A Disturbing AoL Brainwashing Video
by Stupidseeker, Doctor
stupidseeker
(Submitted on 2012/04/05 at 5:44 pm | In reply to VSS)
@VSS,
If anecdotal reports are to be believed then Khorshed Batliwala a.k.a Bawa is the closest to guruji after his blood relatives.Here’s a link to how bawa defines skepticism, what he/guruji thinks of them and how to dispel skepticism.For the last, he delivers the punchline at 3.15.
Watch parts II an III for more “knowledge”.
@The Doctor,
You Judas, @ 4.50 in the above.
Doctor
The following is a transcript of part of the above video:
Ignorance is being a skeptic and not knowing it. If you think you are a skeptic, you are no longer a skeptic. You already have a clue of something beyond, so in reality you can never know when you are a skeptic. A skeptic is stuck in a paradigm that closes off all other possibilities.
What is a skeptic? A skeptic says “Look, life is like this, everything else is nonsense. So a skeptic is stuck in a paradigm, a way of living which closes off all other possibilities. My way is the highway, is the right way. Everybody else will go to hell, I will go to heaven. If you follow me you will go to heaven, otherwise you will also go to hell. A skeptic.
But this creation contains all possibilities. As you understand how paradigms shift, skepticism drops. A real scientist cannot afford to be a skeptic because skepticism cannot probe into unknown areas of existence.
Skepticism is an I-know-it-all attitude, and this attitude is unscientific. Skepticism is dis-spelled by knowledge. Do not recognise someone’s skepticism and try to argue, arguments only strenghten skepticism.
[…]
Fear of losing one’s freedom brings more resistance and causes more skepticism. […] Deep inside every human being there is faith and love. Skepticism is only a thin layer. If you hold in your mind “This person is a skeptic”, you empower their skepticism.
[…]
Your silence and a smile in your heart will dispel any skepticism.
Let me say upfront: this is the BIGGEST LOAD OF HORSE SHIT I have ever heard. There isn’t a single grain of truth in any of the above.
Anyone reading/hearing this who has the faintest idea what skepticism means must realize that both Bawa and SSRS are talking out of their backsides.
What this ignorant psychopath is actually referring to is close-mindedness, NOT skepticism. He is deviously twisting something which is actually beneficial to mankind to make it sound like something undesirable. He is wrong on EVERY single account above. All good scientists are first and foremost skeptical. They do not blindly accept anything on faith without finding evidence for it.
Skepticism is healthy, not undesirable. And being skeptical will go a long way towards preventing people from falling into the clutches of a religious cult like of Art Of Living. Which is why this is obviously another sly attempt to bypass devotees’ critical-thinking circuits, in a similar to all the BS about having doubts and dropping them which we have already discussed ad nauseam.
The fact that Bawa is blindly parrotting what SSRS has written in a so-called “knowledge” book just goes to show that even those in the senior-most positions in AoL are so badly brainwashed that they not only accept any nonsense which SSRS speaks as truth unquestioningly, but they in turn try to pass it off as some kind of enlightened spiritual wisdom.
And the most disturbing thing is that young, impressionable minds actually believe this nonsense, because it’s coming from a purported authoritarian figure, who in turn learnt it from a purported enlightened being. An “enlightened” being who can’t even use a dictionary.
This video is a perfect example of the sort of BRAINWASHING that goes on in AoL, but there is so much more.
Comments are closed.
Beyond The Art of Living 
This is hilarious! And if you read it out loud, even more!
“Skepticism is an I-know-it-all attitude, and this attitude is unscientific. Skepticism is dis-spelled by knowledge. Do not recognise someone’s skepticism and try to argue, arguments only strengthen skepticism.”
In other words, THEY are some of the biggest skeptics around!
A catch 22 for AoLers who write to argue in this blog, to even Bawa and Sri Sri who are so worried about these blogs, since anything they argue “strengthens” our skepticism, and their ignorance ……. why do they not walk their talk?
Skepticism is a consequence of CRITICAL THINKING. Something Sri Sri & company do not support at all. Thinking is a threat to any cult leader and its members.
Having survived this BIGGEST LOAD OF HORSE SHIT (thank you Doctor for the most accurate description) BE SKEPTIC AND STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH IN YOUR FAITH! This will save you from false gurus, cults and a lot of crap!
Beautifully said. AOL is a hot mess. Pray for the “devotees” that they will find sanity and strength to live a life free of the mental slavery to this “guru”.
“Look, life is like this, everything else is nonsense. So a skeptic is stuck in a paradigm, a way of living which closes off all other possibilities. My way is the highway, is the right way.” reminds me my old AOL days 🙂
I am relying on my own experience. Many seniors teachers in AOL are so full of bull that cannot be put in words. And the worst part is they cannot see it. Good luck to them!
KS, actually, you might be surprised at how many of the senior teachers do see their own bull, know that they are full of it, and even complain about having to stay because they have no where else to go. Some of the oldest teachers are like this. They don’t believe in Sri Sri, haven’t for years. But they like the attention from groups, and they like not having to do any other work. I have personally heard senior teachers say privately “where else would I go now? I gave up my career!” and they were angry. Then they go out to teach a large group, all smiles and ‘knowledge’. Art of Living is the least knowledgable group of hypocrites I ever met.
Stupidseeker and The Doctor, I think this is just the kind of insightful post that’s needed to free current victims of AoL. It’s excellent for those who are researching AoL before joining too. Many thanks, and I sincerely hope that there will be more such insightful posts in the future.
Those who are currently in AoL need to open their minds to the possibility that what’s being fed into their minds could be poison. Now, they better not be “skeptical” — they better acknowledge that what’s being called “knowledge” could well be the exact reverse — a tactic to close doors to knowledge.
AoL is a religious cult and this post is incontrovertible evidence that proves this fact. This video is clearly anti-education (particularly anti scientific education) — the fundamental basis of education is learning through asking questions and seeking information through the quintessential quest for answers.
Hinduism has a tradition of “Shaastraarth” (debate), so AoL is propounding a very contorted view of Hinduism as well.
What I find very intriguing about this video is also the way it highlights the process of brainwashing. For instance, Bawa quotes someone who says “Young people are not interested in spirituality”, and then says he told that someone, “No, they are interested.” Then he says, “I don’t argue with someone’s lack of intelligence.”
So, he says “No” but claims he didn’t argue. Right after that, he passes a judgment on the person’s intelligence to obviously demolish that person’s argument but claims he doesn’t argue. Then he says, “I don’t accept it at all.” Well, then, what happened to having an open mind about possibilities ? Promptly after that he says, “You get it ?” He is greeted with complete silence.
Then he closes the minds of those in the audience about the possibility of meeting people who are not interested in AoL. He actively tells them that if they meet people who are not interested in AoL, then it’s because of “empowering the skepticism” of the person who is not interested. So, after listening to this, if any one in the audience will meet someone who is not interested in AoL, then they’ll keep trying to sell AoL for fear of being told that they empowered the skepticism of the uninterested person.
By skillfully indoctrinating that the failure to convert is the failure of the one who is trying to convert, Bawa successfully brainwashes everyone in the audience into believing that if they do not succeed in conversion, then it’s their fault, not the mere possibility that the person they’re trying to convert may not be interested in AoL. “You give energy to their non-interest” he says.
Then he says, “Your silence and the smile from your heart will dispel any skepticism”. However, in the case of this blog, they never exercised silence nor the smile in their heart to address the skepticism of the critics of AoL. So, yet again, pure contradiction and lack of consistency and logical accuracy is at the heart of the technique of brainwashing.
Thereafter he says, “After looking at me, how can there be any doubt ?” Again, his mind is closed to the possibility that there can be a doubt and that’s what he is also indoctrinating. Right after that he says, “Rely on your own experience”. Then, why should anyone look at him and think that AoL works. Yet another example of pure contradiction and the lack of consistency and logical accuracy.
In the next bit he quotes someone who says, “If Art of Living is shady, then my whole life will crumble.” Obviously this is said by someone who has invested everything they’ve got into AoL and have a genuine apprehension that their complete faith in it might be misplaced. He responds with “How about I doubt you ?” That’s a response which is nothing but pure venom — vindictive and vengeful to the core. Then he talks about how he could deny the person an opportunity to do an advanced course — an obvious threat of punitive action. After listening to this, even if someone has a doubt or an apprehension, they dare not express it for fear of punitive action.
“You don’t want Guruji to doubt you but you want freedom to doubt Guruji” he says — right at the end of this video — and inadvertently admits that AoL members have to give up “freedom” and that there is “freedom” in expressing a doubt.
Obviously, the entire objective of this discourse is to silence the expression of doubt through threats — making it abundantly clear that if a doubt is expressed, then there will be punitive action.
Of course, the objective is also to drive home the point that if AoL members encounter people who are not interested in joining AoL, then the fault lies with AoL members.
All in all, this video is a comprehensive insight into the brainwashing process that is typical of a religious cult. So, this post is extremely insightful and hence one of the most important posts on this blog, and more such posts are needed.
Nice summation of the video, VSS. The arrogance and the manipulation are so obvious in this video. This post and your added comments are such a clear elucidation of how manipulation takes place and how healthy questioning is silenced.
That whole bit about AOL or SSRS doubting you is just plain silliness. When I heard Bawa say that, my first response was “Yea, so what if SSRS did? What does it cost me? His doubting me doesn’t affect my life at all. He could be doubting me right now and what does it do to me in any way. And if his doubting me doesn’t hurt me in any way, why does my doubting him hurt him or AOL in any way?” To answer that question – my doubts bother AOL/SSRS because they/him are invested in my believing them. They want me to believe because belief creates commitment and dependency. Belief leads me to do service, take courses and promote AOL. In other words, it leads me to give financially, emotionally, temporarily, and physically. They get more out of my belief in them then I get from their belief in me. I get very little from their belief in me. Just more opportunities to take their programs and support their causes. But boy, do they benefit from my belief them them.
@ DW [April 12, 2012 4:13 am]
Thank you for your encouraging words. Thank you also for your supremely insightful, superbly articulated comment.
“I get very little from their belief in me.”
“But boy, do they benefit from my belief them them.”
Indeed. In fact, you’ve highlighted something that is at the core of what has led to this blog and the criticism of AoL — the abuse and exploitation of the very people it (AoL) needs to survive and prosper.
Instead of trying to analyze how it has offended and caused pain to the people who joined it, and, attempting to improve, AoL has crafted its own downfall — by insulting them, by spreading false stories to discredit them, and, by trying to silence them using the law.
When they failed, they didn’t realize that the world’s definition of the freedom of expression is not AoL’s definition of the freedom of expression. That’s why AoL members still land up on this blog and try and impose their archaic definition on those who are not in AoL.
They are so brainwashed that they adhere to AoL’s perceptions more than the laws etched in the Constitution(s) of free nations. They think they know more than the Indian Judiciary and the American Judiciary. The degree of delusional thinking induced by AoL’s brainwashing techniques is alarming. It’s obvious from the comments of AoL members that they have lost their ability to think rationally even about that which is clearly defined by law.
Their definition of honour is also warped. They simply do not realize that there is no honour in ridiculing and abusing critics, and they do not realize that these dishonourable tactics that they deploy cannot possibly succeed in gagging those who have suffered in and because of AoL.
An outfit that fails in respecting its own patrons is bound to fail. Many people may lose their sense of personal dignity temporarily, but all cannot possibly lose it permanently. And, those who wake up cannot be forcibly put to sleep again. That just won’t happen.
So far, AoL is benefiting from the lack of awareness about it. With time, people in India, and all over the world, will google AoL before joining it, and it’ll shrink considerably. Fence-sitters will also google AoL when they have doubts and uncover the truth. It’s just a matter of time.
When this blog was created, it may have talked about incidents of abuse for which it was difficult to provide photographic evidence (when an AoL teacher is yelling at a course participant, the course participant is not clicking pictures of the teacher to later post on a blog), but now this blog is evidence in itself. The sheer number of AoL members who have posted abusive comments, and, continue to post abusive comments, reveal the true colours of AoL. Additionally, posts such as the one above that expose the “brainwashing” that goes on in AoL are irrefutable.
this BBS definitely going through mania…. every-time I log into my computer, BBS has posted a big essay!
Ha ha!
If the ‘I know it all’ attitude is skepticism, then SSRS is the biggest skeptic.
Bawa seriously requires an introductory course on English. He needs to learn the difference between words like atheist, cynic, skeptic, agnostic, rationalist, positivist and so on.
So does his guru!
@vss
hahaha.hehehe….ohhhhh….there are only 64 (your so called followers) out of lakhs of people disturbed by art of living
and you are intellectually,nicely writing pages of negative material………..only funds from churches or cynicism…doesn’t defame any good organization but there should be reality.also…….funny 64 people..lol
@ rahul [April 7, 2012 5:31 pm]
Who is giving you wrong information ?
I have ZERO followers. I am an ordinary human being — a mere mortal.
Do you believe anything that anybody tells you ?
Are you so foolish ?
Let me also tell you that I never had any follower and will never have any follower in the future either.
Do you follow what I am saying ?
JGD !
Take care.
P.S. Do you know who Francois Gautier is ?
@vss
i didn’t say you are an extraordinary being. YOU think IT IS BEING INTELECTUAL…TO USE THE WORDS
“ORDINARY BEING,JGD,EX AOLITE……….WHO CARES ? whether you are ex aolite or not? you have followers or not? but threre should be min no of people to support negativism?
@ rahul [April 8, 2012 4:10 pm]
I don’t know who is giving you wrong information.
First you say I have 64 followers which is COMPLETELY FALSE.
The truth is I have ZERO followers.
Now you’re saying I think I am an intellectual when I already told you that I am an ordinary human being — a mere mortal.
What is wrong with you ?
Do you not follow what I am saying ?
I’ll say it again — I am an ordinary human being — a mere mortal. I’m an average person — a mere commoner. I’m not an intellectual — I’m just a graduate. Do you know how many graduates there are in India — millions and millions and millions. 99.99% of them are ordinary people — I am one of them.
I am an Indian and I believe in Mahatma Gandhi — he is the Father of the Nation. Your “guru” speaks against Mahatma Gandhi. His biographer — Francois Gautier — says that Mahatma Gandhi caused India more harm than good. This is the view of the RSS. Nathuram Godse (who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi) was a member of the RSS, and the assassination was planned by the RSS. Your “guru” says that schools run by the RSS produce “adarsh” (ideal) students and Government Schools produce Naxalites. Only a fool would say such a thing and only an anti-national person would speak against Mahatma Gandhi and get their biography written by someone who speaks against Mahatma Gandhi.
Your “guru” and his biographer — Francois Gautier — and the RSS are full of negativity. They are jealous of Mahatma Gandhi — all of them — spreading all kinds of lies about him — saying he did more harm than good and blaming him for his assassination by saying there was violence inside him and that is why there was violence in his presence. How petty, small, and, pathetic.
Someone who cannot respect Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution to India and the world cannot teach you anything. So, your “guru” is not only not enlightened, he is a foolish person. He has studied Physics and he makes stupid comments about Mahatma Gandhi. Still, India is such a great country, and so fair to fools too, that he is allowed to make his stupid comments.
But if I say your “guru” is stupid, you have a problem. You want me to prove how many people think your “guru” is stupid. Don’t you know that billions and billions and billions of people in the world support Mahatma Gandhi ? Don’t you know that even if your “guru” has one million more lives, and in each life he has one million AoL volunteers, he will not have as many supporters as Mahatma Gandhi ?
You are the most foolish person I have ever come across in my entire life — you are even more foolish than your “guru”.
P.S. Please don’t expect me to explain the same thing again. I don’t have time to respond to foolish people. I work seven days a week — more than 12 hours on most days. If you have any more questions, just read this comment again. If you still don’t get it, read it again after one week / month / year / whatever. If not, please never read what I write again. I would really appreciate that. I won’t be reading what you write in the future. Thank you, goodbye and take care.
interesting that rahul is able to know how many people work at various locations (and are posting from offices). As usual, AOL just makes things up. “64 people posting” is just a made-up number. At one workplace that I’m aware of there are over a dozen “ex-AOLers”, some of them having been teachers, some of them just took the course and left because they didn’t care about it. I personally know hundreds of people who joined AOL and left, seeing that it was cult-like and not so spiritual. I know of only a handful who learned the course and continued to become full fledged zombies who would defend Ravi Shankar and his organization.
“Great intellects are skeptical.”
(Friedrich Nietzsche / 1844-1900 / The Antichrist / 1888)
“The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.”
(George Bernard Shaw / 1856-1950 / The Preface to Androcles and the Lion / 1912)
Skeptic is a person who does not have blind faith that SSRS is god.
(Khursheed Batliwala)
What the h**k is this? I agree with the doc on this one.
The video also contradicts a lot of what we were taught in AOL. AOL often would tell us it was a sign of good intellect to be skeptical. But according to this strange dude, it means something else. I think he’s confusing skepticism with being cynical.
Also, it’s hilarious how our AOL entertainers Harshal and Rahul are now using popularity as an argument. LOL. You might as well worship a Hollywood actor if being popular is what you base your beliefs on.
He is reading out the weekly knowledge sheet in the video, weekly knowledge sheets forms an integral part of the knowledge in AoL . so i don’t understand how is it not a part of what was taught in AoL … nevertheless I do agree many of these sheets are really good .. But in this one I think the word close mindedness has been replaced by skepticism, which I feel could be a mistake or a manipulation ..
I know he is. I’ve read about 99% of all the knowledge sheets in the past. But you’ll notice from time to time that the sheets do contradict one another. One says we shouldn’t resist anything, but then another one says we need resistance. This one tells us not to be skeptical, but then another one says it’s good to be skeptical. You’ll find this a lot if keep digging deep in the knowledge. I agree, it’s not all bad – I’m just pointing out some contradictions.
@ Anonymous [April 9, 2012 10:10 pm]
Your observation is absolutely accurate. I’ve also read several “knowledge” sheets. They’re full of contradictions. This is a classic brainwashing technique — the idea is to generate precisely the kind of exchange that is happening between you and Original Anonymous [April 9, 2012 11:39 am].
The other day Original Anonymous (OA) said that the “yuvacharyas who do rural development are gems”. I linked OA to a post on the AoL web site that proves that they are neither given any credit for the work they do nor trained in rural development. They have gone to a village and are routing drinking water through what were previously waste water drains, and, have made villagers take an oath that they will not wash clothes with clean water, nor bathe animals with clean water. Obviously, these yuvacharyas are clueless about rain water harvesting as well as water-borne diseases. OA has said nothing about this — possibly because it is not possible to defend the indefensible.
Here’s the link in case you wish to take a look:
http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/water-conservation-laxmipura-bangalore
Prior to this, OA said that Bawa is involved in scams but the reason why Bawa gets to showcase his talents more than yuvacharyas is because Mr. Ravi Shankar has “paternal affection” for him — just like a father who condones a son with a bad habit.
Before that, when I mentioned that Francois Gautier is rabidly anti-Muslim and anti-Mahatma Gandhi, OA claimed that Mr. Ravi Shankar is not, even though it is well known that Francois Gautier is the spokesperson of choice. He is not only the biographer but also the key defender. According to OA, Mr. Ravi Shankar is a good guru — it doesn’t matter who or what he condones.
Even in the comment above, OA says that Bawa could be making a mistake and feels that the word “skepticism” has simply been used incorrectly. How can this preposterous conclusion made by OA even be considered as having any validity whatsoever ?
Yet, OA asserts this preposterous perspective, and debates it too. OA is the classic example of a person who has been subjected to brainwashing and has lost all clarity of thought and perception — to the extend that OA actually “feels” that Bawa could be making a mistake in this video.
When people are subjected to brainwashing by being subjected to constant contradictions, they cease to be discerning. They get into the vicious cycle of second guessing themselves. They lose their coherence as is obvious in the case of OA.
OA’s comments should actually tell you how damaging brainwashing can be. OA also indulges in the same contradictory talk — making distinctions between Mr. Ravi Shankar and his team when obviously this distinction does not exist in reality. OA is perpetuating the same myth that Mr. Ravi Shankar perpetuates — all faults are attributable to followers, none to the “guru”.
Such is the extent of indoctrination that once I quoted the proverbs “a man is known by the company he keeps” and “birds of a feather flock together” and OA asked if “company” included “followers” — when OA knows better than me that Mr. Ravi Shankar spends almost all his time with followers. What else does he do ?
At least in the case of most other AoL members, it is obvious what they stand for. At least they’re not ambiguous about their allegiance to all things AoL. (We must give the devil his due.)
People like OA, on the other hand, seem to be trying to brainwash the readers of this blog — maybe intentionally or maybe unintentionally — by indulging in exactly the kind of contradiction-ridden talk that is typical of AoL and all other similar brainwashing religious cults.
So, please be careful. Please know that the contradictions you’ve noticed have been noticed by several of us. Please also know that the technique of brainwashing involves planting contradictions intentionally. This is how indoctrination is accomplished.
OMG, after watching part II and III of this video, you can see just how arrogant this guy is. Love how he says “Will you rely on your own experience or what some idiot has written?” This is not how spiritually advanced people talk.
It’s obvious from this video that just these few blogs have made a huge impact on the AOL crowd. Notice how someone was questioning why SSRS would yell at his devotees. People are waking up, and AOL is very scared.
just watched the video. Excellent video! Fitting answers to all the idiots here.
Oh yeah! Anyone who questions, or does not nod to the hyperbole, is either an idiot or a cynic or both. The rest of them are pure, intelligent souls who are the most fortunate on this planet to have been the chosen ones, who can ‘experience the truth’ and are all on the path to ‘enlightenment…….. But they are all so predictable.
Poor brainwashed souls. Don’t blame Harshal, folks. It is not his fault!!
@Harshal
“Life is but a momentary glimpse into the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it makes me sad to see so many people dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy.” – Carl Sagan
@ Harshal April 9, 2012 8:02 am
Shouldn’t you and your beloved JGD zombies + Ravi Ravi be hitting the flights to Banda Aceh? You are losing precious time for AOL business. Don’t bother about us, just focus on the business opportunity at Indonesia…and I am sure, you and Ravi Ravi are one of those people who would have rather wanted a tsunami + the earthquake at Banda Aceh today ha!
“This is not how spiritually advanced people talk”
Can you write a manual on how spiritually advanced people talk or tell us if you have already read one?.Such an stupid comment. Befitting the naivety of this blog.
Sorry, but trying to explain anything to you that uses logic doesn’t work.
So let’s get this straight:
Harshal has a go at Stupidseeker, stating “… you make up materials to critique AOL. Twisting simple things to manipulate others? ”
We already know from previously that Harshal has no understanding of irony, but this is really one of the most ironic statements he has ever made on this blog. Bawa talks non-stop nonsense on this video and the two subsequent ones, and in reality it is he who is doing nothing but making things up and twisting things to manipulate devotees. And here is Harshal supporting him and believing his every word. Brilliant!!
If Harshal had any balls at all, he might have at the very least replied to the evidence that he needs psychiatric help I left in my last comment here. But not only has he no balls, he is now openly admitting that he will happily believe what Bawa tells him unquestioningly. All he had to do was to pick up a dictionary (if he doesn’t own one he can at the very least use the internet) and look up the meaning of “skepticism” for himself. He would then realize that Bawa is completely full of shit. But instead, he blindly accepts what this senior AOL nutter tells him and praises him for it.
So from now on, I think we should all refer to him by the new title which he has worked hard to earn: BBZ – Ball-less Brainwashed Zombie!
Keep your comments coming BBZ, you’re just going to reinforce everything I wrote about you and further justify your new name. 😉
Original Anonymous,
“… so i don’t understand how is it not a part of what was taught in AoL …”
AoL is FULL of contradictions, which is very reminiscent of Orwell’s doublethink in 1984 if you’re familiar with the novel.
This post isn’t a critique of AoL knowledge in general, some of which I agree is good, but specifically the reading and interpretation of this particular knowledge topic and how it’s clearly being used to manipulate those who are under SSRS and Bawa’s influence.
On top of what I have already commented on in the post, Bawa tells us in the latter half of the video that he received an email from a devotee who has heard a lot of bad things and who sounds sincerely concerned about AoL being “shady”. How does he respond to her? Does he try to console her, or to allay her concerns in any of the myriad ways which AoL teaches, “Accpet people and situations …”, “Don’t be a football …” etc. etc.? No, he just outright threatens her, no less, and condemns her for doubting the Guru.
This sends a very sinister message to devotees who hear this: don’t doubt Guruji or we will punish you. This is clearly the message, and NOT my interpretation of it. Bawa doesn’t even make any secret of this either.
From time to time one or two devotees leave comments asking for proof. Well, to any of you reading this who haven’t seen the reams of other evidence we have so far uncovered on this blog, can any of you please explain to me in what way you think Art of Living isn’t a brainwashing religious cult?
“How can AOL doubt me? Arey, but you are doubting AOL?” – from the last minute of Part 1.
Bawa conveniently forgets that AOL is selling spirituality and a consumer has all the rights to doubt the product that he is buying…and of course doubt the person selling it…
it is as simple as that….
@ Anonymous [April 10, 2012 3:48 am]
Indeed. Brilliantly said.
“of course doubt the person selling it”-
yes if you want you can doubt it, and decide not to buy it. or you can go in the consumer court. But you cant write defamatory blogs about it– unless you are big ahole.
Yes you can write a review. Negative review is not the same as defamation.
Guys and gals, take a chill pill, relax. You talk as though AOL is the taliban, Hitler, Al Qaeda and radioactive zombies with plague all rolled into one. You are frustrated after your AOL experience, I understand as I’ve gone through the same thing. It is very hard to drop because you still feel the injustice.
You need to remember, this is YOUR life, not controlled by aol or anyone else. So – get out of the self pity and go live your life. I managed to crawl out after years, and looking back at the wasted time I wish someone had told me this earlier. In fact, I’m pretty ambivalent towards the whole AOL shebang these days, and even started practicing some simple yoga and breathing before my morning jog. I even talk to some of the AOL teachers, they know my feelings and pretty much let me be instead of preaching AOL-isms to me these days.
Life goes on, with or without you. Don’t let it pass you by, you will wake up on your deathbed wishing you’d spent more time doing something productive instead of fussing and fuming about all the injustices you have faced.
@ Ex-Aolite [April 10, 2012 6:59 am]
“You need to remember, this is YOUR life, not controlled by aol or anyone else.”
Pray why art thou yelling ? You are “fussing and fuming” about what you think is “fussing and fuming”. It is you who needs a chill pill more than others. At least others are fussing and fuming about “injustice”. You are “fussing and fuming” about “fussing and fuming”. How sad is that.
Hope you have a truly relaxed day !
Take care.
Ahaha you people are so funny. Maybe some day you will get it. Back to my popcorn and coke to watch the fun here. Harshie baby also seems to be in form today. This is comedy gold.
Ex Aolite,
it seems you equate AOL to yoga and breathing and here is where I and many people posting here differ from you. AOL, baba Ramdev et al, bring disrepute to yoga and Indian spiritual traditions. Unfortunately, the masses, and in AOL’s case, the young, get drawn into the hip branding of yoga and spirituality sans human values like ethics, honesty and integrity….values that are absent in AOL. If one has the slightest respect for yoga and Indian spiritual traditions, one is completely justified in opposing groups like AOL and this blog has been doing that quite effectively for the last two and a half years. And remember this blog was started by Ex teachers who knew in and out of the organization and wanted to make the larger public aware of it.
@ Dayalu [April 10, 2012 3:42 pm]
“Unfortunately, the masses, and in AOL’s case, the young, get drawn into the hip branding of yoga and spirituality sans human values like ethics, honesty and integrity….values that are absent in AOL.”
Brilliantly said. The absence of values is precisely what has hurt so many people.
I also feel ashamed of an Indian like Mr. Ravi Shankar who brings disrepute to our nation by conning Foreign Nationals. It’s just so disgraceful — shamelessly exploiting those with a genuine interest in Indian culture and bringing a bad name to our country.
Ex-aolite – you make some valid points, but I find it ironic that you are telling people to move on from this blog, but you keep stopping by from time to time. It’s similar to the babble Harshal spews out. Why does it bother you that some people are taking some time on this blog? Accept people and situations as they are.
Not to worry guys. Anyone remember TM? It was such a big deal. Brainwashing the youth. Latching onto the beatles for more name and fame. Court cases. Tax scandals. So what? Nobody cares now. You can read about it and there are a handful of diehards. Aol will go the same way. You can read about any number of cults and fads. Everyone screams how to stop them. The fad or cult claims to be the biggest thing in the world. In the end they all shrivel up and go away. In 5 or 10 years nobody except the oldtime diehard aolers will care and it will be one more has been group with a layout name next to their ashram.
@ Anonymous [April 10, 2012 5:58 pm]
True that. But five years might be a lot — it’ll happen sooner. The world is progressing — more and more people all over the world and more and more people in India are using google to check out AoL before joining. They’re reaching this blog before AoL gets to them.
With time, the number of people checking out AoL before joining — especially in the US and in Europe — will increase substantially. There’s going to be a drastic decline in AoL’s annual revenue — there’ll be fewer dollars and euros this year — and in the years that follow. Of course, if AoL has already collected a lot of wealth by now, then maybe it can last for another five years. Maybe.
http://meditation-handbook.50webs.com/osho2.html
An article on Osho by Christopher Calder .. I found the article enlightening .. and the author has simply shared his experience of his time with Rajneesh .. I tried to find something similar to Sri Sri but I could not … not in the same degree of things I could not .. maybe somebody else would like to give it a shot ..
Actually I found something similar in the meditation technique of Osho the dynamic meditation, it involves around 10 minutes of fast deep breathing, then screaming and/or expressing one’s emotion for the next 10 minutes.. then 10 minutes of Hoo Hoo and then 10 minutes of shavasana .. but to compare the rest .. I dunno .. Osho had 90 Rolls Royce compared to one Toyota Fortuner that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has .. Sri Sri seems like a hermit in comparison . .. Though I would like to add that my analysis is not conclusive .. and there may be things that I do not know ..
after reading the above link, I had a question. In fact, I have always had this question. I don’t really understand what is enlightenment, and why an enlightened human being may do really horrible things, like rape, abuse, child molestation etc., that even us normal human beings would never do. Like for example, I can’t really see myself capable of raping another individual no matter how powerful I was. But I’ve heard plenty of allegations about plenty of gurus who do this, and many of them even get caught. How can these people do such things, and do they not feel any remorse? And in what way exactly are they better than us, mere mortals, who follow societal codes of conduct, care about our families, the environment in general, try to do our best and lead as harmless a life as possible. So again, what is enlightenment? It’s easier for me to just say these gurus were complete frauds, that would make more sense. But then are so many people really duped? Even in this article, the person still seems convinced that Rajneesh was “enlightened”.
@ anonymous [April 11, 2012 6:23 pm]
Your comment is extremely pertinent and might I add, extremely enlightening. I think you are absolutely right especially when you say the following:
“And in what way exactly are they better than us, mere mortals, who follow societal codes of conduct, care about our families, the environment in general, try to do our best and lead as harmless a life as possible.”
Yet, people are indeed “duped”. Owing to some experience, they become vulnerable. I remember the time when I almost packed my bags and relocated to the Bangalore Ashram of AoL. Life seemed very difficult and I was not willing to be patient. I was so tired of certain painful experiences that I just didn’t want to think. I got in touch with some people in AoL over email and they said “Guruji” would take care of everything.
I asked them many questions and they directed me to various AoL sites. I found a few contradictory statements so I decided to Google AoL and landed up on this blog. Then, I just read and read and read. I read several posts on Klim’s blog too.
I emailed my contact in the Bangalore Ashram and asked him about these blogs. I sent him links. His reaction was so full of venom that I was alarmed. It reminded me of the venom posted by AoL members on these blogs. This was a few months back.
At the time, I was relentlessly chased by AoL members on email and through texts. Ultimately, I changed my email address and telephone number. However, I shared my new email address with my contact in the Bangalore Ashram because he apologized sincerely for his venom a week or so after I sent him the links to these blogs. I asked him to read what I’d read and he agreed.
Some weeks ago, he wrote to me and sent me a contribution for this blog. He also said that whatever was written in these blogs is true — and that some people are ruthlessly abused in AoL. He said that this was done to “set an example”. He said that he couldn’t leave because he wouldn’t be able to get a job outside AoL because he’s been inside for too many years. But, as of a few days ago, he said that he couldn’t bear to stay there any more and that he would do anything to get any job in the real world and leave AoL.
The point of mentioning all this being that sometimes we are unable to think clearly, we’re vulnerable, and, cults promise us the moon. Sometimes, some of us remain trapped in a cult, because the cult has successfully disconnected us from the real world.
“This is comedy gold”
Cant agree more.
@ Original Anonymous [April 11, 2012 8:08 am]
“…it involves around 10 minutes of fast deep breathing, then screaming and/or expressing one’s emotion for the next 10 minutes.. then 10 minutes of Hoo Hoo and then 10 minutes of shavasana…”
Seriously ? “Screaming and/or expressing one’s emotion for the next ten minutes” ? “10 minutes of Hoo Hoo” ?
Hilarious !!!
What about our neighbours ? Won’t they panic — especially if all that noise is followed by “shavasana” ?
I dunno about your neighbours but mine would land up in a looney bin within seven days if my behaviour became so “dynamic”.
They don’t have hoo in art of living … but the fast breathing for 10 minutes is where all the energy for hoo comes from , and after and during the kriya one is supposed to vent out one’s emotions and not hold them back.. I have compared the two in a neutral sense .. but I found the fast breathing and letting out emotions similar to the Long Sudarshan kriya .. Both are the USP of their respective organizations ..
@OA
“They don’t have hoo in art of living ”
In art excel, kids are taught a different type of SK, where they are asked to say HooHoo HaaHaa aloud. The duration is much shorter than the long sk. However, one needs to exhale to say hoohoo or haahaa and even a few minutes of continous rapid exhalation can cause harm.
God save those kids!
@ Original Anonymous [April 11, 2012 5:34 pm]
You’re talking about two religious cults — both have hurt quite a few people immensely. Now, you can go on misleading readers, intentionally or unintentionally, but my humble request to you would be to pause and reflect and read up what specialists have written about religious cults.
Do you seriously believe that one can vent one’s emotions through a breathing exercise?
Which emotions are we talking about?
Are we referring to all emotions?
Assuming that certain regular breathing exercises rid one of emotions if one doesn’t hold back emotions while breathing, do you seriously believe that this is a healthy way of expressing / dealing with all emotions ?
According to you, does any emotion have any purpose?
Or, are all emotions useless?
Last but not the least, please also tell me what would happen if you put all artists in the world under one roof, made them vent all their emotions through breathing exercises, and then asked them to create art. Which emotion would they express? Would they be left with any emotion to express?
Also, are there more number of artists in the world or more terrorists?
What is the difference between the emotional expression of an artist and the emotional expression of a terrorist?
When there were communal riots in Pre-Independence India, Mahatma Gandhi fasted and the riots stopped. Why did they stop? What made people stop being violent?
At the same time, during the Partition in Post-Independence India, there were brutal riots — it took a lot of time for people to stop. Why?
What is it that makes people violent?
What makes them peaceful?
What makes communities violent?
What makes them peaceful?
Do you really think that the answer lies in a breathing exercise?
You’ve got to be kidding.
Instead of spending time in locating and then reading a lame defence of Osho, please invest your time in reading about human beings and genuinely trying to understand what makes them violent and what makes them peaceful.
It’s a request.
Please read about how Mahatma Gandhi non-violently and peacefully drove the British out of India. Please read about those who adopted his philosophy and achieved the same. Investigate. Study. Learn. Understand.
Human beings are not a function of how they may or may not be breathing. There’s much more to being human and even more to being humane. The idea is to sensitize all human beings to the plight of all human beings in such a way that there is greater tolerance — so that that tolerance eventually leads to greater appreciation for diversity.
Fighting about who is breathing and how will not lead to personal, national, or, international peace.
Any religious cult doing that is simply taking followers for a royal ride.
It is preposterous that all of AoL is violently and vehemently against the rest of the world for thinking that Sudershan Kriya is not the only way to breathe and achieve world peace. How ridiculous and outrageous is that? If breathing the AoL way is actually facilitating stress relief, then why don’t the members of AoL who post on this blog sound relieved? Why are they constantly pouncing on others?
Why do Mr. Ravi Shankar and his biographer feel the need to criticize Mahatma Gandhi who successfully taught people how to be non-violent free of cost? Why does Mahatma Gandhi stress them out so much that they have to spread all kinds of lies about him to feel better about themselves? Why do they suffer from such low self esteem? Why do they need to resort to such base tactics to prove they are worthy? Is this the behaviour of enlightened individuals or the behaviour of petty and pathetic human beings who are out to make money any which way?
Therefore, once again, I humbly request you to read. Trust your body for a few hours. Let it take care of your breathing. You take care of your mind. Give it knowledge. Give it insights. Empower it. Get to know human beings better. A lot of research has been done on them and a lot of that research is freely available on the internet. Please read.
@VSS
OA is the classic example of a person who has been subjected to brainwashing and has lost all clarity of thought and perception
Do you seriously expect me to discuss any thing further if you resort to such attacks?
I cannot be forced to agree with each and everything you say, and cannot be forced to disagree with each and everything Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has to say. If that does not appeal to you then I am sorry I can do nothing about it.
@ Original Anonymous [April 13, 2012 6:29 am]
“I cannot be forced…”
Hey, are you crazy?
Who is forcing you, you delusional person?
Do mere words FORCE you?
Now, you’ll resort to wailing and playing the victim because you cannot tolerate another point of view?
Why don’t you live within the four walls of AoL and not read a word of what anyone else says?
My goodness!
I completely underestimated the extent to which you are deluded.
Readers, please read OA’s comment.
This is how dangerous the impact of cult abuse is.
People lose the ability to read the words of another. They feel “attacked” if requested to read about non-violence and peace. This is the extent of intolerance that is indoctrinated — mere words are projected as “attacks”.
AoL has completely destroyed OA’s mind. OA doesn’t want to read about what makes human beings non-violent and peaceful — but just wants to lash out — this is utter intolerance on display — distressing beyond measure. Cult abuse is much worse than I thought.
OA, please don’t read about non-violence and peace. I request you not to read about Mahatma Gandhi. I withdraw my earlier request. Please don’t seek information. Please don’t study. Please don’t learn. Please don’t think. Please continue researching lame defences of cult leaders who have abused several people. I apologize. I should have never asked you to seek information about human beings and what makes them non-violent and peaceful. That was really attacking behaviour on my part. How nice of you to point that out to me. You’re really a very “enlightened” person. I have learnt a precious lesson from you. I withdraw all my earlier requests. Please don’t empower yourself with information and please don’t ensure that your decisions are informed decisions.
AoL members, please continue with whatever you’re doing. Please don’t read anything that you’re not asked to read by Mr. Ravi Shankar.
If you’re so not at peace inside that you cannot tolerate words that you don’t like, please don’t read them. Close your eyes the moment you spot a word that you don’t like.
Be the embodiment of intolerance that Mr. Ravi Shankar wants you to be. After all, you paid money to learn intolerance, didn’t you?
BBS has no idea about OSHO or his dynamic meditation.As always… just shitting from his/her mouth. Make sure you flush and clean your mouth every-time you do this.
“Yes you can write a review. Negative review is not the same as defamation”
Negative review? Go to trip advisor and see what a negative review means. They do a review and move on, there is no gossip, no false information , no attempt to ‘destroy’ the organization. No stories about how boy friends left them , no stories about obamas fake certificate etc.
This blog is just a big entertainment. It is just that you are not decorous enough to admit it.
– The only person using defamation is Harshal.
– Harshy is the only one making up false information on the people on this blog.
– Harshal continues to gossip.
– Harshal’s attempting to destroy this blog.
– Harshal won’t “do a negative review and move on” from the this blog.
– Harshal is twisting what people write on here to fit the way he wants to see things.
Who’s using defamation again? lol 😉
I know you won’t understand this Harshy. Your mind must be a maddening world to live in.
@ Harshal… it is so wrong to call AOL as an organization… they are a business and a bad one at that, selling questionable material for mind-boggling price… plus, turning the lured ones into zombies through cultish mechanisms…
In the third step, we will be using the sound “Hoo!” as a mantra.
You have to say, “Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!” loudly, forcibly, bringing your total energy to it as if your whole life is at stake. For ten minutes you have to go on screaming, yelling, “Hoo! Hoo!…”
What is this “Hoo” going to do?
It is going to do two things. When you scream “Hoo!” your total breath is thrown out. The more loudly you scream, the better.
Exhale with the sound so that your total breath is let out. This creates a space within you.
The above is an extract from the following link :
http://www.activemeditation.com/ActiveMeditations/DynamicStage3/Instructions3.html
Readers, please don’t try this at home this unless you want your neighbours to take you to court for creating too much noise. Besides, no rational human would — say, “Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!” loudly, forcibly, bringing your total energy to it as if your whole life is at stake — when life is not at stake.
After all, there should be some difference between the time one’s life is in danger and one’s life is not in danger. Don’t you think ?
According to Christopher Caldwin- its medically dangerous to hold one’s hand above the head while saying hoo as is done in the picture in the link above . ..
ref: http://meditation-handbook.50webs.com/osho2.html
Posting this video, and then alalyzing it is great. Especially for those who just blindly follow AoL knowledge. This will help them put things in perspective. Many are on the fringes and quite unsure of what to make out of this knowledge. Critical comments will help them. I wish I had this blog at the time I was with AoL. It would have saved me productive years of my life and also hurt and pain. It’s been 10 years since I moved on. I visit this blog off and on. I understand the anguish of those who feel let down. And when you read comments like what Harshal posts, or Raghu says,it just makes you realize just how unhealthy any cult is. And AoL really believes it’s not a cult. Bawa just hasn’t grown up- after all these years, he still talks the same. 20 years ago, he could get away with it, but now in his 40’s to talk like that is total immaturity. AoL has not helped him mentally. Continue to post such videos, it’s a great way to promote balanced thinking. Even Ravi Shankar’s talks should be analyzed.
What a ridiculous video, and what a ridiculous looking and sounding man! Do people really follow and listen to him? He makes no sense at all and contradicts himself all the time! LOL