Sunday, September 9, 2007

THE YOGIC SWIFT-BOATERS

This blog, FredPooleOnWriting, is for people who are deadly serious about writing as art, and since all fine art is ultimately about the artist, this means people in touch with their own stories – which takes skill and sensitivity and unrelenting honesty. Like all real artists, I do not respect any person who accepts someone else’s self-serving version of reality – be it a government version (like Bush-Cheney’s) or a political version (like Pat Roberson’s) or one of those family versions meant to distract from battery and incest– which I know is a sore point with the outfit called Siddha Yoga based in South Fallsburg, New York. I think of the very young girls molested by the guru’s now dead predecessor when they were in his care – which has been well documented and is the very definition of incest. And I can’t help thinking of how that late guru, a man, was the guru of the current female guru from before as well as after puberty.

My wife has written a remarkable book, a true piece of art, in which she brings to life herself in her ashram days. She does not write about the ashram thugs, not even about sexual molestation in Siddha Yoga , except inofar as some devotees left in disgust and some who stayed tried to suppress a New Yorker article that gave eye-witness accounts. What she does is what only the very best artists can do. She recreates the world as she has experienced it – nothing less and nothing more. This is the kind of thing that makes charlatans nuts.

These so-called devotees of Gurumayi have been making phone and e-mail threats to my wife. Their agents have been destroying our workshop materials when they can find them, just as they once, on newsstands and in libraries, mutilated many thousands of copies of the New Yorker magazine issue that contained the article detailing some of the violent and sexually repulsive goings-on in this cult.

I am not running a forum for such death-like people, who are the antithesis of the artists for whom I write. I have never been a member or sympathizer of that cult, and I do not respect its leaders or their robotic lieutenants, though I do respect what my wife was doing there as a brave seeker.

The comments that have been coming to my wife and now to me from these poor cult members are so vile as to qualify them for swift-boating positions.


13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awwww, jeeeez, Fred.

I've been utterly supportive of Marta's blog, offered to provide help when Ganapati Buga called her to threaten her legally, and I'm a REPUBLICAN.

Does this make me VILE???

Anonymous said...

I owe this person an apology. And also heartfelt thanks for supporting Marta.

I was so worked up over the invasive messages defaming the fine author whom I love as well as admire, and in a petty way over the messages attacking me, that I was intemperate. This sounds trite, but I really do have Republican friends and associates and they were as down on the swift-boaters as I am on devious K-Street Democrats who are trying to smear Barack Obama.

Again I offer you my apologies and my gratitude --

Fred

Anonymous said...

Fred,

Apology accepted. Sorry for the delayed reply. I had to leave the office for a doctor's appointment and traffic was a nightmare the whole way.

The offer to provide support if funding for legal assistance is required is still good. Can't fund all your bills but am willing to help defray. I know there are others ready to do same if called on.

Anonymous said...

Hey all you Siddha Yogis attacking Fred & Marta:

If your "spiritual path" is so beneficial to humanity, why is that Fred and Marta scare you?

Think about it. If Siddha Yoga were TRULY compassionate to all humanity, would you REALLY be reacting this way? Think about it. Your deficiency is showing.

If Siddha Yoga were such a divine, compassionate path, what need would there be to remove (STEAL...a FELONY) their Authentic Writing materials from shelves, libraries, bulletin boards? It shows you're willing to commit a FELONY CRIME borne of the fear you have. The fear that the truth coming out about Gurumayi will take down your precious Siddha Yoga. Isn't that what's driving your behaviors attacking them? And if you have that fear, what is the reason behind it? Dependence on maintaining something you're afraid to lose? Why are you afraid to lose it? If it were complete, your hearts would be full and there would be no need to react with violence.

That's right. Violence.

Slamming Fred and Marta in comments. Sending threatening e-mails and phone calls. Removing (STEALING - - A FELONY CRIME) their materials from the public.

Buddha would call such a reaction a violent act in intent.

Jesus would remind you that if you can only cast these stones if you are truly without sin. And yet these very actions are sinful.

Your reactions show the world how spiritual Siddha Yoga truly is NOT.
Otherwise, such violence would not be needed.

Unless of course you're really declaring a Jihad on the non-Siddha Yoga world.

NI4NI

Anonymous said...

Personally, Fred, I think you & Marta ought to put out some more of your Authentic Writing advertisement materials a bulletin board or library somewhere, hire a buddy with a digital video recorder, and simply WAIT for a Siddha Yogi to steal them and record the act in progress, THEN turn the tape over to your local police department.

Theft is theft. Theft is adharmic. Theft is AGAINST the yamas and niyamas. Such GOOD yogis the Siddayogis(trademark) are.

Fred Poole said...

I am deeply grateful for the offer of support to help defray legal bills -- and also for all the suggestions on what else might be done about the felonious acts against us.

It is tempting not to take the sort of militant religiosity we face seriously, but I know from similar situations in totalitarian countries that desperate people are dangerous even when unintentionally comic. Which makes me appreciate on many levels your generous support.

Anonymous said...

Fred - collect enough evidence to prove that Siddha Yoga Inc. has a clear agenda to silence you and take your story to the press.

Court is one thing - Rita Cosby is another. I mean, you could hire someone better than Cosby (and I suggest you do) but these days everyone could use a break from Britney Spears and her public professional meltdown.

Not to mention George Bush and HIS public professional meltdown.

Speaking of fascist governments...

Anonymous said...

Fred, at this rate, it might be worth contemplating moderating the
comments like Marta had to start doing a month or so ago.I'm sure the time required for it would be a major pain in the a** and a whole lot of non-value-added time for you...but reading the SY propaganda spin when they don't seem to get that just "letting it go" would be the most yogic thing to do. Some of it it written as if it is well-intentioned. It might be. It might be a subterfuge. Some of it's just plain ugly. In any case, those of us really focused on writing from the heart about non-SY-related issues would truly prefer not to have to wade through it.Just a suggestion.

Anonymous said...

Frankly, Fred, it would be worth documenting all the hate mail you and Marta have been getting very carefully, and, if possible, to hire an IT security professional to track back to the IP addresses of the hate-mail senders.

It would further be very interesting to determine if the IP addresses can be sourced back to either SYDA itself or to known participants/supporters of Siddha Yoga. If this information would be sufficient legally to press either a civil court lawsuit, or begin pressing criminal law charges, I daresay there are those of us out here who are VERY interested in assisting and supporting you, albeit from very much behind the scenes, press such legal or criminal enforcement action against the perpetrators.

This would present SYDA and its supporters with a choice. Either:

A) Stop harrassing the two of you RIGHT FREAKIN N - O - W and allow for the rightful exercise of freedom of speech......

OR:

B) Face legal action and/or criminal enforcement action of local, state, and even federal authorities. People are NOT going to roll over and crumple anymore. People are now ready and willing to FIGHT BACK. WE'RE NOT WILING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE.

Sara said...

Dear Fred, I am so moved by this whole situation. In all the true teachings that I believe in, where there is love there is not fear. Where there is truth, there is power, not force. What is happening here with is what is happening all over our world. As long as the human race wants complete controll over their creature comforts and saftey we will be on a self destructive path. I totally support the freedom of expressing self truth in writing, speech, painting, theater and dance. Shall we continue? Sara Miot

Anonymous said...

I posted a very supportive comment last night, was happy you were fair and posted it, which I commended you for, then you removed it today!

I feel violated! You swiftboated my comment right out of existence!"

Shame on you Fred.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps a calmer version of the statement in this post belongs on the website for Authentic Writing.com given that your livelihood has been hampered by the reactions of some SY devotees.

I liked the way your wife addressed her harassment experinence while posting her blog. She smiply noted the fact of it and moved on to posting the next chapters of her story. Then she offered to help those readers who by felt inspired by her example to develop their own writing. She followed up with a class and a link for donations to support her work as an Authentic Writing instructor. This kept the focus on the WRITING.

At no time did she emotionally engage her attackers, nor did she shrink away from them.

In this I see her as a model of True Yoga at work.

Fred Poole said...

To the person whose comment I seem to have deleted by mistake, I am sorry. Please resend and I shall make sure you are on the blog. I got really snowed with hate mail, on and off the blog, this morning. And I am no computer whiz.

Also, I shall leave in anti-Fred comments that are not mad-dog rabid, should I get any. I wouldhope the "devotees" would leave my wonderful wife alone.Did the guru give them triangulation lessons?

And to others who have written are and are posted, yes, we are taking some precautions and the appropriate authorities, police included, are watching. And yes, we shall put something about this on our website. And yes, I did start moderating when it began to sound like a Dr. Laura radio forum.

And again, the support we receive is just plain gratifying.This is all so relevant to my life work.