Jungle Survival Theory: How To Recognize The Correct Buddha?

All authority of any kind, especially in the field of thought and understanding, is the most destructive, evil thing. Leaders destroy the followers and followers destroy the leaders. You have to be your own teacher and your own disciple. You have to question everything that man has accepted as valuable, as necessary.

J. Krishnamurti

"You must not have any other god but me." Exodus 20:3

Is it not money, careers, professional titles, and other similar things to which we bow every day?

The purpose of this article is to speak about some commonly accepted views that the public does not see so importantly controversial and as an example is used psychology, but cults and sects, too, within the context of which manipulation and deviation is briefly described.

If you are not interested to read this little overview of cults, sects, and mind control, click here to jump to the section where Eastern cults, sects and some other organizations are mentioned. Not all of them included here are ultimately negative - some of them are completely OK and it is up to you to investigate their genuineness. A good order (Dharma) requires qualities being engineered both on part of ordinary humans and organizations too. If everything works well, there are no renegades and no conflicts.

Informational manipulation

The 1992 hit song by Janet Jackson says that "The Best Things in Life Are Free". However, the drive of the majority of this world's ideas is rather to collect money and power. Promoters of many of the world's ideas use tricky ways of brainwashing. Not only sectarianism does develop this fashion - it is a disease of all society. This article will try to show you the real picture of the Buddha.

It is wrong to speak about evils of cults and sects, on the one hand, and overlook, on the other hand, deviant manners and destructiveness of other relevant groups that often influence us.

Recently, one colleague (psychologist) asked me to say few words about an English review of the Richard Lynn's book entitled Race Differences in Intelligence: An Evolutionary Analysis, and I have a few words to share.

The final conclusion of the above book is that East Asians have the highest IQ and that Australian aborigines and other "primitive" tribes from Africa and other poorer parts of the world have the lowest intelligence. Richard Lynn et al. is mentioned in the English Wikipedia in an article entitled "Scientific Racism" and you may find all relevant information there.

The so-called "East-Asians" are people who belong to the group of nations that use pictorial communication means in writing and reading. These are not used anywhere in the developed world except for countries like Japan, China, Korea…

If psychologists want to measure intelligence, they use nonverbal matrices (for example, by Raven) for most of the time. However, these tests only mirror mathematical-logical capabilities.

Europeans, Indians in Asia, Tamils and most world nations assemble words from letters and vowels. One of the oldest languages - Sanskrit, which the Aryans brought to India, follows the same pattern.

If Japanese, Korean, and Chinese people communicate from their earliest preschool age only in pictorial interaction with the world, it is very probable that they will always produce better results in any nonverbal test. Lynn significantly overlooked this point.

Lynn claims that there are race differences and sex differences in intelligence. I claim that this is correct, but it depends on measurement tools and measurement conditions. Nonverbal intelligence tests are generally performed in a very "amiable" environment - you sit and look at pictures and the administrator of an IQ test usually smiles at you. You have to think and give replies. The only stressful condition is time.

Can anybody show me an IQ test that would measure, apart from mathematical-logical capabilities, conditions that show people's capabilities to react in a variety of different, if not life-threatening situations? If so, why then a nonverbal IQ test is not substituted for a situational intelligence test?

Situational solutions require inherent intelligence attributes that people can show in various conditions under stress, at risk, etc. Had psychologists approved a new standard that IQ is measured against the criterion of one's ability to survive in a jungle, many of those "high IQ scorers" in the Lynn's results might have breathed their last breath if being exposed to dangers of a jungle for only a couple of hours. African or Australian aborigines would always score better in jungles, but they do not have a rich foundation that would sponsor a research for their favor.

As you might have noticed that I have some psychological (but not Korean) background, I can assure you that most psychologists do know today that IQ tests must be developed in harmony with the culture they are intended for. Today, this opinion prevails in psychology and Lynn's attempts to use one IQ test (developed only for Europeans and Americans) for all cultures are really not very much scientific.

Joseph Goebbels, the head of the Nazi ideology engine, had one of the highest IQ's ever measured in history, yet he could have survived. Did he know about it?

In search of the Aryans

Informational manipulation is a destructive force seen not only in hands of sects. Political parties, psychologists, religions, or even employers often use it.

Unfortunately, (some) psychologists repeatedly criticize "destructiveness of cults and sects", but they often use the same methods. They have websites that sell training videos and courses for "unbelievable prices", as if the professional public, if not professors themselves, believed that we need to be, as a computer program, patched. They overlook that the difference between a source code and the human material is much bigger. Carl Rogers, an American psychologist, was the first person who introduced the "To Be As I Am" concept and I think that he was absolutely accurate in his view.

What Is a Sect?

A sect is a group of people with very tight relationships and intolerant interpretation of religious traditions, beliefs, etc. Sects are the work of people who like to be seen as gods. A sect's motion engine is a religious projection. Criticizing it is the only way how you can tell that you deal with a sect - it results in absolute hostility from its part, although God is merciful. A REAL MASTER, if you have accepted him as such for all your life, should also agree with investigation. If the master refuses investigation, he cannot stand on a clear path, which he or she offers to you. Such a master does it rather the opposite way - he crucifies you.

Sects always practice various cult-like forms of behavior, too - of these, a cult of personality is the most common one.

What Is a Cult?

A cult is a specific approach to a certain goal, not always a religious one. It can be best illustrated on examples. The Catholic Church is the mainstream religion, but it has not yet approved some places where Mother Mary allegedly appeared. People who visit such places cultivate a "cult belief" (but other Catholics do not), which is often nondestructive, as there are destructive and nondestructive cults. A cult of personality in case of Napoleon cannot be seen purely as destructive, as Napoleon enforced ideals of the French Revolution, thus consequently seen differently by Russians in comparison to Hitler's invasion of Russia.

A cult of violence is another example of what a cult is - we see violence very often in films. A cult of ideal female beauty is just a similar story. If someone suffers from strabismus, he or she is seldom seen on screens of TV companies as a journalist, which is actually a violation of human rights.

Cult culture is part of our society and we are often (Mind Control) not aware of its control. Some cults we deal with in our daily life (and possibly not knowing they are cults, being under the power of Mind Control) are: 1) cult of manliness (in Catholic Church, for example); 2) cult of ideal female beauty in fashion companies (which unfortunately results in anorexia); 3) cult of money; 4) cult of collective soul (groupthink), etc.

Cult of personality is seen on all social levels including business, religion, and politics, and it is hard to identify. A good technique how to identify it is criticism. We have some political parties here that oppress their members if they express what they think.

I read a good article in an American psychological journal (about collective soul) that said that the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster had happened because the collective soul of the "best engineers" had simply ignored comments of other engineers without such an "authoritative status" in the project; hence the "chosen ones" had rejected objections that could have otherwise prevented the disaster.

Cults, Sects, Law, And God

Cults and sects are difficult to obliterate by laws. It was a democratic society in which Hitler won elections. Destructive cults are seen in bad light because their proponents cultivate hostility and deform great personages and ideas of our history. God created this world in various colors to serve His plan. Cults develop a culture that makes people believe that a violet color is red.

What Is Mind Control?

It is a psychological manipulation of forced subconscious influence (with chained dependencies) - the one we accept unconsciously but are not aware of its control. Again, it can be easily illustrated on an example - you receive an MS Word document, but in order to read it you must have Microsoft Word. You do not have MS Word, so you must install it. But in order to install it, you need Windows. However, your computer is a bit old and you suddenly find out that Windows 7 needs at least 1024 MB of RAM. Windows Millennium and XP are unavailable in stores. You either bury your old computer (an ecological catastrophe), or buy a new one. Of course, you can install Linux, CrossOver Office, but many other people will instead go to a shop and buy the newest version of Windows and a new computer. You see chains of dependencies (RAM, CPU, etc.) you must pay for (but the situation may look different - you will buy MS Word only and it will simply work on any computer).

Cults and sects use Mind Control in a similar way - their goal is to "support" the "guru" (the product) or the "boss", not God. The best way how to recognize people's (guru's) genuineness is to see if they allow you to be investigated by your sincere questions.

To be genuine is the wish of God. Crucifixion is the wish of devil.

Overview of some "Buddhas"

An old Indian wisdom says that God resides in all living beings.

Eastern sects, cults and some goodies

3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization)
http://3ho.org/

This is a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the teachings of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Harbhajan Singh Yogi, the group's founder.

Ananda Marga
http://www.anandamarga.net/

Officially known as Ananda Marga Pracharaka Samgha (AMPS) is a movement for "propagation of the path of bliss". It was founded in India (1955) by Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar. The Ananda Marga's ideology is that human development can only be achieved through both personal development and social service. The meaning of the term Ananda Marga is "the path of bliss".

Bubba Free John
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubba_Free_John

Adi Da Samraj (born Franklin Albert Jones) was a controversial guru.

Cao Dai
http://www.daocaodai.info/

This is a monotheistic religion from Vietnam. It started in about 1926.

Diamond-Way Buddhism, or are we going to jump out of the window? http://www.diamondway-buddhism.org/

I personally visited one lecture of Ole Nydahl. He is a Danish who skydives and goes clubbing. Supposedly a holy Tibetan man, called the 17th Karmapa, considers him worthy. He started his Diamond-Way Buddhism centers all over Europe and the rest of the world.

Why do I think Ole Nydahl is Buddha?

There is a big controversy over who is the 17th Karmapa. There are two claimants: Urgyen Trinley Dorje and Thaye Dorje - each supported by important lamas from the Kagyu lineage.

1) Both Karmapas asked the Office of the present Dalai Lama to confirm their recognition. Dalai Lama confirmed Urgyen Trinley Dorje. Ole Nydahl is supported by the other Karmapa (Thaye Dorje).

2) Ole Nydahl's sect is based upon cult of personality. Buddha's teachings aim at one's individual path to enlightenment; thus people should test everything for themselves.

Ole Nydahl published an interview here where he criticized Islam, although Islam consists of many views and it is basically a religion of love (continuation of Jesus) with few strong fundamentalist wings like Christians have in Ireland (IRA). Nydahl's comments help to disintegrate healthy understanding of multiculturalism (religious intolerance) and impose an idea on the public as if all people who follow Islam were bad. Bahaism, too, is Islam. A good article about Ole can be seen here. I cannot accept statements such as, "When is the last time the Christians stoned anyone to death" to be used for generalization of Islam, as we must always look at concrete people, their bad customs and traditions. In all our history we may find MANY proofs when concrete religious leaders abused Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, so we must criticize them. If someone - for example, a Buddhist, transmits signals of hatred without pointing to sins of concrete people, he is abusing Buddhism. Buddhism is against violence and not against those Muslims who do not commit violence. You can also ask a similar question, "What is the last time you saw stoning, killing and shooting human beings?" The answer is: "Every time you watch American films" (very often we also hear news that say that innocent people were killed by US soldiers).

Some Muslims saved lives of Jews during World War II, but it is up to us to find out that the media present only ONE PICTURE of Islam, as they are owned by moneymakers and the more cruelty they show, the more they are happy. Some people say that Muslims love Jesus even more than Christians according to the Meaning of True Love:

"It may be that God will ordain love between you and those of them with whom ye are at enmity. Allah is Mighty, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. " {Holy Qur'an 60:7}

Diskordianism
http://www.kbuxton.com/discordia/

This is a "parodic religion", which has its roots in the Buddhist school of Rinzai (Zen). The basis of a "parodic religion" is to ridicule the world and its representatives. There is also an offshoot of Diskordianism - The Church of Subgenius (http://www.subgenius.com) and its parodic style (similar to Diskordianism) can be seen here (Youtube).

Divine Light Mission
http://www.prem-rawat-maharaji.info/
http://www.elanvital.org/

This is an organization founded in 1960 by guru Shri Hans Ji Maharaj in northern India.

Eckankar
http://www.eckankar.org/

Eckankar is a new religious movement focused on spiritual exercises aimed at experiencing the "Light and Sound of God." It was founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965, who is regarded controversial, as other masters in our history had already presented the same ideas.

Falun Gong
http://www.falundafa.org/

Falun Gong (Falun Dafa, too) is a spiritual movement introduced to the public in China by Li Hongzhi in 1992. It has meditation exercises, but Buddhism considers it misleading because Falun Gong is a new concept and Buddhism has been tested throughout history.

Gangaji
http://www.gangaji.org/

Gangaji is an American female spiritual speaker. Listening to her talks may appear blissful and you can find some of her videos on Youtube.com, just search for the keyword Gangaji.

God's Direct Contact
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/

This organization was started by a Vietnamese woman who teaches the Quan Yin meditation technique. She has her own TV channel and likes herself to be seen as God. Her centers are all over the world.

Hanuman Foundation
http://www.ramdasstapes.org/

Started by Ram Dass, this organization was incorporated in California in 1974.

Hare Krishna

Its founder Swami Prabhupada was a very enthusiastic person. But after his death the organization is criticized for its scandals. There is a website of former Hare Krishna worshippers in the Czech Republic, so find out (http://www.krsna.wz.cz/). The organization has its reform movement, the ISKCON Revival Movement: http://www.iskconirm.com/. Another website informs about persistent child abuse problem in the Hare Krishna movement.

Life Bliss Foundation
http://www.dhyanapeetam.org/

Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda is an Indian who built an organization Life Bliss Foundation with focus on treatment and meditation (a Shaiva branch). The above guru introduced his new meditation technique called Nithya Dhyaan, which can be translated as Eternal Meditation. He earns quick money and has a lot of critics. Youtube has many videos and comments about this cult. You will learn more on one of anticult websites like this one. Recently this guru became well-known for his sexual scandal with a Bollywood actor.

Maharishi TM movement
http://www.tm.org/

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi started an organization based on the Ayurvedic knowledge. The organization builds universities all over the world and sells various Vedic techniques and medicines for quite large sums of money. Maharishi derived the Transcendental Meditation technique from the ancient Vedic tradition of India, but the sad thing about this is that he copyrighted it in a certain sense. Money is important but spirituality requires openness - like the one we all expect from God. What has happened is that TM became a relentless business supposedly run upon the wings of God. Almost every new TM member is pulled into the web of various "techniques" whose purpose is only one: pay for them. Without asking for a dime, God has always healed the sick by means of His messengers whom the mankind generally accepts (Jesus, Buddha…).

Pushtimarg (Way of Mercy)
http://www.pushtimarg.net/

This is a very old Indian sect founded by Vallabhacharya (1479 - 1531), who was also known as Mahaprabhuji. It is a vaishnava tradition and it revitalizes in the West. Moksha can only be achieved by practicing the so-called "sewa", which is the essence of all Pushtimarg. Sewa is a service when devotees serve Krishna as mother serves her child.

SoI - Science of Identity Foundation
http://www.jagadguruchrisbutler.com/

Jagad Guru aka Chris Butler is the Hawaii based Hare Krishna offshoot, but it is not Hare Krishna. Chris Butler had helped Swami Prabhupada to establish ISKCON, was part of it, and after Prabhupada's death he left ISKCON. They dress normally, maintain Chaitanya tradition, but are not affiliated with Hare Krishna, although they have similar practices (no sex, no alcohol, etc.).

Sahaja Yoga
http://www.sahajayoga.org/

This was founded by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (born in India), who emphasizes a Kundalini awakening for one's Self Realization.

Sathya Sai Baba
http://www.sathyasai.org/

Sathya Sai Baba is a guru who claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi (an Indian saint from the 19th century, who taught that people should forgive, help others, develop inner peace and have devotion to God). Wikipedia says that there are about 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 114 countries all over the world. Sai Baba's teaching comprises qualities such as that humans should be free from desires and that desires bring mental pain. One of his prominent followers accused Sai Baba of child abuse, but a lot of criticism actually helped him. Not only in politics, but in religions, too, we may encounter a number of false but also justified accusations, which require a serious investigation without which such accusations will always stand on thin ice.

Shambhala
http://www.shambhala.org/

This is something very nice. The movement was started by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche with focus on meditation practice called Shambhala Training.

Soka Gakkai International - SGI
http://www.sgi.org/

Adherents of this path practice the so-called So-ka Gakkai's form of the Nichiren Buddhism, and this is the largest group of the Nichiren Buddhists in the world - a Buddhist organization, a Japanese religious movement, which was formed in the 20th century from ideas of the Nichiren Buddhism.

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
http://www.scsmath.com/

This is a Chaitanya mission, but not ISKCON. Do not get confused seeing pictures of Swami Prabhupada on their website, as Swami Prabhupada followed the Chaitanya path too (which is not ISKCON only). Sridhara Maharaja started this mission in about the year 1942. This is just another vaishnava mission along with ISKCON (Hare Krishna). Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is not ISKCON, but they consider ISKCON to be their sister organization and have, too, a great respect for Swami Prabhupada (the founder of ISKCON).

Story Waters
http://www.storywaters.org/

These two guys, Lee and Story, offer "freedom exercises" (free of charge) and some of their teachings (meditation) may appear helpful.

SYDA - Siddha Yoga
http://www.siddhayoga.org/

The organization was started by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda and from cheaply hired places they built quite a "rich company".

Sri Chimnoy
http://www.srichinmoy.org/

I do not want to comment this person very much, but he preached sexual restraint, on the one hand, and became quite infamous for various sexual scandals on the other hand (he already died).

Secret
http://...?...?...

These do not need to keep contact with the surface world and they know why.

Theosophical Society
http://www.theosophical.org/

This is a very nice community of people who cultivate spiritual principles. The Society was started by H. P. Blavatsky (a famous clairvoyant).

YIDL (Yoga In Daily Life)
http://www.yogaindailylife.org/

Yoga In Daily Life is a school of yoga founded by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda and it has centers all over the world. Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda is presently situated mostly in Austria (Europe).

Search for "Swami Maheshwarananda abuse" in Google (sexual scandals). If you find any result about abuse, this does not mean that the abuse really happened. Think. Anonymity on the web has also faces of abuse. Presumption of innocence is a legal right recognized by most nations. Presumption of innocence serves to emphasize that the prosecution has the obligation to prove each element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. If there are doubts, no one can say that the accused person is guilty.

I read one post on a fake-guru forum and here is an advice to one ex-disciple who got involved with the Maheshwarananda's business (not really yoga, if you know what is the difference): Many of us have been there, too, and guess what: despite all the curses and threats, we are much happier than even these fake gurus will ever be. Just look at it from their side: how poor and needy must you be to threaten those who want to leave you? How tiny and fragile their selves must be. And now, compare yourself with Maheshwarananda: you don't have to pretend to be anyone else than who you are. It won't be for long and Maheshwarananda will be gone out of your head. He doesn't belong there anyway.

A very good video that enlightenment cannot be made a business.

This all here is not an accusation, but rather an opinion. If I do not like behavior of people who take flowers from the nature's womb and sell them, this does not mean that I accuse them of a crime, because I have the same right to go into the woods and bring those beautiful flowers to my home.

Achieving peace means we are going in the direction of detachment and love. This is yoga. The Anti-Swamiji People/Sex Abuse Camp is fighting for its own throne like Maheshwarananda. Swami Balendu says (in his video - the first part) that ego and love are incompatible.

Let's the one without any sin cast the first stone! Maheshwarananda is not selling enlightenment and he is just an instructor of yoga - and a very good one. For me he will be always innocent.

Special and historical groups...

The following part is quite special, as it contains some historical and esoteric schools, missions and teachings, so the above introduction of sects and cults cannot be reasonably applied to the following groups, as society and culture were quite different some centuries ago, thus the word "sect" carries a different meaning here.

Dolpo Bon Society (DBS)
http://www.zhangzhungbon.org/

Dolpo Bon society's aim is to revive and flourish the ideas of the pre-Buddhist culture of Tibet (and Nepal) known as Bön (indigenous faith of the Tibetan people) or Zhang Zhung (sometimes referred to as Shang Shung). Bön was the religion of the Zhang Zhung culture or Zhang Zhung kingdom. Today, the practitioners (known as Bonpos) of this ancient tradition have their Lamas, monasteries, a canon of scriptures, and their own system of philosophy and education. The oldest source of information about Bön may be the Annals of Lake Manasarowar. It is assumed that the Zhang Zhung culture was centered around the sacred Mount Kailash (for Hindus Mount Kailash is the abode of the all-blissful Lord Shiva and His divine spouse Parvati). Bön, the ancient pre-Buddhist religious culture, has also its encyclopedic website.

Gelug

Gelug is a Buddhist school also known as the Yellow Hat Sect, which started in about the year 1400 AD. Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), a philosopher and Tibetan religious teacher, founded it.

Kashmir Shaivism
http://www.kashmirshaivism.org

This is a shaiva school (where Lord Shiva is seen as the Absolute God) with a number of offshoots like transcendental physicalism, concrete monism, Trika Shaivism, etc. The school arose in about the 9th century in Kashmir and one of its very important representatives was Swami Lakshman Joo Raina, who died in the year 1992.

Kaula

A form of sophisticated tantrism, Kaula, is a secret (esoteric) branch of Shaivism. "Kaula" or "Kula" is a form of tantrism in which "Kula" is seen as the Shiva-Shakti heavenly couple. There are three important schools in tantrism: Kaula, Samaya and Mishra. Kaula has external objects in focus; Samaya is a path of pure yoga; and Mishra a combination of Kaula and Samaya.

Kapalika

This is one of the more extreme forms of shaiva tantrism, which is very close (in its form and practice) to the Yogini cult (a female cult with focus on occult practices).

Madhavas

These are the followers of Lord Vishnu (vaishnavas) also known as Brahma Sampradayins. Madhavacharya, who was born in about the year 1200, founded this group. They mark their body with Lord Vishnu's symbols.

Namdhari

This is an orthodox sect of Sikhism.

Nimbarkas

Nimbarka lived in the 13th century and is known for propagating the vaishnava concept of Dvaitadvaita, which is a subschool of Vedanta. Some scholars assume that he was the author of Madhvamukhamardana.

Nirankari
http://www.nirankari.com/

This is a religious movement within Sikhism.

Parinami

Sri Pirannath started this movement in the 15th century. The followers worship Bala Krishna - Krishna as a small child.

Ramanandi

Ramanandis are followers of Ramananda - a very famous Hindu saint. It is a vaishnava sect; they worship Rama, Sita and Hanuman.

Satnami

The group started in Punjab in about the year 1657 and it is part of Sikhism.

Vallabhacharins or Rudra Sampradayins

Started by Camparanya (1479), the followers of this belief worship Krishna in the form of a small child.

Conclusion

This little contribution may help those who honestly search for existential meaning the purpose of which this website tries to highlight a little. If you want to become a Buddha, the first thing you should do about improving your karma is to start believing that everything is wrong.

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