JGeropoulas
The Living Force
I recently saw a Shambala magazine on display was featuring the medical benefits of meditation. I was intrigued about Sahaja Yoga because of its claim to help develop “thoughtless awareness.” But, in doing further research, I discovered details about that yoga organization which were even more intriguing in their relevance to SOTT’s legal battles with MIVILUDES.
I've provided some excerpts below [bold emphasis is mine; citation numbers are to references in the WikiPedia article cited at the end]. This first paragraph sums up the core of the intrigue:
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahaja_Yoga
_http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=114
I've provided some excerpts below [bold emphasis is mine; citation numbers are to references in the WikiPedia article cited at the end]. This first paragraph sums up the core of the intrigue:
And to enable meaningful comparisons (and contrasts) with SOTT, I’ve included below information about the organization’s founder, beliefs, practices, etc. I’m not going to get into evaluating Sahaja Yoga or the organization, because that would be a topic in itself. My point here is that, if founder, Nirmala Srivastava and Sahaja Yoga can obtain justice (and financial restitution!) in court, seems like SOTT certainly should be able to do so as well.France and Belgium have been repeatedly criticized at the U.N. and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for fostering religious intolerance and discrimination through state entities and state-funded private entities. Willy Fautré, the Director of Human Rights Without Frontiers writes that "up to now, the negative image of Sahaja Yoga has been mainly conveyed by 'antisect' organizations and 'state sect observatories' without any serious control of the rumors concerning this movement as the Belgian court decisions clearly show".[151]
Nirmala Srivastava
Nirmala Srivastava is said to have made the unique discovery of a way to grant Self-Realization en masse[41] on May 5, 1970. She visited different religious people[42] including Rajneesh[2] and said that she found them to be greedy and promiscuous rather than spiritual. She said she found the situation hopeless and began searching inside herself for a solution.[43]
Nirmala Srivastava is said to have opened the primordial Sahasrara and thereby cleared the path for the kundalini to rise effortlessly in all who desire self-realization.[44] She has said that when the kundalini reaches the top of the head, the Sahasrara chakra opens and enlightenment (samadhi) takes place. One "may feel a powerful sensation in the crown of the head, followed by a melting sensation and a flow of cool vibrations from the fontanelle area". She says this is the true second birth.[45]
The ability to grant en-masse Self-Realization is held to be proof that Nirmala Srivastava is the 'Avatar of our times'.[46] Nirmala Srivastava has claimed to be the complete[47] incarnation of the Holy Ghost or Adi (Primordial) Shakti.[48] The incarnation of the Adi (Primordial) Shakti was prophesied in the Markandeya Purana and the Nadi Grantha 2000 years ago.[49]
Sahaja Yoga
Sahaja yoga is the state of self realization produced by kundalini awakening and is accompanied by the experience of thoughtless awareness or mental silence (Nirvichar Samadhi).[3][4] Practitioners of the Sahaja Yoga meditation technique feel a cool breeze on their hands and on top of their head while meditating, other effects include a dilation of the pupils and deep physical and mental relaxation.[5] Thus Sahaja Yoga is not only the name of the movement, but also the technique the movement teaches and the state of awareness achieved by the technique.[6] The movement teaches that self realization through kundalini awakening is a transformation which results in a more moral, united, integrated and balanced personality.
Sahaja Yoga started in India and England (where Nirmala Srivastava moved in 1974) and there are now Sahaja Yoga centers in almost 100 countries worldwide.[7] She charged no money, insisting that her lesson was a birthright, which should be freely available to all. "There can be no peace in the world until there is peace within," she said.[8] For many her methodology on self -transformation and creating consciousness led to a happy and blissful life.[7]
The organization has had its share of controversies some related to the behavior of leaders and others to the perceived level of influence the founder has had over her followers. Some ex-members have labeled the movement a cult but it has been largely defended and exonerated from this label. Sahaja Yoga has been found to have been unfairly targeted by anti-cult organizations.
Sociologist, Judith Coney, for example, reported facing a challenge in getting behind what she called "the public facade".[22] She described Sahaja Yogis as adopting a low profile with [religiously] uncommitted individuals to avoid unnecessary conflict.[23] Judith Coney wrote that practitioners who decide to leave the movement generally do so after becoming inactive (i.e., not meditating for 6 months or more).[65]
Reporting on Sahaja Yoga, Sudhir Kakar writes that mental and physical disease can be caused by "clogged chakras" or an overactivity of the left and right channels. If the chakras are not linked together by the flow of (kundalini) energy, there is no integrated personality.[35] Sahaja Yoga claims that it has cured patients of high blood pressure, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer[36] and can prevent many other ailments.[37] In an interview, Nirmala Srivastava stated Sahaja Yoga has cured people with AIDS.[38] She has also said that Sahaja Yoga can cure mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.[39] Kakar has written that followers of Nirmala Srivastava consider faith in her divinity to be a precondition for being cured.[40]
Beliefs
Sahaja Yogis respect and accept people from all religions and believe the state achieved through self realization makes the truth behind all religions apparent.[16] Sahaja Yoga beliefs are seen as a re-discovered ancient knowledge[17] which should be treated respectfully and scientifically, like a hypothesis[18] and if found by experiments as truth, should be accepted.[19]
The technique itself is said to be already researched and does not require further development.[20] Sahaja Yoga is held to be different from other yoga/meditations because it begins with self realization through kundalini awakening rather than as a result of performing kriya techniques or asanas.
This spontaneous awakening is said to be made possible by the presence of Shri Mataji herself, or even her photo. The hypothesis is that the experience of self realization can be individually verified.[3] It is believed that when the kundalini energy of an individual is awakened, he/she gets connected with the all pervading power and is in union with God.
Students are encouraged to experience and test the meditation for themselves rather than proceeding blindly or learning from a book.[21] Advanced concepts are not generally taught until a beginner is understood to have gained enough knowledge of their own subtle system through actual experience. Without direct experience of the meditation, some people have reported difficulties understanding or proceeding to the more advanced material. Sahaja Yoga also states that spreading Sahaja Yoga techniques should be free for everyone.[24] Sahaja Yoga members that pay for the events (room booking or stalls at fairs) usually do so through their own contributions.
Meditation
Sahaja Yoga meditation was developed during the 1970s[56] by Nirmala Srivastava, and is followed and promoted among and by the Sahaja Yoga movement. The practitioner's aim is to enter the state of "thoughtless awareness" – a state of relaxation and clarity.[57] Nirmala Devi has said that the establishment of thoughtless awareness in one's meditation is necessary before divine connection and spiritual growth can take place.[58] Meditation is not thinking "about your problems at all, whatever chakras you have, anything", rather it "means exposing yourself to God’s grace."[59]
It is suggested a candle or oil lamp be lit in front of a photograph of Shri Mataji, which is believed to emit a constant stream of "positive, cool vibrations (energy)".[60] The practitioner generally begins by raising the kundalini in a physical exercise with their hands and attention[61] and puts on 'bandhan'.[62] He or she then sits comfortably, breathes normally and holds the hands out, palm upwards, as if receiving something precious.[63] During meditation, the attention is focused on the Sahasrara chakra.[60] Sahaja Yoga can be practiced while listening to music or in silence.[64] Nirmala Srivasta has described meditation as "an individual journey towards God."[59]In her Diwali talk in 2002, Nirmala Srivastava said that those who do not meditate cannot get the full advantage of Sahaja Yoga.
Marriages
Couples intending to marry would generally consult Shri Mataji first. The traditional practice of arranged marriages is also promoted and the movement hosts its own voluntary arranged marriage system.[90] An official testimony says that arranged marriages save devotees from spending unnecessary attention on searching for prospective partners for potentially the wrong reasons for example, physical attraction.[91]
Applicants for arranged marriages and their leaders fill out a form detailing their qualities,[92] backgrounds and involvement in the movement. International seminars often provide an opportunity for practitioners to meet another, often from another country, for the purpose of marriage. The couples are introduced, either through Shri Mataji or one of the movement's national leaders.[9]
When matching couples, Shri Mataji took into consideration their vibrational compatibility. No pressure was placed on the partners to proceed and they are encouraged not to go ahead if they have any doubts, according to an official website.[91] 'Mass marriage ceremonies'[93] are sometimes held at puja events.[94] Reportedly not all marriages arranged by Shri Mataji were successful[23] but official statements boast high rates of success.[90]
Nirmala Srivastava herself said that marriage is "spontaneous" and can not be "organized". "Marriage is secondary, and is spontaneous – it cannot be organised."[95] Nirmala Srivastava emphasized that marriage should be a "support", not a prime thing in Sahaja Yoga. "So marriage should not be the prime thing ... it's supportive ... what is the prime thing is the kundalini."[96]
Commitment and relationships with family and friends
The aim of the Sahaja Yogi is to develop detachment but not run away from family or society. It is suggested that by remaining detached and unaffected, the yogi can play a part in transforming society.[97]
Tasks, meditation requirements, and devotion however, may make great demands on free time and this can mean that as commitment increases some devotees cut themselves off from relatives and former friends. INFORM has said that over time the Guru's advice (about child rearing, marriage and divorce) can take precedence for some devotees.[9]
Judith Coney observed that the movement tolerates a variety of world views and levels of commitment with some practitioners choosing to remain on the periphery.[98]
Barrett writes that some former members say that they were expelled from the movement because they "resisted influence that Mataji had over their lives". According to Barrett, the movement's founder's degree of control over members' lives has given rise to concerns.[100] The Austrian Ministry for Environment, Youth and Family regards Nirmala Srivastava as an authority who cannot be questioned.[101]
Vishwa Nirmala Dharma (trans: Universal Pure Religion, also known as Sahaja Yoga International) is the organizational part of the movement. It is a registered organization in many countries such as Colombia,[102] the United States of America,[103] France,[104] and Austria.[105] It is registered as a religion in Spain.[106]
The organization is governed by the World Council for the Advancement of Sahaja Yoga and, in addition to directly promoting Sahaja Yoga, promotes Sahaja culture, runs schools, a health center, a youth movement, and a project for the rehabilitation of "destitute women and orphaned children".[107]
Judith Coney wrote that the Sahaja Yoga school in Rome[126] accepted boarding infants from the age of 2.[119] A 1988 Italian television program surreptitiously filmed children sleeping 6 to a bed and there has been negative press coverage in Le Figaro, 16/5/91; Paris Match, 30/1/91 and Marie France, February 1992.[127] Coney also reported the allegation that "when Swiss parents protested to Sri Mataji about their children going away from the age of three, thinking that the command to send their offspring came from the national leader rather than her, she personally reinforced his orders and, moreover, ordered them to have no contact with their children for at least a year."[119]
This health center claims to have been successful in curing incurable diseases such as (refractory) high blood pressure, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.[68][129] The center's website states: "What really counts in this Health Centre is that Our Holy Mother Shri Mataji has Her Divine Attention here and it is evident that She effects all cures."[128]
She insisted that one cannot pay for enlightenment and she continued to denounce the false self-proclaimed ‘gurus’ who are more interested in the seekers’ purse than their spiritual ascent. However, according to the author David V. Barrett, the movement had been criticized because of encouragement of its members to make donations to pay for Mataji's trips and "expensive properties."[100]
Sahaja Yoga leaders deny this, pointing out that their group is a recognised religion in both the US and Russia, that all members are free to come and go as they please. They admit that members are asked for voluntary contributions to events and projects, but that the money does not go to the founder herself.
A current member of 25 years said: "All the organisation owns is a few properties in various countries. If we were into making money, that would be a pretty feeble return."[39]
WIPO complaint
A 2001 complaint by Vishwa Nirmala Dharma (a.k.a. Sahaja Yoga) to the World Intellectual Property Organization about the use of the term "Sahaja Yoga" in an ex member's domain name was unsuccessful due in part to the determination that the words 'Sahaja' and 'Yoga' are descriptive Sanskrit words heard in Buddhism, used by Kabir and also referred to by Guru Nanak in Sikhism. The presiding panelist disagreed with the decision and stated his belief that the registration by a group of ex members of a domain name using the term Sahaja Yoga in order to discredit the organization was deceitful and in bad faith.[6]
Cult allegations and refutations
A 2008 court case in Brussels has ruled that Sahaja Yoga had been wrongly labeled as a cult by a Belgian state authority and awarded the group compensation.[149] A French National assembly report has also referred to Sahaja Yoga as a cult[150]
France and Belgium have been repeatedly criticized at the U.N. and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for fostering religious intolerance and discrimination through state entities and state-funded private entities. Willy Fautré, the Director of Human Rights Without Frontiers writes that "up to now, the negative image of Sahaja Yoga has been mainly conveyed by 'antisect' organizations and 'state sect observatories' without any serious control of the rumors concerning this movement as the Belgian court decisions clearly show".[151]
Judith Coney found that most people who leave the movement voluntarily, still had positive things to say about it.[152] A smaller group of ex members have made complaints against the movement which have been reported in the press. In 2001, The Independent reported that certain ex-members say "that Sahaja Yoga is a cult which aims to control the minds of its members".[153]
In 2005, The Record reported that some critics who feel that the group is a cult have started their own websites.[154] In 2001, The Evening Standard reported that Sahaja Yoga has been "described as a dangerous cult" and "has a dissident website created by former members".[39]
In 2001, the Sahaja Yoga Association published a response to the online allegations of ex-practitioners who were described as "dissatisfied" and having had been previously asked to leave the movement.[155][156]
...In response to one press article in which cult allegations were made, a meeting was held after a national puja to discuss the level of secrecy within the group. In an effort to be transparent, a researching sociologist, Judith Coney was allowed to attend this meeting. Sahaja yogis discussed the ways in which some of their beliefs were disguised when in contact with non-members. Coney described this discussion as frank and revealing.[22]
John Crace from The Evening Standard wrote about an event he attended and noted that a Sahaja Yoga representative asked him to feel free to talk to whomever he wanted…He proposed that "one of the key definitions of a cult is the rigour with which it strives to recruit new members" and concluded that there was no aggressive recruitment squeeze.[39]
[A few years prior]...the Centre of Information and Opinion on Harmful Sectarian Organizations (CIAOSN/IACSSO) had published an unfavourable report which was found to be unobjective and had resulted in the movement being defamed. In 2008 the Belgian newspapers reported that the Court of First Instance of Brussels ordered the Belgian state to pay 1,500 Euros compensation to Sahaja Yoga for wrongly labeling the movement as a sect (cult).
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahaja_Yoga
_http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=114
