Indian Gurus get a peer review system

[sayak83]

In a very welcome move, the apex body of Indian ascetics is going to institute a system of peer review to weed out false gurus and saints claimants from authentic ones. A list of known fake gurus is to be published regularly and they would be boycotted from holy gatherings and meets. The peer review process will include interviews of the claimants regarding mastery in the particular philosophical, theological or yogic discipline.. looking at financial practices and behavior.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Asaram Bapu, Sant Rampal find place on list of 'fake babas' released by apex body of Hindu sadhus

The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad feels that the title of 'sant' is being misused so it has decided to put in place a mechanism to award this title," Jain said.

The title will be given after evaluating and examining an individual. "The Akhara Parishad will also observe lifestyle of individuals before conferring this title on them," Jain added.

A senior functionary of the Akhara Parishad said that they had also decided that a saint cannot hold cash or have any assets in his name.

"All such things -- assets and cash -- should belong to a trust and should be utilised for the welfare of the people at large," the functionary said.

Jain said that the people should also "cross-check" an individual's credentials before becoming their disciples.

There is a very strong feeling among saints that because of misdeeds of just one or two religious leaders, the entire community was being shown in a bad light, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain said.

An initial list of fake gurus have been published

1. Asaram Bapu
2. Radhe Maa
3. Sachinand Giri alias Sachin Datta
4. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
5. Icchadhari Bhimanand
6. Malkhan Singh
7. Narayan Sai
8. Rampal
9. Acharya Kushmuni
10. Swami Aseemanand
11. Brihaspati Giri
12. Om Namah Shivay Baba
13. Nirmal Baba
14. Om Baba

“We are going to send copies of this list to the Centre, the state governments as well as all the opposition parties with the demand that a strong legislation be brought to check the activities of these self-styled cult leaders,” Giri told reporters.

Hindu seers’ group releases names of 14 ‘fake godmen’; Ram Rahim, Asaram in list

What do you folks think?

 

[YmirGF]

That's actually a pretty interesting idea. Who better to point out the fakes than the genuine articles?

 

[Terese]

How extensive will this guru peer review system be? Does it evaluate big star gurus or anyone who has the title of guru?

 

[sayak83]

How extensive will this guru peer review system be? Does it evaluate big star gurus or anyone who has the title of guru?

I don't know since these major akhara-s are real hardcore. They don't have material entanglements like a website!
..

 

[Aupmanyav]

How extensive will this guru peer review system be? Does it evaluate big star gurus or anyone who has the title of guru?

It cannot be extensive or 100%. There are thousands upon thousands of gurus in India.The big star gurus are/will be the first casualty, the ones who cause the most harm. They would not be able to get audience at 'Kumbha' festival from where they get popularity and money. They won't get land for their stalls as all the Kumbha festival places are now in BJP ruled states. Yes, these 'akhara' (order) monks are traditional and hard-core, 10 of the orders were established by Adi Sankaracharya some 1200 year ago (Sankara's date varies with different people).

 

[George-ananda]

What do you folks think?

Well, I would take what this group says under consideration. I would be interested to see their approved list too. And I would like to know more about this apex group's general position as sometimes groups can have a prejudice in one direction or another.

 

[YmirGF]

Well, I would take what this group says under consideration. I would be interested to see their approved list too. And I would like to know more about this apex group's general position as sometimes groups can have a prejudice in one direction or another.

Agreed. It might also be interesting if they rated some luminaries from the past like Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh/Osho for his notorious past.

 

[Vinayaka]

Time will tell, how words turn to actions.

 

[shivsomashekhar]

The title will be given after evaluating and examining an individual. "The Akhara Parishad will also observe lifestyle of individuals before conferring this title on them," Jain added.

A senior functionary of the Akhara Parishad said that they had also decided that a saint cannot hold cash or have any assets in his name.

"All such things -- assets and cash -- should belong to a trust and should be utilized for the welfare of the people at large," the functionary said.

All of the above can and will be easily circumvented by any Guru.

Jain said that the people should also "cross-check" an individual's credentials before becoming their disciples.

If this option is exercised, there may not be any Guru left in India! The Guru game entirely depends on the sentiments of people and not on their logical thought process. And it has worked out very well over the centuries. It is a win-win situation where the Guru gets fame and wealth and in exchange the disciple receives spiritual guidance and protection.

What do you folks think?

I think this will change nothing. The blacklisted Gurus still have their fair share of loyalists who refuse to give up on them. The ones who have given up on them will simply go shopping for another Guru and the game continues as before.

 

[ajay0]

It's high time really we got one to eradicate the fraudsters who are duping the gullible public for the sake of money, name and fame.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Osho will not even be considered - he was a jain and not a Hindu.
Yes, the fraudsters create a chain of disciples who work for them and in turn are supported by the guru monetarily. It is a give and take situation. Those disciples will not be affected by any stricture.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

I think it's a noble idea at face value. I'll be curious to see how it plays out. It still feels like a situation that could be exploited by corruption. The big celebrity gurus have the money and influence to potentially pay their way onto the "good list".

 

[Aupmanyav]

Akhara people will be least interested in money. They lead their prosperous orders and have come up through apprenticeship with their acharyas after years of devotion. The acharyas normally do not bungle up at selection.*

* Except in the case of the Nithyananda of the Mahanirvani Akhara. He is a fake but has been left out.

 

[DeviChaaya]

Akhara people will be least interested in money. They lead their prosperous orders and have come up through apprenticeship with their acharyas after years of devotion. The acharyas normally do not bungle up at selection.*

* Except in the case of the Nithyananda of the Mahanirvani Akhara. He is a fake but has been left out.

I suspect 'Paramahamsa' Nithyananda has been left out because he is actively challenging the fact that he will be the leader of the Akhara despite the fact that the present leadership has decided he is bad news. Mayhaps when the title was given he was still genuinely trying to help people and trying to induce enlightenment in his disciples but that has gone by the wayside what with his love of shaktis (read; siddhis but another name) and gold. He sits on a golden throne that has the faces of deities on the SEAT area. I don't care how enlightened you are, don't sit on their faces even if you claim to be the avatar of SadaShiva*.

*Tanget, I'mma make a new thread about this because it really, really irks me. I may not make it tonight but I think I will.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Poor analogy, but - "A chameleon can change color but cannot cease to be a chameleon." I think he was a rotten apple right from the beginning.

 

[Vinayaka]

It's high time really we got one to eradicate the fraudsters who are duping the gullible public for the sake of money, name and fame.[/QUOTE

I suspect 'Paramahamsa' Nithyananda has been left out because he is actively challenging the fact that he will be the leader of the Akhara despite the fact that the present leadership has decided he is bad news. Mayhaps when the title was given he was still genuinely trying to help people and trying to induce enlightenment in his disciples but that has gone by the wayside what with his love of shaktis (read; siddhis but another name) and gold. He sits on a golden throne that has the faces of deities on the SEAT area. I don't care how enlightened you are, don't sit on their faces even if you claim to be the avatar of SadaShiva*.

*Tanget, I'mma make a new thread about this because it really, really irks me. I may not make it tonight but I think I will.

When the Madurai Aadheenam's head appointed Nithyananda as his successor, the other great adheenam's stepped up top the plate, and said 'No!' so the appointment was withdrawn. Of course this was in a much smaller circle, but the principle is similar.

But that was more a statement to the Madurai Aadheenam head than to Nityananda.

 

[Valjean]

Interesting idea, though it's hard to believe the Hindu community could ever generally agree on anything. Hinduism's not known for its theological homogeneity.

Who are these theological inquisitors who are going to drill the sadhus in their various disciplines? What are their qualifications?

Are they going to distinguish between the various flavours of Holy Men? Not every guru is a saint, and not every saint, a guru.

Why would money or material assets necessarily rule a sadhu out of the competition? Lifestyle or money doesn't prevent one from achieving enlightenment. Samadhi is a neurological phenomenon, like epilepsy. Saints might be better diagnosed with an fMRI than a financial audit.

 

[LuisDantas]

This that you are calling sainthood... are there other words for it?

 

[Aupmanyav]

The Akhara Parishad is going to come out with a second list soon .. and I wait for it.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Who are these theological inquisitors who are going to drill the sadhus in their various disciplines? What are their qualifications? .. Why would money or material assets necessarily rule a sadhu out of the competition? Lifestyle or money doesn't prevent one from achieving enlightenment.

It is the highest Hindu body of ascetics, heads of 13 Hindu religious orders, 10 of which were established by Adi Sankaracharya. Their pronouncement is an advice and not a diktat. They are well-versed in Scriptures, generally old and free of any misdemeanor. Their orders (akharas) are rich but the money belongs to trusts. Their own life is very frugal (one exception as mentioned earlier). Yes, material assets rule out a sadhu because Maya is too strong. A person with enlightenment would not hold to money.

Akharas: Niranjani, Ananda, Mahanirvani, Atal, Bigger Udaseen, Smaller Udaseen, Nirmal, Juna, Ahwan, Agni, Digambar, Nirvani and Nirmohi.