Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
MD4881
()
Date: March 05, 2009 11:53PM
I am having diificulty posting. On page one i am logged in yet when I go to page two, I get kicked out.
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
pizzaslap
()
Date: April 12, 2009 12:42AM
Corboy, Mohit:
This stuff is blowing my mind. I read all of your posts. I did speak to an ex-Isha member who was a disaffected former follower. His perception is that although Isha exploits for labor, particularly once an American member goes to India, that my friend was probably under no danger of physical or sexual abuse. Though, is it possible that he just never got far enough in? Or, that there simply haven't been any gnarly incidents - yet?
Hmmm.... this is most disturbing. Are there any recent media exposes on this stuff? American, or otherwise?
Thanks for the posts. Those must have taken a while to put together. Sorry it took me so long to respond.
This stuff is blowing my mind. I read all of your posts. I did speak to an ex-Isha member who was a disaffected former follower. His perception is that although Isha exploits for labor, particularly once an American member goes to India, that my friend was probably under no danger of physical or sexual abuse. Though, is it possible that he just never got far enough in? Or, that there simply haven't been any gnarly incidents - yet?
Hmmm.... this is most disturbing. Are there any recent media exposes on this stuff? American, or otherwise?
Thanks for the posts. Those must have taken a while to put together. Sorry it took me so long to respond.
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
desmond
()
Date: April 17, 2009 09:42PM
Of late there is quite some discussion regarding Jaggi on the internet. This was not so, until a few years back. For a cult that is going so strong and swelling in numbers in the U.S, there is precious little available even now. For instance, Rick Ross's archive does not even mention this organization that has a HUGE ashram being developed in Tennessee.
Here is a starting place for some information about the Sadhguru that is different from the information that is carefully put out by his followers:
[nonspiritual.net]
Here is a starting place for some information about the Sadhguru that is different from the information that is carefully put out by his followers:
[nonspiritual.net]
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: April 17, 2009 10:08PM
He's showing up, making more and more appearances.
I see billboard and even adverts on city buses.
Those do not come cheap.
And these days, when everyone is strapped for cash, a religious tax exempt that has plenty of liquid case can buy itself goodwill and rent space in quite prestigious locations.
The locals in Tennessee are probably desperate for anything that will bring business to their area.
Ironically that is why many small impovrished towns are glad when a new prison is built in their area--it provides employment and visitors patronize the local economy.
Prisons and ashrams...ha!
I see billboard and even adverts on city buses.
Those do not come cheap.
And these days, when everyone is strapped for cash, a religious tax exempt that has plenty of liquid case can buy itself goodwill and rent space in quite prestigious locations.
The locals in Tennessee are probably desperate for anything that will bring business to their area.
Ironically that is why many small impovrished towns are glad when a new prison is built in their area--it provides employment and visitors patronize the local economy.
Prisons and ashrams...ha!
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
desmond
()
Date: April 19, 2009 06:14PM
Quote
corboy
Prisons and ashrams...ha!
Nice comparison, there Corboy! Even though ashrams are pernicious compared to prisons. In a prison the inmate knows why he is there and for how long. And it is meant to reform the individual. Not so with the ashrams where the inmates are essentially snared into joining, has given up everything, including his mind, and has slim chance of escaping.
Why is it that these gurus and swamis are so keen on helping only people in the decadent West? You would rarely find them where their services are needed most: War torn areas of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: April 19, 2009 09:04PM
Suckling on Freedom's Teat
Yeah..unlike ashrams, in prison you know you are in prison.
And in prison, you know beforehand, or are quickly told once you are in, that there are hazards from the big brutes and gangs.
And in prison, no one disputes that you have the right to be visited by your attorney.
Unlike in many ashrams, prisoners can think consciously about power and power abuse.
In the New Age/Dharma Lite scene, power is the Great Undiscussable. You can end up someone's prisoner and not know it. The signage isnt there.
Unlike 'the joint' in the New Age scene, anyone trying to talk consciously about power and power abuse is accused of negative thinking.
For fun, read this:
[www.blacktable.com]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2009 09:08PM by corboy.
Yeah..unlike ashrams, in prison you know you are in prison.
And in prison, you know beforehand, or are quickly told once you are in, that there are hazards from the big brutes and gangs.
And in prison, no one disputes that you have the right to be visited by your attorney.
Unlike in many ashrams, prisoners can think consciously about power and power abuse.
In the New Age/Dharma Lite scene, power is the Great Undiscussable. You can end up someone's prisoner and not know it. The signage isnt there.
Unlike 'the joint' in the New Age scene, anyone trying to talk consciously about power and power abuse is accused of negative thinking.
For fun, read this:
Quote
"...pruno stands as testament to the lengths man will go to in order to suckle on freedom's teat, even if it means getting food poisoning in the process."
[www.blacktable.com]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2009 09:08PM by corboy.
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: April 19, 2009 09:23PM
There is a thread entitled abuses of Advaita.
Starting on page 4 I put some quotes from books by Jung, Masson, Arthur Koestler, and a travellers account in Gujrat by Robyn Davidson that may shed light on the cultural context behind the sorts of teachings that gurus bring to the US.
These authors are describing a culture that only became a participatory democracy in 1947--and that was on paper.
In The Lotus and the Robot, written in the very early 1960s, Koestler stated, if a man cannot choose his own wife, but has his marriage arranged for him by his parents, how can he make the adjustment to voting his own choice as president in an upcoming election?
Participatory democracy is not a given. It is an achievement, based on a culture that supports individual choice in many other matters, enabling people to extend that sense of choice to the voting booth.
So it is very scary to see how easily persons born into participatory democracies make an adjustment to living and thinking like feudals when some guru comes to town.
Once you lose that ability to function and think as a citizen, its hard to regain those capacities
Yet..those gurus who train us to become feudals and peasants in relation to them,
want us to continue to function just well enough in our participatory democracies that we can earn wages beyond what a peasant economy can provide--enough to pay citizen taxes to our govenment--and give our feudal dues to the guru.
Peasants at the ashram and at darshan, money making machines at the office and when filling out our 1040s.
That is why they're here in the affluent West, not in India...though many of these gurus tend to be affliliatied with Hindu Fundamentalist entities such as the Bharata Janatiya Party.
Starting on page 4 I put some quotes from books by Jung, Masson, Arthur Koestler, and a travellers account in Gujrat by Robyn Davidson that may shed light on the cultural context behind the sorts of teachings that gurus bring to the US.
These authors are describing a culture that only became a participatory democracy in 1947--and that was on paper.
In The Lotus and the Robot, written in the very early 1960s, Koestler stated, if a man cannot choose his own wife, but has his marriage arranged for him by his parents, how can he make the adjustment to voting his own choice as president in an upcoming election?
Participatory democracy is not a given. It is an achievement, based on a culture that supports individual choice in many other matters, enabling people to extend that sense of choice to the voting booth.
So it is very scary to see how easily persons born into participatory democracies make an adjustment to living and thinking like feudals when some guru comes to town.
Once you lose that ability to function and think as a citizen, its hard to regain those capacities
Yet..those gurus who train us to become feudals and peasants in relation to them,
want us to continue to function just well enough in our participatory democracies that we can earn wages beyond what a peasant economy can provide--enough to pay citizen taxes to our govenment--and give our feudal dues to the guru.
Peasants at the ashram and at darshan, money making machines at the office and when filling out our 1040s.
That is why they're here in the affluent West, not in India...though many of these gurus tend to be affliliatied with Hindu Fundamentalist entities such as the Bharata Janatiya Party.
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: April 19, 2009 10:03PM
Okay.
In the US, this fellow's events are often billed as 'Evenings with the Mystic'
Thats for the Americans, the yanks,the ones not likely to research the Indian background.
But..here is a recent interview of this fellow in India.
[www.indianexpress.com]
(Corboy note: t his claim that he has no scholarly background and its all from personal experience, marks him as what Agehananda Bharati classified as a typical product of the anti intellectual Hindu Renaissance. This movement sought to take power away from the Brahmin scholarly elite by claiming it was the scholars and ritualists (Brahmins) who corrupted the true, vedic Hinduism.
Non scholars, rishis were the true custodians of the tradition. This was reassuring news to non Brahmins, and also very reassuring to non Indians who were interested in Hinduism but unwilling to do the work of learning Sanskrit, modern Indian languages and being able to understand the differences between real teachers and jive artists.
Two..this guy says he didnt have scholarly background. But..he must have learned something about marketing and business. They never mention that as part of their 'education'. The guy actually does have a business background and also has a family and an 18 year old daughter.
That means the daughter, if still not married is gonna need a DOWRY. That runs into heavy money, folks. It also influences how high up she will be able to marry.
finally..
(You still have to get land permits for a 'centre' as you would for a community. And you are still a religous tax exempt under US law--word games)
Now folks, here is the company this fellow has appeared in, lately. There are many famous gurus, some better known than he is. Look at the roster of speakers at this conclave--and their political affiliations. Gore and Clinton are there.
You dont just happen to get invited to something like this. You have to have connections.
And you dont just happen to have connections. You work to create those connections. Then you gotta keep working to maintain 'em.
Look at the line up folks--politicians, financiers, a cricket star, a luminary from Bollywood.
So the sadgurus American supporters had better ask themselves what kind of political and business ventures their guru is still involved with.
For a man who seems not to need anything, why does he need American devotees?
Now...just wait. Some Isha devotee will show up and say I have no right to mention any of this stuff, and that as an American, I dont know what I am talking about and am insulting India and her noble Hindu traditions.
As a taxpaying citizen, I and other tax payers indirectly support the tax exempt ventures of Sadhguru and all the other Indians who show up here and use American tax exempt laws to their advantage.
So...feh. We have a right to know where donated money from the US is going, and just what it is being used for in India.
If you want to suck up US dollars, and benefit from the tax exempt laws, keep in mind that the US tradition of open discussion is part of the deal.
Sounds like Sadhguru was well off in India, had what he wanted. He could have stayed in India, and received donations in rupees rather than in US dollars.
He came for US dollars, so he's gonna get the US first amendment as well.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2009 10:15PM by corboy.
In the US, this fellow's events are often billed as 'Evenings with the Mystic'
Thats for the Americans, the yanks,the ones not likely to research the Indian background.
But..here is a recent interview of this fellow in India.
[www.indianexpress.com]
Quote
are in Velliangiri Hills, the foothills on the outskirts of Coimbatore, and my guest this week is Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, sometimes described as a Monk on a Motorcycle, but today the Monk in a Land Rover.
It’s no more a Land Rover; it’s a
Tata now.
• But you are an unusual mystic.
I think every mystic has been unusual, always. If he is usual, why will he be a mystic?
• But when you describe yourself as an unusual mystic, and an unusual among all mystics, in that case, what makes you unusual?
The usual belongs to people who imitate. Only if you imitate somebody do you become usual.
• But by definition, do mystics imitate?
No, but if scholars could imitate, sadhus and sanyasis could imitate too, because they are followers of a certain order. A mystic is someone who is coming from his inner understanding and inner experience, so there is no question of imitation, so he looks unusual while actually he is just natural. Because people are used to so much of repetitiveness in everything, if somebody just comes out from his own nature, people think he is unusual.
• So what makes you different? What is it that sets you apart? See, I don’t come from any scholarship. I have not read the Vedas or the Upanishads. I just confess I have not read the Gita.
• It’s not a confession many in the business would want to make.
I have not read the Vedas or the Upanishads. I confess I haven’t read the Gita’
The only thing that I know is this piece of life, absolutely. If you know this piece of life, absolutely, you know almost everything that is worth knowing.
• And how have you learnt about this piece of life?
Just by looking inward, nothing else.
• Tell us a little bit about your experiences. You started out as a regular guy.
Even now, I am pretty regular.
• Except maybe the beard.
The beard is a very regular thing. It grows on all men. It is very unfortunate that people think it is very irregular; people have cut it and shaped it in different ways, and that is irregular. This is the way nature made you. I don’t think nature made any part of your body that is not necessary.
What did you study, Sadhguru, and where?
Not much. I went to the University of Mysore. Not really. I didn’t do much education.
(Corboy note: t his claim that he has no scholarly background and its all from personal experience, marks him as what Agehananda Bharati classified as a typical product of the anti intellectual Hindu Renaissance. This movement sought to take power away from the Brahmin scholarly elite by claiming it was the scholars and ritualists (Brahmins) who corrupted the true, vedic Hinduism.
Non scholars, rishis were the true custodians of the tradition. This was reassuring news to non Brahmins, and also very reassuring to non Indians who were interested in Hinduism but unwilling to do the work of learning Sanskrit, modern Indian languages and being able to understand the differences between real teachers and jive artists.
Two..this guy says he didnt have scholarly background. But..he must have learned something about marketing and business. They never mention that as part of their 'education'. The guy actually does have a business background and also has a family and an 18 year old daughter.
That means the daughter, if still not married is gonna need a DOWRY. That runs into heavy money, folks. It also influences how high up she will be able to marry.
Quote
I was 11, by a simple process, I happened to learn yoga and I kept the practice up. I finished university, got into business, and was doing well for myself. To be peaceful and happy was never an issue.
What business? Poultry framing, I believe, once.
I trekked extensively, cycled across south India when I was 15 or 16. Later, I graduated to a motorcycle and criss-crossed the country. I went to the Nepal border, the Pakistan border, but they wouldn’t let me cross without papers. I had dreams of travelling across the world on a motorcycle.
So I decided to do business, and since poultry farming was blooming, I decided to go for that — from scratch. My father was a well-known physician and for him it was a no-no. I did it all on my own and it came up well.
I made money, got into the construction business and then various other businesses. I made enough money for myself.
(He makes it seem easy, like it all just happened. Look, this man is an astute businessman--and that skill set is highly transferable to the guru business--which is a branch of performance art-Corboy)
But then on a certain afternoon, between two business meetings, when I had nothing else to do, I just rode up to Chamandi hill near Mysore. Three o’clock in the afternoon and I just went and sat there. Just went and sat on a rock, a huge rock, and my eyes were open and till that moment I thought: this is me. Suddenly, I did not see which is me and which is not me. What was me was just all over the place. This might sound ridiculous and illogical but this was my experience and I thought this lasted just for five-ten minutes, but when I came back to my senses, about four and a half hours had passed. For the first time in my adult life, there were tears in my eyes. I cried so much that my shirt was wet. I was blissed out and every cell in my body was burning with ecstasy.
Quote
So as you went through this experience, you evolved into what you are. You did raise a family; you did bring up a daughter. She is turning 18 and you didn’t give up anything and go away to the hills or some place. You never thought of it. No, I have embraced the million-strong family. I have not given up anything.
• So that was what I was saying. Your mother would be very proud of you: more than a million devotees and now a wonderful centre here, in the Velliangiri foothills, but also one coming up in Tennessee in America.
finally..
Quote
Have you had to face scepticism in America after the experiences they had with Osho in one end of the country and Iskcon at the other end.
I don’t think anybody compares me with either Rajneesh . . . but one mistake religious leaders have made repeatedly across the world is that they want to form a community, to form a world of their own. That has never been my thing: I’ve always wanted and encouraged people to embrace the world, not to become a separate island of their own. What’s the point of creating a world of their own? After all, the creator’s creation is wonderful. Creating a centre is different (from creating a community).
(You still have to get land permits for a 'centre' as you would for a community. And you are still a religous tax exempt under US law--word games)
Now folks, here is the company this fellow has appeared in, lately. There are many famous gurus, some better known than he is. Look at the roster of speakers at this conclave--and their political affiliations. Gore and Clinton are there.
You dont just happen to get invited to something like this. You have to have connections.
And you dont just happen to have connections. You work to create those connections. Then you gotta keep working to maintain 'em.
Look at the line up folks--politicians, financiers, a cricket star, a luminary from Bollywood.
So the sadgurus American supporters had better ask themselves what kind of political and business ventures their guru is still involved with.
For a man who seems not to need anything, why does he need American devotees?
Quote
http://conclave.digitaltoday.in/2008/speakersprofile.html
India Today Conclave 2008/Leadership for the 21st Century
[conclave.digitaltoday.in]
THE HONOURABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON
42nd President of the United States
The first Democratic president to be awarded a second term in six decades, President Clinton served from 1993 to 2001. Under his leadership, the United States enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest and largest peacetime economic expansion in US history, moving the nation from record deficits to record surpluses and creating over 22 million jobs.
After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. The Clinton Foundation works to combat HIV/AIDS, catalyse sustainable economic growth globally and brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. The foundation has also partnered with the American Heart Association to fight childhood obesity in America. Following the 2004 tsunami, President Clinton served as the United Nations Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery for two years and raised funds to assist the survivors of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
L.K. ADVANI
Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha
Lal Krishna Advani, Leader of the Opposition and the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate for the next general elections, is a formidable force in Indian politics. He has served as deputy prime minister as well as home minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from 1999 to 2004—and three terms as the president of BJP. In a political career spanning 60 years, he has made an indelible mark as a fine parliamentarian, unparalleled organiser, effective administrator and an ideological mobiliser. H is role in shaping the Indian Right and making BJP a party of governance is historical.
MUKESH AMBANI
Chairman & Managing Director, Reliance Industries Ltd
Mukesh Ambani is the Chairman, Managing Director and largest shareholder of Reliance Industries, India's largest private sector enterprise and a Fortune 500 company. His personal stake in Reliance Industries is 48 per cent. Spearheading his group's ambitious expansion plans and new projects in 2007, and as a result of a strong share price rally in his group companies, Mukesh Ambani was widely reported to have become the richest man in the world with a net worth of $63.2 billion. Along the way, he set up India's largest petrochemical chain, is rolling out the country's largest retail chain and is now well ahead with a $10 billion project for oil and gas exploration.
SUNIL BHARTI MITTAL
Chairman & Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises
Sunil Bharti Mittal is Chairman and Managing Director of the Bharti group. The $4.5 billion company runs India's largest GSM-based mobile phone service. The group also has partnerships with Axa for insurance and with the Rothschild family for exporting fruits and vegetables. As of 6th October 2007, Mittal's stake in the Bharti group was worth $20.9 billion, making him the fourth richest Indian. He is currently President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the prestigious federation representing Indian industry. Sunil Mittal has received several awards, including the Padma Bhushan in 2007, and was named Asia Businessman of the Year by Fortune Magazine in 2006.
WIM ELFRINK
Executive Vice-President, Cisco Services, and Chief Globalisation Officer, Cisco
Wim Elfrink has dual roles at Cisco. As Chief Globalization Officer (CGO), he is leading the company's globalisation strategy, and as Executive Vice-President, Cisco Services, he is responsible for Cisco Services worldwide. Wim Elfrink has been with Cisco since 1997. The Cisco globalisation strategy represents a shift in business management from a focus on geography to a focus on skill sets and talents. As Chief Globalisation Officer, Wim Elfrink leads Cisco's efforts to use innovative business models to globalise many business functions. He is also Executive Vice-President of Cisco Services, an award-winning and growing part of the business with annual revenues of $5 billion.
DANAH ZOHAR
Thought Leader, Physicist, Philosopher & Author
Danah Zohar is a management thought leader, physicist, philosopher and author. Her best-selling books include Spiritual Capital: Wealth We Can Live By and SQ – Spiritual Intelligence, The Ultimate Intelligence,which constitute ground-breaking work on spiritual intelligence and spiritual capital. ReWiring the Corporate Brain : Using the New Science to Rethink How We Structure and Lead; The Quantum Society : Mind, Physics & A New Social Vision; and The Quantum Self : Human Nature and Consciousness Defined by the New Physicsare her previous workswhich extend the language and principles of quantum physics into a new understanding of human consciousness, psychology and social organisation.
SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV
Yogi, Mystic & Spiritual Master
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a leading Yogi and spiritual teacher who preaches that yoga is not an esoteric discipline from the past but a contemporary science vitally relevant to our times. He has been a delegate to the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit, a Member of the World Council of Religious Leaders, the World Economic Forum at Davos and the Indian Economic Summit where he has spoken on subjects as diverse as human rights, business values, social, environmental and existential issues. Sadhguru Jaggi Sadhguru is the founder of Isha Foundation based on promoting the inner sciences of universal appeal and the well-being of the individual and the world.
STEPHEN ATTENBOROUGH
Commercial Director, Virgin Galactic
Stephen Attenborough is the Commercial Director for Virgin Galactic, a company wholly owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group which is on track to become the world's first passenger carrying commercial spaceline. Stephen Attenborough joined Virgin Galactic as the company's first full-time employee in 2004 to put in place the commercial foundations of the business. He now leads a team in London that covers sales, marketing, customer care, PR and communications. He also is responsible for workstreams that are developing and managing the astronaut experience as well as the liability, insurance and regulatory framework. He joined Virgin Galactic after a career in investment management in London.
GLENN SALDANHA
Managing Director & CEO, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
Glenn Saldanha, Managing Director & CEO of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and an MBA. He joined Glenmark Pharmaceuticals in 1998 as Director and took over as Managing Director & CEO in 2001. Saldanha joined Eli Lily’s global marketing team soon after graduating from NYU. His last assignment was with Price Waterhouse Coopers USA, where as consultant he had the opportunity to work with top pharmaceutical companies. Saldanha has been instrumental in growing Glenmark from an India formulations business in 1999 to a global firm with interests spanning discovery research, India and international formulations, and API. The company is now among the few Indian firms with a successful drug discovery programme.
DIGVIJAY SINGH
Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
Digvijay Singh has the distinction of being Madhya Pradesh's longest serving chief minister, having held office for two consecutive terms between December 1993 and December 2003. Born into the royal family of Raghogarh, he joined politics at the age of 24 and in 1984 became one of the youngest presidents of the state Congress Committee. During his term in office as CM, Singh laid emphasis on lifting Madhya Pradesh out of the BIMARU trap. After the Congress lost power to the BJP in the 2003 assembly elections, he was shifted to New Delhi as party general secretary and was instrumental in forging the party's alliances in crucial states like Maharashtra, Assam and Bihar.
NARENDRA MODI
Chief Minister of Gujarat
Narendra Modi has been Chief Minister of Gujarat since October 7, 2001, having just won his third successive victory in the assembly elections. He joined the RSS in the late 1960s and went on to become a full-time pracharak. Narendra Modi joined the BJP in 1986 and has been party General Secretary. Since becoming chief minister of Gujarat, he has led the state on a path of high growth and rapid development. After his stunning victory in the assembly elections last December, he has emerged as a frontline leader of the BJP and is being talked about as a future prime ministerial candidate.
FAROOQ ABDULLAH
Former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir
A former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah has dominated the politics of the Valley for almost three decades. Currently a member of the Rajya Sabha, he carries forward the tradition of his great father Sheikh Abdullah. Without compromising on national interest, he stands for more political autonomy to the state that launched his political career.
DR J. CRAIG VENTER
Pioneering Genomic Researcher
Dr Craig Venter is regarded as one of leading scientists of the 21st century for his invaluable contributions in genomic research. He is founder and president of the Venter Institute and the J. Craig Venter Science Foundation, and Founder and Chairman of The Institute for Genomic Research, non-profit, basic research support organisations dedicated to human genomic research as well as seeking alternative energy solutions through microbial sources. Dr Venter and his team at the Venter Institute continue to blaze new trails in genomics research and have recently published several important papers outlining scientific advances with significant implications for the human race.
ARUN SHOURIE
Journalist, Author and Politician
Arun Shourie is a well-known journalist, author and politician. He received his doctorate in economics from Syracuse University in New York and served as an economist with the World Bank and also as a consultant to India's Planning Commission before making his foray into journalistm by writing several critical articles on economic policies. Arun Shourie quickly earned a reputation as a crusading journalist and was appointed editor of The Indian Express newspaper. He has authored a number of books and has been active in politics. A die-hard reformist, Arun Shourie joined the BJP in 1998 and served as minister for disinvestment in the NDA government.
P. CHIDAMBARAM
Union Cabinet Minister of Finance
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984 and is a six-time Parliamentarian from Tamil Nadu. A lawyer by profession, the Harvard graduate has been Minister for Internal Security, Union Commerce Minister and Union Finance Minister in the past. In his earlier stint as Finance Minister in 1997, P. Chidambaram dismantled the high tax regime that India was famous for with historic cuts in personal and corporate taxes. He has pushed for India's integration with the global economy and has overseen an over 8 per cent GDP growth in successive years.
ADAM GILCHRIST
Australian Cricketer
Adam Craig Gilchrist, 37, is cricket’s greatest-ever wicket-keeper batsman, that rare athlete who changed his sport through presence and skill. They call him the greatest all-rounder the game has seen since Sir Garfield Sobers, his explosive batting combined with pedigree keeping skills raising the bar for glovemen all around the world. A modern cricketer who was proud to follow an old world sporting code, Gilchrist is a global role model as well as the most successful Test keeper in history, a key factor in Australia’s dominance over a decade and a part of three World Cup-winning squads.
IMRAN KHAN
Politician & World Cup winning former Pakistan Cricket Captain
Imran Khan Niazi is a former Pakistan cricket captain and politician. He was one of the finest all-rounders in the modern history of the game. An Oxford graduate, Khan achieved the all-rounder's triple (securing 3,000 runs and 300 wickets) in 75 Tests, the second fastest record behind Ian Botham. His last ODI was the historic 1992 World Cup victory at Melbourne. After retiring in 1992, Khan founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, a charity organisation which established Pakistan's first and only cancer hospital, before taking to active politics and founding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, of which he is chairman as well as sole member.
NAVJOT SINGH SIDHU
Former Indian Cricketer and Member of Parliament
Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former Indian cricketer, is now as big a star in television commentary and comedy and talk shows. His cricket career as India's opening batsman extended from 1983 to 1999. Since then Sidhu has gained fame as well as fortune by appearing as an expert on cricket shows where his sharp wit and humorous quotes are now immortalised as Sidhuisms and led to his appearance on prime time comedy shows. He is also a politician, having joined the BJP after his retirement from the game. Sidhu was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar in 2004.
THE HONOURABLE AL GORE
Former Vice-President of USA, Nobel Peace Laureate, Author and Award-winning Filmmake
Former US Vice-President Al Gore is chairman of Current TV, an Emmy award winning, independently owned cable and satellite television non-fiction network for young people based on viewer-created content and citizen journalism. He also serves as chairman of Generation Investment Management, a firm that is focused on a new approach to sustainable investing.
Al Gore is a member of the board of directors of Apple, a senior adviser to Google, and a partner with the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. He is a Visiting Professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and chairs the Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit organisation designed to help solve the climate crisis.
Al Gore was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1976, 1978, 1980 and 1982 and the US Senate in 1984 and 1990. He was inaugurated as the 45th Vice-President of the United States on January 20, 1993, and served eight years. During the administration, Al Gore was a central member of President Clinton's economic team. He served as President of the Senate, a Cabinet member, a member of the National Security Council, and as the leader of a wide range of administration initiatives.
He is the author of the bestsellers Earth in the Balance and An Inconvenient Truth and is the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary. Al Gore is the co-winner, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for "informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change." He and his wife, Tipper, live in Nashville, Tennessee. They have four children and three grandchildren.
AAMIR KHAN
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KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI
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Kanimozhi Karunanidhi is a Tamil poet, journalist and politician. She is the daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi started her career with The Hindu newspaper before editing a Tamil weekly magazine. She has conducted programmes in Sun TV and Vijay TV and is a features editor for a Singapore-based Tamil newspaper. She writes Tamil poetry and has translated the works of other Tamil poets into English. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi became a Rajya Sabha member in 2007. She is a strong supporter of Pan Tamil issues, in particular Sri Lankan Tamils, and has organised Tamil folk art festivals called Chennai Sangamam.
VIKRAM AKULA
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SACHIN PILOT
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PETER ROEBUCK
Former Somerset Captain and world's leading Cricket Writer and Commentator
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PREITY ZINTA
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YASIN MALIK
Chairman, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
Yasin Malik is chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). His faction is a secular separatist movement which advocates a united Kashmir independent from both India and Pakistan. Malik came into prominence as a militant in JKLF and underwent training in Pakistan-based camps. He later turned to a peaceful mode of protest. The JKLF was originally a militant organisation, but since 1995 it has renounced all violence and called for strictly peaceful methods to achieve its aims. Yasin Malik is also a strong advocate for the right of return of Hindu Kashmiri Pandits who have been forced to leave the state.
I
Now...just wait. Some Isha devotee will show up and say I have no right to mention any of this stuff, and that as an American, I dont know what I am talking about and am insulting India and her noble Hindu traditions.
As a taxpaying citizen, I and other tax payers indirectly support the tax exempt ventures of Sadhguru and all the other Indians who show up here and use American tax exempt laws to their advantage.
So...feh. We have a right to know where donated money from the US is going, and just what it is being used for in India.
If you want to suck up US dollars, and benefit from the tax exempt laws, keep in mind that the US tradition of open discussion is part of the deal.
Sounds like Sadhguru was well off in India, had what he wanted. He could have stayed in India, and received donations in rupees rather than in US dollars.
He came for US dollars, so he's gonna get the US first amendment as well.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2009 10:15PM by corboy.
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: April 20, 2009 02:30AM
To sum up, the Sadhguru started out in the poultry business.
That's a set of transferable skills.
You pluck, pluck, pluck--whether it is chickens or wallets.
Am going to share some additional information from an American friend who has been living in the UK the past 30 years, and has friends from all over the world.
He told me, 'In most parts of the world, including here, Americans are considered 'thick'--that is, naive.'
'Why's that?' I demanded.
'Because Americans, and to some extent, Brits, have a notion of rules and fair play, though the Brits are more aware of limitations to that--Brits have endured a class systerm that is centuries old.
'But Americans are considered naive. Most parts of the world dont have a notion of rules, little expectation of fairness, and some parts of the world are just rougher, scrappier.
'So when people from those parts of the world deal with Americans, Americans get eaten alive.'
And, my friend added, 'People from rougher parts of the world, who dont play fair, they are evenly matched when dealing with people from their same rough tough, unfair culture.
'So if they want an easy time of it, they go to America or do business in America, because they can knock the average American right over. The typical American doesnt expect dirty tricks, expects fairness and plays by the rules--and assumes everyone else does the same thing.'
In short, to paraphrase my informant, the average American rarely imagines that an Indian guru is just another businessman who happens to be using guru theatre.
And the average American doesnt see a guru as a product of marketing and advertisement.
Meanwhile the businessman/guru looks out at the adoring Americans and sees a bunch of chickens to be plucked.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2009 02:50AM by corboy.
That's a set of transferable skills.
You pluck, pluck, pluck--whether it is chickens or wallets.
Am going to share some additional information from an American friend who has been living in the UK the past 30 years, and has friends from all over the world.
He told me, 'In most parts of the world, including here, Americans are considered 'thick'--that is, naive.'
'Why's that?' I demanded.
'Because Americans, and to some extent, Brits, have a notion of rules and fair play, though the Brits are more aware of limitations to that--Brits have endured a class systerm that is centuries old.
'But Americans are considered naive. Most parts of the world dont have a notion of rules, little expectation of fairness, and some parts of the world are just rougher, scrappier.
'So when people from those parts of the world deal with Americans, Americans get eaten alive.'
And, my friend added, 'People from rougher parts of the world, who dont play fair, they are evenly matched when dealing with people from their same rough tough, unfair culture.
'So if they want an easy time of it, they go to America or do business in America, because they can knock the average American right over. The typical American doesnt expect dirty tricks, expects fairness and plays by the rules--and assumes everyone else does the same thing.'
In short, to paraphrase my informant, the average American rarely imagines that an Indian guru is just another businessman who happens to be using guru theatre.
And the average American doesnt see a guru as a product of marketing and advertisement.
Meanwhile the businessman/guru looks out at the adoring Americans and sees a bunch of chickens to be plucked.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2009 02:50AM by corboy.
Re: Isha Foundation, Sadhguru
Posted by:
desmond
()
Date: April 21, 2009 06:35PM
There are two keys that are needed by the Western public to protect themselves from being exploited by Indian gurus. The first is awareness, which hopefully, sites likes these and others that discuss individual gurus help foster. The second and most important is for Eastern philosophies to be explained such that the public has no ignorance that is ripe for exploiting by these gurus. Some of the stuff that I found disconcerting in the Sadhguru camp I have yet to find an explanation. What are these bliss states that everyone raves about and how are they caused only in the presence of the "Enlightened Master"? How come the Scientific community has not tried to research into it and explain what these Eastern terms like "Shaktipat", "kundalini", or other altered states of consciousness really are?
The above are peddled as other 'dimensions' by gurus. And we in the West lap it up. And we do a disservice, not only to our own communities but also to the poor people in India. Most of these gurus parade their international disciples in their ashrams in India. Acceptance by the white man automatically translates to swelling number of devotees back home, and thus starts a vicious cycle. The guru wants more money from the decadent West to help the poor and destitute, and start Engineering and Medical colleges. It is always Engineering and Medical colleges and not colleges for the arts, sciences or the study of veda and upanishads. Why? Because seats in Engineering and Medical colleges are essentially auctioned out to the higest bidder. The Sadhguru has taken the baby step of starting a residential school in the ashram. I assume it is just a matter of time before he forays into Engineering and Medical colleges.
The above are peddled as other 'dimensions' by gurus. And we in the West lap it up. And we do a disservice, not only to our own communities but also to the poor people in India. Most of these gurus parade their international disciples in their ashrams in India. Acceptance by the white man automatically translates to swelling number of devotees back home, and thus starts a vicious cycle. The guru wants more money from the decadent West to help the poor and destitute, and start Engineering and Medical colleges. It is always Engineering and Medical colleges and not colleges for the arts, sciences or the study of veda and upanishads. Why? Because seats in Engineering and Medical colleges are essentially auctioned out to the higest bidder. The Sadhguru has taken the baby step of starting a residential school in the ashram. I assume it is just a matter of time before he forays into Engineering and Medical colleges.
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