Self-Help Guru gets six years for negligent homicide...

[Aaron]

Today a self-help guru in Arizona was sentenced to six years for the death of three people that participated in a sweat lodge he was leading. The article can be found here. I'm not sure of all the peculiarities, but it certainly gives one pause.

 

Aaron

Edited November 19, 2011 by Twinner

[Protector]

naaaaaaaaaah he needs to meditate longer

[Ish]

My first instict was to just post "what an asshole", but really this is very sad.

It shows the importance of using your common sense, I don't particularly like the stories of the best disciples always doing whatever the master said no matter how dangerous.

Ya better hope that angels were singing from the sky that your guru is "the one" before you take him up on the offer to walk off a cliff!

[konchog uma]

he was involved in that worthless piece of trash "the secret"

[Aetherous]

If I remember correctly, he was charging 10 grand for that course.

 

GOOD RIDDANCE!

[ATMA]

The inherent nature of this realm is suffering? Still tragedy begot more tragedy.

Ommmmmm shalaaaaaaaa heri krishna heri heri krishna ommmmmm.

[michael245]

anamatva are you talking about that law of attraction video,if you are I agree ,that video is trash.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

When I was younger I had a dream that I found this nice clearing outside of some woods and the sun was shining and I thought "hey, feels like a groovy spot to do a sun dance" so I did and then a bear came out of the woods and roared at me like "STOP THAT. GET OUT OF THERE. NOBODY SAID YOU COULD DO THAT." Then I realized I may have been getting too close to some things that I didn't understand and had no business dabbling in.

 

I hope sharing that might possibly protect someone from making the same errors. These traditions have unimaginable power which can be very dangerous when not approached in proper manners.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Harmonious Emptiness

[konchog uma]

anamatva are you talking about that law of attraction video,if you are I agree ,that video is trash.

 

yes.

[Birch]

anamatva are you talking about that law of attraction video,if you are I agree ,that video is trash.

IMO it's not simply trash. It's cruelty and self-hurt. But I've already ranted about that book before I think so won't repeat myself.

[doc benway]

Today a self-help guru in Arizona was sentenced to six years for the death of three people that participated in a sweat lodge he was leading. The article can be found here. I'm not sure of all the peculiarities, but it certainly gives one pause.

 

Aaron

He was a scammer. Took a lot of money from folks and killed a few with his incompetence.

He should go to prison for longer, IMO.

A sweat lodge is serious business, not something you make up after chewing some peyote.

Here, I think we can really see the nature of the importance, or should I say value, of tradition and ritual.

[Birch]

When I was younger I had a dream that I found this nice clearing outside of some woods and the sun was shining and I thought "hey, feels like a groovy spot to do a sun dance" so I did and then a bear came out of the woods and roared at me like "STOP THAT. GET OUT OF THERE. NOBODY SAID YOU COULD DO THAT." Then I realized I may have been getting too close to some things that I didn't understand and had no business dabbling in.

 

I hope sharing that might possibly protect someone from making the same errors. These traditions have unimaginable power which can be very dangerous when not approached in proper manners.

 

Now that's interesting! Especially the bear part. As far as I know, bear people are something to look into:-)

[Adj]

IMO it's not simply trash. It's cruelty and self-hurt. But I've already ranted about that book before I think so won't repeat myself.

 

I enjoyed that film immensely, whats wrong with it? Maybe I am a newbie? Naive perhaps? What did I miss?

[Seth Ananda]

he was involved in that worthless piece of trash "the secret"

Hahaha!

 

My last house mate helped to sue Rhonda [the creator of the secret].

She promised her video editor a percentage of the profits, but when she realised that the movie was going to make an absolute package, she fired him for 'incompetence'...

 

lol. He took her to court, and if I have the story straight, the judge was outraged, and gave him half the profits, which was a chunk more than she would have had to pay him, if she had just been honest to her word...

 

Half the speakers on it, seem to have a history of confusing 'Manifesting' with the right to just take whatever they want from others, conscience free...

 

Then there is the Deluded Bob Proctor, who tells people that everyone can be a multi millionaire because there are unlimited resources from God. Everyone on earth can have 6 cars, and everything they want when they want it, and they dont have to worry about the environment, as that is just fear and scarcity consciousness...

[konchog uma]

Hahaha!

 

My last house mate helped to sue Rhonda [the creator of the secret].

She promised her video editor a percentage of the profits, but when she realised that the movie was going to make an absolute package, she fired him for 'incompetence'...

 

lol. He took her to court, and if I have the story straight, the judge was outraged, and gave him half the profits, which was a chunk more than she would have had to pay him, if she had just been honest to her word...

 

Half the speakers on it, seem to have a history of confusing 'Manifesting' with the right to just take whatever they want from others, conscience free...

 

Then there is the Deluded Bob Proctor, who tells people that everyone can be a multi millionaire because there are unlimited resources from God. Everyone on earth can have 6 cars, and everything they want when they want it, and they dont have to worry about the environment, as that is just fear and scarcity consciousness...

 

right.

 

in answer to adj's question, the movie was a cheap con. It purported to be the revelation of a spiritual secret, which is that we can manifest what we focus on intently. First of all, that's no secret whatsoever, thats entry level mysticism. Second of all, the angle they played was all about accumulating wealth, and in a couched way saying that the poor and suffering were only that way because they didn't know how to magically manifest things from the infinite miraculous essence of life itself. They took a materialistic approach to something spiritual, and in so doing, cheapened and polluted it. People began focusing on that expensive handbag or the nice car they could have, and while perpetuating the consumer myth of modern western society, thought naively that they were utilizing some great spiritual secret. Only an unawakened dimwit DOESN'T realize that their intentions are tangible and can manifest. And while taking advantage of all the unawakened dimwits who wanted a spiritual fad to latch onto, they make a mockery of actual compassion or anything vaguely resembling spiritual truth.

 

In short, its wealth-based in a sad attempt to appeal to those who think they can buy happiness. If they could only "manifest" more money.

 

@seth: that story is halarious, i find it almost funny that the circumstances that they manifest for themselves are so negative. I don't usually find that sort of thing funny either.