- Why did you close the ashrams after saying how important they were?
- Why didn't you give any notice when you closed the ashrams?
- Why were the ashram premies left to pay outstanding ashram debts when you closed the ashrams?
- Do you take a share of the responsibility for the ashram premies who committed suicide when you closed the ashrams?
- After your marriage and particularly in 1975 and 1976, you
condoned, perhaps even encouraged, a loosening of some of the
hindu spiritual concepts about gurus and devotion you had originally
promulgated. However, in late 1976, at the International Coordinators
Conference in Essen, Germany, you dramatically reversed that
trend and began encouraging your followers in the strongest terms
to forego all other interests and to devote themselves to you
as much as possible. In this respect, you frequently told us
that we were weak, untrustworthy sinners who could only pray
for your grace without which we would "drown" in the
darkness of the world. Years later, however, you reversed yourself
again and now claim it's not that big a deal for someone to stop
practising Knowledge if they like. Why did you increase the
heavy devotional focus in the late seventies only to abandon
it like that just a few years later?
- Were the ashrams a mistake? If so, whose?
- There was a time when you wanted followers to make a lifelong
commitment in your ashrams. You said that these people were to
be your "Hands and Feet". Many people made enormous
sacrifices to do this. The fruits of their labours and their
gifts of money and assets have no doubt helped you to become
the wealthy man you are today. In 1981 you changed your mind
and no longer required their 'lifelong' commitment. The ashram
premies found themselves having to restructure their lives both
materially and emotionally. You offered them no material help
to get their lives back together. Some now say that you took
their productive years from them and gave them substantially
nothing in return. When it suited you, you didn't honour their
commitment did you?
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