Hi Guru Swami G,
Thank you for coming here to post.
A problem in many religious groups where the leader has absolute power or is considered to be divine in some fashion whether realized/enlightened ( Hindu)or as an apostle of God (Christian); is that there are no checks and balances put on the way the leader interacts with the student. In many of these groups, gurus or leaders get to yell, criticize and complain at the students, and the students have to accept it all ( "the guru loves you so much or they would not criticize you", or in the Christian version; "I'm getting rid of your evil and sin and you must be humbled before God for your own good" ..)
I'd be very interested in your take on this,and how you see this dynamic playing out in your own guru/chela relationships.
Do you ever criticize your students? If so, do you ever accept feedback about it from someone who is not in a disciple position under you?, If you were rough on someone because you were having a bad day are you able to acknowledge that and later apologise to a student? Or do you believe that any criticism you give is fine, and divinely inspired and that you could never make a mistake or be influenced by your own emotions?

Again, I truly appreciate you coming here to post.I have seen the damage done by people who have often quite sincerely believed that anything they did was divinely inspired, and gave themselves permission to behave sometimes quite cruelly to others in the name of religion. It would be great if you would be willing to answer/discuss this, as i think that how this is handled can be the difference between a positive and a negative religious situation..



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2010 03:41AM by yasmin.

Guru Swami G: what is your given name?

A couple of other questions for GSG:

1) Your website (linked above) says that you were involved with "AC Bhaktivedanta" and studied in his asrams for two years. I assume that this refers to ACBSP. But, you stated in one of your posts that you were involved with ISKCON for just one year. Which is true?

2) Your name, is it a contraction of "Swamiji" ("ji" being an honorific suffix used in Vedic culture which means "dear one," as in "mataji," "guruji," and what have you) or if not, what does it stand for? Gangsta?

Hi Guru Swami G,

Hello and Namaste -

Thank you for coming here to post.

0- You are quite welcome. Am happy to do so..

* A problem in many religious groups where the leader has absolute power or is considered to be divine in some fashion whether realized/enlightened ( Hindu)or as an apostle of God (Christian); is that there are no checks and balances put on the way the leader interacts with the student. In many of these groups, gurus or leaders get to yell, criticize and complain at the students, and the students have to accept it all ( "the guru loves you so much or they would not criticize you", or in the Christian version; "I'm getting rid of your evil and sin and you must be humbled before God for your own good" ..)
I'd be very interested in your take on this,and how you see this dynamic playing out in your own guru/chela relationships.

0- If someone is claiming to be *Divine* Run do not walk away... Here people are given hard truth - not
always what one wants to hear.

* Do you ever criticize your students?

0- Some may see some pointings or guidance as being critical -- there will ALWAYS come a time where something
is touched on that will cause a knee jerk reaction that can be quite strong.. No matter who the teacher is -
or who the student is you cannot please all the people all of the time. And IF one is looking to please everyone
then their guidance will be watered down and may not bear fruit.

* If so, do you ever accept feedback about it from someone who is not in a disciple position under you?, If you were rough on someone because you were having a bad day are you able to acknowledge that and later apologise to a student? Or do you believe that any criticism you give is fine, and divinely inspired and that you could never make a mistake or be influenced by your own emotions?

0- Just today posted a video where someone was asking about Homosexuality -- i made a mistake
in speaking about an organization and said something that could be taken a wrong way and Yes
did make an apology to the one that pointed that out.. This then translated out to making a correction
on the video to reflect the right thing. And yes have apologized to a student before.


* Again, I truly appreciate you coming here to post.I have seen the damage done by people who have often quite sincerely believed that anything they did was divinely inspired, and gave themselves permission to behave sometimes quite cruelly to others in the name of religion. It would be great if you would be willing to answer/discuss this, as i think that how this is handled can be the difference between a positive and a negative religious situation..

0- that is yes most certainly true and i speak out against this and am Most Unpopular for speaking out against
the Nithyananda debacle. Trust this i get a LOT of Flack when talking about what is seen other places.
Have been very up front about Oneness University - TM - ISKON - Nithyananda - the Catholic Church and more.

When you SEE a Guru or Church leader saying that all they do is inspired and there is abuse taking place
RUN the other direction. When you see that their private life is NOT matching up to the public persona
being projected again RUN do not walk in the other direction. Yes i have seen some that are classic
psychopathic personalities saying they are guru's and the scary thing there is that they can lie with a
100 % straight face - they are charming - and more than likely believe what they are saying. i think
many are out for name and fame . Perhaps some start out very sincere and may be sincerely deluded.
This doesn't excuse what is being done though.

One thing though this being said have been on the other end of things BECAUSE people have an already
made up mind due to having encountered a bad situation elsewhere or they have a strong belief structure
and are simply looking for a target. So have been on the receiving end of being Judged and Condemned
Harassed and Harried by perhaps well meaning seekers that are either lashing out due to once again having
been in a less than stellar situation before. There have been many many times when someone shows up
and makes outlandish charges and they unfortunately haven't checked to see if it remotely could be
true...

OM Shanti

Namaste

My legal name is Ganga Karmokar




OM Shanti

A couple of other questions for GSG:

Namaste -


1) Your website (linked above) says that you were involved with "AC Bhaktivedanta" and studied in his asrams for two years. I assume that this refers to ACBSP. But, you stated in one of your posts that you were involved with ISKCON for just one year. Which is true?

0- Would say closer to one year --- was in SF for a time - visited the place in Hawaii but most time was around the
LA ashram. So it was on and off for a time. One thing i NEVER would participate in was the way they gave a flower
or book and the pressured others for money. This among other things seen was why i left. And this is the way it
was with other organizations along the way. One get's involved and finds out that there is a fly in the ointment
and that it isn't what is being projected to others - at that point i would make a quick beeline down the road. You
live and learn.

2) Your name, is it a contraction of "Swamiji" ("ji" being an honorific suffix used in Vedic culture which means "dear one," as in "mataji," "guruji," and what have you) or if not, what does it stand for? Gangsta?

0- Ji is not used as am very informal --- So it's Swami (G) G stands for Ganga. Did take Sannyas and that
full Spiritual name is Ganga Puri Kali Uttamandanda Giri Hence G for short...

Many who are not formal students call me simply G.

And so no doesn't stand for gangsta -- am not a rapping guru.


Now that you have had your fun with it let's move on...

Can only once again say that i can't help what others have encountered elsewhere and
can't change my past. All that i can do is to give what is possible to give to the best of the
ability.. That is all...

Sometimes one also learns from the not so stellar things that are encountered along the way.
So one learns What is Beneficial and What is not.

Don't think there is much else left to say - The teachings here are not based on dogmatic
belief systems as all progress has to come from Direct Experience. Direct Experience comes
from no longer looking for some outer manifestation to save you. One has to quit looking for
another route of escapism. On this path one has to be willing to encounter what is driving
your conditioned mind and keeps one on the same circular patterns. When one breaks out
of the ridged molds of religions and there is a break through and all falls away into that
one Unchanging IS then the bondage falls away. And no this can't be adopted as a belief
system. Don't get me wrong am not here to say that there is no place for those who are
clinging to religious systems whether it be doing pujas - or mass or studying texts from cover
to cover IF these are an aide for a time then GREAT.. Get what is possible there and may
it benefit your journey.

Thank you for your questions -- Have been quite happy to be here to give you more
food to chew on. People have a right to their opinion but at least lets start on a bit
better ground as far as giving more facts versus people going off on a tangent making
assumptions and creating a scenario that is more fantasy and conjecture than honest
looking.

Now there must be a way to unsub. but just have to find it.. hahahahahahaha
Enjoy.


OM Shanti

Quote
Oerlikon
A couple of other questions for GSG:

1) Your website (linked above) says that you were involved with "AC Bhaktivedanta" and studied in his asrams for two years. I assume that this refers to ACBSP. But, you stated in one of your posts that you were involved with ISKCON for just one year. Which is true?

2) Your name, is it a contraction of "Swamiji" ("ji" being an honorific suffix used in Vedic culture which means "dear one," as in "mataji," "guruji," and what have you) or if not, what does it stand for? Gangsta?

Good questions Oerlikon, let us see if she will answer them.

Daniel Dennett had such incoherent 'teachings' when he coined the word DEEPITY .

This is also being discussed at Nirmukta the Indian freethought community here

[nirmukta.net]

[www.youtube.com]

In this video she claims there is no gender and then makes more profound sounding intellectually empty statements.....

Namaste

There is a vast difference between discussion - bashing
and just plain rudeness.

What was NOT appreciated was taking one of my
videos and reposting it to your youtube site with
the inane garbage layered over my video. That is
not discussing something that is out and out not ok.

Now as far as the video you are linking to
Am speaking about Consciousness and when
all falls away the identification with a particular
form dissolves. Now am not asking you to accept
this point blank. i don't care whether you want to
believe this or not. Have simply said do the investigation
walk an internal path and Find out.. Pure primary
Intellect is neither male nor female in origin. The
mental play and attachment to a specific body
has an identification in place that is true.

You can't discuss what is here with someone that is
making assumptions about what is here... the only
one that knows what is in this mind or this consciousness
and it's direct living experience is myself. All those
on your sites are making a guess based upon
your belief system. And when you come from a point
of disdain for any Advaitic texts or spirituality in general
how in the world are you going to be neutral without
putting your spin in place. Of course you are going to
judge it based on what keeps you comfortable and
according to what you have ACCEPTED is real and valid.

Am not asking you to accept anything that is said here.
If it doesn't meet with your experience that is fine. But
when you run around bashing it and being rude and
disrespectful then am going to say maybe look further
within and ask yourself why are these buttons being
pushed that it causes you to run all over the net posting
even to the point of unlawfully taking one of my videos
and distorting it as if it's some joke. While your rude
comments layered over it were amusing to a degree
it isn't coming from anything thoughtful but rather a
knee jerk school yard bully approach.

Just because something doesn't meet with your ideas
and ideals doesn't make it a cult.



OM Shanti

GG you are stating a logical fallacy called subjectivity. You are constantly conflating subjective experiences with objective reality. The garbage is what you spout in your videos. This is plain misdirection on your part. There is no evidence for what you call "kundalini" . Skeptics like us do not make an assumption based on a belief system. So you are dead wrong. We are asking for evidence and the burden of proof for the outrageous claims you are making in your videos.