I have noticed a disturbing trend since the tsunamis in South Asia:

1. Some guru gets on the internet with a somber warning that the tsunamis happened because "the Earth is cleansing" (nice way to honor the dead, by the way--by claiming the earth didn't want them or that they "wanted to leave the planet"--as if any one can make that claim about 250,000 people they don't know and never met) and that if we don't all jump on their meditation bandwagon and cleanse our minds of our "negative thoughts", the Big One is going to hit any day now because we didn't clap hard enough and Tinkerbell died.

2. In order to cleanse our minds and therefore prevent the next horrible natural catastrophe (because we all know that science has proven that natural events like earthquakes are the direct result of bad, evil human thoughts) we must not only meditate and pray, but it must be to their specifications, because they are in the know about these things and we are damn lucky there are here to tell us about it.

I am finding this very upsetting. In my mind it's no better than people who are scamming money by setting up false charities, or using the tragedy to make money off of desperate couples by selling orphans. It's just sick on a very deep level. I think it's effective because it's very hard to get our minds around a disaster of this scope, and so claiming that we're being punished by the Ultimate God/Parent for our bad thoughts at least makes some sort of primal sense and gives us a sense of control--gee, maybe it won't happen to me if I'm think better thoughts. Or comforting ourselves by saying that the victims "wanted it."--or, of course, the more sophisticated version of that--they that "were spiritually contracted to leave the earth," etc.

Am I the only that is getting sick of this?

I find this whole thing nauseating. I'm equally sick of the fundraising for tsunami victims being used as political posturing (but that's another forum).

I've heard from family members that this tsunami is one of the signs of the world coming to an end, God's punishment to those in the Asian sex trade, and\or punishment for those who have not given their lives to God, and apparently these admonishments and warnings can all be found in the bible.

What no one mentions is the annual number of people slaughtered, like in Congo, that equals the number of those killed in the tsunami. Is that cleansing? Don't we call it "ethnic cleansing"?

I've seen a group of women on another forum start to really fall for this thinking. THey are abused, with really low self esteem, and ripe for the picking by gurus and other con artists. Since the elections, they have been outwardly proselytizing as well, so perhaps not only could they be duped, they could also be doing the duping.

If you can find URLs for links, posting them would be great.

If a public figure is organizing a fundraising effort, it will important to see if their organization ensures that that money is accounted for and will go to support the stated cause.

Anyone raising funds, especially for a disaster that has tugged at our hearts, and obtained massive media coverage, must exert tremendous and long term effors to ensure that the money raised for disaster relief will go where it is supposed to go.

When emotions are heightened, hearts opened and huge sums of money become available, this attracts crooks who are often quite skilled attaching themselves to saintly persons.

Oherwise ethical persons on a guru's staff may find themselves going through hard times: relatives or elderly parents who are ill, a wedding to pay for, a child who needs funds for high school. For an ashram staff member in this predicament, a sudden influx of funds raised by the guru and sent to the ashram for tsunami disaster relief may be an irresisitable temptation if there are not already precautions in place that discourage embezzlement.

It is so tempting for someone in an office to tell themselves 'I am only borrowing the money. I will pay it back later.'

If you have a large extended family, there's always financial pressure. And 'later' never comes.

A wise guru understands non-dual reality. But the wisest of gurus not only comprehends nondual reality but remembers that most disciples on the ashram staff are subject to temption, because they remain trapped in dual reality, the mindset of 'mine and thine'---and thus be subject to temptation when large sums of money suddenly become available.

A guru needs to remain holy and also socially savvy--and will lovingly institute precautions to ensure fiscal accountablity. Misuse of money (and also misuse of sex power and publicity) create a tension/intrigue ridden atmosphere that hampers spiritual practice.

Very often when a leader has a reputation for sanctity, or an organization enjoys 'sacred cow status' demanding fiscal accountability becomes very difficult--even the most conscientious journalist, may risk feeling ashamed, and hold back on asking the necessary questions, even when doing so 100% appropriate.

Or a guru may be holy, but refuse to take the necessary responsiblity for day to day behavior of the persons on staff. The guru may passively allow a social context to develop which breeds temptation if large sums of money suddenly become available.

And in Asia, some gurus have high placed supporters who may intimidate local newspapers, which could discourage journalistic follow up of where tsunami funds are being allocated.

Thats the problem with naive manifestations of guru devotion. Part of the thrill of naive discipleship is losing oneself in a child's dream of parential perfection, of believing one has found a safe haven with a human being who 100% benevolent, does no harm and is outside ordinary ethical guidelines.

And [i:5c65d32b6b]naive guru-ship [/i:5c65d32b6b]means not taking conscious responsibility for the social context that develops around oneself, or whether your disciples are becoming adults or remaining naive in relation to you, the guru.

Too often it is unthinkable to even imagine asking, 'Guruji, where did the tsunami fundraising monies go?'

When one's mind is enthralled, its in a trance, paralyzed by the dream of contemplating a perfect human being. In such a state, a disciple may be unable even to [i:5c65d32b6b]imagine [/i:5c65d32b6b]such a question--would would mean imagining that their beloved leader could do wrong, or permit someone else to do wrong.

By comparison, with a secular organization, you are not made to feel like you are questioning God. It's easier to find the courage to insist that they open their books and demonstrate that the disaster relief they raised actually went to the people or areas it was meant to support.

A responsible guru, one who is not naive, will refuse to allow an atmosphere of naivete to develop. Whether such gurus exist is a question only our readers can answer for themselves.

Its up to readers to ask whether a religious group or leader encourages this kind of emotional and fiscal sobriety on a day to day basis.

One of the Enquirer/Sun/Globe tabloids (can't remember which) was making some grandiose prophecy in this past week's issue about a tsunami hitting North America, and how it would be a sign of the start of "end times". As if it really doesn't MEAN anything in the grand scheme of things unless it hits America.

Conversely, if a disaster of such proportions HAD hit the United States, I would venture to guess that extreme fundy, hate mongering mullahs and groups currently at odds with U.S. policy would be saying "see, God is punishing them".

I have yet to see a single Atheist or Agnostic on TV giving their viewpoint on this.
Why do they go to Guru's and Preachers to "explain" natural science? What do they know about it? Nothing!

This type of geological upheaval has been occuring for millions and billions of years. it has NOTHING to do with humans, we just happen to be here now.

As a matter of fact, Richard Dawkin's has mentioned that if society would spend less money on tax-breaks for religion, and put that money into science, and Tsunami warning systems, then many many lives could have been saved.

Its just an extension of saying that thunder means the Gods are angry, or other primitive ideas.

Coz

[www.guardian.co.uk]

Thursday December 30, 2004
The Guardian

The Bishop of Lincoln (Letters, December 29) asks to be preserved from religious people who try to explain the tsunami disaster. As well he might. Religious explanations for such tragedies range from loopy (it's payback for original sin) through vicious (disasters are sent to try our faith) to violent (after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, heretics were hanged for provoking God's wrath). But I'd rather be preserved from religious people who give up on trying to explain, yet remain religious.
In the same batch of letters, Dan Rickman says "science provides an explanation of the mechanism of the tsunami but it cannot say why this occurred any more than religion can". There, in one sentence, we have the religious mind displayed before us in all its absurdity. In what sense of the word "why", does plate tectonics not provide the answer?

Not only does science know why the tsunami happened, it can give precious hours of warning. If a small fraction of the tax breaks handed out to churches, mosques and synagogues had been diverted into an early warning system, tens of thousands of people, now dead, would have been moved to safety.

Let's get up off our knees, stop cringing before bogeymen and virtual fathers, face reality, and help science to do something constructive about human suffering.
Richard Dawkins
Oxford