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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: corboy ()
Date: February 05, 2012 08:11AM

On Page One of the Loving Hut thread of the Plant Based People website, one member wrote this:

The SF one had a video loop of Supreme Master stuff playing.

I don't really know much about the Supreme Master but cults are not something I would want to support. Cults are generally abusive of their members and don't allow freedom and often require members to donate all their money.

I don't know if that's what is happening here- I would investigate before spending my money there again though.


[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

And another user posted a Plant Based People thread on this same subject here--noting Ching Hai's wealth.

[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

"Cult" usually refers to a religious organization that isolates its members and encourages to give all of themselves to the cult with no regard for their own lives or their families. (some technical definitions of cults just talk about the size of the group: if you're small, you're a cult; if you're big, you're a religion; I think that's not how most people understand the word colloquially, though.) I think it's a little disingenuous to say that's comparable to a mainstream religion, most of which don't even control their members' lives for an hour a week, and almost all of which encourage community and non-isolation.

That being said, I'm not sure what makes this a cult rather than just a religious movement guided by a guru. Reply With Quote .


page 2

[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

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01-20-2011, 11:35 AM #25 KaliMama
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someday maybe

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Join Date:Sep 2007
Location:wheels on the ground
Posts:9,794Shady business dealings, law-breaking, and outrageous outfits, maybe. ~WARNING: this post may contain jokes~ Reply With Quote .
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01-20-2011, 11:36 AM #26 gladcow
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Awssa

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Join Date:Sep 2003
Location:Oregon
Posts:15,446true, true. I tend to let my annoyance with religion color things a bit. I think a lot of modern religious interpretation is a lot more like a cult than I am comfortable with, though.

Master Ching Hai is a cult. They do control their members' lives. They do tell them what to do (for a job, and how much to meditate, and where to live). The memebers sign up for it, sure. But, it's still a cult in the end. everyone's right and no one is sorry. that's the start and the end of the story. Reply With Quote .
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01-20-2011, 12:01 PM #27 grog
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we are borg

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Join Date:Mar 2004
Location:Chico, CA
Posts:12,593the employees are really nice. they work for below minimum wage and send all their money to their master. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? - Gandalf the Grey Reply With Quote .
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01-20-2011, 01:00 PM #28 Mahk
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Plant-Based Person

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Posts:1,188^Grog, I can't tell if you are being serious or not. Are you? Fight pseudoscience! It harms and kills both people and animals. Reply With Quote .
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01-20-2011, 01:12 PM #29 Ariann
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Plant-Based Person

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Join Date:Feb 2003
Location:EWR (Union County, NJ)
Posts:3,166 Originally Posted by KaliMama
Shady business dealings, law-breaking, and outrageous outfits, maybe.
Which makes you a law-breaker and eccentric (not sure what outrageous outfits has to do with the other two), not a cult-leader.

Gladcow and grog, that's helpful. It's hard to find actual information about these people. (Teaching people a particular method of meditation, though, is not a symptom of cultishness.) Reply With Quote .
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01-20-2011, 01:16 PM #30 gladcow
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Awssa

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Join Date:Sep 2003
Location:Oregon
Posts:15,446I know someone who used to belong. But, I'm not sure how much they would want me to share

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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: corboy ()
Date: February 05, 2012 08:29AM

On Page One of the Loving Hut thread of the Plant Based People website, one member wrote this:

The SF one had a video loop of Supreme Master stuff playing.

I don't really know much about the Supreme Master but cults are not something I would want to support. Cults are generally abusive of their members and don't allow freedom and often require members to donate all their money.

I don't know if that's what is happening here- I would investigate before spending my money there again though.


[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

And another user posted a Plant Based People thread on this same subject here--noting Ching Hai's wealth.

[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

http://www.plantbasedpeople.com/showthread.php?t=17371&page=3

We had a local vegan restaurant called Alice & Friends. It was kinda quirky and they had the "Supreme Master" on a little TV running nonstop with some lit but it was relegated to the lobby. Recently they completely renovated the place though with the new Loving Hut brand and it became lucidly obvious that this is full blown cult action. Giant TV screens with her propaganda continuously blasting with weird literature and zombied staff. I've heard rumors that the staff volunteers but it's unsubstantiated so far. I've been keeping an eye on this restaurant chain but for the most part I stay the hell away just like with the other cult favorite (har har) Sri Chinmoy's Victory's Banner restaurant .


Originally Posted by vegankitty
Apparently a recent issue of Veg News had an article that was unflattering to the Supreme Master.
The article in question was published in the September/October issue of VegNews and it was called Supreme Mystery[www.scribd.com] written by Abigail Young. Me, busy being "not vegan" missed the drama but recently caught up. Soon after the article was published, woo-master supreme himself Will Tuttle blasted away with his Open Letter [worldpeacediet.org] VegNews publishers and an Open Letter to the Vegan, Vegetarian, and Animal Liberation Communities [worldpeacediet.org] upon his Critique of the VegNews article, “Supreme Mystery”.[worldpeacediet.org] he didn't stop there though. He went on Go Vegan Radio (5 September 2010, 12 September 2010 shows) [www.goveganradio.com] he and Bob Linden hurled every known unfounded despicable charge they could muster calling the article racist, sexist and violent. I was appalled that a supposedly enlightened peace activist would toss around those accusations so flippantly. It's quite an embarrassing display for Tuttle and it speaks volumes on the nature of that newage hippie guru.

Here's a single post blog erected to elicit comments on the issue (oh, the yuks abound!): Suprememystery's Blog
[suprememystery.wordpress.com]

Here's an online petition to publish Will Tuttles screed in VegNews: Ask VegNews to Print new Loving Hut article by Will Tuttle!

[www.thepetitionsite.com]

Anyway so as you can tell I've been looking in depth into the issue but I've hit a brick wall. I reached out to Abigail at VegNews in part to throw her support in light of the avalanche of critics and in part to get her reaction. The email autoreplied with a message saying she was no longer there. I sent an email to the VegNews referral but there was no response. I finally did find her on teh FaceBooks and sent a message there but now I'm feeling like a stalker. I hope her disappearance from VegNews has nothing to do with this but now I'm really curious!

If anybody has any leads or knows something I'd be interested in hearing from you.

message # 37

magazine I read - I can't remember if it was Vegetarian Times or Veggie Life - had an article recently (like 5 months ago?) about the Ching Hai restaurants/cult. There were some illegal happenings mentioned in there - from what I remember it was stuff like building without permits, etc.

About Sri Chinmoy - there was a Sri Chinmoy restaurant in Kingston called Lotus Heart Blossom, and I used to go there because they were the only veg restaurant in town and had excellent food. We went there for a birthday party once and all the staff came out in their saris and sang a song that went "we wish you a happy birthday. we love your heart's rainbow dreams!"

The end.

Message #38

Originally Posted by Dandelion

Has anybody noticed any followups in VegNews? Yall just gotta have dozens of issues lying about.
Oh yeah, they got about 50/50 love/hate letters! and published some of the prime one.

I thought is was a fairly balanced article. Really could have been much worse. But her supporters, in true cult fashion, truck no criticism.

Vegan Kitty summed it up in message # 47

[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

My point is that we shouldn't accept a group simply because they are vegan. Many of us would question this type of organization if they weren't promoting something we happen to agree with.

And in message 71 gladcow wrote

[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

I'm not interested in convincing you, Shawn.

I believe Loving Hut & Supreme Master to be a cult organization. Based on what I heard from a friend who belonged bit doesn't anymore. This friend corresponded with me about these things during their time at the facility. It's my opinion they are a cult. I'm entitled to that. I don't have links, because what I know is personal.


Rick Green wrote #93

[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

Hi everybody.
I guess I'm the guy with the inside scoop on Loving Hut and Supreme Master Ching Hai. I was in the group for aboiut ten years. When I first joined VRF I was a kind of monk living on a kind of ashram in Florida. I haven't read all of the discussion here yet but I will now. I think The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association (SMCHIA) can certainly be classified as a cult. I don't really think that's the main point. The main point to me is what does the cult stand for, what does it do, does it help or harm people...pragmatic questions I guess. It's complicated. But I'll start reading what you guys said and respond to that. Just wanted to chime in first. BTW hi. long time no see.


and

No problem. Glad to be back. You guys are cool.
About Lovin' Hut and SMCHIA, I was in the group for ten years and I still don't know what to think. I mean weather it's good or bad on balance. Very complicated calculus there and not enough information on what's really going on.
For instance the SM's finances. I don't know where they come from. My current theory is that the entire group is a branch of the Taiwanese organized crime slash government elite. But that's pure speculation. And even if that were the case it wouldn't necessarily invalidate the group. The people at the grassroots, many of them anyway and for a period of my life me among them, get a lot of psychological benefit from the group. I mean the meditation makes you feel good. And the metaphysical doctrine of absolute salvation and liberation from painful rebirth and lifetimes of suffering, etc....it has its appeal.
The people who work at Loving Hut probably see it as an honor. You could never convince them that they are being exploited. There is a value system completelyu at odds with the mainstream. There is a metaphysical, spiritual economy in these people's minds that trumps and considerations of material, capitalist economy or whatever.
All of this is just to say that the situation is complicated. I find the SMTV broadcast terribly embarrassing and I know people from Loving Hut from when I used to be in the group. That's why I don't like to eat there. But I do so from time to time. I'm not opposed to them on principle. I mean this is America after all--the place where everybody came to practice their weird religions and cults. This stuff is in our national dna, you know? Freedom of religion...as long as there's nothing super wrong, embrace the weirdness?? That's what I used to tell myself anyway. Now I just ignore the weirdness for the most part.


and Miso Vegan wrote #110

quit going to Domino's that day. (Long before I was vegan, mind you.)
I stopped going to Loving Hut when I decided that SMCH's reported wealth is not something I want to contribute to.


beforewisdom wrote in #111

I can understand both of those things. While they don't appear to be doing any harm, I too am offended by SM Cha-ching's wealth. My own philosophy is that once basic needs are met a certain amount of wealth beyond that will increase happiness, but beyond a certain point it really doesn't do that anymore. A so called spiritual leader not seeing that gives me a "wtf" response.

Comparisons with other cult group restaurant businesses

X commented regarding a Hare Krisna ISKON restaurant#112

Ariann, I hope i didn't offend you by what I said about religion and marriage. Like I said, it wasn't so much what you said but how you said it. But we straightened that out.

I don't know what to think. I just got a creepy vibe-similar to the one I got at Govinda's, a Hare Krishna run restaurant in Miami. Maybe it was just that branch. I liver in a city with enough vegan options I don't have to go there.


And in message #114 another person summed it up

Quote
Kat About Sri Chinmoy - there was a Sri Chinmoy restaurant in Kingston called Lotus Heart Blossom, and I used to go there because they were the only veg restaurant in town and had excellent food. We went there for a birthday party once and all the staff came out in their saris and sang a song that went "we wish you a happy birthday. we love your heart's rainbow dreams!"

The food was good there and I know that they once got a complaint that the restaurant was too clean!
However, I once lived in the building where the restaurant was and where the owner and a few staff also lived. While the appeared to be very pleasant and happy people this was not true as I observed them. A nightmare happened to me there. My 22 year old (who lived elsewhere) died. At the same time we realized that my downstairs door buzzer wasn't working. People were coming to see me and I didn't know they were there. The owner/landlord did not think there was any reason to get it fixed right away. When I objected that I very much needed that buzzer at that time I was confronted with the most outrageous and hysterical outburst I've ever seen. Luckily, I had a witness. When we buy from these cult based businessess we are enriching that cult...not something I want to do. [/i


[www.plantbasedpeople.com]

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boycott LOVING HUT plantbasedpeople.com -Ching Hai slave labor
Posted by: The Anticult ()
Date: February 06, 2012 01:00AM

That review by the waiter who got fired tells it all.
Ching Hai Loving Hut volunteer slave labor.
They want people to work for as close to free as possible, and will break labor laws to do it.

Be certain that Ching Hai followers would not get any money, and lose money to work there. Its like Scientology.

This is why one should never support these cults by buying their food or services, as they exploit people worse than any ruthless corporation, and send the money to the multimillionaire cult leader.

Why can't there be a non-sectarian ethical Vegan restaurant? That is where one should go to buy veggie.
Not the Loving Hut Ching Hai volunteer slave labor commune, and some of those people are calling for a Loving Hut boycott.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2012 01:03AM by The Anticult.

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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: corboy ()
Date: February 06, 2012 10:31AM

No wonder CULTS are getting into the vegan food game.

Vegans form a lucrative niche market and one full of people willing to put up with a lot
( or ignore a lot) in order to find someplace to eat.

Many go vegan for ideological reasons; still others do it for health and are influenced by the China Study. (Pseudoscientific, BTW)

[www.google.com]

This means veganism is a seller's market. Vegans want to be able to eat out - lunch near work, go out to dinner and will be willing to make allowances for a place that gives a welcome sanctuary.

Especially if they live in areas where vegan dining options are few or non existent.

Its relatively easy to find vegan options if one lives in a large and cosmopolitan area with plenty of Chinese, South Asian and Indian restaurants.

But what happens if you're in a smaller town or a part of the country thats mostly carnivore?

One is stuck eating at home or must have the resources and discipline to plan ahead and pack a lunch. This gets tiresome.

Look at the situation with the vegan Cafe Gratitude set up. (Landmark)

[www.google.com]

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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: Ocean_Of_Lies ()
Date: February 09, 2012 12:15AM

Look at this funny trick from SMTV, in their endless attempt to launder Ching Hai.
Hey Matthew, what did you say about copyright infringement? ;)

[scam360.com]

Wow wow wow... a true real famous anti-scam website is warning us about many scams on some "heroes" like Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, and Ching Hai...

Yeah, that's "Ching Hai" next to Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa. Of course, she is at least as famous as these 2 other guys whom everybody know about. Really? You didn't know about her? Did you live in a bunker during these last 20 years? That's Supreme Master Ching Hai man! Seen on TV!

Oh, and please don't click on the links of the other scams. Or if you do, please do not pay attention to the address bar. Yeah yeah, I know, all the other scams have an other address. That's because... you know, Ching Hai is a so powerful and famous spiritual leader that she deserved a special domain name only for herself (yeah, of course, AND the 2 other guys, even if they just deserve a few lines...). But it is the same website, believe me.

Don't tell www.419legal.org ;)

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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: Ocean_Of_Lies ()
Date: February 13, 2012 02:07AM

Here is an almost exhaustive résumé of what have been said : Waiter, There’s Woo in My Food, Part 2: Supreme Master Ching Hai on Skeptical Vegan. Published last week. No mention of this thread... Anyway, it's good to see some movement.

These last 2 months there have been other new articles in english and vietnamese, I will add them soon.

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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: Ocean_Of_Lies ()
Date: February 13, 2012 02:14AM

Waiter, There’s Woo in My Food, Part 2: Supreme Master Ching Hai

[skepticalvegan.wordpress.com] [www.webcitation.org]

The subject of the second post in my “Waiter, There’s Woo in My Food” series will be instantly recognizable to many vegans, Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Supreme Master Ching Hai (SMCH) presides over a multi-million dollar empire encompassing hundreds of meditation centers, her own fashion and jewelry lines, her own line of faux meats, and hundreds of vegetarian and vegan restaurants worldwide including the largest vegan chain, Loving Hut. A teacher of the Quan Yin Method of meditation who promotes veganism to her followers, Hai is more than a mere spiritual guide. She is billed as the “Supreme Master”, “god’s direct contact” who can show you how too release the master within. She is venerated by her many followers who eagerly buy up her photographs, artwork, spiritual paraphernalia and other merchandise. Her magical candy can reportedly even heal people. A controversial figure to say the least, her past is fraught with questions both over her purported origins* and her actions.

A VegNews article in the October 2010 issue titled Supreme Mystery suggested Hai to be a cult** leader. Hai’s followers responded quite vocally, tossing accusations of slander and bigotry on the author, Abigail Young, and the magazine. Some went so far as to allege that the article was a hit piece paid for by the meat industry or that it was an act of vengeance. Will Tuttle, author of The World Peace Diet, also jumped into the fray lending his support to Hai and calling the article an act of violence, but of course Tuttle is no stranger to Hai. VegNews defended their decision to run the article and published letters from both sides of the controversy in a subsequent issue. Joseph Connelly, publisher of VegNews, described the resulting flood of mail, “The feedback generally fell into two different categories, those that felt the article was even-handed, almost neutral. And feedback coming almost exclusively from within the Loving Hut organization that was critical of us.” I was personally not at all impressed with the content of the rebuttals offered by Tuttle or Hai’s followers, though I encourage my readers to read the original article and responses themselves and decide.

One of the more damning charges against Hai in the VegNews article is that her followers destroyed a swath of protected seagrass and coastal mangrove, encroaching upon the Biscayne Bay National Park when they illegally constructed an artificial island with a 350 foot board walk leading out to it. Three comfortably stocked RVs and a 50 foot aviary were found onsite at the future retreat as well. The adjacent property owned by Hai under the alias Celestia De Lamour, one of her numerous Florida waterfront properties, was seized and resold to help partially pay for the repairs. Officials estimated the damages to exceed a million dollars but Hai was nowhere to be found. One of the laborers who was also charged in the case went missing, believed to have fled the country. Hai’s followers and apologists claim that this was merely the result of a misunderstanding over property boundaries though a quick look at Florida law indicates that is likely still not an adequate defense for this illegal construction and environmental damage. If Hai did ever pay for the damages she would do herself a favor by publicizing it, perhaps a nice donation to Biscayne Bay National Park and Palmetto Bay Branch Library which now inhabits the property. This incident was not Hai’s only property troubles either.***

Hai’s followers like to call attention to the organizations charity work and generous donations. While admirable, such donations can often serve a double purpose as a form of advertisement for the group. Not all organizations have been so quick to accept Hai’s money, in 1996 President Clinton’s legal defense fund refused more than $600,000 in donations for the questionable, possibly fraudulent, way in which the funds were gathered. In 2001 UNICEF also turned down a $100,000 donation from Hai’s organization after looking into the organization.

Hai’s organization is adamant that it will not accept donations, claiming to fund her activities primarily through Hai’s artistic work, though this has been questioned as a mere matter of semantics. The up-keep of local meditation centers is donation based and property is also sometimes donated. Follower also will donate to causes in Hai’s honor buying her further credibility. The inflated price of some of her merchandise and encouragements for member to buy books to donate to others can also be seen as back door donations. It should however be noted that there is no franchise fee for opening a Loving Hut instead groups of local devotees pooling together their savings to fund their own Loving Hut location. There are just some simple rules including that the food be vegan and about the decor, Ching Hai pictures appear to be mandatory. This may make it appear that she profits very little from the vast enterprise but critics claim that this is simply a tactic that shifts the economic and legal risk onto the backs of individual followers and still allow for locations to serve as points of first contact for potential initiates and some as retail outlets for her merchandise. Loving Hut locations are also encouraged to buy faux meats from EcoVegan, Hai’s own company, further sweetening the deal. A few former workers at Loving Hut have also levied various complaints including mismanagement, withholding tips, tax irregularities and utilizing underpaid and unpaid labor. In 2010 the Loving Hut in France was investigated for illegal and unethical business practices such as using undocumented & unpaid labor resulting in 9 arrests. Later that year Hai herself was arrested along with some of her followers at a posh villa in Italy. Investigators seized a luxury sports car, 40,000 euros, and at least 8 illegally imported Macaws and a veritable “Noah’s Ark” of animals. I wonder if those illegal Macaws were rescues?

Supreme Master Television (SMTV), Hai’s own 24/7 satellite and online network, is instantly recognizable to anyone who has eaten at one of her restaurants. Said to be funded by Hai herself, SMTV uses volunteer labor and there have even been accusations of marriage fraud to retain foreign workers. SMTV was broadcast & subtitled in over 40 languages, it went off the air this year but the video archives remain available. Programing included environmental politics, vegan cooking demonstrations, self-referential human interest stories, spiritual addresses and lectures, musings about “science” and occasional teleconferences with Ching Hai herself. I am no stranger to SMTV, I discovered it a number of years ago while eating at Golden Era in San Francisco, one of Hai’s many restaurants. It seems most locations associated with Hai have a TV set, often times a big screen, tuned to SMTV all day. I was first drawn in by a video demonstrating an egg-free “meringue” product that I had never seen. Imagine that, vegan baked Alaska! But after the cooking demonstration and a few feel-good stories I began to notice it getting weirder and weirder. I was already sketched out by the level of praise heaped upon this colorful guru, treating her as a god. Continuing to watch the occasional video at home over time only strengthened that feeling.

SMTV programming and Hai’s lectures often have a decidedly pseudo-scientific angle. One example is the credulous reporting of Dr. Hubers unsupported claims of a dangerous “micro fungus” in glyphosate-tolerant GE crops. Hai’s own lectures on genetic engineering also repeat many myths and falsehoods, for example that inserting animal derived genes into plants, setting aside the fact that no such products are on the market, will result in vegetables that cause obesity, heart disease, strokes and “have similar effects” to meat. Hai also teaches her followers that living without eating or drinking is possible and promoted the breatharian author and obvious fraud Jasmuheen, who’s teachings have been linked to at least three deaths. Hai’s channel has even gone so far as to promote the idea of breatharian pregnancies in its many hours spent on this dangerous nonsense. Other topics dealt with credulously include ancient astronauts, crop circles, Emoto’s “Message from Water“, cosmic alinements, 2012, Egyptian pyramids as lighthouses for UFOs, solar flare alarmism, hair analysis, animal communication, alternative medicine, and life on Venus. She also sometimes introduces her followers to seeming unique teachings of her own such as the existence of Spiritual Blessing Lines and portals to hell and “lower world” that may even be a cause of prolonged war.

In addition to SMTV, Hai’s organization has a large internet presence and is accused of operating very much like a cyber-sect, using the internet to gain greater exposure and more followers. Utilizing numerous websites Hai’s organization is able to flood search engines with positive mentions of the group. They have even branched out into smartphone apps. In addition to spreading propaganda Hai’s followers are also active in monitoring criticism. Hai’s Wiki page is under constant policing, erasing and diluting criticisms. It also appears her followers also have a habit of stacking Amazon reviews and getting followers to game the rating system.

Hai’s teachings also have an apocalyptic bent to them. Her warnings about cosmic disasters, climate change, and environmental collapse go so far as to make Al Gore appear moderate. I’m not suggesting that the scientific consensus on climate change is wrong or that it is not a dire issue but I fear that the alarmism, unfounded claims, and simplistic “solutions” Hai proposes do not actually help public understanding of this important issue and may in fact be counter productive in some areas.

So once again, why am I writing these posts? My purpose is not to be a cynic or to call for a boycott of all religiously associated restaurants, but in addition to simply finding such topics interesting I feel we need to be wary when our dollars may serve to enrich an abusive or unethical leader or perpetuate a manipulative organization. The ethics of consumption go beyond just animal flesh and byproducts. We can not simply brush legitimate criticism aside because “she does so much good” or because “at least she helps spreads veganism”. I can’t say that the above criticisms apply to all SMCH restaurants and there are many other concerns to consider so the decision to patronize SMCH-associated businesses is a choice your going to have to make for yourself. I encourage my readers to click on the provided hyperlinks, use them as a starting point for your own research.

Further reading:
Supreme Mystery in VegNews
Critics Claim Supreme Master Ching Hai’s Followers’ Restaurants Featuring Tasty Vegan Fare Front For an Exploitive Movement. by Stephen Lemons
Why Not to Write About a Supreme Master of the Universe: A day with the disciples of Ching Hai by Nancy Rommelmann
Immaterial Girl by Rafer Guzmán
God Inc. Inner peace isn’t the only thing Supreme Master Ching Hai is selling Bay Area disciples by Gordon Young
Cult took my wife – now it’s funding a woodland in North Wales
Suma Ching Hai sect activities in Cambodia
Supreme Leak
A Cult I Can Live With? by Jasmin Singer
Vegan Chicago’s baloney detection guide
Global Unity: Together in Saving Lives, A collection of spiritual teachings by Supreme Master Ching Hai
The Truth about Merits: How to Gain or Lose Them by SMCH
*Suma Ching Hai’s Spiritual Handbook is similar to Thakar Singh’s spiritual diary, which in turn is similar to Kirpal Singh’s diary. This is of note because some followers objected to Abigail Young writing that Hai is a spiritual decedent of controversial guru Thakar Singh. Further evidence appear to support this as well. Though personally I am less concerned with the genesis of her teachings and more with the content and effect, I think Hai’s claim that her Master in the Himalayas was 450 years old should be evidence enough of this farce.
**in this post I use the term “cult”. It is important to remember there is a wide continuum of “cultishness”, not all groups fall on the Johnstown/Heavens Gate/Aum Shinrikyo extreme of the spectrum, there is no agreed upon universal definition and there are competing lists of characteristics but for this post the definition most in mind is that laid out by psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton. The three primary criteria are as follows:
1. a charismatic leader who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose their power;
2. a process of coercive persuasion or thought reform;
3. economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie.
***SMCH headquarters constructed without a license in Taiwan
2003 Delinquent Property Tax Statement
for Regency Green Dr Northwest Harris, TX 77429
2003 Delinquent Property Tax Statement for 11420 CYPRESS NORTH H77429
2004 Delinquent Property Tax Statement Regency Green Dr Northwest Harris, TX 77429



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2012 02:22AM by Ocean_Of_Lies.

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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: dynamic ()
Date: March 26, 2012 09:31AM

LOL Just as we had all suspected. No more end of the world. Master saves the day.

Quote
Foreign GroupThis proves again that no one knows the future, except GOD! And once again, God gives human beings so, so much blessings, after She meditated extensively in personal retreat...

Nostradamus predicted the world ends in the year 1999, and others said the world ends in the year 2011, or 2012, and even Cao Ðài sect said in 2015, etc...And no one is correct!

In short, we need to continue to meditate as much as we can, as Master instructed, to add more blessings to ourselves and the world, and because we don't know when our own life ends anyway, so don't think 20 years is a long time...but 20 years is for the Earth, not for particular anyone. Master often said: "When we die, for us, the world ends."

Master extends 20 more years so that more and more people in the world has more time to change to veganism, and she also gives more initiations now, more often than ever...

All human beings are children of God -- She loves everyone equally.


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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: RangerGeet ()
Date: March 27, 2012 09:16AM

So my mother is heavily involved with this organization and has been for almost the last 20 years. Last night she informed me that she would be leaving for Nice, France to go see Ching Hai because she is coming out of seclusion because, as dynamic mentioned, she (and her followers) have saved the world from what I understand would have been an irreversible end starting this year.

This scares me. She neither has the money nor the freedom of work to just up and leave on such short notice. Part of me always just tells myself that it would be the same if she was a devout Christian or Muslim, but then the cult of personality surrounding Ching Hai, not to mention the money that goes through the organization, it scares me.

I have found documents on www.guidestar.org on the 990's for the Ching Hai in CA showing millions and millions of dollars being used for media while very little going to actual charitable programs. Can anyone interpret the 990 forms better than me? As a layman that is sort of what I gleamed from it.

What can I do though? As an Atheist, part of me keeps telling myself it's just as crazy as everything else, but then pretty much any average person would recognize this group as a cult. Luckily she hasn't bought into the whole jewelery or clothing aspect (she can't afford it is the simple reason), but the amount of time she spends traveling and corresponding for the group is like a second job. I just don't want to see it get worse.

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Re: Supreme Master Television free-to-air satellite -Ching Hai propaganda
Posted by: greenleaf ()
Date: April 20, 2012 09:56AM

Now it is extended to another 50 years, not 20 years.

new instructions from "Master", one of them is --- can not put her pictures in the man's wallet, because men's wallet is often placed at butt pocket, it is not respectful......LOL

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