The Cult Mega-Thread

[VerballyHazardous]

@FlowerNote

His followers are to be blamed, Mooji is fine (atleast in my experience)

[Lyubov]

 I think mooji is running a bit of a new age cult. I wouldn't call it a full blown cult but it is more so than other satsangs.

[DocWatts]

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Daryll Cooper's amazing six part Podcast Series on Jim Jones and the People's Temple Cult. 

https://www.martyrmade.com/martyrmade-podcast-11-gods-socialist-prologue/

[Willie]

obligatory:

 

[Yog]

This is bizarre... something out of a cyberpunk novel.
 

 

[No Self]

On 7/26/2020 at 9:36 PM, VerballyHazardous said:

@FlowerNote

His followers are to be blamed, Mooji is fine (atleast in my experience)

The main controversy with Mooji is the claim of lineage to Ramana Maharshi. The only 2 beings that Ramana formally declared as awakened were his mother just prior to her death, and Lakshmi the cow (yes, really). Papaji was a wonderful student of Ramana, though he gave rise rise to his own students (Gangaji, Mooji, etc.) leading modern Satsang sessions while claiming a lineage to Ramana that was never endorsed by Ramana himself.

Having said that, I don't believe that Ramana himself would be in the least bit bothered. The only issue that appeared to upset Ramana was cruelty towards the animals. Even direct defamation against him did not trouble him in the slightest, nor was he interested in questions of which other teachers are fully realised; he told his followers to mind their own business!

Some Advaita teachers also had a strong opposition to receiving money for their teachings, or feel that teachers should be celibate. If we take this to the extreme, Ramana is the only teacher who is 100% clean. Keep in mind that a lot of the prostrating and veneration stuff was happening even to Ramana, and is a part of the culture that Mooji controversially 'inherited'.

In the end, Mooji's teachings are very pure and bring the essence of self-inquiry to a modern audience that might otherwise miss out. The small elements of cultic tendencies within the culture are only a minimal blemish. If you are given a pot full of gold, but then find a couple of pieces of coal inside, do you discard the entire thing?

Edited November 24, 2020 by No Self

[Lyubov]

2 hours ago, No Self said:

In the end, Mooji's teachings are very pure and bring the essence of self-inquiry to a modern audience that might otherwise miss out. The small elements of cultic tendencies within the culture are only a minimal blemish. If you are given a pot full of gold, but then find a couple of pieces of coal inside, do you discard the entire thing?

I do agree. I think the core of Moojis teachings are pure. I wouldn't label his satsang a straight up toxic cult. I think it has more in common with very liberal and immature boundaries like one of those workplaces that sort of turns into a party and without ethical standards and delineation where the boss is dating a person in a lower position of power and using their status to indulge in a sort of less than humble conduct. It isn't exactly a cult but it is irresponsible and a recipe for setting yourself up for some trouble. He should be more careful how he chooses his partners and it most definitely should not be students... Perhaps a senior student that is closer to his age and has been part of the organization and holds a position of autonomous power. Not hippie chicks passing through that he takes a liking to and asks facilitators to introduce them to him. This is all hearsay to me though. I don't know exactly what has happened.  

Edited November 25, 2020 by Lyubov

[abrakamowse]

Divine Truth

 

https://www.vice.com/en/article/kz77j3/a-day-with-the-australian-couple-who-say-theyre-jesus-and-mary

 

 

[abrakamowse]

Vissarion! Another Jesus, this time from Russia... from Siberia

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/22/cult-leader-vissarion-reincarnation-jesus-arrested-siberia-russia

 

 

[abrakamowse]

A girl who grew up in a cult shares her experiences in a TED talk

 

I grew up in a cult. It was heaven -- and hell. | Lilia Tarawa | TEDxChristchurch

 

[andyjohnsonman]

 

[Strangeloop]

I don't know from my point of view, even two people can form a cult. It's starts with one doesn't it?

I see it everywhere, the way I behave the way I manipulate people, hell even today I saw how much I influenced one person by just talking to him a month ago, meeting him today and seeing him talking about what I suggested to him. He was desperate for more information, he wanted to know more of what I know so I gave it to him. It's like now I'm his teacher, and I'm not even older than him.

So cults I find an interesting topic even if it's sounds like a bad word because people associated it with harmful behaviour. 

Just how humans follow a person, I can see it myself on how I follow Leo. Or any other person. I wait for them to post videos, to listen to them like a student and I take every word of what they say as truth because I'm so fascinated by how these people came to my life at certain times when I most needed them. 

But see following them and doing their practices, not thinking for oneself and only trusting the person who you are listening to can be dangerous. That's how all the deaths happen. Even Leo himself said to not take any of his words as belief, but it's so META that I still do it. Even if I try to leave. I still comeback. And I get immersed in the Reality of that community/cult even more to the point where it becomes my life. It's lile a tunnel vision where you only see the Reality you made up but not the Reality that is outside of your Reality (if that makes sense).