Kumare, Kumare, Kumaaaaareeee...
I just saw the most amazing documentary film ever (@
IDFA - thanks, Antony!) : Kumare (
www.kumaremovie.com)
It is a story about a guru who is trying to teach his followers that they do not need a guru. Paradox and contradiction - the basis of all the truth ;-) It is not a new idea, but the movie represents it in a original, powerful yet funny way. At the same time, it is controversial - how can he teach the truth through false methods - lies and deception? The irony of it makes it even more interesting.
The conclusions were: proven the initial premises that:
- people do need to follow $guru (messiah / teacher / master)
- people are gullible and naive
- people are also strong and resourceful and indeed have a guru within that they can rely on for personal development and even enlightenment
I saw the director, Vikram Gandhi. He was answering questions. He is way cool! I do want him to be my guru ;-)
And another funny fact: he calls his most popular meditation "Bluelight meditation" -- just like the fictional/educational LIR that we invented 6 years ago :)
Life imitates art
The story of false or authentic "guru" has been described in many many forms already, and is one of my favorite topics (since I am a Natural Born Groupie).
Most of my examples are books; but I will start this list with the movie it reminds me the most of:
Life of Brian:
BRIAN: I'm not the Messiah! Will you please listen? I am not the Messiah, do you understand?! Honestly!
GIRL: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity.
BRIAN: What?! Well, what sort of chance does that give me? All right! I am the Messiah!
FOLLOWERS: He is! He is the Messiah!
BRIAN: Now, fuck off!
BRIAN: Look. You've got it all wrong. You don't need to follow me.
You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves. You're all individuals!
FOLLOWERS: Yes, we're all individuals!
BRIAN: You're all different!
FOLLOWERS: Yes, we are all different!
DENNIS: I'm not.
ARTHUR: Shhhh.
FOLLOWERS: Shh. Shhhh. Shhh.
BRIAN: You've all got to work it out for yourselves!
FOLLOWERS: Yes! We've got to work it out for ourselves!
BRIAN: Exactly!
FOLLOWERS: Tell us more!
The books:
-
llusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah is a novel by Richard Bach.
One of my favorite books ever...
- "S.", by John Updike, a novel about Sarah Worth as she leaves her husband and suburban life behind to join her guru, a Hindu religious leader known as Arhat, at his Arizona-based ashram. And it so happens that the guru is a "fake".. for some definition of "fake", if there is a "real" guru in each one of us...
-
If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him! The pilgrimage of psychotherapy patients
- The Buddha of Suburbia (1990), written by Hanif Kureishi,
- Stripping the Gurus
Sex, Violence, Abuse and Enlightenment* by Geoffrey D. Falk
- And, of course, the basis of them all:
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
"experience is shown as the best way to approach understanding of reality and attain enlightenment"
Natural Born Groupie
I like this topic because I identify with this search for meaning in following another person, althou I may thank my strong constitution for not ending up in any real "cult" (yet). I do have a tendency to adore idols and follow examples: only in the last few months I have found two new (personal) "gurus" , and rekindled my follow-ship of three already established (let's not call them old) gurus. Luckily for me, they are all kind to their disciples, and do not try to brainwash me or abuse their power. They are maybe even not aware of having disciples ;-) Only unaware Messiah is the the true Messiah ;-)
(quote from the HHGTTG: "To
summarize
: it is a well known fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.")
A movie that illustrates the groupie phenomenon:
Almost Famous
And a real-life story of the corrupt guru, as heard from trusted friends from "Yoga in Daily Life", aka
Swamiji. A warning: he is
NOT as authentic and innocent as the Wikipedia article claims. There is a contraversy about him, which is not reflected in Wikipedia article. Yet another proof that it is healthy to maintain skepticism about the "truth" from any other source then *within*.
Conclusion: embrace the guru within! :)
(and go see the movie if you can; and read all the books mentioned above ;-)