According to one witness the revered founder of the entire yoga network, Satyananda Saraswati, was also abusive, not just 'Shishi' the sadistic supervisor of the Mangrove Yoga ashram. He created his own franchise, Bihar Yoga. Reports now coming out about Satyananda Saraswati -- and calls to boycott his literature until reparations are made. ;* Straight Google search on
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Baba Muktananda also concealed his tantric background. An article about Muktananda's Kashmiri Shaivite background by Sarah Caldwell. Muktananda was close friends with Werner Erhard, founder of Erhard Seminar Trainings, currently known as Landmark Education. Those who were involved with Muktananda and who later left, reported that Muk incorporated Large Group Awareness Train
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Kashmir, where Shavite Tantrism was practiced was not too far from Swat, the area where another tantric, Padmasambhava lived before going into Tibet. One can find an article about Swat and Padmasambhava and the regions Buddhist history in Alice Albinia's book, Empires of the Indus. Albinia noted that Swat had a spooky reputation in the old days, precisely because it was an area where ri
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Kashmir, where Shavite Tantrism was practiced was not too far from Swat, the area where another tantric, Padmasambhava lived before going into Tibet. QuoteA footnote to thepublished talk, which appeared in the October 1982 issue of the ashrampublication, the Siddha Path, (along with the eerie announcement thatBaba had “taken mahasamadhi,” i.e., died, on 2 October), informs usthat “his is know
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Concerning Naked Yoga...another venture offered this. Read here. Now, to the matter of secrecy in Muktananda and Gurumayi's Siddha Yoga and SYDA Yoga respectively. Sarah Caldwell, a former devotee of Siddha Yoga, wrote an article entitled The Heart of the Secret, well worth reading. QuoteThe seeds Baba (Muktananda) planted have not withered away, however. Today,nearly twenty years a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

William Broad just dropped a bomb today in the NY Times science section about why there are so many sex scandals among yoga instructors, and cites Swami Muktananda and Satchitananda, as well as a Western yoga instructor. He traces yoga's roots back to tantra. This is what my research has turned up, as well. The yoga postures were originally designed to prepare the body for tantra. Yoga,
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Kalachakra--a discussion thread Earlier discussions centered upon a paper by Sarah Caldwell analysing patterns of deceit in Hindu Tantra and the covenience of designating doe eyed malleable femals as the ideal consorts.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Very eye-opening literature you quoted here! The tantric Buddhism is based on that hinduistic tradition of the left handed Tantra. You look at all the high Tulkus as there are Ringpoches, Karmapas, Dalai Lamas etc. and all of them have practiced that on the way of their enauguration. And you listen to them as a devotee and expect ethical guiding! What Caldwell at least found out for herself
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Caldwell now examines Campbell's decriptions via Traveller in Space. QuoteJune Campbell, an academic who faced similar, though more severe problems in her own life as a long-time intimate devotee of the late Tibetan guru Kalu Rinpoche, has written in depth about the psychological and moral issues raised by Tantric practices of Asian gurus in Western contexts. Campbell speaks candidly
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

And, Caldwell tells us Muktananda seemed to like warrior toys and behaviors. QuoteOn reading this passage, I assumed that Baba was in the latter category, but that due to karmic impressions of former lives, he was attracted to the vira practice of the Shakta rituals. After all, he had always liked strong, heroic, passionate people, and seemed to relish working with violent, difficult devo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quote“One should choose females who are most wise, virtuous, with slender eyes, having a wondrous dignified face, and aged from 12 to 16, or 20 if difficult to obtain. Females over 20 are used in other seals (mudra) because it will make all the stages of practice impossible to attain. One’s sisters, daughters, or wife are offered to the teacher.” (Tsongkhapa, Extended Treatise on the Progression
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Letters to Salon.com concerning Eat, (Pay to Pray)Love One person wrote QuoteWhich would mean that whatever big bang experience the author had was rooted in the ashram atmosphere (don't under-estimate the power of pretty pictures, smiling faces, exotic incense, and tinkly music), not an actual face-to-face with the guru. Did the EPL author actually meet GM in India? Or afterwar
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

What went on during Muktananda's 'reign' has producted some very insightful memoir material. Many who seek, entering the seekers circuit and make their way to or are recruited for gurus are persons sincerely trying to find a sense of power, dignity and agency. To be told they were exploited via tantra can be so unbearable that many would rather convince themselves they were em
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

American Tantric Dissimulation--Hiding the Actual Source of Influence From the RR.com message board, I would like to add a further comment to Chapter 43 on Janaki's blog--Am I Whacky? To Janaki: Just wait. Sooner or later the inevitable guru apologist (s) will arrive and claim that its only our own craving minds that cause all the trouble. No, friend. The problem is not our crav
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteAnonymous said... *eyes popping* reiki and meditation sessions to stop the new yorker article from being published? that... I mean. Wow. I am. Speechless. Not just the New Yorker article, Gurumayi had her tantric staff, doing mojo, to try to stop Sarah Caldwell from presenting the fatefaul and damaging info at the Academic Religious Scholars Conference, where the SY schola
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The Hidden Unspoken Ingredient of the Siddha Spell? Since there was earlier discussion on this thread that related to how some crossed over from Siddha/SYDA Yoga (often abbreviated as 'SY') to other LGATs and even to BK, I researched some ancient SY dialogues posted on AOL between 1995/6 and found some intriguing material. This can be read on this thread. SY survivors st
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Stuart wrote: "And even then, very very few people were affected." and "It's misleading to talk about "powerful methods," when the fact is that the methods used by Muktananda etc had no major lasting effect on 99% of the people who met him." That is interesting, given that we have had at least three discussion fora dedicated to SY--Leaving SY, Marta Sza
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Muktananda and Werner Erhard Stuart's website as of this morning (june 29, 2008) mentioned this "LGATs (Large Group Awareness Trainings) were all the rage when I was growing up in the 70s. They include Werner Erhart's now-defunct est, its successor The Forum (aka Landmark Education), Lifespring, and many spin-offs. I've never attended these, **though the many Intens
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

An article today about the missing woman: Transcript This is a transcript from PM. The program is broadcast around Australia at 5:10pm on Radio National and 6:10pm on ABC Local Radio. You can also listen to the story in REAL AUDIO and WINDOWS MEDIA formats. Chris Rau disappointed inquiry will be held in privatePRINT FRIENDLYEMAIL STORY PM - Tuesday, 8 February , 2005  18:14:00 Reporter:
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

(note: the website article included photographs and links to videotapes, which could not be included.) an article describing problems in Muktananda's career and the consequences of his secretive use of energetic practices can be found here: The Heart of the Secret: A Personal and Scholarly Encounter with Shakta Tantrism in Siddha Yoga Sarah Caldwell (Caldwell was dedicated memb
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"