zaterdag 12 juli 2008

How to go about on this Blog

On this blog i published my email-discussions with several people who had some comments on my article "How genuine is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?" This polemic was after all probably more revealing than the article itself.

You can read the original article and you can read all the emails that have been send to me. I also published my replies on these emails. They can all be accessed through the menu on the right.

Because some emails are long (and some of my replies even longer), I have also made a page with a summary of the most frequently used arguments and criticisms on my views comming from AOL people. It might be a lot easier to read.

If you have read the summary you can still check out all the email-conversations since the emails themselves are quite telling. They show the way people from AOL mostly handle discussion. Which is: mostly in a rather aggressive way and without confronting the facts.

You can send in your comments, yet I shall most probably not react to them. I believe I have said all I had to say about the matter.

7 opmerkingen:

Anoniem zei

I HAVE READ YOUR ARTICLE OVER AND OVER, BUT I STILL FAIL TO SEE ANY FACTUAL MATTER TO SUBSTANTIATE IT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AS YOU CLAIM TO BE WRITING FROM AN ACADEMIC POINT OF VIEW.
ALSO YOU SEEM TO PERCIEVE SOME 'CONTROVERSY' SORROUNDING SSRS, AND WANT TO DERIDE HIM WITH THIS CONTROVERS. THIS IS CLEAR SEEING THE GREAT EXTENT TO WHICH YOY SEEM TO PORTRAY EVERYTHING AS CONTROVERSIAL. MORE IMPORTANTLY YOU SEEM TO VALIDATE GURU OR SPIRITUAL PEOPLE ON THE CONTROVERSY SORROUNDING THE PEOPLE YOU ARE ASSESING.
MY POINT IS THAT QUALIFICATION DOES NOT HOLD WATER SINCE ANYONE CAN SEE CONTROVERSY WHEREVER ONE DESIRES TO SEE IT. YOU SAAY YOU HOLD A MASTER'S DEGREE IN THEOLOGY AND HAVE STUDIED GREAT MASTERS INCLUDING VIVEKANANDA AND PARAMAHANSA.
I WOULD HOWEVER LIKE TO POINT OUT AONE THING, THAT IN MY LITTLE EXPERIENCE MANY OF THESE GREAT MASTERS HAVE BEEN SORROUNDED BY CONTROVERSY INCLUDING THE GREAT MAHATMA GHANDI DEPENDING ON WHO IS PASSING JUDGEMENT.
IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO DERIDE THESE MASTERS BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIVES OF OUR BELOVED MASTER AND LORD JESUS CHRIST, NOBODY KNOWS MUCH ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD,HIS UPBRINGING AND FAMILY LIFE THAN WE KNOW ABOUT SSRS, GHANDI WAS ASSASINATED ON POLITICAL GROUNDS, RAMAKRISHNA WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT HIS SEXUALITY AND CHILDREN, PARAMAHANSA SET SRF, AN ORGANISATION THAT I BELIEVE RAISES MILLIONS, I AM NOT TRYING TO TARNISH THE GOOD NAMES OF THESE GREAT MASTERS WHOM I LOVE WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL INCLUDING SSRS, IN YOUR RESEARCH AND STUDY GO ON FURTHER AND RESEACH ABOUT SPIRITUAL LOVE AND DEVOTION WHICH GOES BEYOND YOUR LIMITED ACADEMIC VIEW, GREAT TEACHERS AND MASTERS HAVE LEFT A LEGACY OF BRINGING THE LOVE OF GOD TO THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF MANY, AND NOT BY ADHERING TO LIMITED HUMAN STANDARDS, THE LOVE OF GOD WHICH BURNS IN THE HEARTS OF DEVOTEES IS TESTAMENT TO THE GREATNESS OF SPIRITUAL GURUS, IF YOU JUDGE SSRS ON THIS SCALE AND YOU FIND HIM WANTING, ONLY THEN CAN YOU PASS SUCH HARSH JUDGEMENT ON HIM AND ALL THE OTHER GURUS.

Anoniem zei

Its sad educated people like you all write rubbish about a well known personality. Instead of clinging on any negative points, please appreciate the good he has done to the people and the society. if the person who has the guts to criticise should have the guts to do more than what spiritual leader has done the people and the Society.

Unknown zei

ssrs is a mercenary and a con man and nothing else.his so called followers are nothing but rogue-ish salesmen who force other people to join there course and they also run a kindergarden charging enormous donations and rs1500/monthly fees and their school is worst then any government school in india and the school is just a namesake.they use it to coax parents of their wards to join basic course of SK,WHO THE HELL IS HE TO DO CHARITY BY SWINDLING MONEY FROM PEOPLE LIKE US?he is a ruthless businessma who wants to amass wealth and con people and to pose as though his work is for charitable purposes.and whats more all the 'fees' that he charges goes literally tax free.despite all this the quality of the school is lousy.
This is my genuine experience from this aol fellows.
fellow bangalorean
kshama goutham

Unknown zei
Deze reactie is verwijderd door een blogbeheerder.
Aruna Sreeram zei

@prajju
You seem to harbor so much of a prejuidice against aol and SSRS. But as regards the SSRVM school, I offer my testimony here. My child is a student of SSRVM and I can say that never they coaxed or influenced us in taking up any course they offer. No doubt the SK was popularised because of good marketing, but if it provides good health to the society so what's wrong about that. Good movies with good publicity are a hit so is SSRS. As regards school fees, again noone forced you to send your child. Go check the decent preschools/schools around and tyou will realize SSRVM do not charge any stand-out tuition fee.

Bhavna zei

I had heard people are ignorant but to this extent???Nothing in this world comes for free.u r ready to pay 1500 on a single pair of stupid jeans n not on a 5 day course which is eventually beneficial for u for entire lifetime???I really pity those people.All my sympathies are with them...

Indian zei

One of the most pointless things I have found in life is to criticise those who have become well known. Osho, Maharishi, SSRS -- you don't know what their journey is or was about. I am not sure we even know what OUR journey is about. Either do something productive, or let go.

I have done SK. Only I know how it has helped me. I could tell you a zillion miracles -- your CV would help bust it all. Experience life, my dear friend. Why waste it on criticising someone else's experiences?