And Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the best-selling product (although he looks a lot better in his Wiki pic). At least he knows how to make an entrance:
When he arrives [on stage], he is tailed by a fleet of beaming young women who bounce along, bent low behind him, reaching for a trailing corner of his white cotton robes.Sounds good. But barbs aside, his Art of Living organization certainly seems ambitious.
Maybe part of Sri Sri's appeal is knowing the zeitgeist, or maybe the karma. The article notes that his "prescription for happiness is perfectly tailored to modern life; it does not demand years of penance. In fact, the gist of the Art of Living can be learnt in a weekend – 16 hours for $300 or so. The breathing should then be practised every day for half an hour." It is sadly mute on attaining the bowing women; maybe there is a platinum package.
But it's all for naught, anyway:
Despite the adoring looks he draws from his female adherents, Sri Sri insists he remains celibate, achieving all the physical ecstasy he needs through meditation. Besides, says his sister: “If he married, a wife would not be able to cope with all that goes on around him.”Me thinks she protests a bit too much?
But I fear Sri Sri may be hot air after the breathing; this is the type of sound-byte that no doubt sells, but also is vacuous:
There is a need to secularise religion, spiritualise politics and socialise business.Yes, and I believe squares should make an effort to be more round, and four should move closer to six. What's with all the definition anyway? Here's another view, also from a spiritual figure:
Salt is good, but if salt itself loses its taste, with what can its flavor be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.* Bonus track: salt in the bible.
4 comments:
I took his breathing technique course last year but have never once practiced it at home. It was a 6-day course and the cost was $1600.
There are so many gurus in India and some are guru of the gurus like Sai Baba. People are getting more skeptical about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's organization (the Art of Living) because evidence was found that some politician used his organization for money laundering. I went to one of his talks before and he mentioned that one of his followers will eventually get involve in politics. He added that this is the way to improve human suffering. I have no doubt that his organization has done a lot of good work such as opening schools for children and etc. However, I never believe spirituality should mix with politics.
Well, having lived in India, I don't think it is overstatement to say it is enjoys one of the most corrupt government systems anywhere. Knock me over with a feather if Sri Sri also thinks a profit motive should mix with philanthropy.
Given the choice between doing good things for bad reasons and doing bad things for good reasons, I strongly prefer the former.
Of course, the purity of doing good things for good reasons would be utopian. But then again, it is utopian.
The means justifies the ends; the ends justifies the means. I think they are the same thing and equally wrong. Anyway, I am sure Sri Sri was not given such a choice; nor are we. But it may be true that the majority of people dislike freedom because they fear responsibility. Goodness is not utopian. There are lots of examples of it every day.
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