A Turning Point for Humanity
Click the link, and see the ambitions of Ravi Ravi and his braindead followers. Scary!
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Critique of The Art of Living, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
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Opinions expressed in this blog are an expression of free speech and are protected as free speech. At no time is any content posted by the blog creator knowingly false. Contents in this blog are not defamatory or intended with malicious intent but experiences of former and current members of the organization. Opinions expressed in articles and files on this blog are those of the contributors and those opinions may not necessarily be shared by anyone involved in the creation of this blog. Events described in this blog are as accurate as memory and recollection permit. The experiences described in this blog is unique to the authors. You may have a more or less satisfying experience with the Art of Living Foundation or its related organizations. If you wish to share your story, write to reklawyksekul@gmail.com.
Skywalker
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Once freedom lights its beacon in a man's heart, the gods (and gurus) are powerless against him.
Jean-Paul Sartre (and Skywalker)
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Beyond The Art of Living 
would be intersting to know how this got out, did they send it to insiders or large AOL teachers/volunteers group?
This is circulating among AOL members with letters encouraging them to come to Berlin and be part of history (again!!)
Proud to be an Indian đ Who cares what you all feel about it!!!
Sure me too very proud, but what being proud have anything to do with AOL/RS?
This is most funny, whenever AOL lackeys can’t answer simple questions they just try to hide behind Hinduism, India, whichever fits so that some one would voice their support. It doesn’t work – no body here is anti India or Hinduism or anything else you guys invent to create phony controversies – only against the fraud guru RS, who cheats the sincere seekers for money, fame and power.
What is the simple unanswered question? I assume it is about the knowledge, not about peripheral issues.
Why, when we click the link does it refer us to a “New York Times” article from 2011?? Who posted this? Clearly it’s a fake, since the date is wrong.
Sure it is fake made by some of delusional AOL swamis/gurus.
Read this post
It was done on european trm last month… too much!
one advice for u people.. if u dont know about something ,its better u keep quite. don reply, ask urselves what ur life is for.. i bet its for something better than just spreading rumours.
think u people r jobless.. go n do something good with ur lives
As a web seva warrior, you are absolutely doing wonderful Job! Keep it up. You will be rewarded with lot of guru’s grace.
@Anonymous
seems as if either u r quite new in AOL or quite young. Dear we can write so openly only because we earn and are not dependent on the Contract of IAOLF.
Give your every bit in AOL and you will come to know what is being discussed here.
“go n do something good with ur lives”
– We are doing exactly that, something good – let the gullible understand the traps of AOL cult.
Not just ‘good’. It is ‘noble’.
Remember bodhisattva’s noble vow: to liberate people’s minds.
This blog has already liberated a few.
Wishful thinking đ
Dear Art of Living Teacher,
UNIQUE HAPPENING â Art of Living Weekend
In preparation of the 30 years celebrations in Berlin from 2-4th July in 2011, a unique project has come out. During the Navaratri weekend on 15-17th October, each and every AOL Teacher will team up throughout Europe to organize an AOL course in each city. To that effect we are planning to have more than 1000 courses in 42 countries in Europe. What a wonderful and unique celebration that will be!
Imagine:
– How nice would it be to know that all of us are teaching at the same time sharing this wonderful knowledge!
– An unforgettable experience (documented in many ways, pictures and videos).
The Art of Breathing course has the priority for which there is a special fee structure: every participant paying full course price can bring 2 friends along free of charge. Let every teacher teach during that weekend Art of Breathing, Art of Yoga, Art EXCEL, YES, YES!+, NAP or BWS! We may reach out to 30,000 people across Europe!
There are a few actions to take:
1) Advertising – from the NATIONAL budget – put advertisements in yoga magazines
2) Book the halls for the programmes
To feel more connected to each other, we will follow the registrations to these special events online/website. Therefore we would like to ask you to send us the confirmations on the venues where the courses will be happening as soon as possible. We will also display the registered numbers continuously.
In the meantime we are working on different materials to provide you with.
In case you need any other support, please do not hesitate to contact us.
With Love,
Jai Guru Dev,
Events Office World Peace Festival – Berlin 2011
Tel: 00 497804 9739 6509
Fax: 00497804 9739 6519
Thanks Italy.
“every participant paying full course price can bring 2 friends along free of charge. ” Another desperate gimmick to combat falling enrolments, effectively the course fee is reduced to a third of its original.
BTW, how many were in your latest TTC batch?
It was around 300 on TRM as I heard and TTCs are around 30 tops. I am an ex FT.
Thanks Italy and welcome on board!
What’s so terrible about the “NYT’s” article? It’s just somebody making something up and having fun by imagining something positive, I guess. What’s the big deal?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/08/nobel.peace.prize.win/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1
Grand delusions will stay just as delusion. If one money can buy this?
M nt an AOL member… but why are you wasting your time in exposing an organisation… Why not you devote time in your spiritual growth???… N if Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji is not dat good, why not you become that good… Think about yourself man… Give something good to people on this planet…People won’t stop doing AOL courses by reading this blog, coz right now AOL is the best spiritual organisation… Come up with something better, if you can… N why r u making an issue if Sri Sri is God or not, everybody is God… Its shameful dat u can’t see God in any person, be it Sri Sri… Very bad! Is this your spirituality??
M nt an AOL member… but why are you wasting your time in exposing an organisation… Why not you devote time in your spiritual growth???… N if Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji is not dat good, why not you become that good… Think about yourself man… Give something good to people on this planet…People won’t stop doing AOL courses by reading this blog, coz right now AOL is the best spiritual organisation… Come up with something better, if you can… N why r u making an issue if Sri Sri is God or not, everybody is God… Its shameful dat u can’t see God in any person, be it Sri Sri… Very bad! Is this your spirituality??
hah gyani – we know you are an AOL member – don’t try to deny it đ
anyway, lets assume you are infact, not an AOL member. It is not that the sole purpose of our lives is to destroy AOL. Just because someone leads a spiritual organization, does not mean he is above critique or accountability.
why r u making an issue if Sri Sri is God or not, everybody is God.
Because we don’t use the notion of our godliness for pursuit of financial or political power. By, the way, since you have acknowledged me as god also, how about you listen to me, instead of Ravi Shankar. We are all gods after all – isn’t it ?
Truth is not as simple as religious dogma.
@Gyani:
###M nt an AOL memberâŚ###
Oh, yes. You are! I can smell it from here. See how this organization has helped your spiritual growth. You can’t even start a conversation without a lie. After all those years of lies, deception, backbiting, and exaggerated guru stories, you become so accustomed to lie that you start lying even when there is no need to lie.
Beyond a point all cult members start imitating their master. Number of long hair and beards and white dhotis you see in AOL are not by accident. These signs are telling you a story if you are willing to listen. So if the master has no compunctions in telling pointless lies – such as his advanced degrees at the age of 17 – why should his devotees have any such qualms?
###but why are you wasting your time in exposing an organisation⌠###
Exposing a corrupt organization is helping people from falling into its nefarious trap. Why do you think that saving an innocent person from the clutches of a cheat is not a spiritual deed?
###Why not you devote time in your spiritual growth???âŚ###
Maybe because our ideas of spiritual growth are different.
I pay my taxes honestly, do not hurt anyone, do not backbite, keep my neighborhood clean and generally try to help others and I consider it my spiritual growth.
When I was in AOL somewhere down the line, I had bought into a different notion of spirituality. In this modified version of spirituality, I could lie, cheat, backbite my friends and still lead a spiritual life as long as I was hyperventilating daily, not drinking alcohol, not smoking, not eating meat and above all was bringing more and more people to AOL courses. And I am sure that you still buy this notion of spirituality. You don’t have any qualms about starting a conversation with a patent lie but you consider yourself a spiritual person because you can persuade many people to buy AOL courses.
###N if Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji is not dat good, why not you become that good⌠###
Why should anyone even aspire to become like SSRS? I think even if you do not help a single soul on this planet, you are still better than SSRS, if you just refrain from cheating others in the name of spirituality.
###Think about yourself man⌠Give something good to people on this planetâŚ###
“tamaso maa jyotirgamaya” ia vedic ideal. People here are helping others see the light. That itself is a noble deed in the highest vedic traditions.
###âŚPeople wonât stop doing AOL courses by reading this blog,.###
Some will.
And even if you are able to save just one life that itself is a big accomplishment.
###..coz right now AOL is the best spiritual organisationâŚ###
Only if you buy into their definition of spirituality where your actions are irrelevant as long as you can bring enough people to AOL courses.
###⌠N why r u making an issue if Sri Sri is God or not, everybody is GodâŚIts shameful dat u canât see God in any person, be it Sri Sri⌠Very bad! Is this your spirituality??###
OK. Spirituality says that everybody is God.
Does it also say that some are more God than others? If not, then shouldn’t you ask your master also to some time drink dirty waters from washing of his students’ feet?
Good post Abilash,
@Gyani:
Why post here? How is it spiritual?
An actual spiritual person (not SSRS) once said this:
“A person who sees adharmic activity, something really wrong being done, and says nothing, does nothing, is the worst type of person. There is a special place in Hell reserved for that person.”
So those reporting their experiences of all the wrongs done to them, even if anonymously, are actually doing their dharmic duty, trying to let even one person know that what goes on in AOL is hurting others. If SSRS hurts even one person intentionally (and he has hurt many to save his own reputation from coming out), then he is not spiritual, but worldly, worrying about lokaishana (what do people think about me, me, me).
Get real close to SSRS, Gyani. Spend lots of time around him. Get to know him well. Then, when you have seen what and how he really is, report back here to criticize those of us who have been close and trampled on by him. Until then, you don’t know what you are talking about, through no fault of your own — you are clearly on the periphery of the organization and have had little or no personal contact with this man.
I don’t see what is wrong with the dream? Don’t you want everyone to be happy and peaceful and working for the welfare of society? Don’t you want more love in the environment?
I would rather appreciate if people actually posted about the effectiveness of the techniques taught by him (or the lack of) rather than making personal attacks on him. I hardly found any objective assessment of his teachings and techniques. Read the article by Richard Brown (of Columbia Univ.) on SKY. That seems like a more balanced view.
If you guys are not happy that RS is running AoL like a business, then why not compare AoL with companies like Pepsi, Coke, MacD? I guess you people will happily watch all the crap that goes on the TV shows, subsidized by these companies (thru advertisements) and merrily eat and drink the junk they sell and catch illnesses such as diabetes, depression and then keep running to the doctors, hospitals and insurance companies and get your bodies poked by needles endless number of times! Compare that with what you call delusion!!
Well said.
And I keep hearing about SSRS as a ‘God-Man’
First he is a Spiritual Master with followers. Hence he is a ‘Guru.’
In India a ‘Guru’ is the gateway to the ‘Divine.’
I’ve never seen or heard Sri Sri demean any religion, sect, organization or person.
People on this blog really need mental therapy..
We Wish You Well
…And if you don’t want to have Sri Sri as your Guru that’s fine…
You can still do the breathing techniques, meditation, knowledge sessions..etc..
Nobody forces anyone to follow Sri Sri as their Guru…
It is an all volunteer group…So you can voluntarily join or leave…Up to you
The campaign for stress free-violence free society is a front for what really is one man’s quest for personal power and fame. AOL’s vision of one world family is that everyone is part of their cult. I would rather have some stress in my life, than live in such a world where things run on one person’s whims and fancies. Life inside AOL gave me enough glimpse of that.
I have no problem with AOL being a business – I have a problem with hypocrisy – claiming to be non-profit volunteer based doing good on one hand, but acting like family business of RS& co. on the other.
Anyway, AOL is free to conduct their business, no one is stopping them. We are just critical of the product. What is so wrong about that ?
Oh Yes Geronimo….We are seeking fame and $$$$ you conspiracy goat….
All of you sound like uneducated gutter disgraceful bitter cancer patients…..
Improve yourself and stay away from negativity..
We Wish you well!!!
Oh Yes GeronimoâŚ.We are seeking fame and $$$$ you conspiracy goatâŚ.
Don’t lose your personal identity and start speaking as “we” only. This is not good for you in the long run.
(From someone who has been there, done that.)
@jacob — take your own advice and don’t post here — stay away from negativity. If you are so completely happy with AOL, and so positive, why bother with all the negativity you perceive in the hard truths posted here about your little master? Your comments show just how insecure and frightened the group really must be. And all because of one little blogspot. Silly.
wow Jacob..strong words from a ‘positive’ spirit such as you! Smarten up and see the angles before you try and lead the sheep, would ya? We ‘read the papez’..and by ‘we’ I am referring to ‘people’, not anti aol or hardcore aol devotees..and it’s none of your beezwax where I stand, either. But criticisms are everyone’s business so…let’s jjust walk on by if we don’t like what we see here…and that wasn’t a hint. Refer to :’seeing the angles”
AOL rejects are freaking hilarious!!!!
You rejects talk about how much AOL makes and yet you have a tab asking for $$$$ to defend against AOL Lawsuits…ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..
This would be hehaw funny if it weren’t so sad.
Keep up with the marvelous conspiracy theories…..
And we’ll keep prospering, improving lives around the world – While you can be bitter inside while saying you’re not.
We wish you Well… đ
@ Jacob — who is this “we”? What a joke. And “we” are also on your collective minds continuously, even though many of us left years ago and are happy to see recent departees of AOL speak up for the first time! You are terrified of these blogs. Talk about cowards? Ask Ravi Shankar if during the process of these lawsuits he will be willing to do full disclosure of AOL, himself, and appear in court to testify. He will have to lie, or else he will lose most of his Indian following if he is truthful. He has even said as much privately — that if he is truthful with his Indian followers, they will all leave him! Talk about cowardice! The “collective you” that is AOL and SSRS, the One Mind Cloned Beings in white dresses, are just a joke. There is no success in ripping people off on any level. So don’t consider your collective selves so successful — just clever con-artists. There have been and will always be many of those on earth, all bragging about how ‘successful’ they are. But that kind of success is just a huge failure. Give time some time and find out.
“You rejects talk about how much AOL makes and yet you have a tab asking for $$$$ to defend against AOL LawsuitsâŚha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.”
Is this “ha ha” the same as earlier one? Or is he a new “ha-ha”?
Ha Ha Harshal? đ
The “ha ha ha” must be an AOL assassin thing.
this is insane! i was there it rained the whole time and theres no way there was more than 10 000 people there (huge overestimation I think )