THE ABUSES COMMITTED BY GURUS

Prem Baba and Mooji

(This article was written by Alsibar, who has studied spiritual guides extensively, and the original text in Portuguese can be read at this link.) 

AN UNBIASED ANALYSIS OF THE LIFESTYLE OF WESTERN NEO-ADVAITA GURUS

"You're not a person," "Nothing's happening!", "It's all a joke," "There's nobody there," these are some of the pre-established phrases that any novice student of the Hindu philosophy known as Advaita-Vedanta repeats ad nauseam.

Advaita means "non-dual." It is the profound understanding that ultimately, everything is ONE, because in essence everything is God, Brahman (aham brahmasmi).

This profound awakening to the essential nature of things arises with what is called spiritual Enlightenment and reflects the advanced vision of the great spiritual masters of the East. But when people repeat these phrases superficially, without proper inner understanding, they are not only superficial but also dangerous.

Those who possess great power but do not know how to use it can cause great harm to themselves and those around them. This is the case with Advaita-Vedanta philosophy when it is used by intelligent and skillful speakers who lack the necessary spiritual maturity.

The self-proclaimed Advaita guru may be a dangerous and spiritually immature individual. Dangerous because he uses a profound and ancient spiritual philosophy to manipulate people. And immature for the same reasons.

This individual takes advantage of people's naiveté, their emotional and spiritual weaknesses, and their lack of knowledge to sell the image of a wise man with a profound spiritual realization.

However, almost no one will blame him for not practicing what he preaches, since what he preaches is nothing more than words, clichés, and catchy phrases, often devoid of meaning or logic. By preaching that logic, meaning, and coherence belong to the mind, he sets a dangerous precedent. Thus, whenever someone tries to criticize his actions with analytical logic, he will say, "That's the ego. See beyond the mind, see beyond logic."

And consequently, that Advaita instructor will feel free to do whatever he wants, however he wants, with whomever he wants, and whenever he wants. 

The example of Mooji

The recent events, reports, and accusations involving the Jamaican Advaita guru known as Mooji could be perfectly explained by the above description. But before condemning him, it's worth analyzing his teachings to see if they corroborate or even legitimize this type of unethical and unrestrained behavior.

Various rumors are circulating, ranging from brainwashing to financial exploitation and sexual behavior "inappropriate" for a spiritual teacher. But has any woman accused him of sexual abuse? Are there any lawsuits against him for pedophilia, rape, or sexual harassment?

Probably not, and do you know why? Because everything he does—if the accusations are true—may be immoral, shameful, and socially reprehensible, but it's not illegal. The lines between what's allowed and what's forbidden are very blurry. Besides, nobody knows exactly what happened or how it happened.

So far, I'm not aware of any formal charges against Mooji. What has been revealed, however, is that he adores young women and that his relationships with them don't seem very appropriate according to the more conservative moral standards of spirituality.

Mooji, despite claiming to be a direct descendant of the great master Ramana —who was a sanyasyn— is much more like a disciple of the ancient guru Osho —Rajneesh— known for his hedonistic and libertarian philosophy that advocates free sex and pleasure as a path to spiritual awakening.

Why does this happen?

The problem, in my opinion, lies not in the behavior itself, but in the manipulation and personal use of profound spiritual truths that are distorted to satisfy the guru's personal desires.

This is truly dangerous and controversial. I'm not against sex. But using spiritual power for personal gain seems to me to be wrong and unbecoming of a teacher.

The root of the problem lies, perhaps, in the very transmission of the teachings. By reducing something as complex and profound as Advaita Vedanta to simple clichés such as: there is no "individual," there is no "ego," everything is just a grand dream, without law or order, etc., aren't we creating opportunities for misinterpretations and blatant manipulations?

If Advaita gurus preach that "no one does anything" because everything is just a "grand illusion," then there are no limits, no rules, and no respect for anything. The "master" is the "god" who teaches his disciples—but especially his female disciples—how to find paradise on Earth.

This paradise is always by your side, at your feet, in satsangs, in retreats, in your ashram (community); and if you are young and beautiful, it is also in your bed.

The eternal human quest for happiness seems to be at the root of this whole problem. Perceiving this deep yearning in the seeker, the astute guru creates an environment conducive to a life free from the pressures and moral demands of society. But this, in turn, generates other collateral problems, other demands and pressures.

When one is taught that happiness must exist here and now, a thousand and one possibilities open up, but even these have their limits. And by not respecting these limits, nor teaching others to respect them, the guru opens Pandora's box, along with all its evils. 

The big problem is that the "guru" is always in a privileged position of power. The temptation to exploit it is great, and he can't always resist it. Generally, the leader preaches that spiritual happiness includes temporal happiness, and that's true. But this doesn't imply the collapse of common sense and reason.

If Mooji did indeed do what the accusations suggest, he was no different from Osho, Michel/Andreas de Holly Hell, Satya Sai Baba, Swami Rama, and the Brazilian Prem Baba. They all took advantage of their positions of power and spiritual status to attain everything any man or woman dreams of: ultimate happiness and pleasure, even at the cost of sacrificing ethics and respect for the frailties and limitations of others.

All this demonstrates that the cliché that "there is nobody here" is nothing more than a fallacy resulting from the manipulation of a deep and subtle truth: Advaita.

If someone is here to be exploited, it's because someone in a position of power is exploiting them. Likewise, in more extreme cases, there will always be someone held accountable for their actions before the law and justice system. And before that, it's pointless to shout the old cliché that "no one is here."

Human beings exist in time and space as social subjects, and therefore must be held criminally responsible for their actions before the law and society. And when, by chance, some neo-Advaita guru, or anyone else, is convicted for their illegal acts, they will finally understand that however much they insist on the non-existence of "someone" within the human being, there is indeed someone who cries, who suffers, who thinks, who feels, and who deserves respect, consideration, and the protection of the law when necessary.

COMMENTS

Julio: And if "nobody is doing anything," could this person also be on the path of disillusionment?

Ricardo: I've known Mooji for a long time and have spent time with him, and I've only ever seen kindness and respect, whether with one person or two thousand. Those women close to him are very beautiful beings... That's why they're close to Mooji; his mind may see them only as "young women," but that's just the "wrapping," the form.

Mooji dedicates his life to facilitating the discovery of who we truly are, and you can be sure that he doesn't use Advaita concepts to harm anyone; quite the contrary. Besides being an Advaita master, he is an exemplary and completely upright person. He dedicates 26 hours a day to those seeking freedom.

Juan: It's not a lack of kindness, but a lack of ethics. If a gynecologist had relations with a patient or a professor with a student, would it be any different? The truth is that those who call themselves enlightened have minds and egos that crave sex.

Alsibar: Exactly.

Mary no: 17. These false teachers are like dried-up springs and clouds swept away by a storm. They are destined for the deepest darkness. 18 They boast in vain and, appealing to sexual desires, they entice those who are just beginning to turn away from those who live in error. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to corrupt habits, for whoever is overcome becomes a slave to whoever overcomes him. 20 You have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they are again entangled in them and overcome, their final state is worse than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of good than, after knowing it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the proverb says has happened to them: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and “A sow, after being washed, returns to wallowing in the mud.”

Felipe: Unfortunately, due to our emotional vulnerabilities, we humans are manipulated by politicians, religious leaders, teachers, digital influencers, and so on. There's a void that needs to be filled. We must be masters of ourselves so we don't become puppets in anyone's hands.

Alsibar: True.

CID OBSERVATION

I haven't investigated Mooji and therefore can't give an in-depth opinion about him, but there are numerous scandals of abuse by "spiritual guides" (gurus, teachers, instructors, etc.) and not only Advaita but from all denominations and all nationalities, so my advice is to be very wary of such individuals.