Gauri said ... [about Mooji]
The real problem with Mooji is his insistence on self-enquiry as the one true way. He has borrowed this - apparently from Ramana and Papaji - because he has nothing to offer himself and needs to establish a lineage to furnish his claims of Messiahship. Little does he know Ramana only advised on self-enquiry to those who asked about it. Ramana simply upheld the ancient Indian context when a method was requested of him. Silence not self-enquiry was the hallmark of Ramana's teaching. Ramana never needed a method ... Teaching self inquiry does not endorse spiritual authenticity. Mooji's emphasis on self inquiry is a cheap sales trick from a cheap con artist who is well known to have never been acknowledged by Papaji.
Mooji has publicly announced on his posters from late 2006 to be the standardbearer of Ramana's lineage. However, as Gauri says, his only tool is self-enquiry. Mooji is a secondhand car salesman offering the liturgies of spiritual greats who have walked before him ... which he has the audacity to claim for his own personal ambition.
Mooji's satsang is a Papaji-lite tribute band completely devoid of inspiration, originality and true feeling. He has polluted and prostituted both Advaita and Arunachala for his own egoic ends.
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dear gauri, some of us reformed lucknow-ites still remember mooji's fondness of the local subterranean sewers around the indira nagar colony, where he hatched his future mission as a saviour, as well as collecting rat's snot and pig's saliva to fashion his dreadlocks. one could never imagine back then that this unprepossessing member of papaji's OUTER CIRCLE would become a magnet to all these infantiles ... question is; how do we extend compassion his way without hurting his feelings? vgefambe
ReplyDeleteMooji is not the worst of the post-Lucknow offspring. That prize goes to Madhukar with his psychosexual orgiastic fervour. But Mooji is symbolic of something deeply rotten in modern day Advaita.
ReplyDeleteMooji is a metaphor for everything which stinks about modern spirituality. Empty and hollow - devoid of meaning - and a cover version of the classics which were never that good, even in their heyday.
ReplyDeleteluke bowley,alias govinda,should be acknowledged and lauded for his good works, selfless untiring efforts,and unflinching resolve to bring about positive changes by reversing environmental degradation, and inspiring many with his 'spiritualism with a purpose approach',a shining example that authentic altruism does exist.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely!
DeleteIt's just a bit unfortunate that Govinda is a stuck up prat who looks down on the populace like some feudal prince!
ReplyDeleteGovinda! Govinda!!
Delete"I did it first" syndrome.
True that!! What an arogant dickhead
DeleteOK already! Mooji is a bit player and Papaji never endorsed him.
ReplyDeleteDon't give him so much 'air space.' He's not that important, doesn't deserve a second look.
Actually I said everything that I wanted to say about the silly fat Demon. He, Spermananda and Madhukar are in the same league as Papaji's bastard offspring.
ReplyDeleteWhen our mystic poet Kevan M asked me 12 years ago if I knew some houses for the approaching horde of Papaji idiots, I should have killed him then and there - because then this fucking charade started. So you can held me responsible in a way.
Mea maxima culpa.
I guess we just have to put up with these idiots. I trust that the Hill will get rid of them in its own mysterious ways.
Meanwhile, I agree, don't give them too much airspace but just enough rope to hang them with. Give us a little fun to lark about and take the piss out of these fucking morons.
As for Papaji's offspring ... no one's worse than Gangaji living the 5 star lifestyle and pretending she's in the direct lineage of Ramana Maharshi and Papaji. She uses it like a pedigree. Her self promotion is second to none and she's a skilled performer. Every opportunity is taken to milk the devotees of cash at the numerous satsangs and retreats. Sleezy Eli Jaxon-Bear is skulking in the background making a very nice living out of the traveling circus they call advaita.
ReplyDeletenice that people are waking up to the shallowness of papaji .. loved the title godman gave the biography, nothing ever happened ..
ReplyDeletetony moo, rather boring, but it's the level of unconscious followers he attracts that has been a huge problem for tiruvannamalai .. i know of many local people who despise his scene, none who support it. though, :-), maybe my bias against him selects such friends
another interesting tiru thing, the tamasic crowd of foreigners that gather every evening around bhajan time across the street from ramanashram, smoking and drinking their chai, too cool for school. laughable.
if i was a local shop/house owner, i would raise my prices to the roof, can't stop the cultural pollution, might at least get their money. and pray for the off-season to come.
The Papaji crowd are pathetic. Gangaji and her plastic surgery. Mooji and his new wave rastafarianism for neo liberal hippies. They attract the spiritual lost: eco-chicks who still haven't realised that global warming is the latest political scam and 90s soft-men bringing up the baby who discovered Lao Tsu in Barnes & Noble. Light some incense, talk peace and love and maybe they'll try some of that self inquiry shit. They think their past life was somewhere in the Holy Land. Cool man ...
ReplyDeleteYep, anyone who looks for roses only ends up with thorns.. The whole search for God or permanent pleasure is a unfortunate thing.
DeleteAgree with you, guys, but let's not forget another major clown of the Papaji circus as mentioned before: H.H. Madhukar from Deutschland.
ReplyDeleteHe is ALL about the ego, power, money and sex. Check out this gem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0k36zKTIF4
And this does not happen just in India, but all over Europe. The M-logo spreads like virus.
Maybe food for a next topic?
Peace,
J.
no funciona el link
DeleteWhat's the real story of Arunachala Grace morphing into Arunachala Samudra? All these happy snaps of Tiruvannamalai. Is it not just a cover for business as usual and real estate deals?
ReplyDeletemadhukar is as he is, no doubt .. but people need who they are attracted to, for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteand, you know, kindergarten teachers don't have to have PhDs ..
the tiru scene is a zoo,no doubt, in a squalid little rural south india town, with some extremely lovely tamil folks, a great energetic source of a mountain, the very liberal ramanashram, and maybe one or two people actually doing sadhana. i think there were one or two, once upon a time.
experiences come and go, wackos are forever.
and it is hard to imagine that anybody who has discovered who they are would remain in tiruvannamalai .. they would go on with their natural lives.
so, conclusion, them, is us.
enjoy
Robert Rabbin, low life spiritual teacher and executive coach. He fled Australia to get a bigger slice of the action in the States. Could someone clobber him before he sniffs opportunities and sets foot in Tiruvannamalai. Below is a snippet of his outlook on advaita and the Maharshi: "Ramana only went away; he didn’t come back. And we, in our hunger for truth, peace, and meaning, have come to mistake going away as the ideal. Ramana Maharshi needed to come back into a full, robust, sensual, sexual, passionate embodiment of that silence. We should not make his mistake"
ReplyDeleteRobert Rabbin is a charismatic business speaker who is fixated on the notion of "truth". Apparently for him the distinction between the inner and the outer has dissolved (I have heard some pseudo-enlightenment claims in my life but this is a new one). He has all the catchphrases, asking Who Am I etc etc. He's extremely political, suggests America was complicit in the events of 9-11. Just another salesman with lots of persuasive theories. If we should be embodying truth, seems that truth has a particular definition - which of course would be his. Partial, selectivist and highly moral. The usual suspects ...
ReplyDeleteArunachala Grace -> Arunachala Samudra. What is wrong with the happy pix of Tiru? I prefer her site to the Arunachala-Ramana Forum that is just a lot of useless chatter.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I worry about this the lady is that she could be the front for powerful real estate barons in the area and as you know in India most land deals are shady. Other than that she is a lovely lady who has helped a lot of people. I wish her all the best. Arunachala will no doubt take care of her and protect her.
That's my point that 'the lovely lady' how ridiculous and syrupy that sounds. The strong possibility that Arunachala Grace is simply a front for ruthless real estate deals and the usual commercial scheming.
ReplyDeleteI believe Mooji is coming to Tiru with his culture of make believe. He'll be entering the marketplace of the unholy business. For indeed a business man he is! Self promotion is his forte.
ReplyDeleteglow
Gangaji's devotees sob on the stage, she sobs on the stage with them. Gangaji's devotees exhort their awakening experiences on the stage, so does she. Highly choreographed, highly cynical. "I'm just like you" she croons - "Oh but you're not, you're so enlightened Gangaji!", they chorus back. So sick. This woman is responsble for a lot of the spiritual sickness in Tiru today, not just Mooji. The California parade has been a well-greased engine for many many years. Her blatant dishonesty is plastered over her lovely resculpted face. She wants money, she wants adulation and she even despises her husband as part of her power trip. Makes Mooji look like a beginner.
ReplyDeleteI think she is a 'lovely lady'. If you have a problem with that, then that is your problem, not mine.
ReplyDeleteArunachala Grace & Arunachala Samudra have fantastic posts on Arunachala, the Arunachaleswarar temple and the goings on in Tiruvannamalai. I have benefited immensely from them. I just don't buy real estate.
It is called using my discrimination or critical thinking. That apart I don't have the big bucks to buy property right now. My rented digs is my palace (for now).
Atma vichara was taught by a handful of Indian rishis (e.g. Vasishta) long before Ramana - but it is very misunderstood. Ramana was quite easily able to talk about it and recommend it to different followers but of course it is a spiritual technique - and only a technique that is suitable for some people. If you do self enquiry eventually you will have to drop it, realising it is useless for realisation. Modern spiritual commentators have created the false impression that Ramana had a method and self enquiry was that method. It's a serious misrepresentation. Anyone with even a little integrity realises that whatever they do or think and whatever anyone else does or think is entirely beyond their control and that there is not even anyone there to control it. If you look carefully, Ramana said this far more often than he talked about self enquiry. All these books and texts about Ramana are promoting the idea of personal autonomy even further - exactly the OPPOSITE of what Ramana taught and NOTHING TO DO with liberation.
ReplyDeleteSelf enquiry was an important teaching of Ramana's but so was devotion and complete surrender. It's quite clear that Ramana did not promote personal autonomy. In reply to the pleadings of his mother he said: "The ordainer controls the fate of souls in accordance with their parabhdakarma. Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you may. What ever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it. This is certain. The best course, therefore is to remain silent." Furthermore with rare, ripe devotees he only had to say 'Iru' ('Be') and that in itself was transformative.
ReplyDelete"Mooji's satsang is a Papaji-lite tribute band completely devoid of inspiration, originality and true feeling. He has polluted and prostituted both Advaita and Arunachala for his own egoic ends."
ReplyDeleteSounds like the war cry before the battle of Kurekshetra again. Who hasn't prostituted Advaita and Arunachala? Was Papaji egotistically pure or simply pure entertainment?
"Ramana Maharshi needed to come back into a full, robust, sensual, sexual, passionate embodiment of that silence."
ReplyDeleteOnly a celibate or a sexual loser would take Ramana as their life role model.
Recently Mooji and his friend were sitting in a cafe and a devotee came up, bowed and touched Mooji's feet. His friend then asked the devotee to do the same to him! Next day Mooji said in his satsang how dare his friend to do that! What a conceited git! Mooji has become extremely arrogant and has always thought he was the special one but now he's getting even worse!
ReplyDeleteI like what mooji has to say, it's helped me a lot. I'm not going to run away and join his circus, I'm not going to spend any money, I just find his meditations helpful for me. If there is a better teacher please advice.
ReplyDeleteAny teacher is better than Mooji. The integrity is not there so his meditations will never do you any good. What are you looking for? Love? Peace of mind? Better to spend a day with your family or go for a walk in the woods. Or do you want enlightenment? In that case, have a think about why you are searching for something? What is missing in your life? Better to remedy that. Anything to do with this man will lead you down the road of pseudo-spirituality, pretend peace and insincere hugs. Meanwhile his mind is avaricious and he constantly craves attention and fame. Don't encourage it - even by taking on just his meditations - or you risk fanning exactly the same flames in yourself.
ReplyDeleteAny teacher? You jest, surely. What about Andrew Cohen? Another spawn of Papaji, but possibly the most toxic of the lot. Mooji is just goddamn lovely compared to Cohen
DeleteThere are so many false teachers/prophets in this day and age, which is a reflection of our debauched society. Pseudo-cultural conditioning is a haven for all these new age 'masters'.
ReplyDeleteWhat saddens me most is the gullible naive youth of today, who let themselves be brainwashed and spoon fed by a pack of wolves.
Says everyone from their armchairs.
ReplyDeleteI know Mooji from Brixton, London in the mid-nineties. He teaches to this day self-realisation/awareness. So we can realise and understand how to drive and take good care of our car that we have just bought and paid good money for i.e. our physical form. Not self-enquiry!
ReplyDeletePeace. Tam.
What bollocks! Of course he teaches self enquiry: he calls it "the perfect mirror." He uses this technique to supposedly attain "self-realisation/awareness" - and it is his teaching attainment. There are also a lot of people who knew Mooji in the early 90s around Papaji, who think his behavior is an utter disgrace and that he has polluted one of the most sacred places on the planet.
ReplyDeleteReading the above comments was so much fun! Everyone here knows exactly what is wrong with everybody else, but has no clue about being whatsoever. Love it!
ReplyDeleteand you do?
ReplyDeleteMooji, and as far as I'm concerned all these new age advaita Guru's are very very weird...I don't quite understand how intelligent people get sucked into this madness. Mooji is scary because he is so marketable and really could make it big. Much bigger than Eckhardt Tolle for example. But no matter, all is as it's supposed to be...apparently.
ReplyDelete@Miro Westmaas
ReplyDeleteEckhart Tolle is a different type of teacher. While Tolle is ultra rational, Mooji is ultra emotional, which may be why women in particular are so drawn to Mooji.
I wouldn't call Mooji's teaching madness, but I also wouldn't call it substantial. Self inquiry seems to be at the root of his teaching, but one wonders where Mooji himself finds the time for self inquiry when he.never.stops.talking ;-)
Mooji's appeal may be more due to his playing God than being God; i.e. charisma preceding (unknown) spiritual depth.
At any rate, if he turns out to be a fraud, there have been far more harmful teachers; at worst he's just a dread who's found a niche for himself in the world of Yoga and is basking in the glory of his success (spiritual capitalism), or, maybe he is at least in part the real deal and unbelievers are projecting false views onto him.
Time will tell...
I'm relatively new in this enlightenment circus and found Mooji's pointings rather helpful in the beginning for they follow a simple structure.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I know all his jokes and second hand quotes within a year and see it with disbelief how adults are throwing themself down to his feet, kissing the ground he moved on and stabbing their way to the front seats.
Mooji has become a brand and his devotees give him a God like status for he is the guarantor to sell their music and matching accessories .. he has kicked off big business now and it has become a self sufficient machinery which will create small affiliates around the world very soon.
Within one year much has changed the settings as one can see during the Rishikesh retreat and others. In my view he is only interested in success stories as somesort of a sales promotion. If people get stucked in the inquiery process or even going through a dark night, he fails to support and has really no helpful advice for he is in lack of basic psychology, not to mention C.G.Jung's collective unconsciousness.
How wonderful to realize during such phases that we don't exist and a ghost cannot be in pain :-)
I totally agree with you. I must say that until today I was totally enchanted by Mooji. But something felt strange in my head. It was like my mind was getting squeezed. Then I googled 'Mooji debunked' and found this site. Very healthy, I think, to read some other points of view. It helps to lighten up and allow my self to be me again :-) (pun intended)
DeleteAnd indeed, when we are in dire psychological and emotional need, it doesn't help to know we are the self that doesn't suffer.
It's back to being a human for me. Thanks, guys, for sticking out your neck.
I agree with you and feel exactly the same about Mooji and the doubts I was starting to have about him. He really lacks in psychologically understanding and cannot or is not interested in giving support to people going through difficult times. What I understood today is that it is important to respect and acknowledge all one's feelings as well as sense the beingness that pervades all
Delete@Giorgo Yup, He has become a broken record one trick pony! It's impossible to take his lack of knowledge seriously, the same jokes (which he seems to find hilarious every time he blurts them out) and the two or three "wise" zen stories to which he adds "papa telling a bedtime story" embellishments to spice them up and his harem goes into fits of hysterics. Also, he will pull the "your negative vibes are ruining the feeling of unity" red card penalty and toss you out. God forbid! :) A cesspool for rich hipsters, 50+ Jambai drumming widows with a new zest for life and old businessmen who have seen the light after a life of butt fucking humanity and need near death forgiveness (sniffing smelly Jamaican socks). And as for the Harem whom he allows to sing one praise of adoration to him after every Satsing while he sings along (christ that voice, jesus wept,a shaken bad of tortured cats) and tries to look all guruphonic. But let's not be cynical.
DeleteThe commercialization of Mooji is disgusting
DeleteRumour was that he'd been shagging the help at the Gangaji foundation and got caught with his pants down. God knows what STD he picked up enroute. Gangaji then got friendly with Mickey Rourke's plastic surgeon and became the Frankenstein Barbie we know today!
ReplyDeleteThe experiences of bliss or hysteria that people are seen to have on these retreats are the same as those who attended 'beatles' concerts and more recently 'one direction' concerts. This state is ungrounded state where the person appears overly emotional, high or drunk. Its a real experience of transcendence beyond the limited feelings incarcerated by perception but without understanding its temporary. Those who project the cause of this mildly psychotic but blissful state to be Mooji may decide to 'follow' mooji. He's not deceiving others, he's deceiving his own self, because he genuinely believes a lot of what he says. Better Mooji than ISIS.
ReplyDeleteAt least Isis believe in what they're doing
Delete:D thats just so funny
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to have so many negative things happening in our society. There are many low grade teachers. One can only hope that the people attending get something from it.
ReplyDeleteI find the guidance of Ramana and Nisargadatta quite straightforward and undramatic. It is there, rest in it.
It's not difficult, but I suppose that is after maybe 10 years of do many things with many teachers. I suppose I should be grateful, I got tired.
In recent years my custom has been to stay at home and move towards my path, not fly around the world and so on. It seemed boring at times, but in the end probably the good road.
The words self-enquiry and non-duality do not to me really capture this 'tradition'. It is only meeting yourself and letting go of everything else. Once you can feel it, just continue, that's all.
I like Mooji actually. He is very non-mental which is helpful. Also you can see that he is somewhat dismayed at the silly people who arrive and perform the circus around him. He doesn't like it, but he is calm and gentle with them. Others aren't.
I find him sincere and pointing to the right place, without any fancy words or analysis. Nisargadatta is quite heavy sometimes.
The vociferous heavy emotional comments on this page remind me of an old nightmare I used to have.
If you're so advanced in your sadhana (and totally above it all) ... what the fuck are you doing putting comments up on a post which is 5 years old? Please take your patronising platitudes somewhere else!
DeleteI appreciated your comment. Thank you for writing it. Some of us are still reading this post 6 years later :)
Deletehas mooji really married one of his young female followers? i only found one reference to it.
ReplyDeleteI've no idea if Fat Tony has actually got married - I assumed he preferred a moveable feast!
Deletewho knows but that fake smiling thing he is with makes me vomit.She washed her face in cement and made a smile .
DeleteNo idea about legal status. He was with one woman until a few years ago, but then told her she was too attached. Faced with such resistance from her middle aged mind, he had no choice but to trade her in for a twenty something blonde with a pair of big devotions. Compassion in action.
ReplyDeleteMooji has a bit of mind control, I'll give him that. Dull mind it is, so he attracts people who need sense of emotional belonging, like someone who will tap on their shoulders and say that everything is fine. Of course he also offers the super power of emptiness, be empty and do as you please is the bottom line.
ReplyDeleteIt is very degrading, and does quite the opposite of the message of Advaita Vedanta. It is better, and one would make some actual progress, if he would sell his soul to the actual devil. No matter what preconceived idea he would hold about the devil.