Gurus
Noticing that the word
"guru" had become an especially disparaging word applied
to RS by the "critics," I confronted it. Alan S. Fine
MD responded.
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From: Tarjei Straume
Subject: gurus
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 14:56:27 +0100
My fellow subscribers,
I have noticed that some critics keep referring
to Rudolf Steiner as a guru, and that they are endeavoring to
attach negative or disparaging connotations to the word. I think
they'll have to find something worse than that. Guru means teacher
and spiritual guide in Hinduism. There is nothing wrong with
calling Steiner a guru, or a prophet for that matter, but why
the scorn, ridicule, and hostility?
Is it envy? Jealousy? Fear? If you believe
that gurus are stupid or evil or dangerous, you obviously hold
a serious bias against Hinduism arising from a sense of cultural
superiority. America is better than India, and we hate gurus.
American Christianity, or American secular humanism, is superior
to Hinduism, and gurus are stupid.
Now, I would like you to close your eyes and
meditate about what it might be like to be a guru. What would
you teach? I would like to hear from you, guru critics and critic
gurus, about the origin of life and the universe for starters.
This might provide a more solid basis for attacking and ridiculing
other approaches to such riddles.
Cheers from Guru Uncle Taz
http://www.uncletaz.com/
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From: "Alan S. Fine MD"
Subject: Re: gurus
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 21:39:21 -0700
To me it is in the relationship that the danger
lies. The guru-follower relationship is a regression to a parent
child bond, that leaves followers in a position of losing their
autonomy, and forming belief systems, attitudes, even personalities
to match the guru's expectations. The guru, in turn may be enticed
and inspired by this power, and stimulated into beliefs ever
more farfetched, and expectations ever higher and more global.
This is powerful phenomenon, a natural and
instinctive phenomenon, but nonetheless a dangerous one. One
of the dangers (although by no means the only one) is if the
guru begins to preach something destructive. Steiner is deceased,
and no longer poses this threat. But if he were alive today I
would consider your movement extremely dangerous. What if Steiner
began to lose his senses? What if he were to begin to preach
violence? or suicide? Tell me at that point you would break from
him. And even if you would there would be many who would not.
The danger is not always in the content of what the guru teaches,
but in the psychological process of cultism itself.
Patients coming to see me have brought notebooks
to record my words, showered me with gifts, named children after
me, even prayed to me. It is very seductive to be put in that
position, and at first I played the role well, resulting in psychological
regression in the patients. I have spent years overcoming those
powerful forces within, stepping down from the guru place, and
learning how to posture myself in a manner which places me on
an even level with my patients and encouraging true autonomy.
I have found the way to not be a guru, but I have sympathy for
those, like Steiner, who could not resist that temptation.
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From: Tarjei Straume
Subject: Re: gurus
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 17:58:43 +0100
Alan S. Fine wrote:
To me it is in the relationship that the
danger lies. The guru-follower relationship is a regression to
a parent child bond, that leaves followers in a position of losing
their autonomy, and forming belief systems, attitudes, even personalities
to match the guru's expectations. The guru, in turn may be enticed
and inspired by this power, and stimulated into beliefs ever
more farfetched, and expectations ever higher and more global.
The purpose of the guru is to teach the neophyte
to stand on his own two feet and make his own decisions.
This is powerful phenomenon, a natural and instinctive phenomenon,
but nonetheless a dangerous one. One of the dangers (although
by no means the only one) is if the guru begins to preach something
destructive. Steiner is deceased, and no longer poses this threat.
But if he were alive today I would consider your movement extremely
dangerous. What if Steiner began to lose his senses? What if
he were to begin to preach violence? or suicide? Tell me at that
point you would break from him. And even if you would there would
be many who would not. The danger is not always in the content
of what the guru teaches, but in the psychological process of
cultism itself.
In the case of Steiner, this is pure hypothetical
speculation. Steiner never advised anyone what to do. He never
initiated any activity or behavior, but simply responded to requests.
He was a lecturer, not a preacher. For instance, the reason why
he said so much about the Bible and the Gospel in particular,
was that this was the subject his listeners were most curious
about.
Patients coming to see me have brought notebooks to record my
words, showered me with gifts, named children after me, even
prayed to me. It is very seductive to be put in that position,
and at first I played the role well, resulting in psychological
regression in the patients. I have spent years overcoming those
powerful forces within, stepping down from the guru place, and
learning how to posture myself in a manner which places me on
an even level with my patients and encouraging true autonomy.
I have found the way to not be a guru, but I have sympathy for
those, like Steiner, who could not resist that temptation.
The legacy from his contemporaries testify
that Steiner resisted that temptation very well.
Cheers,
Tarjei
http://www.uncletaz.com/
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