Hi Friends,
For the past few months, I had joined the online ashram of SwamiG.
Some of her students have made websites for her like http://kundalinisupport.com/ http://guruswamig.com/
She has video satsangs and diksha experiences of students on youtube, and her online ashram is a yahoogroups group so all achieved exchanges with all past and present students is available to be viewed by all members, including the 8 people who are believed to have reached realisation through her.
She has said that her guru verbally abused her and that caused her to go deep and enter realisation. That seems to give her licence to abuse any student for no conceivable reason. She calls it Kali Energy that cuts the head of ego. In the beginning I understood this and withstood her misunderstandings and beatings thinking that she knows what she is doing, but now after observing the same pattern occurring repeatedly I doubt her. Her negativity is not only directed to students, but it projects in her outlook - for example she posted this before gurupoornima
Another example of negativity towards other realised sages
More Complaining and Negativity
Regarding Her Anger, She says
She Posted this recently
and
Could a person who posts the above be a true Guru ?
What do you feel ?
Thank You,
Mufad.
PS:
To be fair to her, I did not find in her any greed for money or any interest in phenomena or miracles.
All her communications are open and truthful.
I am no longer in her ashram as she kicked me out for a period of one month because she said I was showing disrespect to her.
The whole idea of needing a guru is old school. If you feel you need a guru than maybe you do, but it is not necessary anymore. The spiritual energy has increased to such a level that we can do it on our own.
Not that there is anything wrong with gurus. They have their purpose and some people need them for a while, some need them forever.
But there is no hard and fast rule that a guru is needed anymore. Many people don’t need them at all, some have a guru who doesn’t live in a body. I have had many gurus, most who didn’t even call themselves that. Now my guru is within myself. I feel it is separate from me, but some say it is not.
Only you know if you need her or not, and what is more important is not whether she is authentic, but how much can she help you.
I agree 100%. If she is authentic (which I believe) but can’t help you, then what’s the point? Move on. That’s what I did.
If you think you can handle her abusiveness, then follow her and see what happens. I wasn’t able to handle it personally…but maybe some can.
And just so you know, she’s wrong about this:
Totally wrong. And SHE isn’t the guru…she’s got that wrong as well. If only the enlightened ones could be rational sometimes, it’d help a lot. But I think it’s too late to discuss this with her and maybe see a change…she seems to be completely unconscious of herself. That’s something she should’ve dealt with earlier on in the path, before she lost her sense of herself. Now if you bring it up, it’ll make no sense to her.
But yeah, just know that you can move on and find a better teaching that points more towards the truth. It’s your right as a human being…she has no power over that.
mufad,
You are a child of the living God, and you are attempting to realize this for yourself, such is your desire. The race is long, it will most likely be exhausting perhaps–only those who hunger, and thirst as well, will be filled with righteousness!
Would this lady dare elevate her sight above yours? “One up, one down” is passe. Eyes at a level! Please, don’t give your power away to another human being!
newpov
Hi,
I actually looked at her group some time ago and quite frankfully was dismayed at her attitude to others.She seems to be of the opinion that because she is ‘enlightened’ or ‘the guru’ that she should command respect and obedience.There’s an old saying that we earn respect not that we have a right to it.
L&L
Dave
Hi Dave,
Yes, that is it, she seems to have a need for respect, which periodically results in egoic outburts targeted at students who would dare to ask any question. She makes demands for respect and ruthlessly abuses students with accusations of argumentation, arrogance, disrespect, anger, insolence, sarcasm etc - most of which is ussually not there and is only perceived by her from missunderstanding.
Here is what she posted one day about respect
I believe that the more you give the more you are filled up from the infinite source. If one is getting exausted, depleated and complaining because of giving too much, then may be it is not true selfless giving.
What do others feel ?
Thank You,
Mufad.
Hi,
Sounds like some major purification to me!! I can understand that the demands on the guru could surely be overwhelming, she should take some time off which could surely help her gain a new perspective on the situation.
Mufad, it is quite clear that you and the guru need to part ways. I’m sure you learned a lot from her, even if it wasn’t exactly what she intended.
I would recommend following the ayp techniques for a year or so. The buffet is right in front of you, or rather inside or you are the buffet, oh wait there is no buffet (just some advaita humor). Seriously, just do the practices and then with the rise of inner silence, we can just take the best from everyone around us, including gurus, and leave whatever doesn’t resonate without making it fodder for the mind.
good luck, eitherway
mufad,
On this matter, “Guru is there to hold out the Pearl of Great Price”, you might want to read my Amazon review of “Secrets of Wilder” at http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4493
John wilder experiences some energy drain with some of his experiments. His final gift is not depleting at all.
Don’t you find this lady’s capitalization of some many words to be extremely wearing and domineering?
You have gained perhaps some things from her, now let her rest. Enough “pile on” ! Move your life on to other things?
newpov
My opininion,
if you have decieded to leave her teachings, then leave and let it be. You are holding onto a mental argument, let it go brother and move on, leave the city and dont look back. You are draining your own energies.
just my opinion.
my best to you brother
i am love, i am light i am peace, i am joy
i am of the one, the same one as you
i am neil
Hi Friends,
Thank You for your replies,
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0wWdWCFUsE
Is he possessed or are those strange kriyas because of unfinished past life practices ?
In the video, Swamig brings him to balance and he has now entered realisation, to join the 8 other sages that swamig has brought to realisation.
Here is his interview after the above incident video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMlCkhzN1nQ
I have restarted AYP practices and have no intention right now of going back to swamig, though a small part of me still wonders if I am missing out on the opportunity because of my ego. She has mentioned “So judge if you will ---- but be careful you don’t dig a hole
you cannot get out of for lifetimes… Keep your tongue”
Then why I am making this post instead of “keeping my tongue” ? to get the opinion of people more knowledgeable about these matters, and to help other people to know the facts about swamig, this page now comes first in the search engines, even above her own sites, when someone searches for “Swami Ganga Puri” or “SwamiG” or “Uttammananda” – thank you Yogani.
In my post above, I intentionally left out her correspondence with me, as that bitterness could have been what she thinks I need, but the above quotes are generally directed to all students. For more details about what happened with me see http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4480
I found that in 2005 one of her students committed suicide which may have been caused due to situations created by her (details at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GuruRatings/message/87737 and swamig’s reply at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GuruRatings/message/89965 requires signup)
She seems to have some degree of ability to move shakti (she calls it kali energy) but my assessment is that she misunderstands a shift in consciousness from the mind into the right side of chest as enlightment. I feel that there cannot be enlightment without compassion and bliss. I also feel that where there is anger, misunderstanding, complaining and negativity, there cannot be true enlightment.
Following her practices I had found the front right side of my chest vibrating, like there was a vortex of energy there, feels like a stream of bubbles coming out of soda. The colours in nature were brighter when I was doing her practices, but I was loosing contact with my inner bliss and intuitive connection. The stillness I experienced seemed like a negative lethargic one, a tamasic one. Sometimes I felt a weight in the right side of chest area. She calls it the spiritual heart. She instructs students not to focus on the third eye center and always keep attention in the spiritual heart center. The right side of my chest still vibrates occasionally even though I have stopped her practices now.
Does anyone have any idea about the spiritual heart centre at the right of the chest ? Should I stop focusing in that area ? The vibrations increase when listening to music or reading something or before falling asleep at night.
Thank You,
Love,
Mufad.
That’s too bad to hear. Really too bad.
But suicide is a choice that comes from the individual…I wouldn’t say that Swami G caused it to happen. But perhaps a little less “tough love” would’ve been good for that person.
I tend to agree with her, that what she and her sages have attained is enlightenment. But being enlightened is no excuse to have so many bad tendencies.
I also tend to agree with you, Mufad, that when there are these tendencies there isn’t enlightenment.
So what is the issue here? I think she has chosen to act that way because she thinks it’s an effective way of helping people.
Of course enlightened people can be wrong.
Really Scott? You think so? You said “Of course enlightened people can be wrong”…
Can a TRUELY enlightened person be wrong? Like dead wrong? I always thought that a truely enlightnened being would have had the veil of illusion lifted and would be able to see everything as it truely is. So the only mistake possible to make would be to verbalize things improperly if even that. Maybe I am wrong and I am putting people like Jesus and Buddha on a pedestal, but I always thought that the whole idea of enlightenment meant that you would no longer allow oneself to make a wrong action/choice/decision etc.
In Love,
Carson
So an enlightened person could walk into my chemistry class on Monday and take my exam for me, and I’d be guaranteed an A+? Of course enlightened people can be dead wrong about things.
I guess I’ve had the wrong impression all along then, cause yes, I was thinking that an enlightened person like Christ would have had no problem Acing ANY test let alone a chemistry test! I have never met an enlightened being I don’t think, so I’ve never had opportunity to test this theory. I always thought that once permanently connected to the Source of everything how could you NOT know everything!?
In Love,
Carson
Hi Carson:
Enlightened people can fall flat on their face like anyone else. The good news is that it leaves little lasting impression (limited identification), and that is why calamities befalling the enlightened are often accompanied by infectious laughter.
There is additional good news. Because enlightenment is not some distant imaginary perfection, we each will find it to be much closer to what we are experiencing right now. It is very near, and with daily practices, getting nearer all the time. It is … Now.
For some additional perspective, see this lesson on “enlightenment and perfection”: http://www.aypsite.org/260.html
Does this mean an enlightened person can be grumpy? Sure. It also means that they will attract mainly those people who need (or are willing to put up with) a grumpy teacher. Everyone has a choice on how they conduct their life – both teachers and students. The enlightened and the nearly enlightened.
No one has a corner on the market.
The guru is in you.
That to me doesn’t seem enlightened. How can someone be both grumpy AND enlightened? What could a TRUELY enlightened being have to be grumpy about? Christ wasn’t “grumpy” about being crucified although he had real cause to be, seeing as he was completely misunderstood and he knew that. To me a truely enlightened being COULD fall flat on their face, but would not. Doesn’t the very definition of enlightened mean something like “all knowing” or “all seeing” or something along those lines? How could someone who was all knowing make a mistake? It would have to be on purpose and that would automatically make them UNenlightened. This all seems very much like a contradiction in terms to me.
In Love,
Carson
Please understand that I am just trying to get to the truth here and am not trying to make anyone feel one way or the other for believing something different then I do. All in the name of dialectic conversation.
HI Scott and Carsonzi,
The latter posts come back to what enlightenment is and isn’t. Yogani regards enlightenment as a never ending process and also here and now. So complete enlightenment, save for a tiny few over centuries, is probably pointless to talk about.
More importantly, it seems there are teachers who are believed to be self-realized in the sense that they think they are (and they maybe) free of the ego, however, they are in no shape or way even close to perfection. The lack of perfection can be seen in myriad things such as tone and tact used with students, disparaging remarks concerning other paths, heck even eating more than your body requires for subsisting. In addition, there are so many examples of teachers who think they are realized but are clearly operating from an expanded ego instead of one that has drowned in silence. Cue stories about abuse-sexual, financial, emotional, etc…
I think there is a possibility that you can feel self-realized (free of ego) and even have siddhi’s while there is still significant work to be done in terms of purification (maybe there are different areas of the neurology in play). The problem is that at this point, the teacher already believes themselves to be completely enlightened and thus doesn’t feel like there is anything left to do, other than to live.
The better thing to do would be to continue to work on all aspects of your self (paradox) but obviously this is hard because it again seems to mean that you are not enlightened. Further complicating the scenario are students who are fawning all over the guru and proclaiming how enlightened they are!
I think this scenario will be more common in the quick, short cut routes. Well integrated systems, like ayp, insure that much purification and subsequent improvement in normal functions (cognitive, emotional, social, …) will precede dramatic experiences of realization.
So, I think persons can be self realized (lose ego) but can appear to be jerks, poor teachers, and miserable humans (see ug krishnamurti).
Also, coming back to whether a self realized person will be able to ace a test or not. I don’t have any reason to believe that Jesus would know the tca cycle details from biochemistry without reading about it, but I think along the way on any structured path, the person will gain a lot of abilities (have great level of energy, clarity of thought, a sharp memory, a superior ability to concentrate) that would enable them to be able to do most things they want quicker and more easily than average humans.
take care,
eitherway
Hi Carson:
Ah, but enlightenment is not what we think it is. It is what it is, and that is a paradox – stillness in action.
As mentioned, that is good news, because as long as we hold enlightenment in mind as this or that, it will be out of reach. It is only in letting go that we become it by degrees. The rise of inner silence within us is the essence of this process.
If someone is abusive, it does not matter whether they are enlightened or not. People will ultimately be judged by their actions, not by what we have imagined them to be, or by what we think they will give us in exchange for putting up with their abuse. It is also questionable whether a “friendly” teacher should be held high up on a pedestal. In either case, we will be stuck in co-dependence.
Ideally, an external teacher will be relatively easy to transcend to something much more that is within us, with no external co-dependence. That is the real challenge in spiritual teaching – helping others release into direct relationship with their divine Self.
The guru is in you.
Thanks Eitherway and Yogani,
I understand what you are both saying but I think the confusion is coming over the definition of “TRUELY” enlightened yet again. I understand that enlightenment is an ongoing process that is never really finished, but don’t you think that once a certain point is reached, (whatever that point may be) that the ego, feelings/emotions and everything else that normal people have to deal with, falls away never to be picked up again? What could someone who is living in 24/7/365 divine BLISS have to complain, be grumpy, snooty or whatever about? I can’t see ANY situation in which Jesus Christ would have gotten unjustifiably emotional. Wouldn’t someone who see’s through all the maya of this world find better ways of dealing with petty emotions then to give them freedom to express themselves? Why would a truely enlightened being get MAD at someone when there are other ways of dealing with these types of circumstances without letting emotions run wild?
I understand that there are different degree’s of enlightenment and I can accept that, but if there WAS such thing as a “truely” enlightened being wouldn’t that being have transcended all emotion besides love?
In Love,
Carson
But I think it’s too late to discuss this with her and maybe see a change…she seems to be completely unconscious of herself. That’s something she should’ve dealt with earlier on in the path, before she lost her sense of herself. Now if you bring it up, it’ll make no sense to her.
Really too bad.
Of course enlightened people can be dead wrong about things.
