Good Health is Prosperity.
Here’s one of his latest examples you could use when teaching ( keeping with the times)- Our mind is like a cellphone- it keeps changing modes- from sms to camera etc U do have to keep changing modes in your lives but sometimes its good to shut it off as well- So long as the control is in your hands”
Interesting point about the control being in your hands – from day one of a basic course you are taught to put control in ssrs greedy hands….
And also now the new tactic of committing to “help” – should have been changed to “committing to rob”
SS makes a good point about committing to a cause and the resources will follow. This is true. You focus on one thing and act with commitment and dynamism and lots of inner barriers will break down and inner strength will arise. Making this kind of commitment to service is a wonderful thing. My question is, why does service mostly mean promoting AOL? I have notice that SS puts other kinds of services down and belittles them in an attempt to get dynamic people to sign on to promoting his service alone.
this is absolutely wrong that is your view.
AOL got a huge business order from Japan.
Now, be ready for donation calls from AOL HQ to local chapters/teacher to volunteers. When you attend the next course, you will see damage videos of Japan and how AOL is only solution for the problems of the world.
I think Sri Sri should immediately go to the Daiichi Reactor site and do lots and lots of Kriya to save Japan and maybe even the world. He should go with every one of his top swamis and teachers from all over the world who are very very very close to him, and they should all do Kriya together. For about a month or so. That should fix this awful problem in Japan. His Grace is bigger than radiation, so can someone who is close to him, like Harshal, perhaps, suggest this? Oh, and he should take Harshal with him as his personal attendant. Then there will be beautiful videos of how they meditated and did SK and trained everyone there, and averted world catastrophe! Then everyone could learn Kriya, and join AOL, and everyone would be saved at last, and follow SSRS, understanding that he is truly God on Earth.
He he, that was not nice 😉
SSRS may not mind going there. But where is the state invitation?
Tsunami 2004 was a big money spinner for AOL. They did nothing except conduct a few satangs in south indian coast. Thy made money during north Karnataka floods as well. Japan crisis is an oppurtunity that AOL will not miss. Just wait for a couple of weeks and you will see donation requests. Don’t think Ravi Ravi will ever go to the radiation zone. He will go to Tokyo stay in the most expensive hotel there and give some press conference to his close friends in Indian media through teleconference.
When terrorists attacked the Taj hotel in Mumbai and held seige for three full days, a few of us who believed in him during those times wrote emails to Ravi Ravi and estsang mail groups on the first day of the seige to go inside the hotel and convert the terrorists through his peaceful vibrations. Just like what Buddha did to angumala. Ravishankar never responded. But after everything had subsided and three weeks later he went to south Mumbai with his page 3 followers was asking for donations to bring releif to the trauma affected. What happened to those donations you only guess.
Another incident which I witnessed which happened in Washington DC during a ravishankar satsang. One drunk black man entered into the hall and was mumbling some nonsense. He looked like a vagabond and mentally unstable. He sat for sometime, mumbled some thing and left. It was a totally hilarious scene. But later Bhanu Didi turned this incident into a guru miracle story. She mentioned that a fundamentalist christian evangelist had come into this satsang and wanted to attack the peaceful guruji. Bhanu added that guruji gave a buddha like smile and changed his heart from a fundamentalist christian to an aol seva warrior. Wah Wah. This was when I called it quits.
“One drunk black man entered into the hall and was mumbling some nonsense. He looked like a vagabond and mentally unstable. He sat for sometime, mumbled some thing and left. It was a totally hilarious scene. But later Bhanu Didi turned this incident into a guru miracle story. She mentioned that a fundamentalist christian evangelist had come into this satsang and wanted to attack the peaceful guruji.”
@Ex-AOL teacher,
that is a revelation…!!!
bhanu discusses that miracle in their interview with shobhaa de
you should let shobhaa know the real story by posting a comment on her blog
http://shobhaade.blogspot.com/2010/06/aoa-art-of-abusing.html
same thing during Gujarat earthquake. Ravi was staying at the Ruia house. He had arrived from Europe. I honestly thought that he would visit the earthquake area. Tough normalcy hadn’t returned many other heads of religious/ charitable orgs had started visiting the area. But our Ravi enjoyed the luxury of his posh accomodation whilke his teachers were organizing relief and medical amenities, some even going to the area where most destruction had occured and the govt had advised to stay away. But Ravi did visit Gujarat, after everything has subsided ( COWARD). And AoL started saying how they had done so much for Gujarat. Even adopted villages etc. This was a complete and blatant lie.
Hey Doctor, any idea what happened to the google Subpoeona? Haven’t heard from John Knap or Skywalker for a while. Also where are the oldies, Whistle Blower, Abhilash Shastry, Ronin, Prosecutor, Goneagain,…… Begin to wonder if AOL was successful in silencing them. Hey guys, if you’re reading, show up. We’re getting concerned.
Yea, it’s been long since I read a comment/post from Abhilash Shastry, John Knapp and many others you have mentioned.
Recently I came across this quote I’d like to share –
” ‘Gurus’ always want you to drop your ‘ego’ so you can be easy prey for theirs!”
yes its true what you say most of the seva initiatives are taken by well meaning teachers of the aol ssrs gets all the credit tough as they are his teachers and he is “divine” yes in indian culture we respect our guess and they connect us to our our spirituality but they are not
‘god” many ssrs devotees believe him to be “god” yes he may have more knowledge than the average indian on spiritual and religious matters and maybe a lot of his followers are doing genuine work , it has been proven that any form of meditation has good effects on the mind and body and if practiced 1-2ice a week so does kriya yes i personally know an aol teacher who did seva and medical camps in tamil nadu during tsunami but she got a small percentage of donations to put up those camps etc but isnt that genuine on her part? what about the aol youth volunteers in punjab who ahve set up drug de- addiction camps?? im not defending aol but am not supporting it either….some aspects are good and some are negatve so what every org i know has those aspects.. big deal.. atleast ssrs is a good voice for hinduism and a lot of indians even ifthey donot follow them respect him… he has a huge ashram in europe and has visited the eu parliament if i am not mistaken??