|
These are some notes
for an article that I am writing (not for FV.) I
thought I would post these here for those of you
are interested in meditation. I have decided not to
talk about that subject here unless it relates
directly to the main agenda which is to bring Rev
Rawat to account. Part of this article does touch
on that.
Last year Chuck began to research the Radhasoami
stuff and I began to look into the yoga aspects
because I know what a few of the Hindi words mean
and because I studied it before meeting Rawat. This
article is the result of that research. These are,
as I said, only my preliminary notes and, if you
are seriously interested, I would suggest that you
do your own research. There are many resources on
the net as well as your local library. I will not
publish the completed article here.
Meditation is variously called dhyana, jnana,
kriya, raja yoga. Each school of yoga mixes and
matches techniques and other teachings according to
whatever tradition they are descended from but
there is plenty of overlap and they are all
basically the same.
The word ''yoga'' means yoke, bind, tie, unite.
The word religion (from the Latin to tie back into)
has similar connotations. Yoga or religion simply
means practicing being whole, complete. Pure
religion without theology is simply a way to be
healthy and sane. A healthy mind in a healthy
body.
Patanjali, who first wrote about yoga
extensively, meant it to be a holistic way to be
healthy. His writings are ancient and mixed up with
the cosmology of his day but it is possible to see
the essence of what he was saying. Hatha yoga was
the way to maintain a healthy body. Dhyana yoga was
the set of exercises to maintain a healthy mind.
(Dhyana means not only meditation but also
mind.)
There are similar exercises in the west for
maintaining a healthy mind and conscience. These
also arose from theological roots and were based on
solitary prayer and contemplation to purify what
the primitives called the ''soul.'' This has
evolved over the years into the modern movement
known as ''Science of Mind'' which is a combination
of christian ethical humanism and the discipline
known familiarly as ''the power of positive
thinking.'' Current practitioners of Science of
Mind also often do breathing meditation for
relaxation.
Dhyana yoga is not the only way to attain peace
of mind and probably for many people formal
meditation is not even necessary. Meditation
techniques are for those people who require
''training wheels'' to attain peace of mind and
mental health.
Yoga is surrounded with Hindu mystique and seems
so strange and wonderful but the fact is that it is
really not much different from sitting quietly and
being calm - what the Quakers call ''Silent
Prayer.'' The theological and mystical aspects of
it are completely a product of the age in which it
was first codified. Primitive people thought in
terms of invisible forces and other superstitions
including calling consciousness ''god.''
I won't go there as my approach to meditation is
simply that it is a tool for maintaining mental
health. What people want to call peace of mind is
up to them. I prefer not to attach theological
labels to it.
When you start to study other yoga teachers you
begin to see that many of the more modest and
ethical teachers actually caution against teaching
dhyana yoga to people with strong theological
concepts. Some will not teach the techniques to
anyone who still believes in any sort of god.
The tradition from which Maharajism sprang was
not altogether evil or even overly primitive. It
sought to make yoga accessible to the masses. It
blended theology (Sikhism or Krishnaism) with yoga
teachings in deference to the god-believing
householders it was aimed at. Pranayama (breath
meditation) became the Holy Name of God. Shabd (the
inner sound) became Divine Music. Talabya became
Nectar.
I don't know if Rawat Senior started the
eyeball-squeezing routine but that was definitely a
corruption of that technique. Squeezing the
eyeballs produces phonemes which uneducated
peasants (and tripped out acid-heads) could believe
to be the Divine Light of God.
Rawat Junior has modified this technique from
squeezing to light pressure which does not produce
phonemes. He has also rid his socalled
''Knowledge'' of much of the Hindu theology but,
when he introduced it to the west 30 years ago, he
relied heavily on the theological mumbo-jumbo to
induce the mass-hypnosis and auto-suggestion that
produced our experiences of bliss. His current
remaining western premies all still harbor
theological concepts if you dig deep enough below
the revisionism. AND he still refers to it as GOD
within.
Bhakti yoga is designed to ''open the hearts''
of the believers in feelings of faith, love and
hope. The darshan contact high is directly related
to what we in the west have known as romantic love.
When two people ''fall in love'' it means that they
lower all psychological barriers and become
completely trusting, vulnerable and open to each
other. This produces the feelings of oneness and
devotion that result in love songs, babies and much
western art.
The only tradition of romantic love in India is
tantric yoga (yab-yum, Shiva-Shakti, Krishna-Radha)
and it is regarded as a religious experience. This
is not surprising in a culture that still regards
marriage as a business contract forged through
arranged marriage. Bhakti yoga, or guru-worship, is
completely out of place in the west and as we have
seen always produces dysfunctional cults.
In India gurus are accorded similar spiritual
status as revivalist christians regard their
preachers. There are as many gurus in India as
there are preachers in the west. Rawat Senior was
the first to pervert this tradition into messianism
and as Sitaram points out was practically a
christian in this regard. It was no accident that
he sent rawat Junior to a catholic school.
The other thing that you will notice as you
study yoga is that Rawat Senior and Junior have
deliberately taught the techniques incorrectly.
They may not have been the first to do so. It could
have arisen through ignorance on the part of the
Radhasoami gurus or it could have been a calculated
move designed to keep people trapped and dependent
on the Rawat guru business.
I will not go into detail about the traditional
way of using the techniques because FV is not a
meditation school. Suffice it to say that, when I
made my break with the urug 3 months ago, I decided
to go back to doing the techniques the way I did
them for two years before I met Rawat. This is the
tried, trusted and traditional way.
I did this mostly as a way to free my practice
from any connection to Maharajism but I soon
discovered that the way that Rawat teaches yoga
actually sets up a conflict with the mind. Ethical
yoga teachers actually warn against practicing them
the way that he teaches them and caution that it
can lead to madness and confusion.
This could be happening because Rawat is
ignorant and does not meditate or it could be part
of the calculated and manipulative Rawat family
messiah business. By teaching the yoga incorrectly
their students will never graduate but always be
dependent on the guru for guidance at best and at
worst will be driven insane.
However the biggest lie of all is surrounding it
with mystical mumbo-jumbo and giving it the arcane
name ''Knowledge'' and setting the mind up as the
enemy within. Yoga shows you that the mind is what
you are and teaches you self-control and serenity.
It is no accident that the word dhyana means both
mind and meditation.
It is also no accident that the related Hindi
word ''gyana'' means both conscience and
consciousness. True yoga and true religion are
simply means of attaining mental health, a clear
consciousness and a clean conscience, to be at
peace with oneself, to be whole, healthy and at
ease not ''dis-eased.'' And morality and ethics are
all part of it. Honesty and respect of neighbor is
essential to peace of mind.
Maharajism is an evil perversion of a simple
mental health regimen designed to instill
dependence on the guru and keep him in business. If
Rawat taught true yoga he would put himself out of
business. The techniques are freely available and
the means of using those techniques efficiently are
best taught by one friend to another as is still
the custom among guruless saddhus in India. Guruism
is hucksterism pure and simple. And messianic
guruism is the greatest evil of all.
I don't believe in theology but, if christians
want to know who is the anti-Christ, they would be
advised to look at Rev Rawat.
|