O.K. I have spent several years with a group of Jagad Guru's devotees outside of Hawaii. I find them aloof, very pragmatic, and pretty darn harmless. Reading the letters about them, I agree with alot that was said;
attitudes, flirtatiousness, tight knittedness. But as for recruiting, I didn't see it. If anything, they kept me at arm's length even when I thought I was close personal friends with several of them. And as time went on, they drew further away from me. But then again, I'm not a total moron, and don't jump into things without a LOT of investigation, and they know this.

Apparently the Guru doesn't want to risk getting sick, as he would not be able to spread the message if bedridden.
Wouldn't the true friend of God be under his protection, and unlikely to get sick? Not a good sign.

Children, of course, are treated very warmly; Heck, I was treated warmly,from time to time. But I'm not as impressionable as a child, of course. And, I never wrote to the guru as was suggested.

Frankly, I think the group is a dedicated group of true believers, hoping to escape persecution, ( perhaps the cause of the secretiveness). They are in close contact with him, and follow his orders to a greater or lesser degree. That's the group.

I have fallen out with my particular group because of the elections. This was a real surprise; to a member, they are on the side of the Hawks. Well, I should have seen it coming. After all,
krishna was a god of war in the Bhagavad-gita, NOT a prince of peace.
Just another cult believing in the great Holy War. They cherish PIETY above all, and accept anyone who claims to be absorbed with love for God.

It's sad, but answers, for me at least, come from within. I am a seeker,
and haven't found any perfect religious leaders so far. But I was attracted to the wholesome, squeeky clean vibe this group had. I just now think that I was wrong.

I was asked about events in January of 2000. In reply, I can only say that I was wrapped up in my own stuff and was not around the devotees too much at that time. Sorry. I heard about Tusta's death later but it didn't really click because I only met him once.

What's weird is that I always wondered why the devotees seemed so normal, middle-class and down to earth; because they are! And republican to boot.

Just goes to show that you never really know anyone until you live under the same roof.

I read a couple of Bonnie’s posts and wanted to make a few points:

Quote
bonnie
... He also requires that certain medical tests, such as a TB test...

Quote
bonnie
…I went to Hawaii, and found out belatedly about the anti germ fetish…

Regarding people taking TB tests, I can tell you as somebody who lives in Hawaii and who travels throughout Asia, I wish that there was more people taking TB seriously. According to statistics, hundreds of thousands of people in the Philippines have TB and in China alone, 4.5 million people have active TB. Hawaii’s TB rate is one of the highest in the nation. Even worse, the TB that’s now being spread around is resistant to medication, including in Hawaii! Here’s some recent articles about TB in Hawaii.

Hawai'i's tuberculosis rate among highest
[the.honoluluadvertiser.com]

New TB test on isle horizon
[starbulletin.com]

Since Hawaii is a melting pot of people throughout Asia, I’m glad that there are some people who live there who are trying to monitor and prevent the spread of this horrible disease.

Regarding the “germ fetish,” to my knowledge, people who practice yoga are very much into cleanliness, inside and out, and engage in all sorts of hygiene practices which Westerner’s might consider extreme. For example the practice of regular washing of hands, cleaning ones nasal passages with salt water rinses, fasting and bowel cleansing, etc. Although it may seem strange to Westerners who have foolishly become dependent upon antibiotics, good thorough hygiene and prevention of spread of diseases is much more practical and will be more successful in the long run.

You may or may not know this, but now we have brand new strains of super bacteria and viruses that are resistant to antibiotic and antiviral drugs. Over 100,000 people die from infections they receive in hospitals every year and health professionals admit there is one simple way to stop this carnage – regular washing of hands. But of course, doctors and nurses are resisting this because it’s too much trouble. And of course those who promote the practice of thorough hygiene are also accused of suffering from a “germ fetish.” But what can we expect from a culture which sees nothing dirty about a doctor licking his hands turning pages to the patient’s records and then sticking those same dirty hands in the patient’s mouth to see if he’s suffering from a sore throat. If he’s not, he soon will be.

In response to rescate's requests;
If the group is a bonafide spiritual group, they can't be that hard to find.
Of course, if they are trying to keep their location a secret, it will be harder.
The church I grew up in was listed in the phonebook. I'm sure that many members ran for political office from time to time, and probably admitted they were church members. And you could call on the pastor anytime you wanted; he was in the phonebook too.

I'm sure your relative is safe and sound, and benefits from association with the group. Why not direct your questions to him/her? If they are committed to this line of spirituality, you won't be able to stop them, anyway.

My doubts arise from one fact only: Why the Secrecy? What are they hiding, and why do they want to hide it?