FALLEN GURUS, SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM
& PERPLEXED SEEKERS

Below is a quote from Osho better known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Osho's teachings were profound but his actions defy his teachings. He certainly understood vulnerability and hence he could pray on people with feelings of incompleteness, emptiness and inferiority looking for answers that they felt he could provide. 

For anyone who has Netflix it may interest you to download the series "Wild Country" to see how a diabolical genius could and can manipulate throngs of wealthy, intelligent, successful people so easily. This he did most eloquently until the whole ashram became totally corrupted and unravelled. The series is biased somewhat in Osho's favor since they defer to his lawyer for a lot of the explanations. He represents one of the most successful (while it lasted) and diabolical gurus of our time.

Osho (and yes, I do have all the answers...)

There are many fallen gurus and also priests, preachers, teachers and healers etc. especially in the United States which seems to a be rich hunting ground for those with deep knowledge and no scruples. However, it is possible and likely they began with some high ideals and a sense of morality but the temptations and other factors we will describe were too great. 
Some include: Bikram Choudhury, founder of Bikram Yoga.
John Friend, founder of AnusaraYoga. “If you can’t publically own it do not do it!” (he is on a path of reconciliation and repentance.) Amrit Desai (from the Kripalu institute.) Rodney Yee. Dr. Kausthub Desikachar. Swami Muktananda. Swami Satchidananda. Swami Rama. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Sathya Sai Baba. John of God. Da Free John (Adi Da). L. Ron Hubbard.

 Another, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche first coined the term Spiritual Materialism and wrote a book on it. He used the term to describe the grasping after material accomplishment within the context of spiritual pursuit. He elaborated on how spiritual seekers in search of spirituality 
allow it to become ego building and emphasized that ego development is counter to spiritual progress.

Conventionally, it is also used to describe commercial efforts which are spiritually based but at the same time ego based (in order to present oneself as a more realized or holy person) - or profit based. 
It differs from "Spiritual Narcissism"where the guru, teacher (or seeker) feels he/she is deserving of love and respect because of their spiritual sophistication.

Trungpa emphasized that spiritual materialism instead of bringing long term happiness brought only short term entertainment followed by long term suffering. He preached that ego was not necessary and in the long run caused suffering. There is no doubt that being bound to ego is a cause of suffering but the Ancestors would disagree that it is not necessary as would Jung. It's better that we subordinate ego to the higher self than try to get rid of it (Jung felt this was impossible, especially for the Western mind.)

 Trungpa in fact had a huge ego and took the self appointed, lofty title Rinpoche which means precious one. He was an alcoholic who died of drug abuse and also slept with his devotees some of whom were married. His student, Osel Trendzin, who followed in his footsteps, was worse.  
There are many others, including those above, who embraced one or all of the following; acquisitiveness, wealth, fame, power, sexual manipulation and intimidation of their followers. 

These words of Aurobindo are true but 
they also apply to the dark side of the seer and are used to his advantage. 

"The true guru will never humiliate you,
nor will he estrange you from yourself.
He will constantly bring you back to the fact 

of your inherent perfection
& encourage you to seek within.
He knows you need nothing, not even him, 

& is never tired of reminding you.
But the self-appointed guru is more concerned 

with himself than with his disciples. N. Maharaj

This shadow side does not differ from that of a sorcerer or witch who has mastered the dark arts. It is even more onerous because he is presenting himself as a messenger of enlightened beings in direct contact with the Divine. The karmic price will be far more severe.

These principles can apply just as well to some therapists, priests, preachers, healers and teachers alike. The Ancestors warn...

and

Many were flawed but brilliant teachers.

The Ancestors also teach that;

Information is not to be equated with knowledge

Knowledge is not to be equated with understanding

Understanding is not to be equated with wisdom...

Moreover ...

...Wisdom is not to be equated with virtue 

And

Virtue is not to be equated with holiness.

These "enlightened and self-realized" ones may have had information, knowledge and understanding but they lacked true wisdom and certainly virtue and holiness. Worse still they presented themselves as such.

The Ancestors

But what if the motivation behind helping the student is manipulation, control, sex, power and wealth and their transformation process is polluted?

Especially in the case of Osho sexual promiscuity was used as an excuse for releasing attachments and fears around the act and "freeing oneself." This of course made "enlightenment" more compelling. There was even favoritism and sexual pimping by selected devotees on behalf of the guru. Osho was known to consort with a different devotee at regular intervals but ... except for this altruistic act the guru was celibate. The guru was beyond deception so this was legitimate.

Self abuse by the guru including sex, alcohol and drugs was also accepted since the body would soon be released when he departed to the enlightened realms - the body or "vehicle" held no power over him. 
Opulence on behalf of the guru was also accepted since the guru was unattached and things meant nothing to him. There were also often hidden bank accounts.
 Rather than non attached, however, the guru was detached, arrogant and actually incapable of love.

The Ancestors

Intimidation became necessary for control and even weaponization  on the pretext that there were unenlightened outsiders who wanted to derail the ashram.  

Surrender had to be complete because how could one know enlightenment without trusting the guru implicitly. The devotees had to forget all they thought they ever knew. The guru was channeling information from enlightened beings and was beyond reproach. The deeper the surrender the greater the emotional investment and the harder it became for even the more skeptical to separate. After all it was better to be there than not to be there - they had community, security and sex whenever they wanted it. Those in denial accepted abuse as a necessary and essential lesson for their transformation.

Seeing the gurus face in a dream only confirmed they were on the right path in spite of the fact that the mind can construct any image.

Click on the links to highlight and play

_Ancestors_vol_3_-_MP3s/03_Warnings_for_the_Way.mp3

08_Karma.mp3