Essence of Consciousness

 Excerpt from my Author's blog at: https://www.michaelkoyoti.com/blog/essence-of-consciousness

"..  In my book Is-Ness, I describe the essence of consciousness as experiencing only the present instance in time from a dimensionless point in space. From this singularity of presence our self awareness manifests as mind and body. This description is echoed in ancient wisdom, spanning Shamanism, Buddhism, the Vedic tradition, Sufism and, I believe, the teachings of Jesus. But, how do we describe this to those who have no knowledge or experience in any of these traditions?

I like the analogy of a whirlpool vortex in a vast ocean. The vortex exists due to a singular point on the ocean floor which draws water from the ocean. A whirlpool is sustained as long as the singular hole in the ocean can sustain the flow of water through it.

Without the singularity, there is only the vast, calm ocean, or empty space. The whirlpool itself is formed from the ocean water. We see this phenomenon at the atomic level. Atoms exist as a field vortex in space. Remove the singularity that powers the vortex and the field collapses into empty space.

In our universe, space is clearly not empty. Some call it a fabric of time-space, scientists of previous eras call it Aether, which behaves like a multi-dimensional super fluid. It is what electromagnetic fields propagate through. A singularity created in Aether taps into an infinite source of energy beyond our 3 dimension time-space existence to establish sustainable field vortexes of particles and atoms. Consider a fixed magnet that exhibits a sustained magnetic field. Yet, at the center of the magnet, there is no magnetic field at all. Out of a calm motionless center, spews a vortex of electrical field energy that flows continuously throughout the magnetic material to create a magnetic field, a magnetic dipole with opposing north and south poles separated by a two dimensional structure extending from the center singularity of a magnet.

Ancient inquirers, exploring human consciousness discovered the same dimensionless presence in our consciousness. It does not experience linear time, but only exists in the moment. It has no emotions or thoughts. It only “is”. ..."

Is-Ness Book Release

 

 

After more than a decade of work, I've released my first book, Is-Ness, Science, Consciousness, Spirit, under my writer name Michael Koyoti.

I expect to release "Chronicles of Monkey Man" as a fiction follow on to this book within the next year.

Please visit my author's website for book updates, blog and future podcasts.

The book can be purchased in print and e-book formats on Amazon. 

Michael

The Current State of SRCM

The 10+ years of experience I had as a prefect and abhyasi in SRCM pales in comparison to the Journey I embarked upon when I departed SRCM over 25 years ago. It is no wonder to me that this organization struggles to continually re-invent itself to maintain their disciples attention and interest. Re-branding and re-writing history only puts a new face on the same organization.

SRCM leadership lusts for being a major world spiritual organization yet remains insignificant in the larger scheme of things. 

Like all hierarchical organizations, SRCM draws spiritual power from its disciples. It reinforces the myth of spiritual inadequacy and dependence on a hierarchy and mission to achieve some elusive goal. Like all religions it promises a brighter world upon death in exchange for enduring misery and sacrifice in this life. In its wake is the carnage of damaged lives and families. 

This is the opposite of spirituality. There is no spiritual goal. There is only the Journey which is infinite! In effect, disciples willingly sacrifice their Spirit Journey to serve a mission. 

I pray for the awakening of all sincere souls. May they take that simple step to resume their Spirit Journey that Creator has lovingly placed before them.

Love and Blessings,

Michael

End Of En Era

My deepest condolences to the family and disciples of Shri Parthsarathi Rajagopalachari, who passed away this weekend. While I parted ways with Mr. Rajagopalachari nearly 25 years ago, he was a formative influence in the early days of my Spirit Journey. His passing is the end of an era for the Sahaj Marg system. May all those who sought his wisdom and guidance continue on their Journey with their hearts open.


Blessings,


Michael

Obedience To The Mission

I approach all my experiences on this life's Journey with gratitude. In my youth, I thought my spirit Journey began in 1979 when I approached SRCM– 19 years old, seeking spiritual training and guidance. Guidance was lacking. The aging Master, inaccessible. Dissension within the group was looming. Yet, within the first few months, I experienced an inner calm in my heart center. This would ultimately be my companion and guide. No experience in my subsequent 10 years in SRCM has held a candle to this early experience. It has remained so to this day, more than 30 years later. I left SRCM in 1990 after much disappointment and betrayal. When the Master demanded I be “obedient to the Mission”, I left and never looked back. In fact, my true Spiritual Journey began at that very instant. I am grateful for the push! I would not trade this Journey for anything.

Since my departure, I have heard from so many current and former SRCM abhyasis who struggle in their effort achieve something spiritual. Many suffer from trauma inflicted upon them in their association with SRCM, its preceptors and hierarchy. Some struggle with confused thinking and low self esteem. Yet, I believe each and every one has experienced a centered heart early on their practice. The internal struggle results from the pursuit of spiritual achievements beyond the simplicity of a centered heart. That centered heart is the only constant on a Journey that never ends. Further harm is done by demanding obedience to the Mission.

What is the purpose of this obedience? What has this Mission created? Vast real estate holdings? Publications irrelevant to anyone who does not share in obedience to the Mission? What has the Mission done to uplift Humanity that merits obedience to it? The Mission anoints spiritual trainers who are but beginners, with little or no training of their own. Its hierarchy has neither the compassion nor the patience to affirm the divinity that exists in every aspirant's heart. Instead they proclaim that the highest divinity exists only in the one Master, as if nature hoards its abundance in only one heart! They forswear their disciples as merely slaves of wishes, full of grossness, in need of cleaning.

This behavior is the antithesis of the ancient spiritual truth - The truth, which declares the heart as the true guide, where at its core exists the spark of the Infinite. Only when one affirms this truth does the Infinite Journey begin! When one pursues a spiritual goal, they step off this Journey. They risk mental anguish, trauma and even insanity. Obedience to the Mission is a dangerous distraction. The Mission serves only itself. It serves only to perpetuate myths that perpetuate obedience to itself. The truth is, there exists no divine master to take you an ultimate spiritual goal, because there is no goal. There is only Journey itself – which is Infinite, and the heart is the only true guide and Master.



Michael

A Message From The Spirit Forest

Monkey Man has posted this on my personal blog. It has relevance to SRCM so I've reposted it here.

 Its inhabitants attacked, but not broken
The Spirit Forest dispatches an invisible emissary
Concealed in storms manifest by men
Which tear into continents without mercy
Unnoticed by a world consumed with itself

Its stillness of spirit resides in destructive spiral cores
Vacuum manifesting destruction
Invisible in the aftermath
Drifting silently to unsuspecting kingdoms
And slipping unnoticed into inner sanctums

News of its arrival will be silence
Yet its presence will blare like a thousand falcon cries
Self proclaimed Masters will see their end
Unsuspecting loyalists cling to crumbling palace walls
Brightness shines on Darkness
Dark inhabitants, their true form revealed, scatter

What has been proclaimed as Bright will reveal its Darkness.
 ...And those imprisoned in Darkness will shine like Morning Stars


Monkey Man

I'm posting here a comment made in response to posts on: http://bewareofsahajmargsrcm.blogspot.com/

Having lived long enough to have personally known, Babuji, Chariji, Babuji's Sons, Ragavendra Rao, SA Sarnad, not to mention one of the last surviving associates of Lalaji who died recently at the age of 103, I am going to comment here to the many folks posting here, claiming to "know" about the system of Sahaj Marg, offering their advice and wisdom to Jai Hind for simply documenting HIS experience.

1. Sahaj Marg is not part of Lalaji's legacy. Lalaji encouraged multitudes of spiritually inspired people, without creating exclusivity or claiming to be the "only path" to some elusive goal. Babuji, after meeting Lalaji only a few times, and a decade after his death, claimed his exclusive successorship. Yet Sahaj Marg bears little resemblance to what Lalaji taught. 

2. "The Goal" everyone is clamoring to acheive in SRCM is a falsity! There is no Goal, no elusive "Brighter World". There is only an Infinite Journey that lays before you and always has laid before you! You can choose to languish in starry eyed trances around the words of a self proclaimed (and dead) gurus, or embark upon the Journey that is yours, and yours alone to travel. Even your revered Babuji hinted about this when he said, " Its as simple as turning ones head from here to here"...

3. For whatever reason Babuji created this SRCM system, the result is multitude of charlatans and opportunistic family members claiming to be his successors, representatives, holders of his legacy, or, worst of all, directly communicating with him from the dead.

SRCM blatantly claims to be the exclusive means for humanity to achieve the highest "Goal" possible for human beings. Such claims deserve scrutiny. Call it "judging the system" if you'd like. HOWEVER, such claims go against ALL that true Spirituality represents. Yet, SRCM members feel free to judge anyone who might speak up about it. Even I have been called an "Enemy of Spirituality" by SRCM for speaking the truth on behalf of a much larger and more ancient spiritual legacy that SRCM ever will be! Jai Hind seems to be bearing the brunt of it from posters, who display little or no direct knowledge of the very foundations of the organization and system they defend.

I truly hope and pray that those of you who have posted here are ultimately blessed with the ability, through whatever means, to see the Infinite Journey that has always awaited you - A Journey where a direct relationship with Creation/Creator is your birthright!

Love,

Michael

Un-Sound Principles of SRCM

I've received many enquiries from current and former disciples of SRCM recently. Many agonize over their predicaments, questioning the hierarchy or are simply spiritually unhappy. Some struggle with difficult decisions to either join a splinter group or leave SRCM all together. I have always offered to assist in what ever way I can, asking nothing in return.  I have found myself repeating a common theme in most of these correspondences. As a result I have decided to summarize some of my statements made privately below:

I believe that the practice of Sahaj Marg, and the entire system established by its Founder, to be based upon spiritually flawed and dangerous principles. Other than completely discarding the core principles and practices of the system, there is no possible outcome other than that which we see unfolding today. 

More specifically:


1. The Prayer is comprised of affirmations which are spiritually harmful and are fundamentally un-natural.  The prayer affirms that the one reciting the prayer is inadequate, having not achieved some unspecified but often mentioned Goal. This Goal, as the prayer states is only achievable through an elusive "Master".  

• The prayer makes a dangerous affirmation of ones separateness from the Divine: While humility is essential in spirituality, this prayer affirms the disciple's spiritual  inadequacy - claiming them to be "slaves of wishes putting bar to advancement". This affirmation is completely counter to spiritual principles which I have come to believe are core spiritual truths. True Spirituality re-affirms ones divinity in order to redirect any thoughts AWAY from  spiritual inadequacy and separateness from Creator. The SRCM prayer is a series affirmations which do the opposite!

• The statement "Thou are the only God and Power to bring us up to that stage" yet again affirms the disciple's spiritual inadequacy.  It states ones dependence EXCLUSIVELY on another living human "Master" to reach some spiritual goal. It establishes a human authority with no peers, no checks and balances. This affirmation causes a disciple to question their own inner spiritual discrimination, and become completely dependent on a a single and exclusive external force. This, in and of itself, puts the disciple at risk of ceasing their own spiritual Journey and giving their power needed for that journey to another person.  

• The SRCM prayer, along with one of the accompanying 10 maxims, insists that the disciple urgently strive to reach some ultimate spiritual goal and "rest not until it has been achieved". This is completely counter to the ancient spiritual truth that, The Journey Is Infinite! This ancient spiritual truth states that the only true goal, is to embark on one's infinite spiritual journey, which can be done by anyone at any time. Likewise one can choose to dis-embark on their Infinite Spiritual Journey and seek a finite goal instead, however, in true Natural Spirituality, THERE IS NO GOAL, THERE IS ONLY THE JOURNEY!

2. Meditation on light or the form of the master in the heart puts the disciple at risk of letting  external and potentially unwanted forces into their inner being. While the standard practice makes a vague suggestion to meditating on divine light in the heart, it is mentioned by preceptors and in the various literatures since the Founder's days,  that meditating on a "true" masters form in the heart is "more effective".

• Heart meditation is powerful. Any intent, consistently established when doing heart meditation can result in its very manifestation if done repeatedly. Any intent that reinforces spiritual inadequacy will only be reinforced and can also be manifested within the disciple with repeated practice. 

• Allowing external influences (light from outside oneself or the form of an external master) into the heart risks inviting in things that are possibly not compatible to ones very existence. It is critical, while on the Spiritual Journey that one establish and maintain protective boundaries. Heart meditation should affirm what is already in the heart, and not indiscriminately allow external and untrustworthy forces in. This damages one's essential spiritual boundaries which must  be upheld in order protect oneself from unwanted external forces. Damage to spiritual boundaries puts the disciple at risk of being spiritually traumatized by external spiritual influences and predators, of which there are many within the SRCM organization.

3. Evening Cleaning meditation further affirms that one is "unclean" and unworthy. True Spirituality reaffirms ones direct connection with the divine. It affirms that one IS divine. Cleaning occurs naturally as a result of ones direct relationship with Creator through the resulting the experiences on the Infinite Journey. Making "cleaning" a conscious practice only further separates one from the divine and the Journey itself.

• While spiritual cleansing is a natural event that occurs in life,  the daily reinforcing of ones "unclean-ness" risks the perpetuation of a disciples inner sense of inadequacy.

• This perpetuation of spiritual inadequacy is further complicated by the belief within the SRCM that one must rely on a preceptor or the "master" to do the real deep cleaning to remove long standing samskaras/grossness. This encourages the formation of a lasting barrier for the disciple's direct relationship with Creator and the natural "cleansing" that occurs from that direct relationship, not to mention making claim that the inner condition of the disciple is gross!

4. The Spiritual Hierarchy established in SRCM encourages Spiritual Materialism. It commoditizes spiritual attainments, achievements and positions in the hierarchy. SRCM from its inception has created both organizational hierarchies and spiritual hierarchies which separate the haves and have nots. This further divides the "masses" from the chosen few in the inner circle.

• Organizational Hierarchy members enjoy physical access to the "Master". Given that the practice reinforces ones dependence on the master, these members appear to the "masses" as having more advantageous  access to spiritual benefits.  

• SRCM identifies members who allegedly have achieved the Brahaman Mandal or Central Region. Some are referred to as "Full Preceptors", receive certificates to attest to their spiritual achievements, others are simply stated to exist in a higher "region" than the masses. Spirituality is further commoditized as disciples request "Sittings" from these preceptors in order to receive cleaning and have divine grace bestowed upon them. 

• While the practice reinforces rank and file disciples inadequacies and creates urgent need to achieve spiritual progress, they are surrounded by members who have been "blessed" with organizational or spiritual gifts. This creates divisions,  jealousies and commoditizes spirituality, exactly what we see happening in the various splinter groups and within the main SRCM organization today.

Summary:

The very core practices of Sahaj Marg can be directly attributed as the ROOT CAUSE of the problems facing SRCM today: A highly divisive and divided organization caused by festering spiritual materialism, and disciples within the ranks who struggle with self esteem while being constantly reminded that their spiritual progress is inadequate, etc. etc...

On one hand, the Sahaj Marg practice, through repetitive suggestions in meditation and prayer affirmations, tears down the protective barriers around the soul, allowing the possibility of external forces to due harm. On the other hand, the one boundary which DOES get reinforced through disciples constant affirmations, is the barrier that separates the disciple from Creator. According to SRCM myth, this barrier exists until the disciple achieves some elusive goal. A goal only accessible through the exclusive association with a Master, who for the most part remains inaccessible from the common disciples. 

The practice of Sahaj Marg this is in fact quite the opposite of a Natural Path. Quite frankly this is not spirituality at all. It is, however, a formula for creating a power based Cult - Which, by the way is exactly what SRCM and its various splinter groups are.

Of course, a privileged few see benefits, and some within the rank and file are able to skirt the hazards and avoid inflicting significant trauma upon themselves. Some find benefit from meditating on light in the heart. Some find a sense of belonging to something far more powerful than themselves. Most if not all are motivated by ego, remaining "slaves" of the wish to achieve the spiritual goal created by the SRCM founder.  In addition, the SRCM hierarchy constantly reminds disciples that they are "not progressing" while channeling messages from the dead which serve only to validate their authority. These behaviors are the blatant symptoms resulting from the very flaws I have outlined above.

I apologize for offending so many with these words. What I state above comes from a sincere place,  based on over 40 years actively pursuing my Spiritual Journey - more than 10 of those years as a disciple and preceptor of the SRCM.  My heart  affirms within me that what I say above is the TRUTH. The guidance I have been blessed with upon my departure from SRCM, now over 20 years ago, has revealed a true NATURAL PATH. I can say without a doubt that it bears nothing in common with the Sahaj Marg practice or the SRCM.


Michael

Gratitude At Dawn: Keeping Things In Perspective

Whilst the clans of SRCM engage battling Mediums who hurl conflicting messages from their long dead Master into the InfoSpace of the Internet, Monkey Man has retreated to the tree tops of the Spirit Forest to continue his Journey on the true NATURAL PATH!

His messages do not come from the imaginary dead Master, but from the perspective of a living, breathing being. He has expressed no further interest in following the goings on if this sad, archaic and decrepit organization, instead choosing to speak from a place which is truly Natural, a path that is the REAL Natural Path.

As the sad affair of the SRCM unfolds, its important for one to keep things in perspective. For this reason I have decided to make Monkey Man a regular contributor on my SkaiJourney blog.

His latest message can be found here.

Michael

...Another Message From Monkey Man

Monkey Man's commentary on Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, the self proclaimed Master of SRCM and his dramatic speech and reading of his most recent correspondence with his long since dead (since 1983) Master Babuji.  A link to the video can be found on the SRCM site here

I am sad, so very, very sad.

I've descended from the trees of the Spirit Forest to see what the commotion is, only to witness this small band of invaders, noisily spouting imaginary words of dead people, leading their masses on a garden path to nowhere.

Dead people do not call the living "Great" - Because they are dead! They live as spirit in all of us and are incapable such blatant, foolish compliments!

In real Nature, where all Paths are Natural, living Spirit Beings ignore such vague messages channeled from the dead. They instead prefer to thrive on the living spirit world around them which is full of wisdom and life.

 Sad, so sad... So many Souls, willing to follow the withered echoes of those long since dead and silent, when they can embrace the living and breathing Spirit that thrives in their very presence and guides them from within their very own hearts!

I am concerned for these brothers and sisters who chatter in the forest floor below me - Exposed to such drama and misguidance. May the perpetrators of this misguidance find reconciliation and forgiveness for their behavior so that they not live their final days in sadness and regrets.

The real Natural Path is not this! It lives and breathes within us all. The wonders of the Natural Spirit Forest are vast and infinite. There is no end, No brighter resting place. Any "Brighter World" that might exist can be found HERE AND NOW, and is not some elusive and un-achievable goal! There is no need to rest on the true Infinite Natural Path as the Path itself sustains us.

With tears in my monkey eyes,  I return to the tree tops, where the wind through the leaves drown out this noisy chatter. I dare not descend again any time soon for fear of what I might see or hear.  I prefer the sounds where Nature pervades. I prefer the true Natural Path, in all its glory, which lies before us as an infinite expanse, never ending!

Best Wishes and Blessings to All. May those who've wandered so far down this garden path, AND those who led them there,  find their way home.

Love,


Monkey Man

Forest Through The Trees: Message From Monkey Man

GUEST ARTICLE FROM THE WRITER KNOWN AS MONKEY MAN:

My Journey has led me to this place and made me compelled to speak about the Spirit Forest and the true Natural Path -  A Path where all are welcomed as Masters of their own Soul - All are Soul Masters!

• True Spirituality is like a Tree in the Forest where the Tree IS the Forest.

• True Spirituality does not tell the Tree it is alone or separate from the Forest. 

• True Spirituality embraces One-Ness of the Tree with the Forest, In the Forest, Of The Forest.

• True Spirituality embraces these truths regardless how the Tree feels about it -  It is truth.

Alas, I see many things here that Spirituality is NOT:

1. It is NOT a franchise

2. It is NOT a prayer that affirms ones slavery to wishes and submits oneself to a "Master" in order to achieve some unimaginable goal or entry in some "brighter world" upon death!

3. It does NOT affirm that one's soul is un-clean, requiring subservience to a Master and his franchisees to be cleansed.

4. It does NOT require face to face shut eye meditation in the presence of a franchised gurus assistant,  attendance at shut-eye meditation seminars lead by franchisees or costly books one must read when eyes are not shut.

5. It is NOT a path to an elusive (and illusive) Goal which is unachievable without the unquestioning surrender to the "spiritual" franchise, its leadership, its founder, his assigns or representatives. 

6. It does NOT rely on un-verifiable messages from the dead,  conveniently reaffirming all of the above.

I see many things here masquerading as Spirituality.  They are like the mocking birds in the Spirit Forest, singing songs of other birds. Such spiritual masqueraders ask un-natural things of others while calling these things Natural - though they are not. 

The true Natural Path, however:

• Embraces the fact that ones very existence is and always has been Sacred and Divine.

• It affirms our One-ness with Creation ( Tree = Forest, Yes?)

• It is about BEING, not becoming something you are not.

• This Path is a Spirit Journey that is infinite.

• Because it is infinite, there cannot be a goal.  (Even monkey mathematics can grasp this!)

 Why is it that a monkey can see the Forest through the Trees, yet some Humans choose entanglement in organized despair religions,  masquerading as Natural Paths? 

I have heard the noisy chatter of empty wisdom parrot speak - mindless repetition from countless overheard speeches and words read in books. It is this clamor that has brought me here. I am curious as to why humans choose such foolishness and call it Natural. It is difficult for those of us on the true Natural Path to witness. 

We welcome others to see the forest through the trees - To BE the Tree AND the Forest.  All that is required is to BE! 

It gets no more Natural than that...

Monkey Man

SRCM and Sahaj Marg Renamed as Natural Path Meditation

Since late 2010, several SRCM centers in the US and possibly abroad, appear to have changed references to SRCM in their public meeting announcements on the MeetUp.com and other public Internet sites, using instead a new name of either "Natural Path Meditation Group" or "Natural Path Meditation Center". They also appear to be replacing the term Sahaj Marg with the brand, "Natural Path Meditation"to describe their meditation practice.

For quite some time now, a web search of "SRCM" or "Sahaj Marg" results in one or more blogs critical of SRCM showing up in the early search results. One can easily theorize that such a concerted deception is an attempt to keep prospective members from being informed prior to attending an introductory workshop. Interestingly, many of these Internet meetup invitations also neglect to mention any spiritual Master by name or title.

I am not aware of any official announcement of the re-naming of Sahaj Marg, however, I will honor the SRCM leaderships apparent push to quietly re-brand SRCM/Sahaj Marg. Going forward I will refer to Sahaj Marg as Natural Path Meditation and the SRCM or Shri Ram Chandra Mission as either the Natural Path Meditation Group or the Natural Path Meditation Center.

I hope this clears up any confusion folks my have in their quest to understand more about this organization and its meditation practice.


Michael

This post is re-published from my personal blog. 

MANIFESTATION OF SPIRITUAL HIERARCHIES

MANIFESTATION OF THE COLLECTIVE MIND

We live in a reality that is manifested by our very thoughts. Our collective minds have gathered around a common perspective of Time/Space, establishing a shared reference within the fabric of Ether. Beyond this thought construct, lies an infinite expanse that mind cannot comprehend. Within this construct, however, we share a common reference of Time/Space and share physical and mental laws and limitations.

The Collective Mind imposes a powerful boundary that limits the Individual Mind from venturing into the un-imaginable and potentially mind-shattering realm of the Infinite. Beyond the Collective Reality, the laws and rules that we have manifested do not apply.

When the Individual Mind suspends belief in the Collective Reality, it is able to experience the impossibilities that lie beyond. A mind altered by drug-induced hallucinations, sleep deprivation, dreams or mental instability, can stumble into a realm that appears very real, yet defies the constraints of the Collective Reality. The Individual Mind can also suspend belief through various mind-distracting practices, like meditation or sensory deprivation and have similar experiences. The influence of another Individual mind can also cause in the suspension of belief in another individual mind resulting in experiences outside the realm of the Collective Reality.

Regardless of the method, when an Individual is able to suspend belief in the Collective Reality, any experiences or resulting capabilities that defy the perceived boundaries of Time/Space are immediately discounted by the “rational mind”. These experiences are written off as coincidence, mass hypnosis, illusion, insanity or worse. When the rational mind takes over the experiences cease to occur.

We exist in a web of entanglements that lie within an infinite expanse. We each experience an individual and shared journey in that infinite expanse.  Any experiences of this Infinite Journey are filtered through our collective and individual manifestation. It is possible to remain so entangled in our manifestation that we cannot even acknowledge the possibility of an Infinite Journey, let alone experience it.

In other words:

1. Our mind manifests the reality and associated limitations in which we exist
2. Our individual and collective manifestation exists within an infinite expanse
3.  Every individual is on an Infinite Journey that is experienced through or limited by our individual/collective manifestation.

SPIRITUAL HIERARCHIESS AND THE COLLECTIVE MIND

Spiritual and Religious Hierarchs use techniques that confuse or divert the individual mind from the Collective Reality, causing momentary suspension of belief. This results in experiences that defy the collective manifestation. Hierarchs reinforce the individual’s belief of inadequacy in order to establish dependency on the Hierarch for these experiences. It is an ancient technique and few who are capable of this can resist the temptation to claim their supremacy for bringing about these experiences

But it does not end there…

To create a Spiritual or Religious Hierarchy, the Hierarch focuses the minds of their converts to create an Alternate Reality - an Alternate Reality that overlaps the already established Collective Reality. This new reality conveniently revolves around the manifestation of Hierarch as the supreme sovereign. They create a trusted Inner Circle that reinforces the Alternate Reality.

Any thoughts of the Infinite Journey are obliterated. The Individual is instructed to accept the Hierarch’s manifestation as their own. They forgo any pursuit of an Infinite Journey in lieu of achieving some elusive goal established within the Alternate Reality.

This overlapping Alternate Reality sets up a parallel existence for those who participate in it. It is very real - with its own levels of achievement, always around some ultimate goal, only accessible to those who totally surrender to the Hierarch and his/her Alternate Reality.

Individuals who succumb to this new reality experience a sense of empowerment. They are part of something that extends beyond the Collective Reality. Any sense of inadequacy in the Collective Reality is replaced by the dependency on the Hierarch and his/her Alternate Reality. Participants in the Hierarchy cling to their new reality with a fervor that can be unsettling to those observing it from the outside. This is how Cults are formed.

The process of indoctrination into a Spiritual Hierarchy is as follows:

1) The Individual experiences nothing beyond the Collective Reality and either believes nothing lies beyond it or accepts that they are incapable of experiencing it on their own.

2) Through the association with a Spiritual Hierarch, the Individual has experiences that defy the rational mind.

3) The Spiritual Hierarch claims responsibility for the Individual’s new experience.

4) The Spiritual Hierarch reinforces the Individuals sense of spiritual inadequacy and offers guidance to overcome it.

5) The Disciple surrenders their thought power to The Spiritual Hierarch who uses it to continually manifest an Alternate Reality

6) The Disciple embraces the Alternate Reality and replaces the Collective Reality with it

7) The Disciple becomes enslaved to a new collective manifestation, but one that revolves around a Spiritual Hierarch.

There is speculation that some Hierarchs are sincere and truly have the best interests in mind for their disciples at heart.  It is more likely that these Hierarchs are so entangled in their own Alternate Reality that they are unaware of the damage they have done. It is my belief that ANY Spiritual Hierarchy that claims to have a defined goal and insists that the Individual must become dependent upon the Hierarch and Hierarchy, only results in a new set of entanglements. The Infinite Journey is replaced by a finite goal that serves the Hierarch and his/her Inner Circle and Successors.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF ALTERNATE REALITIES

Alternate Realities have shown some longevity, but none can outlive the primary Collective Reality that they overlap. They begin with the inception by a spiritually adept Individual seeking greatness, however, in order to build their Hierarchy, they require an Inner Circle and a series of successors. It is the very Inner Circle that sustains the Hierarchy, which ultimately destroys it. Dissention within the Inner Circle creates fragmentation of the Alternate Reality. The collective manifestation becomes weakened and the power-seeking members of the Inner Circle loose power over the masses. The Alternate Reality dwindles and once forgotten, ceases to exist.

This life cycle can be said to have five stages

1)    Inception

2)    Establishment of Inner Circle

3)    Dissention within the Inner Circle

4)    Fragmentation

5)    Dissolution

Religions, spiritual organizations, even political movements all appear to follow this life cycle.

THE INFINITE JOURNEY OF THE INDIVIDUAL

Some spiritually inspired Individuals do not seek greatness or choose to create a hierarchy around themselves. They silently proceed on their respective Infinite Journey, occasionally inspiring other individuals to peek outside their own manifestation and into the Infinite. This powerful and silent thread weaves throughout the history of humanity and influences every age, every religion and every spiritual movement.

These Individuals generally remain nameless, choosing not to participate in the enslavement of the masses or creation of Alternate Realities. They instead inspire others, one by one, without asking for anything in return or attracting attention to themselves. These inspired Individuals are everywhere and exist in all time.

Those who seek out such Individuals for guidance are rarely successful. This is not due to their being unworthy. What limits seekers is the very belief that they are not worthy of experiencing the Infinite on their own and must seek guidance. Once a seeker realizes that they themselves are whom they seek, they begin to receive the infinite bounty that exists beyond our Collective Reality and the Infinite Journey commences. The Individual embraces their existence for what it IS without the need to manifest anything to justify their Is-Ness.

SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM

As SRCM and its offshoot organizations experience turmoil and disputes amongst its most senior members and leaders, it brings into question the founding principles of the organization and the meditation practice itself.

The Buddhist monk Chogyam Trungpa wrote the book "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism in 1973 that inspired me in my early spiritual practice prior to my introduction to SRCM. Having gone through the SRCM experience for over 10 years and having yet another nearly 20 years since my departure to process that experience, I have had lots of time to develop some thoughts of my own on the subject of Spiritual Materialism. While my article on my other blog   is not specific to SRCM, it seems a timely subject given the current circumstances that SRCM finds itself in.


I've put a link to the article below:

     Spiritual Materialism

 IS-NESS: An Alternative Spiritual View

 

 " Given that I have forsaken the concept of a goal based path and have embraced the Infinite Journey, I have been forced to adopt a different view of things based on nearly 3 decades of experience in the Yogic, Sufi, Mystical Christian and Shamanic traditions. Like any intellectual pursuit in the realm of spirituality, my personal view is limited by my own human mind’s inability describe the Infinite Experience - so suffice it to say it is an evolving and limited description that I have formulated on my personal and inexplicable Infinite Journey. While it is yet another attempt create an organized spiritual view of something that is inherently inconceivable, I have found it extremely helpful and have chosen to share it here for others to benefit from."    more... 

The Law of Creation
Reprinted From Personal Blog: SkaiJourney

Creation
At the moment of creation the Creator/Primordial Singularity transformed into an infinitely expanding sea of energy. Vibrating from the moment of creation, energy organized into living matter, forming new singularities capable of new creation. This process of unfolding transforms into life that creates new life, linked inextricably to the Creator by the vibration emanating from the instant of creation.

We are made of spirit, energy and matter, spawned from the Primordial Singularity. We are singularities, responsible for our own creation.

Co-Creation
We are not self contained creators however. We do not create our reality in a vacuum. The source of our spirit-energy is not us, but around us. The initial gift of life, the primordial spirit-energy, comes from the Creator. We all share this common gift, however, we also rely on energy co-created by others for sustenance. We evolve through co-creation, which happens when we acknowledge the link our spirit-energy has with that of the Creator and Co-Creators and truly surrender to the creation process.

Co-Dependency
Sprit-energy is organized into inter-linked singularities with a diverse set of motivations to create. These spiritual motivations range from passive, cooperative to power seeking.

Self serving, power seeking sprits exploit the willingness of passive spirits to steal their spirit-energy in order to expand their influence upon the co-creation process. This aspect of creation law, insures that inactive co-creators are subsumed by active ones in a co-dependent cycle of creation and re-creation.

Such co-dependent spirit-energy relationships create an unbalance in the universe. Just as the Creator, as a sole singularity was compelled to spawn the creation, exploding into an expanding creation of many, any attempt by creative elements to merge into one singularity will also eventually result in destruction and re-distribution of energy. This satisfies the law of creation as it results in the process of re-creation. All that have merged into the singularity are destroyed, returned to an elemental state and scattered across time-space to form new organized pockets of creation. This cycle occurs again and again as spirit-energy power continues to revolve around an unsustainable, unbalanced cycle of dependency. This is the law of creation and re-creation.

Inter-Dependency
Spiritual Sovereignty is the sustainable process of co-creation. To remain sustainable, it requires balance. This balance requires that spirit-energy singularities continue to create, at the same time respecting an nurturing the creation of other singularities. No singularity can exist without creating. Likewise, no singularity that swallows up others to amass power and creation autonomy, can be sustained without eventual destruction. Most importantly, no singularity can be sustained without depending on spirit-energy from outside itself.

Sustainability
We as spirit-energy beings are linked and live by the laws of creation. At one end of the spectrum, we must create or be swallowed up by other creation forces. The law of creation insures this. At the other end of the spectrum, when we fail to maintain balance through co-creation, and choose to swallow up and control others, our creation will ultimately be destroyed to release creative energies to reorganize into sustainable sprit-energy. These aspects of creation and sustainability exist on all levels of existence.

When spiritual guidance devolves into a co-dependent relationship, it creates an imbalance in creation. Sustainable spirituality requires two things:

1. Co-Creators surrender to their natural requirement to create
2. Co-Creators seek sustainable relationships with the Creator and its co-creators.

At the universal level, balance is always maintained. At the human level however, tragic consequences occur when an individual relinquishes their responsibility to create and surrenders their essence to other creation forces. The tragedy grows exponentially, when others choose to exploit passive spirits to create a power base to fuel their own personal creation. There is no sustainable version of such co-dependencies. There is no benign version of co-dependent master/disciple relationships that doesn't ultimately result in the destruction of both the master and disciple. Demanding that the masses surrender to a singular human being, creates an unsustainable spirit-energy creation. We can see this law of creation playing itself out with our world economic banking system where so many surrendered the responsibility of wealth creation to a few, and the few created unsustainable banking structures. The natural result is total destruction and redistribution of wealth.

Surrender

True surrender comes when co-creators surrender to the process of co-creation. The concept of surrender is perverted by those who insist that we surrender our god given ability to create to another in exchange for salvation, security, or the common good. This, by any other name is slavery. It always results in its own destruction in order to renew the creation process.

Before our eyes we can see spiritual, religious, political, and economic structures created and destroyed just as we see co-dependent relationships in our individual lives result in destruction. It is the duty of all sentient human beings to surrender to the creation process. In doing so we must be responsible for our own creation, and sustain it by respecting the boundaries of of other co-creators and fostering sustainable inter-dependencies. Spirituality is supposed to be the process of learning these interdependencies, yet so often, spiritual and religious organizations are created that demand the total surrender of individual creative energy. We must first address our spiritual sickness and co-dependencies within ourselves before we can ever expect the world around us to evolve into a more sustainable environment.

SPIRITUAL SOVEREIGNTY

I have recently posted an article on my personal blog that I believe is pertinent to the discussion on this site. In my younger days during my involvement in SRCM, I did not have the intellectual sophistication to understand principles of spiritual sovereignty. Sadly, these principles were not taught to me by those whom I entrusted with my worldly and spiritual training. Years later, I have realized that my resolve to leave SRCM was due to the affront to my own spiritual sovereignty which has become an increasingly important theme in my ongoing journey. In my heart, I understood this even at a young age, however, it has taken decades to uncover the actual principles that are the foundation of my inner resolve to remain a free and sovereign soul and spirit.

This article explains my current thoughts on this subject.

There have been many comments on other sites that refer to this blog, apparently by people who have either not spent sufficient if any time reading it to understand the contents, or wish specifically to misrepresent what is written here on other sites. Many of these posters have taken the approach of insulting the character of SRCM dissenters such as myself. Recently, the official SRCM.org website was updated to again allow disciples to comment on our blogs (they had been forbidden to do so last year). In that comment we dissenters are described as being "at various stages of our own development" suggesting that disciples ignore our activities and only refer to the Master. This of course implies that we are not sufficiently evolved spiritually to be worthy of having a valid opinion. In addition it shows little confidence on behalf of the SRCM hierarchy, in the discrimination abilities of its disciples to process information from various sources such as this blog and others.

Some disciples indeed have started to post comments on various blogs about SRCM since this new policy allowing them to do so. A few have choosen to make comments regarding my blog as far from the actual source without referencing this blog directly so that readers only identify my name, some vague reference to my blog, and a condescendingly implying that I may not be sufficiently spiritually inclined or informed to have a valid opinion. So it now appears in word and in action that this is the new "official" approach to handling those who question the direction that the SRCM has taken over the years. I recently posted the comment below in response to a few anonymous commenters in Shashwat's site.

I've put it here as a sort of "readers digest" summary of the points made in this blog. I believe it also reflects the key points made on the sites of Elodie, Alexis, 4d-Don, and others. I hope that this helps keep discussions here and elsewhere on track as disciples respond. I am happy to say that not all disciples have taken this tact as a few have commented on this site making their points respectfully.



All,

I fear we are getting into personal assaults, and sarcastic insults as opposed to having an actual debate or dialog. I am also somewhat amused that some SRCM members choose to criticize the contents of my blog in remote comment pages such as this where my words cannot be cross referenced. They have not even the courtesy to include the link to my blog for reference which makes their motives appear to be nothing other than an attack against my character without any substance.

So for reference of anyone who chooses to read it, my blog is: innercircleofsrcm.blogspot.com

I'd like to make a couple of points in my defense:

1. I do not judge Chari, Babuji or Lalaji as individuals, nor do I question their spiritual approach, but it is within my rights as a thinking human being to have opinions about their actions and the results of their actions. It is also my human birthright to choose who I should trust and obey based on my own discrimination. I should be free to explain to others how I came to choose whom I trust and obey and whom I do not and why.

2. I make no claims to my own spiritual approach, however not claiming to be a Master or in the "Central Region" does not negate the validity of my arguments.

3. I reinforce this by encouraging all who comment on my blog that their experiences and personal analysis and opinions are valid and worth considering. I discourage comments that are not based on personal experiences and simply reiterate SRCM doctrine without thoughtful analysis.

4. I have striven to provide only verifiable facts on my blog that I can reference or have directly experienced. I've also clearly identified where comments are my analysis and opinion and base them on facts not myths or hearsay.

5. There is no intention to convince people in SRCM to leave. I state this from the beginning of my blog and repeat it throughout. My objective is to simply to state the facts and clear the air with regards to my experiences and departure from SRCM for others to make their own conclusions. This has obviously caused a problem within SRCM as evidenced by the personal attacks on me and my character.


I have worked hard to make my points with truthfulness, and integrity. I may have angered some by being a little too critical of their comments, and I apologize for any hurt feelings. In every instance, however, I have striven to abide by what I have outlined above.

Since many commenting here will likely not take the time to actually read my Blog in detail yet use its title as a basis for sarcastic conclusions, I'll make my key points here. I'll keep them simple:

1. In the late 70s SRCM was presented as a light organizational structure established to provide spiritual training.

2. Training was offered for free. Books were few and very affordable. The practice was practical for a typical householder with a family and career. The practice was not marketed to the community, but was simply made available, by word of mouth, to those interested. There was no urgent need to grow numbers. Quality not quantity was the motto. The Guru was a friend and a guide, not one who was worshiped. Meditation was taught out of the homes of preceptors and disciples. Discrimination of what is right and wrong was supposed to be developed as part of the practice. Gatherings were done in rented halls and peoples homes. These were the principles in which attracted myself and many others at that time.

3. As one got more involved, one discovered that SRCM claimed to provide exclusive access to higher reaches of development. In other words, no other system could compare. The Master was deemed as the highest living evolved Master and it was eluded to that he might be "the special personality" sent to this world to do divine tasks and we were fortunate to be associated with such a person.

4. Rancor existed between senior preceptors during Babuji's days. There was a major rift between P. Rajagopalachari and several other senior members as well as Babuji's sons. This rancor only continued in Babuji's death.

5. As SRCM evolved, meditation training and gatherings required purchased property by SRCM. Disciples were constantly expected to purchase expensive books and book subscriptions. The Organization itself became an entity that one must serve and be obedient to.

6. Unquestioning obedience became expected of every disciple. The concept of developing Discrimination appears to have been eliminated, apparently as this goes counter to unquestioning obedience and implies that such obedience must be earned out of the discrimination of the disciple not demanded by the Master. Not only had obedience to the Master become something demanded but now obedience to the Mission was added as a critical element to the practice. Disciples are regularly criticized for not being sufficiently obedient and unquestioning of the Master and the Mission as evidenced by several published talks by PR, many of which have conveniently been removed from their websites after dissenters such as myself referenced them in our blogs.

7. An Inner Circle is a necessary tool for any hierarchical organization. It can be used to establish order and protect the integrity of an organization. Conversely it can become a manipulative power structure to control and manipulate members of the organization. My blog discusses this in detail as it applies to spiritual AND secular organizations. I also indicate what I believe are key characteristics of a power based Inner Circle from my own personal experience in spirituality and business.

8. The SRCM organization has broken into at least three splinter groups. Accusations of poisonings and even murder have been exchanged between PRs SRCM and the primary opposing splinter group run by Babuji's family. There continues to be a legal battle over who owns the Emblem, the SRCM moniker, and the property. This indicates that there is something of value and/or power contained in controlling these things.

9. My thesis is that the drifting from the basic principles occurred over the years due to the insistence on creating an exclusive organization, claiming exclusive access to the highest level of human attainment, requiring access to an single living man, no other, to get you there. Out of this grew a culture of power and control. Wealth was created from this power over the years and, as a result, many fight over control of the power and wealth that has grown since the SRCM inception.

10. I would argue that unless SRCM returns to these basic principles and eliminate the concept of exclusivity, these problems will continue. I reference the Yogic and Sufi traditions from which SRCM was derived, and note that they have avoided these downfalls for centuries by avoiding establishment of exclusivity in the Master, Organization or Methods used to train aspirants.


If we want to have a constructive conversation, lets discuss these points. Unfortunately, it appears that the only method to debate these facts and opinions is to insult the one presenting them with degrading, uninformed and sarcastic comments. I will maintain my points and respect opposing points and arguments.

This is a public record, and those who choose to attack dissenting opinions by insulting their character or implying spiritual inadequacy will not stand up to public scrutiny, and I see little point in responding directly beyond what I have done here.

Michael

OCTOBER 16, 2006 FINAL POST - LESSONS IN POWER PART 8: ANALYSIS

I have made my final entry in the LESSONS IN POWER section of this blog. I consider my work done here, but will continue to respond to comments and questions. Those wishing to send me any personal messages may do so by commenting here with their contact information. I will not publish private correspondences.

I hope that this has been helpful to those who have left the SRCM or are questioning their involvement. At the very least, it is my sincere wish that by providing my truthful thoughts and experiences, here, that an honest discussion can occur that strengthen's everyone's confidence in whatever spiritual direction they choose.

Michael


UPDATE FEBRUARY 24, 2007
Recent postings of letters and accusations against Chari's SRCM from the Shahjahanpur based SRCM introduced by Navneet, Babuji’s grandson, ( www.srcmshahajahanpur.org.in) has caused may questions. I'm going to attempt to address this as best I can as I am being asked to do so by several who comment regularly on my Blog. What is written below is based on facts as best I can recollect them, along with my own personal analysis and assessments of characters and underlying intentions of each character involved.
Lawsuits, Letters and Quotes from Dead People
SRCM has many divisions and factions, the two main warring factions I will refer to in this article as the Chari Clan, and the Umesh Clan. I use these terms because their behavior can easily be likened to Clan warfare.
Both clans are guilty of using the same techniques to discredit the other Clan and bolster their own credibility. Chari claims that the Umesh clan poisoned him with arsenic. Umesh produces a letter written by Babuji in Paris in 1982 claiming that Chari was poisoning Him. Both sides file legal actions against the other and produce signed, typed letters from Babuji making bold and contradictory claims. Both sides claim credibility from communications with the Dead. As an example, the Umesh Clan website quotes Lalaji from the grave claiming Babuji as Master until the end of earth ( http://www.srcmshahjahanpur.org.in/facts.html ). A quote that clearly was not made while Lalaji was alive! Chari recently had a French medium allegedly communicate with Babuji from the dead and publishes it as a book. Naturally all comments from Babuji are complementary of Chari.
This behavior has it’s source from Babuji himself. He meets Lalaji 3 times in person, then years after his death, claims in a dream to be told by Lalaji that he is a special personality and his sole successor. Babuji allegedly writes volumes upon volumes of autobiographical material claiming to have meetings with Jesus Christ, Buddha, Vivenkenanda, all transmitting to him and praising his spiritual prowess.

Why would anyone spiritually driven even bother to do these things? What is the natural result of creating an exclusive successor lineage, and an organization of passive, and subservient disciples who unquestioningly follow the orders of a single Master or his Organization?

With this smokescreen being laid out by both sides I constantly hear the following questions in various blog commentary:

1. Was Babuji Delusional?
2. Which side is telling the truth?
3. Who should one believe?
4. Are the letters authentic?

Like any good political or religious organization, these are the questions that those in power want the population to ask. It distracts from the real questions and causes one to question their opposition. I suggest we ask the following questions.


1. Why would a spiritually adept individual with humanity’s benefit in mind create such mythology around them selves?
2. If spiritual up liftment of Humanity is the goal, why would nature restrict this through only one living human being?
3. Why does a spiritual organization like the SRCM have so many factions that are fighting for control?
4. What do they desire to control that is so important that they resort to this kind of behavior?
5. If all parties agree that Babuji’s letters can be forged, why give credence to any of these documents.
6. Why is control over the Mission’s name, emblem and property so important to the warring Clans?

I don't have answers to any of these questions. I only suggest we ask the right questions and not get lost in the smokescreen. I will attempt to re-iterate what I know from my blog and add any further details I can below:

The Guru PersonaHaving been a preceptor once, I directly experienced the cultural influence such a position has on people. It is the easiest thing to act holy and command the attention and reverence of others in this position. Its source does not come from the Preceptor, nor does it come from the Master, it comes from the combined attention of those who believe that a preceptor/master is a source of spiritual power. It only takes one or two non-believers to destroy the communal mindset. Gurus avoid these situations like the plague to maintain their image. Chari and Babuji were no exception to this, choosing to stay close to their inner circle where they could easily maintain their persona. I’m certain that Umesh used similar techniques. Put any of them in a Texas pool hall and watch their persona and influence diminish to nothing.
Babuji's Letters
I watched Babuji sign letters written by his close associates and handed to him for signing. I’ve also seen Babuji extremely sick and completely at the mercy of those around him. I suspect that the original letter that Chari produced was authentic ( http://www.srcmshahjahanpur.org.in/facts-fraud_nomination.html ), however, it did not claim that Chari was a spiritual Master. Simply that he would be president and representative. This however is only my opinion knowing the characters involved. Whether Chari and others exploited Babuji's condition to forge letters doesn’t really matter one bit as, clearly both Clans accuse the other of creating forgeries, then both sides are admitting that forging Babuji's letters was easily done. That is a fact we can all acknowledge since all parties involved have admitted to this fact.

Character AssessmentsChari - Chari in his disciple days made himself as visibly loyal to Babuji as possible. He inserted himself in visible ways during Babuji's trips to the West, always attending to him, always advising him, always near him. His outward appearance was very materialistic and imposing. He smoked Dunhill cigarettes, dressed extremely well, and was visibly putting him self in the public eye of westerners as a likely successor. I can only imagine how Indians resented this.
Umesh - My experience with Umesh was from knowing him and his wife for about 2 weeks while he visited the US on his "unofficial" visit to the US. Un-official because Babuji would not make it "official". This, in and of itself, is telling. He travelled with two of the more senior Preceptors in the Mission who opposed Chari. Umesh occasionally attended sittings and showed little interest in being actively involved in the activities of the organization. I definitely felt that these two Preceptors (Ragavendra Rao and Ramacandra Reddy) had brought him along to give them some sort of additional credibility and start socializing him as a possible figure head. It was obvious to everyone that Babuji would die in a few years and this appeared to me to be a direct counter to Chari's interaction with the west.
Overall Analysis is that both the Chari and Umesh clans were blatantly trying to woo the West for support. Chari's more westernized personality was far more effective than what was presented by his opposition. The other senior preceptors did not have the political skills nor the financial where with all to travel extensively with Babuji on his international trips. Umesh appeared to be their only figurehead given that, as his son, he had as much close access to Babuji as Chari. The validity of either seems immaterial to me as in both instances,it was a fight for control and power, having nothing to do with the spiritual upliftment of humanity and far more to do with gaining the favor of wealthy westerners.

Paris 1982I attended the Paris 1982 gathering. My observation is that, at that time there were those who supported Chari and those who opposed him. Andre Poray was on the side that opposed Chari. There was no doubt in my mind that this gathering was an attempt to divert western attention away from Chari. Chari was explicitly not invited to the gathering, however, somehow, he managed to be there. I was told that this was because Babuji demanded Chari’s presence there. This may or may not be true, as Chari may simply have shown up on his own accord. Chari was in a room next to Babuji's, which adds credence to the theory that Babuji wanted him there. Members of Chari’s opposition attempted to attend to Babuji keeping Chari as far away as possible. I spent many an hour in Chari's room and witnessed Babuji's attendees sheepishly requesting Chari’s presence in Babujis room due to Babuji’s request.
I also witnessed that Babuji was sick and delirious. Attendees would drive him to the meditation hall, and carry him into the hall, this effort requiring two large men to carry out. He would black out and fall on his knees if he tried to walk. It was as if they were carrying a corpse into the hall for all to see. Any letter written by Babuji at this time in this state, is questionable, especially such a long letter as the one on the Umesh Clan website. In my opinion, any official documents signed by Babuji during this time frame has little credibility.

Chari on the other hand was also aggressively keeping himself in the public eye. He played the role of the man in exile, holding court in his small room, inviting friendly disciples to mediate with him. It was a very effective bit of drama as he knew that people like myself would see his opposition attempt to attend to Babuji in a western country, while Babuji had come accustomed to Chari serving this role. Babuji's constant calls for Chari were embarrassing I'm sure to Chari’s opposition.

As for the references to the doctor attending to Babuji. I spoke with the Doctor at length just after Babuji left. He was a German doctor who practiced both homeopathic and conventional, allopathic medicine. No mention of treachery. His story was that Babuji was far too sick to travel to the west and should never had made the trip. He felt that the trip to Paris would likely be the death of Babuji. Given that Babuji never fully recovered from this trip, his words have the most credibility of all other claims.


Fact and FictionIgnoring letters, legal pursuits, accusations, etc, we can at least determine the following as facts:

1. All factions agree that Babuji's letters could easily be forged
2. All factions were clearly posturing for taking over the Mission during Babuji's last days
3. Significant importance was put on developing the Mission in the West and attracting wealthy westerners
4. All factions strove to be visibly close to Babuji during his western trips in his final years

HypothesisBabuji created an organization that was based on power and exclusivity. In his last years he was also an extremely sick man who clearly could be manipulated by those around him as evidenced by accusations from both sides claiming the other side exploited this situation. The push for western validation was about power and money. Chari spent significant time and effort gaining a foot hold before Babuji's death, then exploited it by traveling to Europe and the US after Babuji's death, surrounding himself with wealthy disciples from the west and creating a massive library of books from his talks and speeches. He overpowered the opposition who reacted as best they could, by discrediting Chari through whatever means necessary. Both sides exploited the corrupt Indian legal system to gain control of the name and emblem.
There are plenty of examples of either side filing legal action against the other. One attempt in April of 2000, where Chari’s Clan filed a complaint against the Umesh Clan with ICANN, the internet domain registrar, protesting the use of sahajmarg.org as a domain name. The complaint was denied, however, this effort clearly demonstrates significant value being placed on the intellectual property of the Mission. (See http://www.arb-forum.com/domains/decisions/94237.htm for the decision). Need I remind everyone that the Legal profession both in the US and India, is not one of high integrity when it comes to these types of legal actions. Giving any credibility to the lawyers who represent these claims misses the point. These legal claims are attacks on the credibility of the opposition and simply the exploitation of the legal system for the purpose of gaining an upper hand in controling the Mission.

What is happening here is a power grab, and, "he who has the most disciples wins" appears to be the rule of the game. I stand by my analysis in the "Lessons In Power" article in my Blog (www.innercircleofsrcm.blogspot.com). The real power comes from the disciples, not from the Master. It is easy to sit in a chair in front of thousands of doting disciples and appear to be holy. The spiritual environment is created by the people surrounding the Master, not by the Master himself. Any truly spiritual teacher will not impose anything of him self on the student, but will push the student to find it in his or her self. This is completely lacking in the SRCM system from the beginning, and neither of the warring factions have attempted to introduce anything but centralized, power based spiritual principles to their disciples. The Sufi tradition treated the teacher as a friend, house guest or grandfather. It was about human interaction and learning by example. It was about actions in the real world, not un-substantiated communications with the Brighter World. This Sufi aspect has been completely eliminated from SRCM, leaving only a misguided concept that spirituality must come from something outside oneself, and one must find the one and only true spiritual guide in the entire world to achieve it.

I know I am repeating myself as I've already stated this in my Blog, but, the most dangerous aspect of SRCM is the creation of myths. Quoting Babuji or Lalaji from the dead, claims of inter-communication with Jesus ( who's legacy is slammed constantly by Chari and his inner circle), Buddha, etc. are easily created, and unfortunately easily believed by non-thinking, obedient members of a cult. All factions are using this technique to give themselves credibility. How hard would it be to create such myths and get obedient, unquestioning cult members to believe them? Anyone can produce a letter signed by Babuji, and invent a quote from Lalaji or Babuji from the brigher world, or claim intercommunication with Krishna or Jesus. Sadly, we have seen that the cult mentality will have throngs of individuals believing these claims without question.The actions of all those involved in all factions of this organization is embarrassingly materialistic, power seeking, and not the behavior of anyone even remotely interested in spirituality and God. There is little point in weeding through these claims to determine the truth. There’s plenty of deception, lies, and selfishness from both Clans. Its the equivalent of choosing which street gang has the least negative impact on the neighborhood, or whether the Hitler or Mussolini was the better man. There is a battle for control of the minds and souls of an extremely wealthy and subservient group of individuals. Beyond that, the true facts are vague and irrelevant. One only needs ignore the words, documents, legal filings and quotes from dead people, and examine the actions of these individuals to see the truth –and the truth will indeed set you free.

Michael