Email from P.

P. send me the following email:

What ever your thought is about my guruji is wrong , I had gone for many yoga classes but no one teach about breathing technic. Once I had done sudarshan kriya , I had gone in deep maditation & then I had arrange for my whole family. After basic couse has been done my life has changed a lot. in same way i had seen many people life has been changed after duing
sudershan kriya regularly.
This is just for your information. I am not going to do any discussion of argument as i can not change you (if you do sudarshan kriya for atleast 45 days you can get benefit of it)

My answer:


If you genuinly believe you can not change me (or my ideas), i wonder why you wrote me the email.

But in any case,
i have made it clear enough that my issue is not with Sudarshan Kriya as such. I have enough experience with several forms of meditation to know what kind of impact it can have on a persons life. I have no problem with that at all.
But my issue, as i believe my article makes clear enough is with the commodification, commercialisation and productification (of which patenting a style of meditation is but one example) and of spirituality that Sri Sri and AOL bring. Also my issue is with the lies (like the claims of scientificness of those things that are not backed up by scientific evidence - not even by the scientific research provided by AOL), exagerations (like the obvious impossibilities of the amount of social work) and manipulations (like the cashflows within the organisation) that happen within these processes. And mostly my issue is with the fact that all these things are done in the name of 'spirituality' and 'peace'.

So i'm happy you like the Sudarshan Kriya and that the technique helps you personally, but i personally still have my doubts about the AOL organisation and the 'enlightedness' of your guru. And basically these doubts are the same as those expressed by an ex-AOL teacher in his 'resignation'letter that was recently put on the net. Here they are:

1) Why the increasing corporization of the Art of Living organization?
2) Why the intensifying promotional push on all fronts?
3) Why the increasing course fees making it so difficult for many people who need help to participate in programs?
4) Why the pressure on participants in AOL to raise and donate funds?
5) Why the hype and myth creation used for indoctrination?
6) Why the effective undermining of people's self-trust and making them dependent in an infantile way on idealized images of the guru and his special abilities, and a perception of inferiority relative to him?
7) Why the misrepresentation of the placebo effect as the result of the speciality and uniqueness of the practices or the grace of a person?
8) Why the ongoing emphasis on specialness of the organization's leader and his omniscience?
9) Why the resultant cultish atmosphere within AOL and the possibilities for manipulation of all sorts?
10) Why the focus on organization growth and perpetuation rather than the advancement of the people involved and deeper self-inquiry?
11) Why the lack of transparency and accountability for the use of funds, projects implemented, etc.?
12) Why the organization's acting increasingly like a business in the guise of a non-profit?
13) Why the frivolous use of exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts in promotional efforts (as to the scale of humanitarian efforts or the scientific evidence for the benefits of the practices, for example)?
14) Why the conflict between encouraging people to donate a dollar a day to support poor children, etc. and staying in the presidential suites at expensive hotels (e.g. Ritz-Carlton), flying first class, etc.?

You can find the original posting of the ex-teacher's letter here: http://guruphiliac.blogspot.com/2008/03/defection-aol-teacher-sees-light.html

P. replied:

As you agree sudarshan kriya is good technique , can you answer my q's.

Is anybody in the world is doing such things like once you do sudarshan kriya , every week you can do long sudarshan kriya (on tape) free for life time.
Also who in the world teach you yoga free of cost with personal attendance?.
Without fund how social activies are happening.
Vidharbha farmar courses done.
Courses happening at Jail.
Villages got adopted.
Charity shool has been started.
Employment program has been initiated.

Are you know about lots n lots services done by AOL devotee ( I personally present and seen these service done by AOL devotee 2 yrs back at surat when surat is in full of watar).

Just to inform you that I had huge back pain (I spend a lot to cure , even gone for many yoga teachers). But during the Basic course by back pain gone (zero). & which never come again (bcoz i prectice sudarshan kriya).
My perent had attend free course which was organized ( if you become AOL member you get information about free courses happen in your area).
My wife is having breathing problem & she prectice yoga for ateast 2 years (after doing basic course she think it is not effective) , as she is not prectising sudarshan kriya i sent her for advance course , once she done the advance course her breathing problem got resolve & now she do sudarshan kriya regularly.
One of my friend is having alsur (or alsor) , It got cure through sudarshan kriya (he prectis it daily).
People who think nagetive always found fault in everything (people can found fault even in RAM , KRISHNA , JESAS , ALLAH too)
My request is the thing what you not prectis you should not comment.
Due to AOL , person like me who not talk to people before doing the course is having big family call "AOL" , these family is help me a lot when i am in big trouble.

I did not reply again because I had now put this blog online. In different postings I have written replies to P puts forward here. Also in the summary one can find my answer to such 'arguments'.