Letters to the Editor
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The Reality Of The Hugging Saint Game
I am writing as an ex devotee. Having been part of this corporation for many years, I can say with all honesty that it is one of the biggest spiritual farces operating on the planet today. I could write book length treatises on the horrors of what goes on within this organization. I could talk about the scores of mentally unstable people that are taken advantage of, how materialism is spoken against unless the item in question has Ammachi's face on it, the way that it is repeated that Amma makes no claims yet her devotees are encouraged to worship her as God. I could talk about the lack of fiscal reports and accountability, the numerous deaths at the ashram that were not investigated, the ties to the RSS and other fascist groups, the way Amma and her crew laugh at Americans handing them money hand over fist. I could talk about the backbiting among devotees, the way most of them are horribly depressed and angry. I could talk about all of the scathing psychological and emotional manipulation that goes on in this group.
I could talk about all of these things, but I want to focus on one issue in particular: the media.
The M.A. Center has an extremely wealthy coterie of people who have managed to contain the media in their back pocket over time. This is why there are rarely any critical or inquiring media reports. Most of the media reports are very light and fluffy, reporting on a benign humanitarian known as the "hugging saint". It all seems very harmless, but understand that billions of dollars and a lot of time and planning over the years has gone into creating this media image of the harmless little hugging humanitarian lady from India.
The press is only invited during regular hugging sessions. The press is never allowed in on Devi Bhavas, because there is concern that the image of Amma in Devi Bhava garb is in conflict with that of the humanitarian in the white sari. During "regular" days when the press comes, most Devi Bhava photos are removed from the Amma shop. When the press seeks out devotees to interview, they are hand-selected. Usually, they are the same people all of the time. Most of the time, they are actually part of Amma's press team, yet they are referred to as "devotees" since that is, technically, correct.
People are advised before being interviewed not to talk about their "devotion to Amma", but to instead focus on talking about her "humanitarian activities." These are just some of the ways that the media is wrangled to keep up the pristine image of the group.
It is imperative that people start asking questions and waking up to the reality of what is going on here. This is a group that is doing a tremendous amount of damage to people in the name of God. It is not unlike any other cult that we have seen throughout history. Fortunately for them, the leader at the center is an extremely charismatic, loveable seeming woman. There is no denying that Amma has a tremendous amount of charisma and ability to captivate, but this does not mean her intentions are pure. In fact, with a little digging, the underbelly of this organization is easily exposed. By hugging people, she is playing with one of the most tender parts of the human psyche. A part that is biological and primal. This is how this group has grown and how Amma has attained such a large following.
There is much fear from devotees about speaking out about anything. Amma is well known for having goons to take care of those who speak unkindly of her. Perhaps this is another reason why the media reports are unbalanced. But, I would like to encourage those within the media to dig deeper, because people's lives, hearts and souls are on the line everytime you publish an article encouraging someone to go "get a hug" from this "humanitarian."
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Thanks for the heads up
Why am I not surprised?
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On the author's point about separating religion from spirituality
One of the things I liked most about this article was the quote about how Amma preaches how too many believers get caught up in the trappings and dogma of religion without taking a look at inner spirituality.
It's an important discussion for both believers and non-believers to have - is there a spiritual (which sidestepping metaphysics and the idea of a soul I define as the combination of physical, mental, and emotional states) benefit to organized religion and rituals? How does religion overcome its negatives such as authoritarianism, reactionary thinking, and zealotry in order to provide people with life enriching experiences, a sense of community, and a strong desire to make the world a better place?
The way I look at it, religion can benefit one's spiritual well-being as sports can benefit one's physical well-being. Do you need to play sports to stay physically active? Absolutely not. But millions of people enjoy the ritual, structure, and community that sports provide. And in coming together to play sports, many stay physically fit in the process.
That's not to say sports doesn't have its problems - from soccer hooligans who murder fans from other teams to arrogant hypocritical superstars who juice their way to the top. Even as a believer, I wouldn't necessarily argue that religion doesn't cause even more social ills. Yet I hold out hope that more and more people see religion as a means and not an end in and of itself.
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Regarding devotees eyeing the media
I also know that there are many devotees and those close to Amma who monitor boards like this. Discussion groups, articles and comment forums like this are searched on a regular basis, and they will post pro-Amma statements and stories. If you look at various forums, sometimes you will see the same handles popping up again and again. Particularly with large and more visible articles such as this one, they will try to infiltrate the comments even more. This is in line with what was said above regarding controlling the media. The media and public image control is much, much larger than most would believe. If you scan the more over the top pro-Amma comments you will see a subtle layer of cult-speak or devotee speak. Chances are, those are the people closest to Amma. It is some peoples seva to monitor discussion boards like this, especially when the article/subject in question may cast Amma in a negative light. There is an ex-amma group in the link below. As of now, this is the only safe haven for ex-devotees and questioning to discuss the reality behind the hugging saint. And even with this, there are devotees and insiders lurking. I moderate the board and constantly have to kick devotees and informants out for harassing others. Historically, the ashram is known for threatening (verbally and physically) anyone who may portray Amma's image as anything but pristine.