Ha! I found a lot of "JAGAD GURU'S" on YouTube. I thought there could only be one guru of the universe? Oh well...Will the real one please stand up!? (For those of you who remember "What's My Line" game show ~ really, really old school kids!) But I can just imagine a panel of Jagad Gurus (Chris would be the only one who was self-proclaimed) with Betty White, Will Ferrel, Bill Maher, and Mr Bean trying to guess the real one!
I found one Jagad Guru that is a real Rock Star! This guy gives Butler a run for his money! Anyway, his kirtan made me smile. I would never join his cult because I detest wearing the color yellow. Anyone who knows me on this forum also knows I am a great fan of the hilarious movie Religulous. That said, I found this guru quite charming.
ROCK STAR JAGAD GURU and
JAGAD GURU ROCKSReminds me of Queen "We Will Rock You!" if they were all devotees....LOL.
You can see the mesmerizing appeal of kirtan. All religions have beautiful music and its fun to get together and sing as a community. I like this as much as Handel's Messiah flash mobs in malls. I looked for dirt on this guru and found a complaint when he was in his 80's, but the charges of rape were dropped. At any rate, he is a good contrast to Butler. He travels with his wife and children. He has lived a transparent and accessible life for decades, done charitable acts, teaching, building temples. He shares the kirtans with women singers and teaches both men and women. He doesn't have a lot of western followers. He seems to be more about the Vedas, and Radha Krishna than himself. This guy is in his 90's and still teaches. Seems to be a sort of televangelist in India. He now uses an electric wheel chair decorated like a Vyas Asana. Too funny. I haven't investigated this guy enough to determine if he runs a dangerous cult or not. I am just comparing and contrasting a few points with the Butler group.
Butler doesn't hold a candle to this guy. Butler's videos and writings are from when he was a young man. Now that he is old there is nothing new. He doesn't get out and inspire his flock with kirtans and other related practices of his religion. He is not available to the public and secretly lives the life of the Godfather of the Gabbard dynasty messing in politics rather than spreading Bhakti Yoga.
I am not saying Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is for real or not, but he seems to be following the spiritual path laid out by his ancestors and culture. He didn't take sanyas and then steal the wife of a disciple like Butler.
I also found a recruitment video of the Butler group from the Island of Kauai. Notice it has no mention of Chris Butler or Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda. Just pretty music and images advertising a free Sunday dinner. Oh it sounds and looks so wonderful until you get sucked in.... as over 300 pages on this forum have proved.
BUTLER RECRUITMENT VIDEO