Well written book. Makes ya tink a bit! --- Bronte Baxter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Hi, gang - > > I'm not receiving FFL emails anymore but am still > officially signed in to this forum, and I ran across > something today too good not to share with > everybody. You can google this book and order it if > you like what you read. I, for one, plan to get it. > > Best to all, > Bronte > > > > The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power > > by Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad > > > [The following quotes are taken from Part One of the > Guru Papers > and are deemed by ex-members to be strikingly > accurate in describing > the dynamics of a cult guru.] > > "If an authority not only expects to be obeyed > without > question, but either punishes or refuses to deal > with those who > do not, that authority is authoritarian." (p.15) > > "Gurus can arouse intense emotions as there is > extraordinary > passion in surrendering to what one perceives as a > living God." > (p.33) > > "In âspiritualâ realms fear and desire can > become > as extreme as they get. When a living person becomes > the focus > of such emotions, the possibility of manipulation is > correspondingly > extreme." (p.41) > > "In the East a guru is more than a teacher. He is a > doorway > that supposedly allows one to enter into a more > profound relationship > with the spiritual. A necessary step becomes > acknowledging the > guruâs specialness and mastery over that which one > wishes > to attain. The message is that to be a really > serious student, > spiritual realization must be the primary concern. > Therefore, > oneâs relationship with the guru must, in time, > become oneâs > prime emotional bond, with all others viewed as > secondary. In > fact, typically other relationships are pejoratively > referred > to as âattachments.â" (p.49) > > "So although most gurus preach detachment, disciples > become > attached to having the guru as their center, whereas > the guru > becomes attached to having the power of being > othersâ center." > (p.50) > > "The ways people deny and justify are similar: Since > supposedly no one who is not enlightened can truly > understand > the motives of one who is, any criticism can be > discounted as > a limited perspective. Also, any behavior on the > part of the guru, > no matter how base, can be imputed to be some secret > teaching > or message that needs deciphering." > > By holding gurus as perfect and thus beyond ordinary > explanations, > their presumed specialness can be used to justify > anything. Some > deeper, occult reason can always be ascribed to > anything a guru > does: The guru is said to take on the karma of > others, and that > is why his body has whatever problems it has. The > guru is obese > or unhealthy because he is too kind to turn down > offerings: besides, > he gives so much that a little excess is > understandable. He punishes > those who disobey him not out of anger but out of > necessity, as > a good father would. He uses sex to teach about > energy and detachment. > He lives an opulent life to break peopleâs > simplistic preconceptions > of what ego-loss should look like; it also shows how > detached > and unconcerned he is about what others think. For > after all, > âOnce enlightened, one can do anything.â > Believing > this dictum makes any action justifiable. > > People justify and rationalize in gurus what in > others would > be considered unacceptable because they have a huge > emotional > investment in believing their guru is both pure and > right." > (p.52) > > "That interest in oneâs own salvation is totally > self-centered is a conundrum rarely explored." > (p.54) > > "So disciples believe they are loved > unconditionally, even > though this love is conditional on continued > surrender. Disciples > in the throes of surrender feel they have given up > their past, > and do not, consciously at least, fear the future. . > . Feeling > totally cared for and accepted, at the universeâs > center, > powerful, and seemingly unafraid of the future are > all achieved > at the price of giving oneâs power to another, > thus remaining > essentially a child." (p56) > > "It is not at all unusual to be in an authoritarian > relationship > and not know it. In fact, knowing it can interfere > with surrender. > Any of the following are strong indications of > belonging to an > authoritarian group: > > > 1. No deviation from the party line is allowed. > Anyone who has > thoughts or feelings contrary to the accepted > perspective is made > to feel wrong or bad for having them. > > 2. Whatever the authority does is regarded as > perfect or right. > Thus behaviors that would be questioned in others > are made to > seem different and proper. > > 3. One trusts that the leader or others in the group > know whatâs > best. > > 4. It is difficult to communicate with anyone not in > the group. > > 5. One finds oneself defending actions of the leader > (or other > members) without having firsthand knowledge of what > occurred. > > 6. At times one is confused and fearful without > knowing why. This > is a sign that doubts are being repressed." (p.57) > > > "The power of conversion experiences lies in the > psychological > shift from confusion to certainty." (p.65) > > "People whose power is based on the surrender of > others > develop a repertoire of techniques for deflecting > and undermining > anything that questions or challenges their status, > behavior, > or beliefs. They ridicule or try to confuse people > who ask challenging > questions." (p.66) > > "Is experiencing intense energy a sign of > spirituality, > or is the experience in the same vein as young > ladies who swoon > in the presence of rock stars?" (p.68) > > "To be thought enlightened, one must appear not only > certain > that one is, but certain about most everything else, > too." > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
