10-20-2005, 07:55 PM
When the missionary scum employ corporate mktg tech to spread the word its great but when hindus do its so not good -> humara dudh dudh tumhara dudh panee..
Besides whats with material world and spirituality ? Why cant the two co-exist ?
These gurus are learning slowly and giving hinduism a position where its cool to be a hindu - others cant digest it..
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/10/news/india.php
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In India, spirituality is going commercialĂ‚Â
By Amelia Gentleman International Herald Tribune
SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2005
NEW DELHI As he addressed an after-work gathering of his followers recently, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath shared his concerns about the correct way to market a CD version of his teachings.
Consulting the 26 disciples sitting at his feet in a smart south Delhi apartment, he discussed at length how to fix the right price and analyzed how best to protect the content from being pirated and sold cheaply.
"These CDs offer value for time spent," he said. "I want people to listen to them when they're commuting and stuck in traffic. They will be very useful, but we must get them marketed properly."
He asked a disciple to make sure that a Delhi public relations expert would be present at his next reading. "I think we are very bad in PR," he said. "We need to work on media relations."
As the national economy blossoms, the role of the guru as someone who helps his followers find enlightenment is evolving: Many spiritual guides are now smooth marketers with, often enough, a considerable knowledge of how to maximize their commercial appeal.
Many gurus have been forced to revolutionize their practices - packaging and aggressively marketing their religious services to cater to the changing desires of the consumer. Some have adopted the style of Western televangelists to promote their message.
What is more, the leaders of India's economic revolution are turning to spirituality in large numbers.
While Western workers pop antidepressants and tranquilizers to beat stress, India seeks relief from the pressures of its emerging materialistic society with a booming spirituality industry.
Personnel departments in big firms are calling on spiritual gurus to help new recruits handle the tensions of modern working life.
Spirituality shops offering "health and wealth kits" are doing good business, and newly created religious channels on domestic television are expanding their reach into millions of homes.
One of India's slickest spiritual movements, the Art of Living Foundation, led by the telegenic guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, runs a "corporate executive program" aimed at helping senior management in India's leading companies cope with stress. It offers relief by teaching employees how to improve their breathing.
"Our corporate program is for people on the fast track, and these people are facing high levels of urban stress," said Sanjiv Kakar, an Art of Living guru who teaches the course. "They may not be looking for spiritual solace, but they are looking for stress relief and we can provide that."
Kakar volunteers his services, but the movement charges 300,000 rupees, or almost $7,000, to instruct 25 executives; the money goes to its charitable trust.
A brochure printed on expensive paper declares that senior management officials in big Indian companies have taken the course and says that 88 percent of those who graduated reported an improvement in dealing with stress and negativity.
"The pace of life here has completely changed with the economy opening up," Kakar said. "Family life has been totally messed up because of work pressure."
He added, "We give people practical techniques to get rid of anger, negative feelings and frustration; we are not a culture that relies on tranquilizers."
Pravin Anand, managing partner at an intellectual property law firm, Anand and Anand, was enthusiastic about the effect that the Art of Living course had had on his company.
"Intellectual property is becoming a very big thing in India, and our work has increased enormously in the past decade," Anand said. "People work 18-hour days here and are really stressed out."
"The course was fantastic. It was like paying your money and getting your goods - a quick transaction. Lawyers have a hard-nosed reputation, but the course inspired all of us; we began to think about higher issues. The quality of our workers' lives really began to change and there was a positive effect on the business as well," he said.
Others are brazen in the claims they make for their services.
Daivajna Somayaji promises more than mere stress relief to his clients. Based in Bangalore, the hub of India's information technology revolution, he specializes in smoothing product starts and increasing investment bankers' profit margins, professing to have a "99.9 percent" success rate in turning around failing businesses.
"I visit the office or factory premises," he said, "I study the energy patterns of the location and I study the people, looking at their vibrations; it's something that I can experience, but am unable to explain."
He spoke in a telephone interview from his ashram in Bangalore. The interview was organized through a Delhi PR firm that promotes his services.
"I might recommend changing the structure of the building, or the altering the personnel in the office," he said. "I have no fixed fees - whatever they pay, I accept. Companies have doubled their profitability after consulting me."
For reasons of customer confidentiality, he would not name any of his clients, making it impossible to substantiate any of his claims.
The changing role of the guru has caused much unease among social commentators. In a recent public debate in Delhi, Javed Akhtar, an atheist and outspoken Bollywood script writer and poet, opened an attack on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and other modern gurus, arguing, "It is not enough to teach rich people how to breathe."
He condemned the emergence of supermarkets for "spiritual fast food," where people can buy "crash courses in self-realization - cosmic consciousness in four easy lessons."
He concluded: "Our Marxist friends used to say that religion is the opium of the poor masses. I don't want to get into that discussion, but spirituality nowadays is definitely the tranquilizer of the rich."
Suma Varughese, editor-in-chief of the spiritual magazine Life Positive, agreed that the modern guru's endeavor to combine spiritual and material values gave rise to considerable tension.
"The changing economy has brought a massive explosion of unhappiness and confusion and, although no research has been done," she said, "I think hundreds of thousands of people are turning to spirituality for guidance."
"Gurus are adopting the corporate approach for two reasons," she said. "Some are genuinely trying to give support to the overwrought urban workers; others are simply trying to popularize their movements."
She added, "There is no doubt that today there is a desire to have spiritual nirvana and material wealth. I think most true seekers would admit that this attempt to wed the two is not possible."
Daivajna Somayaji of Bangalore argued: "I have rejected materialism, but I see nothing wrong in helping other people realize their commercial goals.
"Commercial aspirations are not wrong - they are important," he said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Besides whats with material world and spirituality ? Why cant the two co-exist ?
These gurus are learning slowly and giving hinduism a position where its cool to be a hindu - others cant digest it..
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/10/news/india.php
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In India, spirituality is going commercialĂ‚Â
By Amelia Gentleman International Herald Tribune
SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2005
NEW DELHI As he addressed an after-work gathering of his followers recently, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath shared his concerns about the correct way to market a CD version of his teachings.
Consulting the 26 disciples sitting at his feet in a smart south Delhi apartment, he discussed at length how to fix the right price and analyzed how best to protect the content from being pirated and sold cheaply.
"These CDs offer value for time spent," he said. "I want people to listen to them when they're commuting and stuck in traffic. They will be very useful, but we must get them marketed properly."
He asked a disciple to make sure that a Delhi public relations expert would be present at his next reading. "I think we are very bad in PR," he said. "We need to work on media relations."
As the national economy blossoms, the role of the guru as someone who helps his followers find enlightenment is evolving: Many spiritual guides are now smooth marketers with, often enough, a considerable knowledge of how to maximize their commercial appeal.
Many gurus have been forced to revolutionize their practices - packaging and aggressively marketing their religious services to cater to the changing desires of the consumer. Some have adopted the style of Western televangelists to promote their message.
What is more, the leaders of India's economic revolution are turning to spirituality in large numbers.
While Western workers pop antidepressants and tranquilizers to beat stress, India seeks relief from the pressures of its emerging materialistic society with a booming spirituality industry.
Personnel departments in big firms are calling on spiritual gurus to help new recruits handle the tensions of modern working life.
Spirituality shops offering "health and wealth kits" are doing good business, and newly created religious channels on domestic television are expanding their reach into millions of homes.
One of India's slickest spiritual movements, the Art of Living Foundation, led by the telegenic guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, runs a "corporate executive program" aimed at helping senior management in India's leading companies cope with stress. It offers relief by teaching employees how to improve their breathing.
"Our corporate program is for people on the fast track, and these people are facing high levels of urban stress," said Sanjiv Kakar, an Art of Living guru who teaches the course. "They may not be looking for spiritual solace, but they are looking for stress relief and we can provide that."
Kakar volunteers his services, but the movement charges 300,000 rupees, or almost $7,000, to instruct 25 executives; the money goes to its charitable trust.
A brochure printed on expensive paper declares that senior management officials in big Indian companies have taken the course and says that 88 percent of those who graduated reported an improvement in dealing with stress and negativity.
"The pace of life here has completely changed with the economy opening up," Kakar said. "Family life has been totally messed up because of work pressure."
He added, "We give people practical techniques to get rid of anger, negative feelings and frustration; we are not a culture that relies on tranquilizers."
Pravin Anand, managing partner at an intellectual property law firm, Anand and Anand, was enthusiastic about the effect that the Art of Living course had had on his company.
"Intellectual property is becoming a very big thing in India, and our work has increased enormously in the past decade," Anand said. "People work 18-hour days here and are really stressed out."
"The course was fantastic. It was like paying your money and getting your goods - a quick transaction. Lawyers have a hard-nosed reputation, but the course inspired all of us; we began to think about higher issues. The quality of our workers' lives really began to change and there was a positive effect on the business as well," he said.
Others are brazen in the claims they make for their services.
Daivajna Somayaji promises more than mere stress relief to his clients. Based in Bangalore, the hub of India's information technology revolution, he specializes in smoothing product starts and increasing investment bankers' profit margins, professing to have a "99.9 percent" success rate in turning around failing businesses.
"I visit the office or factory premises," he said, "I study the energy patterns of the location and I study the people, looking at their vibrations; it's something that I can experience, but am unable to explain."
He spoke in a telephone interview from his ashram in Bangalore. The interview was organized through a Delhi PR firm that promotes his services.
"I might recommend changing the structure of the building, or the altering the personnel in the office," he said. "I have no fixed fees - whatever they pay, I accept. Companies have doubled their profitability after consulting me."
For reasons of customer confidentiality, he would not name any of his clients, making it impossible to substantiate any of his claims.
The changing role of the guru has caused much unease among social commentators. In a recent public debate in Delhi, Javed Akhtar, an atheist and outspoken Bollywood script writer and poet, opened an attack on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and other modern gurus, arguing, "It is not enough to teach rich people how to breathe."
He condemned the emergence of supermarkets for "spiritual fast food," where people can buy "crash courses in self-realization - cosmic consciousness in four easy lessons."
He concluded: "Our Marxist friends used to say that religion is the opium of the poor masses. I don't want to get into that discussion, but spirituality nowadays is definitely the tranquilizer of the rich."
Suma Varughese, editor-in-chief of the spiritual magazine Life Positive, agreed that the modern guru's endeavor to combine spiritual and material values gave rise to considerable tension.
"The changing economy has brought a massive explosion of unhappiness and confusion and, although no research has been done," she said, "I think hundreds of thousands of people are turning to spirituality for guidance."
"Gurus are adopting the corporate approach for two reasons," she said. "Some are genuinely trying to give support to the overwrought urban workers; others are simply trying to popularize their movements."
She added, "There is no doubt that today there is a desire to have spiritual nirvana and material wealth. I think most true seekers would admit that this attempt to wed the two is not possible."
Daivajna Somayaji of Bangalore argued: "I have rejected materialism, but I see nothing wrong in helping other people realize their commercial goals.
"Commercial aspirations are not wrong - they are important," he said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->