Debunking “Guruji’s Grace” – Part 3
by Venkatesh, The Doctor
by Venkatesh
So many senior teachers in the AOL are seriously physically ill. But SSRS is happy making his money through his remaining teachers. What does he care as long as the cash register is ringing?
So many senior teachers are suffering from diabetes and hypertension. One teacher named Ravindra Prasad is suffering from diabetes and now has been diagnosed with tuberculosis and is staying in the hospital. A senior teacher Vinod Menon suffers from uncontrolled hypertension. He also has had several attacks of chest pain and has several blocks in the heart.
Another advanced course teacher Mrs Shenoy has severe problems with her legs which started after a particular advanced course and was unable to move around for one and half to two years.
A teacher named Sanjay Bihari who has done so much for the organization and has worked in the naxal affected areas is down with severe back problems. Swami Pragyapad (aka Prashanth Rajore) had a severe heart attack.
Dinesh (of Bawa Dinesh) pair was hospitalized with some major illness.
I know of another senior teacher who is no more who died of a severe illness.This is just the tip of the iceberg.( I am just giving out names because I am sure many on this blog and others in AOL can recognize them)
If SKY is cure for all illness, one wonders how all these people ended up with these ailments. Aren’t those practising yoga supposed to be healthier and happier when compared to the rest of the population?
Has the guru not promised to take care of you at every step of your life? He says openly” you do my job; anyway I am doing your job”. Is this the care he offers?
When you ask SSRS he completely ignores such questions.
When you ask the other AOLites they claim as usual that it is their KARMA.
One explanation given was that these teachers having taught so many courses have been affected by the negative karma of their paticipants. If a teacher is getting affected by such negative elements then he/she then is teaching these courses a seva as SSRS claims?
Interestingly neither he nor his sister Bhanu or brother -in-law teach SKY or the advanced course (his way of protecting them?)
Most of these disillusioned senior teachers feel that these illnesses mean that their guru is taking away their bad karma .
What a mess this maniac SSRS has created? Does he even realize this?
by The Doctor
Isn’t it more obvious now than ever that this whole idea of SSRS possessing any special powers aka “grace” is the biggest load of BS at the heart of the AoL brainwashing machinery?
We have previously heard accounts (see links below) of SSRS being able to bring people back from the dead, as well as Dr Peter telling us that he (SSRS) was able to cure a terminal illness which Dr Peter had. If that was really the case, why has he been unable to cure any of the above senior teachers, Swamis, people who are supposedly so close to him? Why was he unable to cure his own sister who had to have a particular operation not too long ago? Doesn’t this show that even SK doesn’t have anywhere near the seemingly miraculous properties attributed to it by Art of Living?
I’m not asking these questions rhetorically, however it is fairly certain that no one in Art of Living will come forward and provide answers, because they have previously and will continue to ignore these revealing questions.
If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to read Parts 1 and 2 of this series, and then to make your own mind up.
See also:
Debunking “Guruji’s Grace” – Part 1
Debunking “Guruji’s Grace” – Part 2
Comments are closed.
Beyond The Art of Living 
“..as well as Dr Peter telling us that he (SSRS) was able to cure a terminal illness which Dr Peter had. If that was really the case, why has he been unable to cure any of the above senior teachers?”
This is one of the big important questions regarding grace and the leader. If you go deep enough inside, you realize the grace thing is not true, and that anyone who was cured was healed by their own faith in God or in themselves.
I also know of some well-known senior teachers that are suffering from heart problems and other serious health issues. I won’t mention their names here, but most of you would know who I’m talking about. If the organization really did have grace flowing from the leader and through the teachers, why are their so many seriously ill teachers? These breathing practices are supposed to make us healthier, so what happened?
Faith heals. it can be faith in the doctor, medicines, god or guru. Through brainwashing aol was successful in planting in the minds of course participants that RS is god. And the faith that people have in RS is healing them. And cleverly the opportunistic RS is cashing in on it.
That’s exactly what it is, Anonymous said it perfectly. It’s all a matter of faith and belief. If you believe your problem can be solved, it will be solved. If you don’t have the belief, the problem remains.
What AoL does is, using all sorts of convoluted ways and processes it instills faith in people’s minds that their bad condition or disease can be eased out, and the problem gets eased out. So many people have in fact come out of their problem this way and I have seen this for a fact. So far so good…. but in addition to this AoL very slyly injects all sorts of blind beliefs, SSRS is god, all good happens through the Guru’s grace (and all bad happens because of your own karma), etc., and through these try to control the crowd and cash on it.
So many belief systems, organizations, religions in the past as well as in the present do something similar. What makes it good or bad is their intention behind doing this. I don’t want to comment anymore on AoL’s intention, it’s pretty obvious if you open your eyes and look at all the facts available all throughout this blog and all over the internet.
“that anyone who was cured was healed by their own faith in God or in themselves”
This is true for those who have never even heard of AoL — I have seen countless examples of people who initially didn’t seem like they could recover but fought it out and triumphed over the most serious of ailments.
And, this also points to something that has often said on this blog — there are some genuinely spectacular people in AoL. They are the ones who are primarily responsible for the good experiences in AoL. It’s either the faith in their hearts that makes them stay healthy or their interaction with other genuinely good people in AoL.
As is evident from some of the most heartfelt accounts on this blog, Mr. Ravi Shankar is not the paragon of virtue nor is AoL as an organization. For all the good that happens in AoL, it is the goodness in individuals that can be credited.
It is that very same goodness in people that makes them give credit to others for the hard work that they put in and the way they help those around them.
Many people who do good work in the world say that they were inspired by so and so. That is very different from this “Guru Grace” claim.
What about Eklavya’s proficiency in archery?
Was it a case of inspiration or was it the case of “Guru’s Grace”?
And, can Dronacharya’s treatment of Eklavya in the name of “guru dakshina” ever be justified?
What else is this blog but the example of a modern-day Eklavya demanding answers from his “Guru” for not acting like one?
Mr. Ravi Shankar takes more than he gives — and this blog has been more than fair to him with regard to all that he has given.
So why did he try to silence it?
Why shouldn’t Eklavya ask Dronacharya why he ill treated him?
Why shouldn’t Eklavya wonder aloud about the absence of Grace in his Guru?
I know of some people personally who think they were healed by the grace of the saints of the Catholic Church and prayer. It was their own faith, not that of any institution that made them disease-free.
“Why was he unable to cure his own sister who had to have a particular operation not too long ago?”
Ya right. Why was jejus not able to prevent himself from getting crucified? Why could Krishna not stop the death of abhimanu? Why did Sri Ram sent Sita to forest? Why did someone spit on Buddha? Why did Muhammad (PBUH) fell ill and die?If they all were enlightened and had powers?
Do you see son of a bitch? What kind of questions you are asking?
@Harshal- None of the above mentioned where collecting money and showing off, so imagine what happens to Ravi(the biggest lier of the universe)? may be some one should tourchure him badly befvore last breath… this fellow dont even miss his one time meal for th epoor people and his comment against Annaji was i wont tourcher my body, what a silly stupid… all his volunteers who seeks enlighment does miss thier meal and some time event the whole day meal and sleep, the so called God enjoys others pain.. nasty fellow.
@Freedom Found – I’ll put your comment from yesterday up as a separate post soon.
@Harshal
Harshal you are such a SLAVE of His Hipocrite Sri Sri 420 Shankar.
TRAUMATIC POST STRESS DISORDER due TO TTC1: Here I thought I had overcome the whole experience and had done closure to the whole AOL experience, but about a week ago I found out howmuch the group has grown in our country in the last 5 years and how easily they continue to expand… Sudenly I lost my breath -what a paradox!-, my heart started pounding and I can´t hardly manage my anguish, because down here in Southamerica there are just a couple of articles in spanish warning about the dark side of AOL… I wish Google would do a better translation of this amazing blog, but the translation is really poor… I feel like rising red flags and give the alert, I don´t want to say anything infame about it, only the other side of what the people is perceiving (which is only the goody-goody part). Yesterday I decided to see a doctor and find out why I was feeling so anguished, and at the end of the interview, he says that I`m experiencing a pick of a Traumatic Post Stress Disorder from some experience I haven´t overcome yet and is liying underneath. The “experience” is obviously my TTC1 course, and the idea of seing hundreds of unawared devotees undergoing the hot seat is making me so sick… I´d like to forget about it, pray for them and move on, but I also feel I cannot walk away from the responsability of warning others… Still… what could a simple deserter do in front of such strong movement? This is crazy, I´m hiding my identity like if I was a criminal, because the true is that I`m suposed to have the right to speak my mind but they are the ones having the money, the media resources to discredit anything I could say, and the lawyers to make a nightmare out of my life. This is not fare for any of us, there should be someone international entity offering legal advise and protection for this type of cases… Your blog is the only place where I find moral support. ¿Do you believe we will be alive to witness the inevitable downfall of this giant elephant? Eventually, it will have to fall apart on its´own… Blessings everyone.
Hello Everyone.. this is my first comment on any such blogs… don’t want to get into any arguments …. i spoke to a few the names mentioned above …and i myself first hand got the answer from the so called senior tchrs mentioned above that nothing is wrong with them…. they are fit and fine… Yes there were certain concerns on health … but they all taken care and they are very well aware of what caused them and what has to be done… Seems utter nonsense is written above.. i dont know whether.. its lies…. fraud or both. Coming to HHSSRS, seems you guys have some crazy thinking on him and AOL folks….. I am with the organization for last 13 yrs and not a single time have i heard him or any senior tchr promising miracles…. Anyway there is no point elaborating .. further but for sure i can say all that you have written in above post is factually rubbish and incorrect…. and of course Lies.. which amounts to misleading and fraud… I personally have immensely benefited and my family too… all the people who have done the course with me or whom have taken up the course on my recommendation… I think its a group of a few people who is spreading this message of doubt and mistrust… anyway thats part of life… u are the not the first and i am sure u are not the last… there is a saying.. When Elephants walk .. Dogs Bark… but Elephants dont Change their Paths… So guys.. enjoy urself… and we enjoy ourselves… infarct a few friends the other day .. told me that they came on ur blog … read quite a few posts and now they are very curious to know and experience this AOL Course.. if nothing else i am very thankful… to you guys for increasing the curiosity of readers of this blog… see ya
@ happy
as usual Mr/ Mrs/ Ms Happy you live in your own world with your head up in the clouds just like the rest of still hardcore AOLites , living in denial.
Please get your facts right and look at these teachers lives, have a look at their medical reports as I have and get a reality check ….
These teachers are physically ill and need help. Instead of wasting your time reading these blogs and giving useless frivolous replies… go and do some seva to these teachers … as you people like to say
@happy
usual SSRS and AOL style…….push all the dirt under the carpet
@Murli : Grow up dude… stop advising people … what they should do … its good to keep your head high up and be proud of what you have experienced rather.. keep your head under the table and keep back biting about things… if you have problem come out in public challenge the people in court and lets see..
Also i Challenge you in front of all who are reading the blog.. give me one proof that you have the custody of any one teachers medical reports..Again i CHALLENGE YOU….Also read my comment properly .. ..give me anyone of these teachers are unhappy or have a problem with anyone…HHSSRS on their personal front. They are supper happy … and enjoying every moment of their life.. Its absolute craziness and stupidity to term someones happiness as misconception as you have no business to talk for others unless they have asked you to do so…
Again i can only say up GROW Up and come up with better ways of defaming anyone..Always remember a person in Innocent unless proven guilty…. so dude… till u come out and get things to public notice .. talk face to face or take anyone to the court of law we all just doing perfectly well… so you are the accuser and its ur duty and responsibility to prove your allegations…again not on the Blog but out in the Open… that too if you the guts to do so…
So stop blabbering get down to work and let us know when will u come with the media statement … we will be there…
Again just fyi Vinod Menon took a DSN in Guwahati Assam this week and he has a quite a few DSNs coming up, Ravindra Prasadji is taking additional responsibility in organization as we speak, Dinesh and Bawa just returned from Europe Trip of advance courses and DSNs and have a scheduled for next 3 to 4 months, Swami Pragaypad is also taking courses… and doing a lot of work and so on.. so who is ill ??? Seems its 100% ”YOUUU”………:)
@ Happy [June 2, 2012 1:35 pm]
— Again just fyi Vinod Menon took a DSN in Guwahati Assam this week and he has a quite a few DSNs coming up, Ravindra Prasadji is taking additional responsibility in organization as we speak, Dinesh and Bawa just returned from Europe Trip of advance courses and DSNs and have a scheduled for next 3 to 4 months, Swami Pragaypad is also taking courses… —
Do these courses you mention include “the hot seat” exercise ?
If they do, then how can you claim anyone conducting them is “well” ?
Do you think people who are “well” subject people to “the hot seat” exercise ?
Do you think humiliating people and encouraging all to humiliate is a sign of happiness and “wellness” ?
Do you think this sort of thing will lead to inner and world peace ?
If yes, then could please explain how humiliation leads to happiness ?
Perhaps you are aware of something that no one else in the entire world is aware of.
Also, are you aware that AoL took Skywalker to court and the defamation charge was dismissed ?
Have you read the parts of the judgment that speak of reference to individuals in AoL?
Are you an expert on legal issues are are you just making comments?
If you are a legal expert on defamation and freedom of expression, then why don’t you help AoL fight in court — in the open — not on a blog ?
@VSS : Seems that you have gone little cuckoo….cant help . The above mentioned info was meant was physical well being. Now since you dont have anything to say .. so you have come up something so crazy of a particular process which has nothing to do with the above post.
Coming to the Hot Seat Process… i dont know what nonsense Humiliation are you talking.. i have done DSN a few times and not a single time did i feel humiliated..In fact i feel much better after the process … as i came in terms with my short comings and i got exposed for things which i were not so good with me… Its just a process … to know that people can criticize you .. sometimes it will be right .. sometimes not.. you need to learn to take it rather than run away or get upset or feel Humiliated. I dont know a single DSN tchr who wants to Humiliate participants as an intention… he is just there to facilitate the well being of the participants…act like a mirror in front of them. so taht instead putting things under the carpet they take cognizance and better them…. but then there a few like you… who can tolerate themselves … and put the blame on others … that others Humiliate .. which is utter BS….
Coming to i being a legal person or not.. and how should i support AOL .. i think its best left to me and the organization… i dont need anyone advise… or consent.
At the last i would say VVS stick to the post if you can .. and reply in the same context to the comments for that particular post..I have read most of your post.. and seems that you just want to bash around and use foul language…and not blabbering…have nice day buddy…
@ Happy [June 2, 2012 4:20 pm]
Why are you so stressed out by mere words on a mere blog ?
How does it matter what anyone says, especially if that person is not sane?
Do you think you can cure a person of insanity through words?
How bizarre is that!
Let insane people say what they say. No insane person will ever listen to what a sane person is saying.
Don’t waste your precious energy.
Find sane people to invest it in. Seriously. Not kidding. Then you’ll have a very nice day. Sanity cannot be restored by words on a blog — he who thinks so is seriously mistaken. Your words are not working. They have no special powers whatsoever.
@ VSS “Do you think humiliating people and encouraging all to humiliate is a sign of happiness and “wellness” ?
Do you think this sort of thing will lead to inner and world peace ?”
What a great point! It’s a wonderful question. And the answer is so obvious.
Happy,
Nobody is buying the tired old “come out in court and prove it” b.s. Harshal and many other sick people from AOL have posted this exact same statement, trying to claim that everything on this blog is false unless it’s proven in court. What nonsense. One doesn’t need to expose his/her identity and come out in court to prove something is true. Nothing you have said can prove any of us wrong. Has AOL proven that sudarshan kriya hasn’t harmed people’s health?
I personally know of a senior teacher (who’s name I will not mention because I don’t want to get sued) who is having major health problems from years of sudarshan kriya. It’s easy to see that there are many cases of people suffering from sudarshan kriya. You can choose to live in denial (like I did once), or you can face the truth. Lastly, you don’t sound very happy in your somewhat abusive posts.
@ happy
your attitude is anything but ” happy” the name you have chosen
Expected outburst…. you never surprise us on this blog with any spiritual qualities of serenity and calmness…
For your information Swami Pragyapad had the heart attack when he was abroad. He was then sent to Pune by SSRS to rest .Vinodji’s blood pressure is still on the high. Right this moment Ravindra Prasadji is still at the Ayurveda Hospiatal near the ashram and is running a high fever.
Just because they are taking courses does not falsify the fact that swamiji had a heart attack or that Vinodji’s is unwell.
So many people who are not in AOL also have heart attacks or other ailments, also resume working a while later .
The point here is not that. The point here is that after practice of SKY , pranayama and meditation for so many years with the added “protection of Guruji’s grace” one would expect these people to be healthier . There are thousands outside AOL who have wonderful attitude to life and are very happy ( without even having heard about or done the AOL course).
Just wondering….Why SSRS allows his teachers to take treatment at the Ayurvedic hospital while all his family members starting with his mother many years ago who was admitted at Workhard and later Mallya, his aunt underwent surgery at Sagar Apollo, his brother-in-law few years ago and his father (Pitaji ) last year were admitted at Narayana Hrudayalaya.His sister Bhanu underwent sugery at Narayana Hrudayalaya recently at the beginning of this year.
We have never seen any of his family member at the Ayurveda hospitals ( except for massages at the panchakarma centre) . Even for minor ailments, have always seen the family consulting the local allopathic doctor in the city.
I am sure if SSRS gave sound advice to choose the best hospitals to his family members he can do the same to his devotees who have done so much for him ( especially since SSRS is god himself and his word is gospel to his followers and devotees)
Any sane person reading this negative blog knows that the only intention of this blog is to try to malign His Holiness SSRS and His organisation.
Art of Living International ashram in Bangalore has an emergency Alopathy Clinic which has tie up with Appolo hospitals. Know that SSRS has made health insurance for all full time teachers.
Know that there was no Ayurvedic hospital in ashram when SSRS’s mother died.
With half truth don’t confuse people. SSRS doesn’t need any thing from any body. If people do any thing, it is for their own pleasure.
No, any sane person reading this blog knows that the only intention of your comment is to try to project that this blog is only negative. Read through more of the posts and surely you’ll agree that many of us give credit to the good parts of the organization.
@ happy
Is ” challenge” a new course point introduced by SSRS in any of his courses.
Is SSRS offering a new course on law and filing cases in the court.
can you give solid proof that all of them are super happy…..
Just be super happy as you claim
@ Destiny [June 3, 2012 12:52 pm]
— Any sane person reading this negative blog knows that the only intention of this blog is to try to malign His Holiness SSRS and His organisation. —
Are you suggesting that the judges who dismissed AoL’s defamation charge are not sane ?
Is that your opinion of all judges in the United States or just those who dismissed AoL’s defamation charge ?
Would request you to read the documents located here before jumping to random conclusions:
https://aolfree.wordpress.com/support-our-defence-against-aol-lawsuits/
Further, if you’re so convinced that sane people would jump to the same conclusion as you, then why are you reading this blog and commenting here?
If you go to a lunatic asylum and say “any sane person will know that this is a lunatic asylum”, would that be a very sane thing to do? Would that suddenly cure inmates of the lunatic asylum of their lunacy? I don’t think so.
Dear “Happy”, If you are so ‘happy’ as you claim, go post your glowing happiness on a Pro-AOL blog, and sit and be joyous with your AOL friends. But I suspect you are anything but happy, or you would not be here on this blog reading and posting. You have seen something, felt something fak in the organization or from the ‘master’ and you are afraid deep inside. Keep your eyes open. Look carefully at everything in Art of Living. Get really close to Ravi Shankar. Live with him. Live with some of the senior teachers, don’t just ask them. They have to lie about how they feel. Don’t you yet realize this? This is my personal experience: Living with and observing senior most teachers, I found many of them to be smiling in public, and angry and insulting behind the scenes to each other. They were cruel. They were often very ill, and called it “taking others’ karma” when in fact they needed medical care. And some finally would seek it. Many of the people I knew in Art of Living, some of whom were senior teachers, have left. They left because of the workings of the Guruji and the inner circle. They (and I) found it to be corrupt, filled with hypocrisy, and not at all spiritual. Many people I know find it incredible that people (like you) are still taken in by such a behemoth of an organization and fail to see the signs. But I suppose if you are on the periphery, you wouldn’t. If you get close you will. And if you are close, you are simply lying here to try to re-convert people who have actually become happy, and walked away from Art of Living and all that sickness and corruption and it’s sad Master and the Saddest Swami (see the link to the right on this blog as to the kinds of things Ravi Shankar’s right hand men write! So not spiritual, dude.)
Read this entire blog. Get close to these people. Don’t ask them anything. Just watch. You will leave if you do this and you still have any thinking processes left and still have a heart left when they are done with you.
Jai Guru Dev (to the True Guru, not an imposter, thank you)
@ destiny
He has started health insurance now after several complaints from full timers at the
TRM ( teacher ‘s refresher meet). it was not his own idea…..
I am happy he has done at least that much , because he pays such a paltry amount as honorarium?
The full time teacher has a family to look after,with monthly expenses with so much inflation, pay school fees which are sky rocketing these days. Also mostly they are travelling and get to spend very little time with their family. Because if they do not travel they cannot earn extra percentage they earn from teaching the courses.Many of them know of the various irregularities in the organization , especially financial ones ,have even questioned SSRS about them but have not received any reply or have been shown the doors.
If they were working for any private company/MNC’s ( many of them have quit such jobs to be with SSRS) probably their financial condition would be much better or at least they would have an option to quit and find themselves another job.
Now even if they quit AOL, they will be nowhere because they now have been out of the job circuit and do not have market experience .They are therefore stuck with AOL with nowhere to go.
I know of so many full time teachers , with a family to support , with so much financial insecurity… but so sincere and devoted, committed to SSRS.
AOL as an organization is full of so many thousands of committed , dedicated and devoted people…. but sadly all their dedication is sadly misplaced with the undeserving SSRS.
@ destiny
Please as a seva why don’t you talk with a few full time teachers in an unbiased manner.
How unappreciated they feel after all the time and dedication shown towards the organization??
May you will get a better picture
But sadly I doubt that you will do it.
AOL takes care of the poor in those” so called 10,000 villages” or more but does not care about the well being of its prime income earners for the organization the teachers.
@Destiny
“Know that there was no Ayurvedic hospital in ashram when SSRS’s mother died”.
Were there no other Ayurvedic hospitals in Bangalore then. I know there were many.
@ anyone who is reading this thread
There are two issues that come to the fore, IMHO.
1. The allegation that this blog is negative.
This is a false allegation for the simple reason that the matter has already been taken to court and this allegation has been dismissed. This is a fact. A court of law went through all facts and arrived at the conclusion that this blog has the the right to critique AoL and refer to it as a dangerous cult, and it has the right to critique Mr. Ravi Shankar and refer to him as the leader of a dangerous cult.
Anyone who questions this right is completely ignorant about how the law works.
Usually, it’s members of AoL who are absolutely unable to accept the way the law works.
Sadly, this only proves that AoL is a dangerous cult, because it takes from people the ability to understand and accept the rule of law.
After the judgment, if anyone were to stand in court and say this blog is negative and make false accusations, they would be charged with contempt of court — probably be fined and probably even be imprisoned briefly if they’re not able to pay the fine.
The way AoL disconnects its members from the outside world is what makes it a dangerous cult.
Whether it is in the case of teachers who are genuinely well meaning and devoted people but have simply lost their chance to return to real-world careers or devotees who think that the rule of law does not apply to their cult and suffer from righteous indignation which they actively express on this blog — people in AoL get disconnected from the real world. This is precisely what happens in a dangerous cult. The dangerous cult creates an alternative world.
2. The allegation that anyone who is being critical of AoL is insane.
Again, this proves that AoL is a dangerous cult. In the absence an issue-based response, the members of AoL have no other defence to resort to except questioning the sanity of anyone who doesn’t have the same opinion about AoL as them.
This is, in fact, disastrous.
If devotees are being indoctrinated in such a manner, that the moment someone expresses dissent or an opinion that they cannot agree with, they lash out questioning the sanity of a person, then one can only derive from this behaviour the fact that — whatever AoL does — it is not making people more tolerant — or — appreciative of diversity.
If AoL is altering the definition of sanity in the minds of devotees to include only those who agree with them and to exclude those who don’t agree with them, then this is an alarming type of indoctrination — one that only a dangerous cult would attempt and succeed at.
And, this can neither lead to inner peace nor world peace.
Initially, I was told that only “fringe” elements make such accusations and question the sanity of those who critique AoL, and I accepted that.
In the last few days, I have noticed that almost all who represent AoL’s perspective on this blog question the sanity of the person who is critiquing AoL — some blatantly and others not so blatantly — but the underlying theme is the same.
Consequently, they are fast losing credibility. So is AoL.
If you’re in AoL and genuinely believe in AoL’s philosophy but are reading this blog silently, please share your thoughts. If you don’t, then those of us who are not in AoL will end up thinking that all in AoL have been indoctrinated to such an extent that their only defence of criticism is attacking the sanity of the critic. I, as a reader of this blog, request for your participation.