Reflections on Paramahamsa Nithyananda's alleged conduct — disciples need not despair. Here is an intellectual, not philosophical or metaphysical, dissection of Nithyananada Swamiji's alleged conduct. — Editor

The immediate provocation for writing this is the alleged scandal surrounding Swami Nithyananda. In the light of the unveilings, many questions can be asked. One of them may be: How can one cope with the situation if one were to be a believer in God or a follower of Godmen or God - women?

I am of the view that my relationship with God and the people around me is independent of those who have impacted my life.

Irrespective of the scandal with which a person, who has impacted my life, is associated, I still hold on to the view that the insightful wisdom I have derived from the messages and the writings of the person has certain transcendental connotations independent of the particularities of the person or a particular predicament arising out of his or her past or present culpability. Integral spirituality is, ultimately, a perennial quest and experience within. All those who help us pursue this inward path are true men and women of God with the soothing touch of a talisman.

If all Godmen and God - women ought to be so perfect that they cannot sin anymore because they are supposed to have reached the highest stage of “sat – chitananda” and if perfection were to be a prerequisite for their preaching or writing, then most, if not all, the men and women who head and lead our Churches, Ashrams, Mutts and sacred places, will have to close down their missions without further arguments. If so, many Universities and many governments — academicians and politicians — will have to wind up for want of ethics, morality and corruption-free governance.

Perfection is a ceaseless aspiration in the midst of awareness that it is almost impossible to attain perfection as long as we are human beings. This is not to say that the scandals around gurus and sanyasins are tenable. These happenings tell us that seeking God through God - men or God - women or even through religious or esoteric rituals have their own limitations and illusions. God - experience is a quest within oneself in the midst of realities around. Realities are vulgar, brutal, and painful but the glory of existence lies in transcending these realities, experiencing the Ultimate Truth. Witnessing to such an experience is always by a few.

Prof. L. Legrand, MEP, one of the finest and internationally esteemed Biblical scholars at St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Bangalore, and late Swami Amalorpananda of Anjali Ashram, Mysore, who taught me years ago how to look at world religions and be part of spiritual movements, and Swami Harshanandaji of Ramakrishna Ashram with whom I had the privilege of interacting during his presence in Mysore, have often underscored, in their messages and writings, the fact that “witnessing to value systems is always by a few”. I still believe that a few of our Ashrams, Mutts, Universities, and our governing systems have been and can continue to be powerful agents of bringing in necessary social changes for a better tomorrow, exuding positive energy against rampant negatives around us, and ushering in a manifold path towards discovery of God as Truth, God as our unflinching Companion, and God as the eternal Provider via the bounty and plenitude of Nature even in the midst of tsunamis perpetrated by selfish men and women, causing enormous damage to the human quest for peace and God - experience by their double - speak and split - personality life - style, sinning against the spirit of Dharma.

A true Indian devotee or disciple is one who knows that a historiography of India’s democracy, governance, educational, economic, social, and spiritual pursuits show that India has seldom been totally free from double - speak, split - personality behaviour and yawning gaps between preaching and practice. A true devotee or disciple is one who is not perturbed by the revelations of scams and scandals that mean painful moral corruption and deterioration of value - systems. Revelations such as the one in the news now, can be a great reminder to all of us, promoters of wisdom, joy, peace and tranquillity, and rulers and ordinary citizens as well, that the eleventh commandment, Jeffrey Archer wrote about, namely “Thou shall not be caught”, may not hold good or practical at all times. For a seeker of God-experience, it can never be valid at any time.

The point of this reflection is that if we are devotees or disciples or seekers of wisdom with reference to our respective gurus or sanyasins, we need not be perturbed to the extent that we become nihilists when some sensational allegations emanate from the media with or without solid proofs. We live in an age of postmodern reasoning that projects relativism, hedonism, arrogation of power, and acquisition of pelf and position as great assets. The seven deadly sins Gandhiji has cautioned us against to rein in the world today. *

Let us be aware that even gurus and sanyasins can yield to these sins. They are human beings subject to frailties. A good number of them are good preachers but disappoint us by their life - style. Instead of facilitating us to enduring joy, they “bless” their followers with permanent misery by seeking temporary worldly pleasures which they are supposed to forego.

Surprisingly, Ashrams, Temples, Churches and Mosques are also multiplying in India. Quite a few of them are on illegal or controversial sites, and these days, some of our “poojaris” and “devotees” with clout, definitely not from God, have diffused their devotion by extending sacred constructions to public platforms and parks. Such acts of irreligious and impious encroachments perpetuate conflicts and contribute to social tensions. The men or women behind these acts can seldom lead us to God - experience.
A guru who is immune from perilous, persuasive, pervasive, and deadly ways of sinning against God and the masses is a true sanyasi indeed. In India, most of us tend to look for him / her outside us. Just like pain is within, remedy to pain is also within. Interiorization through inward looking journeys can be a path breaker in our quest for wisdom. Gurus or sanyasins may help but true devotees or disciples do not have to depend on them as if they were helpless otherwise. Such an attitude can save us from disappointments and frustrated experiences with gurus and sanyasins. It is this kind of integral spirituality that has a terrific redemptive value.

Periodic reality - checks teach us many lessons. Indian fiction, including Indian English fiction, has stories that tell us about incongruities in the lives of temple priests and such other holy men and women. Mulk Raj Anand had long ago exposed the types of Pandit Kalinath. R. K. Narayan’s Raju in The Guide and Geetha Metha’s exposé in Karma Cola may be cited here as examples. One lesson all of us are familiar with is that we endure the iniquities of tainted democracy, corrupt mentality, and lack of courage to own culpability. If our so - called gurus and sanyasins, expected to arrest negative trends and moral and spiritual deviations become part of the problem, then the whole land becomes a “waste land” in the Eliotian sense of the phrase. When we, ordinary citizens, seem to be fine with the Pattinathar syndrome (namely “preaching is meant for public consumption, not necessarily for practice by the preacher”), or when we are content with discontent in civilizations, or when we endure the fate, saying “thus the people, so the governance”, we too are part of the problem. Even a middle path with Buddhist overtones cannot come to our rescue.

True, we murmur, react, and protest against revelations of sleazy scandals, very often at the heat of the moment without realizing such protests turn out to be passing moments. One may wonder whether it is part of our hypocrisy and vested agenda, or may view it as part of our wishful thinking, despite our deficiencies, to uphold moral aesthetics. St. Paul rightly bemoans: “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. Despite these incongruities, we still strive to seek the serenity of mind. We often wander and run about, like the musk deer, forgetting that the essence of the aroma is within. This is India, a people of many paradoxes bordering around eccentricities, tall claims, pulpit sermonizing, and broken promises. These paradoxes are open to oxymoronic interpretations.

Instead of condemning fallen angels or critiquing disciples for their communion with God - men or God - women who turn out to be fakes in course of time, let us introspect and discern. The swan bird can be our symbol and motif. ** The messages and the writings authored by some of our gurus and sanyasins are of immense value to any person seeking serenity within in the midst of a postmodern world that is a recipe for all sorts of disaster. The significance of the messages ingrained in their preaching and writings cannot and need not be consigned to dustbins because of the “unveiling” of the mystique surrounding self - styled or so - called gurus and sanyasins. Every unveiling can be a good reminder to us that most of us, if not all, tend to play with diverse postures of self - righteousness, seldom remembering that we play with fire that can explode at any time.

I believe that one’s authenticity is manifest without maya, deception, only when he or she sees like a “seer”’ who acts like a prophet. To see and act like a prophet condemning all that is evil and detrimental to human development, social harmony, integral spirituality and happiness are a way of sustaining social conscience, urging humanity to follow dharma. Great souls — men and women — have emerged from time to time even to the extent of self-emptying, a supreme expression of being a true guru or sanyasin. Visages of such saintly personalities do come to our mind when we are committed to follow them. Only such seers can lead seekers to God - experience.

All others, despite what they speak and do, are all part of the maya or the paradoxes we live with daily in India. A great civilization, like that of India, can be, will have to be, and will be sustained by such men and women of character, vision, and leadership. Dénouement will be there. It is inevitable as long as we, the people, are not vigilant and active with a profound sense of and quest for integral spirituality.

Prof. A. S. Dasan,
Department of English,
University of Mysore
dasanmysore@gmail.com

Courtesy: Star of Mysore

Note:
* The seven deadly sins Gandhiji cautioned us against to rein in the world today are: 1. Politics without principles; 2. Wealth without work, 3. Commerce without morality, 4. Education without character, 5. Pleasure without conscience, 6. Science without humanity and 7. Worship without sacrifice.
** Legend has it that the divine swan bird (Parama Hamsa) has the ability to separate the nectar from any liquid, to suck only milk to the exclusion of water. — Editor