Has anyone verified if this woman actually has a legitimate not for profit setup somewhere in the US?
And does she get around the license question because of this nfp and possibly exceptions to the rules for religious purposes (ie. priests, pastors etc)
What are the details on this?
Are there exceptions like this, is she hiding behind that, and if so, can she do so based on what she is offering from a spiritual standpoint?

Past posts for 'Guru Patrol'

type in 'all dates' when running an audit of past posts.

[forum.culteducation.com]

Note from Corboy:

No doubt someone will inform me that I am putting a lot of energy into all this and getting all worked up.

For the record, I am not active on social media and dont earn a penny doing any of this.

And no one has been gifting me with jewelry either, ha, ha hah.

--


An earlier post from indiaspark on November 15, 2010 07:24PM

when this thread first began:

[forum.culteducation.com]

Quote

Quote:

Quote

Guru Patrol
Am not a student, but do feel that the burden of proof is on you, not them, to provide sensible evidence against. There is no argument in calling the videos inane. To who? To you? In what way? In what way are they "harmful" to unsuspecting people. and who are these people? In what way does a video take away their ability to think for themselves? This site should not be about casting a giant net on all spiritual groups and shouting bloody cult. It should provide evidence, arguments, and be open-minded. Obviously, if you believe there is no soul and no way to become realised, every group in existence is going to be a crazy cult. Which is fine, but it doesn't leave much room for investigation or insight.

(indiaspark) You have been messaging me privately and you are clearly an apologist for this woman who calls herself Guru Swami G.

and

[forum.culteducation.com]

November 19, 2010 01:42AM

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Quote:
Guru Patrol
a) not my Guru
b) are you for real?

Are you sure she is not your guru?

Its obvious from your posts that you are an interested party and an apologist for her !

corboy)

Nice detective work, but could it be that I'm not an apologist or student of this woman, as I said in the first place?
And that I am now simply asking some valid questions because I happen to think she should not be doing this counseling stuff?
So......can anyone answer my original questions here?
See my last post for details.

Thank-you

GuruPatrol, please read the last 10 pages or so worth of posts. There has been a long discussion of the Florida licensing statute and the ministerial exception. My own opinion on the matter is that religious leaders ARE given a great deal of leeway to deliver what otherwise would be mental health counseling services within the unlicensed rubric of "spiritual counseling." I suspect that where ministers may sometimes cross the line into truly illegal, unauthorized practice work is when they start delivering (for pay or otherwise) services involving drug withdrawals, psychotropic medication weaning, addiction treatment, and services for serious mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, etc. Swami G does seem to advertise services that otherwise would be provided by licensed mental health professionals, and my understanding (I may be wrong) is that she does charge money for those services ($400 per 4 sessions I think), but absent more information I just don't know for sure whether indeed she violated the law and so will refrain from opining. But it's certainly fine to ask questions. Others have said here that the services she gave most definitely were of the mental health counseling variety and one, I believe, even characterized her service as medical in nature (prescription medication weaning), but who knows what the truth is. The Florida licensing board, which has an online directory (linked earlier in this thread), appears not to list her name, but I just looked for Ganga as first name and found nothing. Perhaps she indeed is licensed. She has not claimed to be so, however, in her videos.

As for the earlier poster who made distinctions between what women and men can do in the Hindu faith and that Swami G may be inappropriately donning "male" titles and roles, I must respectfully disagree. All religions have rank sexism baked into them. I would not wield that sexism against someone who otherwise has a genuine interest in helping humanity. I wouldn't much care if she'd even call herself "Pope." What is important is the content of her spiritual and other guidance and whether it survives scrutiny -- such as that given here.

Swami G has posted a new string of videos over the last several days. One seemed to answer rather directly some of the appeals I made to her in my last post to return to positivity, to stop attacking departed followers, and to posting forward-looking videos directed at guiding followers and viewers, providing practices and advice for a more centered life, etc. She posted a very thoughtful, very thorough, and very reflective video. For that I say THANK YOU, Swami G. I have asked questions and expressed some concerns about your practices and behaviors and most especially your recent treatment of lapsed followers that have left with very critical and troubling things to say. But I appreciate very much that you shared with us your current thinking about being a guru and the direction of your ashram. Much of it made great sense to me, especially what you said about having already said everything, multiple times, in the existing videos, and how gurus themselves change and morph through their lives. I understand better now and appreciate very much your having shared those thoughts publicly. They explain a lot.

She also has posted more recent videos discussing her lineage (although refusing to give details about her commissioning guru), defending herself from the dilettantism criticism (flitting from religious practice to religious practice, etc.), and unfortunately again delving into rants against departed students, but at least there appears to be a gradual settling.

It's interesting too that she appears to have taken to heart the criticism made by many here and elsewhere about her apparent egocentrism and need for adulation as a guru. She has called off Guru Purnima for her ashram and will be elsewhere for it. That strikes me as a good sign. I must say, whatever my concerns have been with Swami G (as an outsider, long time video viewer), I have consistently been impressed with the positive INTENTIONS behind her actions and teachings and efforts. Although she has come across as egotistical and narcissistic at times (in the words of a recent poster), I can sense that generally she has meant well and has been genuine in her desire to help alleviate the suffering of followers and others. That is a very good thing. I have said before her that no student is perfect and no teacher is perfect. Swami G is not perfect. We can debate the extent of her imperfection, but I do see that there is some good there for which she deserves acknowledgment and appreciation. I, myself, appreciate her for what I've learned from her. And have only good wishes for her and for her current and departed students. I wish them all peace.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2013 03:46AM by Icarus.

Still no response to my challenge to debate Swami G. I'll keep trying, but so far no dice.

Guru G's Facebook she removed is back up, but all the comments I made are gone now. No huge surprise, but again, here is the backup.

To answer a question I posted earlier in a thread: Somebody has let me know what a Gratitude Journal is. Apparently it's a journal her students are required to keep in which they write at least one thing a day they are grateful for.

Well, looks like yet another high profile "Guru" bites the dust.
Andrew Cohen, Mr. Spiritual Evolution obsession man, has been booted from the very group he started decades ago.
[newsunwesternskies.wordpress.com]
Better late than never.
Maybe this "Guru" should take a page from his play book?
In several videos, she mentions how she could easily just stop teaching and go off and enjoy her enlightenment.
Or how other yogis simply "dropped" their bodies and merged with the Absolute.
Either would be fine.

Well. A follower of Guru G has let me know that she has been forwarded my request to debate her. She has my email address but still has not responded. I can only imagine she is justifying her refusal to debate me by bashing me in private to her followers. I would therefore invite me to do so pubicly. If she has allegations to make against me, let her level them here, or anywhere. I don't care. I'll even ask the moderator not to interfere, if that's acceptable, since it's my privacy and reputation we're talking about. Guru G claims that people should have a right to defend themselves. I wonder if she would afford me the same "right".



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2013 10:23PM by psyborgue.