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Stripping the Gurus: Sex, Violence, Abuse and Enlightenment
Stripping the Gurus: Sex, Violence, Abuse and
Enlightenment
by Geoffrey D. Falk
Armed with wit, insight, and truly astonishing research, Geoffrey Falk
utterly demolishes the notion of the enlightened guru who can lead devotees
to nirvana. This entertaining and yet deadly serious book should be read by
everyone pursuing or thinking of pursuing the path of guru devotion.
—John Horgan, author of Rational Mysticism
Stripping the Gurus is superb—one of the best books of its kind I
have ever read. The research is meticulous, the writing engaging, and the
overall thesis: devastatingly true. A stellar book.
—Dr. David C. Lane, California State University
This gripping and disturbing book should be read by anyone who finds
themself revering a spiritual teacher.
—Susan Blackmore, author of The Meme Machine
Geoffrey Falk's delightful but disturbing unmasking of religious prophets
and preachers who command a vast following is a welcome contribution to the
literature on the gurus and god-men of all religions.
—Dr. Narasingha P. Sil, Western Oregon University
No one involved in contemporary spirituality can afford to ignore this book.
It exposes the darker side of modern spiritual movements, those
embarrassing—sometime vicious or criminal—reports which the leaders of these
movements prefer to hide. With wit and humility, and without abandoning the
verities of religion, Falk has provided a corrective critique of groups that
peddle enlightenment and transcendence. A must!
—Len Oakes, author of Prophetic Charisma
Ramakrishna was a homoerotic pedophile.
His chief disciple, Vivekananda, visited brothels in India.
Krishnamurti carried on an affair for over twenty years with the wife of a
good friend. Chögyam Trungpa drank himself into an early grave. One of Adi Da's
nine "wives" is a former Playboy centerfold. Bhagwan Rajneesh sniffed laughing
gas to get high. Andrew Cohen, guru and publisher of What Is Enlightenment?
magazine, by his own reported admission sometimes feels "like a god."
These are typical of the "wizened sages" to whom otherwise-sensible people
give their devotion and unquestioning obedience, surrendering their
independence, willpower, and life's savings in the hope of realizing for
themselves the same "enlightenment" as they ascribe to the "perfect,
God-realized" master.
Why?
Is it for being emotionally vulnerable and "brainwashed," as the
"anti-cultists" assert? Or for being "willingly psychologically seduced," as the
apologists unsympathetically counter, confident that they themselves are "too
smart" to ever fall into the same trap? Or have devotees simply walked, with
naïvely open hearts and thirsty souls, into inherent dynamics of power and
obedience which have showed themselves in classic psychological studies from
Milgram to Zimbardo, and to which each one of us is susceptible every day of our
lives?
Like the proud "Rude Boy" Cohen allegedly said, with a laugh, in response to
the nervous breakdown of one of his devoted followers: "It could happen to any
one of you."
Don't let it happen to you. Don't get suckered in. Be prepared. Be informed.
Find out what reportedly goes on behind the scenes in even the best of our
world's spiritual communities.
You can start by reading this book online."
Contents
Introduction
Chapter
I
Speak No Evil
II
A Bit of a Booby
Ramakrishna
III
The Handsome Duckling
Vivekananda
IV
The Krinsh
Jiddu Krishnamurti
V
Zen in the Art of Sex and Violence
Zen Buddhism
VI
Sex, Bliss, and Rock 'n' Roll
Satchidananda
VII
The Sixth Beatle
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
VIII
Been Here, Done That, What Now?
Ram Dass, etc.
IX
Scorpion-Man
Satya Sai Baba
X
Even If It Happened....
Swami Rama
XI
Mo' Chin-Ups
Chinmoy
XII
Thai Surprise
Thai Buddhism
XIII
Battlefield Teegeeack
Scientology
XIV
Werner's Uncertainty Principle
est/Landmark/Forum Training
XV
Cockroach Yoga
Yogi Bhajan
XVI
A Wild and Crazy Wisdom Guy
Chögyam Trungpa
XVII
Sixty Minutes
Muktananda
XVIII
The Mango Kid
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
XIX
Da Avatar, Da Bomb, Da Bum
Adi Da
XX
Sometimes I Feel Like a God
Andrew Cohen
XXI
Hello, Dalai!
The Dalai Lama
XXII
Up the Asana
Yogi Amrit Desai
XXIII
Sodomy and Gomorrah
Roman Catholic Church
XXIV
Of Cabbages and Nature Sprites
Findhorn
XXV
... To a Nunnery
Paramahansa Yogananda
XXVI
Gurus and Prisoners
XXVII
Spiritual Choices
XXVIII
After the Ordeal
XXIX
Make It Better
Allegations concerning Sathya Sai Baba
An Annotated Bibliography for Research on Sathya Sai Baba in Three Parts - by Brian Steel
ExBaba.Com - link
How top people can easily get away with murder in legally-corrupt India
Indian Skeptic
Sai Baba and The Field of Righteousness
Sai Baba Expose
Sai Baba: Omniscient and Omnipotent?
Sathya Sai Baba Avatar - Extensive Information and Viewpoints
Sathya Shree Sai Baba: critical views
Stripping the Gurus - Sai Baba
Stripping the Gurus: Sex, Violence, Abuse and Enlightenment
USA Sai Page "Sai Baba Official Site"
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