March 12, 2025 • 34 mins
The spiritual path requires discernment when allegations arise against gurus, as blind faith contradicts the principles of Advaita Vedanta which emphasizes self-inquiry and ethical conduct from spiritual teachers.
• Distinguishing between teachings and teachers when misconduct allegations surface
• Using vivek (discernment) rather than blind devotion when evaluating guru behavior
• Understanding that dharma and accountability apply to everyone, including spiritual leaders
• Recognizing that the Guru Tattva (principle) transcends any individual teacher
• Protecting the vulnerable takes precedence over preserving a guru's reputation
• Examining what scriptures say about teacher requirements (Shrotriya and Brahmanishta)
• Acknowledging that a guru's actions and embodiment matter as much as their words
• Trusting your inner guidance when something feels wrong with a teacher's conduct
• Following the highest authority—your own Self—rather than potentially flawed individuals
If a spiritual teacher has helped you but faces allegations of misconduct, you can appreciate their teachings while still holding them accountable. Remember that your true guru is within, and no enlightened path requires blind obedience or excusing harmful behavior.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Bearded
Mystic podcast, and I'm yourhost, rahul N Singh.
Today we will be talking aboutsomething interesting.
Let's just say that.
And the reason I want todiscuss this because it is
(00:21):
becoming pretty obvious thatthis seems to be a big problem,
especially with gurus thatbecome popular and these matters
should be taken seriously.
But I want to see things froman Advaita Vedanta lens lens.
(00:51):
So, as you know, recently, basegirl field, who has done
reports on investigation,reports on amma muji, I think,
andrew cohen, a few of thesenon-dual teachers or gurus in
general.
She's done investigativereports on them and she just
recently did one on SadhguruJagivasudev.
Now, obviously, sadhguru is avery popular guru, probably the
(01:15):
most popular one on YouTubetoday in terms of Indian
spirituality.
You know his number of viewsand number of subscribers is
immense.
He definitely has inspired alot of people on the spiritual
path.
But when someone is, whensomebody has and again this is
(01:38):
for people who are over 18, oryou know, if you and if you have
any previous history of sexualharassment, um, please, you know
there's caution now that if youdon't listen, you know you can,
you don't have to.
So I want to discuss thoseallegations, but more so not
(02:01):
necessarily if they're true ornot.
But what do we do when therehas been allegations?
How should someone who's on thepath of Advaita Vedanta or
non-duality, how are they meantto deal with this?
What do the scriptures say?
What does our teacher say?
What does Adi Shankaraji say?
(02:22):
So we're going to look intothat.
So first of all, you know, oneimportant thing is Advaita
Vedanta fully believes that oneshould first of all practice
self-inquiry.
So, atma Vichara, that is yourhighest teaching you should have
discernment, vivek, about whatis right and what is wrong.
(02:45):
One should uphold dharma.
Then there's detachment.
So one shouldn't be tooattached to the guru that if
allegations come out, you justoutright disbelieve it.
There has to be somediscernment and some detachment
in order to allow theseinvestigations to follow through
(03:05):
, and all these are essentialfor spiritual growth.
Now, when a guru is accused ofany type of misconduct and
whether they're true or not,yeah, and that's including
sexual harassment AdvaitaVedanta actually tells us that
we need to encourage carefulanalysis rather than blind faith
(03:31):
that, oh, my guru can do nowrong.
You know, that type ofmentality means it's blind faith
.
You don't really know what youbelieve in, it's just a matter
of why you believe in this, andthat's it.
There's no discussion if thereis allegations of such and mind
you, sadhguru not just only hasallegations in general with
(03:56):
consenting or adult women, it'salso in minors, and so this is
where it gets concerning for me.
It's also in minors, and sothis is where it gets concerning
for me.
Now, I fundamentally believethat I cannot promote anybody
that is, you know, accused ofsuch misconduct.
(04:17):
You know especially, you knowthere's no way does it say,
these things are consensual.
So wherever there's misconductof sexual nature, I believe that
that's where I draw the linepersonally.
That's just me and my personalpreference.
(04:40):
A lot of people don't reallycare, but that's not my concern,
and I believe that we shouldhold people to the highest, you
know, kind of accountability,especially if they're a teacher.
So again, this is less to dowith sadhgur, more to do with
(05:07):
what do we do when we know of ateacher who has been accused of
such things?
And, you know, can we stilllearn from them?
You know those gray areas wherethey could be a good teacher,
but obviously their behaviorsays something else.
So Advaita Vedanta actually hasways of dealing with that, so
one you do have to distinguishbetween the teaching teachings
from the teacher.
You know that's utilizing yourvivek.
Now we know that, brahman, thisabsolute truth, this absolute
(05:27):
reality, is impersonal andbeyond individuals.
You know it does not belong.
This truth does not belong toone person.
Yeah, not one person holds thekey to the whole universe and
and they should be seen as thehighest on the pedestal.
I'm sorry, if you think yourguru is the best, everyone else
(05:50):
thinks their guru is the best.
So what you're saying isnothing special.
It may be special in your owneyes, but it doesn't mean
anything.
Yeah, in fact, I think it'smore from ego that we say such
things, because if we say thatmy guru is better than yours,
then literally that's just agame of ego.
(06:11):
Um, the teachings and the truthremain valid, regardless of if
the individual fails to embodyit.
And again, like if certainteachers are, they have
allegations of misconduct.
Then we have to separate theteachings from the teacher.
We have to say look, it may bethat they have great meditation
(06:35):
practices, great yogic practices, great knowledge, they explain
the scriptures so well.
That may be so, but the fact isthere is misconduct and
therefore, um, they have failedto embody what they claim to
teach and, uh, what?
What is expected from them as,as you know, gurus?
(06:58):
Uh, so to speak.
So this does not excuse theteacher's misconduct.
One can appreciate theteachings but at the same time,
that doesn't mean that we needto hold the teacher in high
regard.
Yeah, the teaching should begiven more importance and yes,
in Advaita Vedanta, a guru'sintegrity matters.
(07:19):
It is important.
In the Upanishads and AdiShankaraji, they both emphasize
that a guru should bewell-versed in the scriptures.
So that's the number one thing.
If they're not, I would sayknowing Sanskrit is a minor
thing, but they should know theessence of the scriptures.
They should know how to explainthe scriptures.
(07:40):
They should be a goodrepresentation of the scriptures
.
So this is why what this doesis Explain the scriptures.
They should be A goodrepresentation Of the scriptures
.
So this is why what this doesis it gives you A foundation To
assess whether A guru should befollowed.
Yeah, if they can't explain thescriptures very well, then
should you follow them.
What are they going to give you?
(08:02):
Yeah, all the wisdom that needsto be discussed Is in the
scriptures.
Anyway, the thing is, a teacher,through their embodiment, shows
you the practical way of livingit.
So if they're not well versedin the scripture, not just in
terms of explaining butembodying also, then it makes
this value in the teacher andthis should be established in
(08:24):
Brahman.
This should be established inthe highest nature, and so if a
guru exhibits or shows any typeof adharmic, unrighteous,
irreligious behavior, then theysimply aren't fit to guide
seekers.
It's as clear as that.
You have to embody what you say.
(08:45):
Yeah, now it may be that theperson has kind of rectified
their behavior and and thatshould also be considered that,
you know, have they committedmisconduct in the past?
Okay, for that, you know thedue, the due process needs to be
followed, like if a criminalinvestigation needs to occur.
(09:08):
But at the same time we have tosee has it been?
Is there remorse in whatthey've done?
Are they regretful and do theyaccept that they've done wrong
and they're looking to improvethemselves?
But if they're trying to escapeit, then you know there's
something not right there too,you know.
Um, so again, a person'srealization should reflect in
(09:31):
their conduct.
So, if you think about it,misconduct of any kind,
especially of a sexual nature,would be, you know kind of what
is a massive contradiction tothe scriptures.
So embodiment is very important, uh, in this, in this sense.
Uh, now, when it comes toaccountability and dharma, as
(09:55):
you know the, the shatria spirit, so to speak.
Uh, you know hindu tradition,obviously Vedantic tradition,
includes accountability.
So you know whether you're aking, whether you're a rishi,
whenever and you can see this inthe Mahabharata and Ramayana if
you did anything wrong, youwere challenged.
(10:16):
You were challenged.
You have to deal with thosechallenges.
If you're accused of something,you have to deal with it.
You have to deal with thatkarma.
And so trying to escapeaccountability is another way of
saying that you think that youare beyond these things.
(10:40):
You know, and that's not thetrue embodiment of realization.
So it's very important tounderstand that accountability
is necessary here.
And you know righteous action,dharma, it requires protecting
the vulnerable.
So, um it's.
(11:00):
You know, being there for thevulnerable is more important
than one's own individual status, even if you may call yourself
the highest guru, but if yourconduct is not to help the
vulnerable, then what are youfor?
If you think about it, thewhole reason why Sri Krishna was
(11:21):
even okay with the war with theMahabharata was because he knew
that, for the people, this wasnecessary.
They needed a righteous kingand Arjuna was the righteous
king and so or the Pandavas werethe rightful kind of owners of
the kingdom.
So this is what you have tounderstand that protecting the
(11:44):
vulnerable, protecting poor,protecting the people who need
society's help the most, is whata guru's kind of conduct should
be about living a wonderfullifestyle.
I'm sorry, but you know, as faras I know, yes, I'm not saying
(12:09):
that gurus should not haveluxury.
I'm not saying that.
But what I'm saying is thatthat luxury shouldn't come at a
cost.
You know, there should be moredone for the poor, there should
be more given back to society.
In my opinion, and again, ifthese allegations are credible,
(12:29):
you know of any person, you knowit's his adharma to act rather
than enable abuse under theguise of divine grace.
You know, or it's a tantricprocess or it's an occult
practice.
No, that's just nonsense.
If one is doing such things,then you know, in my opinion,
(12:54):
it's against dharma to do so.
And again, there's no grace inthis, there's no divinity in
this, you know.
You can pretend there is, youcan pretend it's spiritual, but
all it is is superstitiousrituals that you're doing.
It doesn't matter what you'veconsecrated either, like how
(13:16):
does that matter, if youractions are not aligned to the
tradition.
Again, in yoga, the niyamas andyamas are important.
You can't escape them.
Same thing in vidanta the yamasand niyamas are important if
you follow the bhagavad gita.
Shri krishan says you have tofollow.
(13:43):
Yeah, from a spiritual level isvery important.
So, again, I don't care whetheryou build so many temples or
you are to be held, uh, you know, accountable for any wrongdoing
.
You know anything and everyallegation should be taken
seriously, regardless whetherit's financial misconduct,
(14:05):
worker misconduct, volunteermisconduct or sexual misconduct,
anything like that should becarefully investigated, uh, with
unbiased people.
Um, and that, and that's veryimportant, it all needs to be
objective, okay.
(14:26):
And then, you know, if we're injnana, which is obviously
Advaita, vedanta is morejnana-focused, then there should
be, you know, should one haveblind devotion or should one
have true inquiry?
And you know, in my opinion,true Vedanta discourages, you
know, blind guru worship andthat's bhakti without vivek.
(14:48):
If you're just worshipping aguru despite knowing how much
wrong they've done, then I'msorry, that's not bhakti, that's
fanaticism.
You know, that is not truedevotion, that's not true
worship If one thinks the gurucan do no wrong.
(15:08):
First of all, making such astatement is stupid.
One should just say that theGuru has to follow a certain set
of code of conduct.
It's what's expected.
I think that's really important.
(15:29):
And and you know shankaracharya,he, he warned against
charlatans, he warned againstfalse teachers who will exploit
seekers for their money, fortheir status, you know, for
whatever reason.
Uh, you know any guru thattries to exploit you by saying
you know, my thing is my biggesttest that I say to anyone, if
(15:52):
you follow any guru is how manypeople have they made
enlightened?
And if you can't say that, youknow, if you consider the
following if they haven't made10 percent enlightened I know it
sounds like a weird, likepercentage, but at least 10
percent, I think that's a fairnumber um, if they haven't made
(16:13):
10 percent of the peopleenlightened, of their followers,
the true disciples, then I'msorry.
Uh, you know there's Eithereither the methods aren't
working or that teacher doesn'tknow what they're doing and
they're just taking you for aride, and they're, and they're
riding the wave, they're surfingthe waves themselves.
(16:34):
You know they're not really.
Um, you know they know thatthey can make a fool out of you.
So why, you know?
So think about it, think aboutthis logically and as students
of spirituality.
You should ask do these peoplelive by the principles of
(16:55):
advaita or vidanta in general,or yoga in general?
I don't think one shouldrefrain from doing that
questioning.
So okay, if you find out thatyour guru is a fraud, if you
find out that fraud is a harshword, they didn't embody their
(17:18):
teachings, yeah, they didn'tembody the ethics required.
So what do we do?
Well, first of all, we mustunderstand that the Guru Tattva,
the Guru principle, is greaterthan any individual.
So the Guru is that whichrepresents your true nature.
So that can be the scriptures,that can be other realized
(17:39):
beings, yeah, that can be one'sown self-inquiry, one's own
Atma-Vichaya, once you realizethat you're formless awareness,
that is a Guru Tattva.
So Guru Tattva is mostimportant.
The Guru as the individual nameand form is not so important.
Yeah, what the Guru representsis more important, and that
(18:01):
representation is the highestteaching of the scriptures, the
highest embodiment of thescriptures and teachings, and
also they are fully immersed inthat non-dual awareness that is
most important.
So what would I say then tosomebody that has a problematic
(18:22):
teacher?
Is you know what?
Distance yourself from them.
It's okay to don't feel bad,you know, and you can still be
committed to the path ofspirituality, of Advaita Vedanta
, of yoga.
You know you don't have toditch yoga or ditch non-duality
or ditch Advaita Vedanta orditch the scriptures because of
(18:48):
someone not embodying them.
That person failed.
The teachings didn't fail.
If somebody practiced it thenfailed, then you can question
but obviously they're notpracticing it.
If they practiced it theywouldn't do such things, they
wouldn't even be accused of suchthings.
Someone can turn around and sayit's conspiracy, but there's no
(19:08):
smoke without fire.
And you know whether that'seven the Guru's inability to
stop the misconduct.
You know they're still to beblamed for that.
They could have stopped themisconduct, but they didn't, and
that should be a for that.
They could have stopped themisconduct but they didn't.
And and and that should be achoice that they have to reckon
(19:29):
with and the mistake thatthey've made and they have to
accept it.
Yeah, that okay, I didn't doanything.
But going forward, it's notgoing to happen again, like if
one just owns up to it.
It'd be a lot better and it'sjust.
But if one keeps denying,denying, and if it's true, it's
worse, because then you kind ofyou're kind of trying to lead
(19:54):
the blind over.
The blind is what you're tryingto do.
You're trying to put wool overpeople's eyes, sorry, uh.
So the conclusion here is forme you know and we'll look at
some scriptures to kind of backus up you know, advaita Vedanta
is very clear that your trueself, this formless awareness,
is your true guru.
That's the real guru, that'sthe inner guru.
(20:15):
Everyone said that, ramanaMaharishi, every guru has said
that.
The guru is within.
It's not a fallible human.
You'll find many errors withhuman beings, but the Guru
Tattva is most important.
Now, if a Guru is accused ofserious misconduct and this is
just accused, yeah, it's wise toinvestigate.
(20:37):
I would say it's very importantthat we do that.
Hold them accountable.
So, even if they deny it, havethey shown you proof that they,
they have things in place tostop this from happening?
You know, do they have thingsin place to say you know, none
of this has happened?
You know we have evidence thatnone of this has happened?
(20:59):
Yeah, and if needed, move onrather than defending them
blindly.
Because you know, by defendingthem blindly, all you're doing
is actually accepting that thosemisconducts are OK, even for
you to do.
Yet you're okay with it.
And that's when it's cultishbehavior and that's when you
(21:27):
know probably you should take astep back.
So for me and for anyone else, Ithink protecting dharma is most
important and protectingseekers is always more important
than preserving an institutionor a personality.
(21:48):
I'm sorry, but even like for myown podcast, what I teach on
the podcast is going to be themost important thing.
Me as a personality is notimportant.
Me being enlightened is notimportant.
What's more important is am Ibenefiting you and am I helping
(22:10):
you reach where you want to be?
And if you want to beenlightened, am I helping you on
the journey or am I not helpingyou on the journey?
Is my conduct against what Isay on the podcast or is it
aligned with the podcast?
You know I'm a householder, so Ilive a family life.
Um, I go through very, uh, I gothrough challenges.
(22:31):
Uh, I.
I also have arguments with mywife.
I, you know, I can get annoyedwith my little son.
All these things happen.
These vasanas come up and Ihave to deal with those vas son.
All these things happen.
These vasanas come up and Ihave to deal with those vasanas.
That's the whole point.
No enlightened person canescape such things.
So, whether you're a seeker oryou're enlightened.
(22:53):
We all have to go through thesame thing.
Yeah, as they say, beforeenlightenment chopping wood,
fetching water.
After enlightenment choppingwood, fetching water.
After enlightenment, choppingwood fetching water.
Nothing changes.
So when it comes to scriptures,the Mundaka Upanishad says the
Guru should be learned andethical.
(23:16):
So to know that imperishableone must go to a teacher who is
shotriya, well-versed inscriptures and brahmanishta,
established in Brahman.
So if a teacher lacks ethicalconduct, I'm sorry, but even
their realization should bequestionable.
And a guru must live the truth,not just speak it.
(23:37):
Then one should say well, thatguru is a good orator, but not
necessarily a good teacher.
Yeah, they're a good orator,they're a good speaker, but a
teacher maybe not, you know.
So we can be happy with a goodspeaker, a good orator, there's
nothing wrong with that.
But a teacher is of a higherstandard, okay.
(24:00):
And yes, a guru's actionsmatter, because even in the Gita
Sri Krishna says whatever agreat person does, others follow
.
Whatever standards they set,the world follows.
So a guru is expected to embodytheir teachings.
And so if they are engaging inmisconduct like sexual
(24:23):
harassment, they're setting adangerous precedent, and that's
why I think that's, that's why Idraw the line on that and I
refuse to say that such a person, from this day forward, that
they're a good teacher becauseof those misconduct allegations.
Until they are proven to be incourt, those allegations aren't
(24:48):
true.
Until then it's true.
And people may not like that,they may be like that's so woke,
but you know what?
I'd rather be woke than beblind and be ignorant.
For me that's more important.
More important may not be yourvalues, that's, that's up to you
(25:09):
.
Um, and then Adi Shankarajialso says in Viveka Jodhmanee
that a false teacher is like ablind man leading the blind.
He neither knows a path nor canhe help others.
A true guru must have directrealization and impeccable
conduct.
One needs to be in thatawareness all the time.
(25:32):
So if a guru exploits studentsand yes, that's happened they
should not be followed Again.
You can still learn from whatthey say, but they don't have to
be your guru.
I want us to understand thefine line here.
(25:53):
It's a very nuanced point, butit's important to understand
that.
Because, remember, blind faithis not Advaita, because,
remember, blind faith is notAdvaita.
Advaita does not at all, in anyshape or form, accept blind
faith.
You may have it in other bhaktitraditions, but certainly in
(26:18):
Advaita Vedanta.
It's not acceptable.
And even in the Mahabharata itis said that if a teacher strays
from dharma he is to beabandoned like an impure vessel.
So dharma is above individuals.
So you follow dharma.
And if a guru engages in adharmic behavior, in
(26:47):
anti-dharmic behavior, the rightcourse of action is to walk
away from them.
Yeah, you can say, look you,you teach good things, but I'm
not going to follow you.
I'm going to follow what youteach because I can match you
with the scriptures.
If you don't match you with thescriptures, abandon that
teaching too.
You never know how, uh kind ofcunning someone can be to lead
you more in ignorance.
(27:07):
You know, like I said, it'salways a test if, if a guru to
make you enlightened, um, andobviously in yog vashisht is
(27:30):
very clear what the guru is.
He says do not rely on wordsalone, seek direct experience.
The highest guru is your owninquiry into the self, into the
Atman.
So if you find that a guru isquestionable, trust the
scriptures and your own vivek,your own discernment.
If your gut is saying somethingis not right, then just follow
(27:52):
your gut.
You're not going to go to hellor lose on liberation if you
don't follow that teacher, youmay.
You most likely will still beenlightened because you're
following your gut, you'refollowing your intuition, your
discernment and you're trustingthe scriptures.
(28:14):
Uh, and then the next quote, thefinal quote is if a person's
knowledge must be judged bytheir actions, if their conduct
is immoral, their wisdom issuperficial.
This is in the Adi Shankaraji'scommentary in the Brahma Sutras
.
So, even if somebody speaksVedanta very well, if their
(28:35):
actions contradict Dharma, theyshould not be considered a true
realized, being a true jnani.
They can be a good speaker,like I said, nothing wrong with
being a good speaker, but that'sall.
Their skill is they can't leadyou to enlightenment.
Yeah, a blind person can onlymake you blind.
(28:57):
An ignorant person will onlymake you more ignorant.
Only someone who knows thetruth, realizes the truth,
embodies the truth, can bringyou to the truth, and that
directly, instantaneously.
And the reason why I say thisis I'll give you the example of
Adi Shankaraji.
Shankaraji, he at least,started four mats, four places,
(29:25):
you know, four centres ofspirituality, and each of those
had four acharyas.
They were also referred to asShankaracharya.
So that's what I mean byAdvaita has the way to lead you
to divinity straight away.
(29:46):
So I'll conclude here that aguru is just a guide, not an
unquestionable authority.
If you feel they'reunquestionable, I'm sorry you're
following a cult leader oryou're following blindly and
therefore you may get fooled andyou know for you ignorance is
(30:08):
bliss, then don't expectenlightenment.
If a teacher is accused ofmisconduct, they must be held
accountable.
I think that's that's natural.
If you do anything that putsanybody in danger, then I'm
sorry, you are a dangerousperson and you should be treated
(30:31):
like a dangerous person.
If somebody doesn't have highethics, they should not be
teaching anyone or guidinganyone.
And and I say this because thescriptures they emphasize
discernment vivek over blindobedience.
We have to discern what's rightand wrong in the long term and
(30:54):
the short term and see what doesthe greatest amount of good
over harm and and that's what'smore important not obedience to
some authority that actually isquestionable, that is causing
harm and is ignorant themselves.
So again, I'm not saying thatany of the gurus that I
(31:16):
mentioned earlier that they arein that category, but there's
been no evidence of any of theallegations being shown untrue
in court right now.
So obviously they may be goingthrough legal process right now,
so that's possible.
But whenever allegations likethis come out and it's been
(31:39):
investigated, like from theguardian or even base goldfield,
because she has been, she haswritten for the guardian they
should be held with some levelof truth until proven guilty.
I know we believe in thisinnocence before proven guilty,
but such allegations, especiallyin sexual misconduct, they're
(32:00):
very serious and I feel thatsuch teachers shouldn't be
promoted.
Um, you can still appreciate theteachings.
I don't think there's anythingwrong with that.
But you know, in my opinion, ifyou want to stay safe, if you
want to be protected, if youwant to really advance in
spirituality, follow what I'vementioned in today's video and I
(32:24):
hope this helps you.
And again, like I know somepeople may follow Sadhguru, amma
, mooji, andrew Cohen, so onOsho, so on Osho.
But at the end of the day, ifsomebody does bad, if somebody
(32:46):
does misconduct, they have to beheld accountable, whether
they're dead or alive.
One can appreciate what they'vesaid, one can appreciate their
teachings, one can appreciatetheir meditation practices and
the yoga practices, of course,but just remember that the
highest authority is your ownself and if somebody takes that
(33:08):
away from you, they're not aguru, trust me.
A guru never takes away yourauthority and if they do.
You're following a cult leaderand you need to take a deep look
within whether you want tostill follow that person.
That's all I've got to say.
But yeah, if you want tochallenge me, I'm open to the
(33:29):
comments.
And if you feel that this hashelped you, please like this
video and please share it.
I mean, it can help somebodyfrom following a false teacher,
or at least a teacher that hasbeen accused of misconduct.
We live in a day of the internetand where misinformation and
disinformation can be wild.
(33:50):
But with such allegations,anyone that puts an article like
that is open to defamationlawsuits.
So it can be highly damagingfor them if they put something
that's untrue.
So it's only if there is someelement of truth do these
(34:11):
allegations come out.
But again, people can be shady.
So keep an open mind, butremember you are your highest
authority.
Okay, thank you very much forlistening.
Take care, namaste.
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Bearded
Mystic podcast, and I'm yourhost, rahul N Singh.
Today we will be talking aboutsomething interesting.
Let's just say that.
And the reason I want todiscuss this because it is
(00:21):
becoming pretty obvious thatthis seems to be a big problem,
especially with gurus thatbecome popular and these matters
should be taken seriously.
But I want to see things froman Advaita Vedanta lens lens.
(00:51):
So, as you know, recently, basegirl field, who has done
reports on investigation,reports on amma muji, I think,
andrew cohen, a few of thesenon-dual teachers or gurus in
general.
She's done investigativereports on them and she just
recently did one on SadhguruJagivasudev.
Now, obviously, sadhguru is avery popular guru, probably the
(01:15):
most popular one on YouTubetoday in terms of Indian
spirituality.
You know his number of viewsand number of subscribers is
immense.
He definitely has inspired alot of people on the spiritual
path.
But when someone is, whensomebody has and again this is
(01:38):
for people who are over 18, oryou know, if you and if you have
any previous history of sexualharassment, um, please, you know
there's caution now that if youdon't listen, you know you can,
you don't have to.
So I want to discuss thoseallegations, but more so not
(02:01):
necessarily if they're true ornot.
But what do we do when therehas been allegations?
How should someone who's on thepath of Advaita Vedanta or
non-duality, how are they meantto deal with this?
What do the scriptures say?
What does our teacher say?
What does Adi Shankaraji say?
(02:22):
So we're going to look intothat.
So first of all, you know, oneimportant thing is Advaita
Vedanta fully believes that oneshould first of all practice
self-inquiry.
So, atma Vichara, that is yourhighest teaching you should have
discernment, vivek, about whatis right and what is wrong.
(02:45):
One should uphold dharma.
Then there's detachment.
So one shouldn't be tooattached to the guru that if
allegations come out, you justoutright disbelieve it.
There has to be somediscernment and some detachment
in order to allow theseinvestigations to follow through
(03:05):
, and all these are essentialfor spiritual growth.
Now, when a guru is accused ofany type of misconduct and
whether they're true or not,yeah, and that's including
sexual harassment AdvaitaVedanta actually tells us that
we need to encourage carefulanalysis rather than blind faith
(03:31):
that, oh, my guru can do nowrong.
You know, that type ofmentality means it's blind faith
.
You don't really know what youbelieve in, it's just a matter
of why you believe in this, andthat's it.
There's no discussion if thereis allegations of such and mind
you, sadhguru not just only hasallegations in general with
(03:56):
consenting or adult women, it'salso in minors, and so this is
where it gets concerning for me.
It's also in minors, and sothis is where it gets concerning
for me.
Now, I fundamentally believethat I cannot promote anybody
that is, you know, accused ofsuch misconduct.
(04:17):
You know especially, you knowthere's no way does it say,
these things are consensual.
So wherever there's misconductof sexual nature, I believe that
that's where I draw the linepersonally.
That's just me and my personalpreference.
(04:40):
A lot of people don't reallycare, but that's not my concern,
and I believe that we shouldhold people to the highest, you
know, kind of accountability,especially if they're a teacher.
So again, this is less to dowith sadhgur, more to do with
(05:07):
what do we do when we know of ateacher who has been accused of
such things?
And, you know, can we stilllearn from them?
You know those gray areas wherethey could be a good teacher,
but obviously their behaviorsays something else.
So Advaita Vedanta actually hasways of dealing with that, so
one you do have to distinguishbetween the teaching teachings
from the teacher.
You know that's utilizing yourvivek.
Now we know that, brahman, thisabsolute truth, this absolute
(05:27):
reality, is impersonal andbeyond individuals.
You know it does not belong.
This truth does not belong toone person.
Yeah, not one person holds thekey to the whole universe and
and they should be seen as thehighest on the pedestal.
I'm sorry, if you think yourguru is the best, everyone else
(05:50):
thinks their guru is the best.
So what you're saying isnothing special.
It may be special in your owneyes, but it doesn't mean
anything.
Yeah, in fact, I think it'smore from ego that we say such
things, because if we say thatmy guru is better than yours,
then literally that's just agame of ego.
(06:11):
Um, the teachings and the truthremain valid, regardless of if
the individual fails to embodyit.
And again, like if certainteachers are, they have
allegations of misconduct.
Then we have to separate theteachings from the teacher.
We have to say look, it may bethat they have great meditation
(06:35):
practices, great yogic practices, great knowledge, they explain
the scriptures so well.
That may be so, but the fact isthere is misconduct and
therefore, um, they have failedto embody what they claim to
teach and, uh, what?
What is expected from them as,as you know, gurus?
(06:58):
Uh, so to speak.
So this does not excuse theteacher's misconduct.
One can appreciate theteachings but at the same time,
that doesn't mean that we needto hold the teacher in high
regard.
Yeah, the teaching should begiven more importance and yes,
in Advaita Vedanta, a guru'sintegrity matters.
(07:19):
It is important.
In the Upanishads and AdiShankaraji, they both emphasize
that a guru should bewell-versed in the scriptures.
So that's the number one thing.
If they're not, I would sayknowing Sanskrit is a minor
thing, but they should know theessence of the scriptures.
They should know how to explainthe scriptures.
(07:40):
They should be a goodrepresentation of the scriptures
.
So this is why what this doesis Explain the scriptures.
They should be A goodrepresentation Of the scriptures
.
So this is why what this doesis it gives you A foundation To
assess whether A guru should befollowed.
Yeah, if they can't explain thescriptures very well, then
should you follow them.
What are they going to give you?
(08:02):
Yeah, all the wisdom that needsto be discussed Is in the
scriptures.
Anyway, the thing is, a teacher,through their embodiment, shows
you the practical way of livingit.
So if they're not well versedin the scripture, not just in
terms of explaining butembodying also, then it makes
this value in the teacher andthis should be established in
(08:24):
Brahman.
This should be established inthe highest nature, and so if a
guru exhibits or shows any typeof adharmic, unrighteous,
irreligious behavior, then theysimply aren't fit to guide
seekers.
It's as clear as that.
You have to embody what you say.
(08:45):
Yeah, now it may be that theperson has kind of rectified
their behavior and and thatshould also be considered that,
you know, have they committedmisconduct in the past?
Okay, for that, you know thedue, the due process needs to be
followed, like if a criminalinvestigation needs to occur.
(09:08):
But at the same time we have tosee has it been?
Is there remorse in whatthey've done?
Are they regretful and do theyaccept that they've done wrong
and they're looking to improvethemselves?
But if they're trying to escapeit, then you know there's
something not right there too,you know.
Um, so again, a person'srealization should reflect in
(09:31):
their conduct.
So, if you think about it,misconduct of any kind,
especially of a sexual nature,would be, you know kind of what
is a massive contradiction tothe scriptures.
So embodiment is very important, uh, in this, in this sense.
Uh, now, when it comes toaccountability and dharma, as
(09:55):
you know the, the shatria spirit, so to speak.
Uh, you know hindu tradition,obviously Vedantic tradition,
includes accountability.
So you know whether you're aking, whether you're a rishi,
whenever and you can see this inthe Mahabharata and Ramayana if
you did anything wrong, youwere challenged.
(10:16):
You were challenged.
You have to deal with thosechallenges.
If you're accused of something,you have to deal with it.
You have to deal with thatkarma.
And so trying to escapeaccountability is another way of
saying that you think that youare beyond these things.
(10:40):
You know, and that's not thetrue embodiment of realization.
So it's very important tounderstand that accountability
is necessary here.
And you know righteous action,dharma, it requires protecting
the vulnerable.
So, um it's.
(11:00):
You know, being there for thevulnerable is more important
than one's own individual status, even if you may call yourself
the highest guru, but if yourconduct is not to help the
vulnerable, then what are youfor?
If you think about it, thewhole reason why Sri Krishna was
(11:21):
even okay with the war with theMahabharata was because he knew
that, for the people, this wasnecessary.
They needed a righteous kingand Arjuna was the righteous
king and so or the Pandavas werethe rightful kind of owners of
the kingdom.
So this is what you have tounderstand that protecting the
(11:44):
vulnerable, protecting poor,protecting the people who need
society's help the most, is whata guru's kind of conduct should
be about living a wonderfullifestyle.
I'm sorry, but you know, as faras I know, yes, I'm not saying
(12:09):
that gurus should not haveluxury.
I'm not saying that.
But what I'm saying is thatthat luxury shouldn't come at a
cost.
You know, there should be moredone for the poor, there should
be more given back to society.
In my opinion, and again, ifthese allegations are credible,
(12:29):
you know of any person, you knowit's his adharma to act rather
than enable abuse under theguise of divine grace.
You know, or it's a tantricprocess or it's an occult
practice.
No, that's just nonsense.
If one is doing such things,then you know, in my opinion,
(12:54):
it's against dharma to do so.
And again, there's no grace inthis, there's no divinity in
this, you know.
You can pretend there is, youcan pretend it's spiritual, but
all it is is superstitiousrituals that you're doing.
It doesn't matter what you'veconsecrated either, like how
(13:16):
does that matter, if youractions are not aligned to the
tradition.
Again, in yoga, the niyamas andyamas are important.
You can't escape them.
Same thing in vidanta the yamasand niyamas are important if
you follow the bhagavad gita.
Shri krishan says you have tofollow.
(13:43):
Yeah, from a spiritual level isvery important.
So, again, I don't care whetheryou build so many temples or
you are to be held, uh, you know, accountable for any wrongdoing
.
You know anything and everyallegation should be taken
seriously, regardless whetherit's financial misconduct,
(14:05):
worker misconduct, volunteermisconduct or sexual misconduct,
anything like that should becarefully investigated, uh, with
unbiased people.
Um, and that, and that's veryimportant, it all needs to be
objective, okay.
(14:26):
And then, you know, if we're injnana, which is obviously
Advaita, vedanta is morejnana-focused, then there should
be, you know, should one haveblind devotion or should one
have true inquiry?
And you know, in my opinion,true Vedanta discourages, you
know, blind guru worship andthat's bhakti without vivek.
(14:48):
If you're just worshipping aguru despite knowing how much
wrong they've done, then I'msorry, that's not bhakti, that's
fanaticism.
You know, that is not truedevotion, that's not true
worship If one thinks the gurucan do no wrong.
(15:08):
First of all, making such astatement is stupid.
One should just say that theGuru has to follow a certain set
of code of conduct.
It's what's expected.
I think that's really important.
(15:29):
And and you know shankaracharya,he, he warned against
charlatans, he warned againstfalse teachers who will exploit
seekers for their money, fortheir status, you know, for
whatever reason.
Uh, you know any guru thattries to exploit you by saying
you know, my thing is my biggesttest that I say to anyone, if
(15:52):
you follow any guru is how manypeople have they made
enlightened?
And if you can't say that, youknow, if you consider the
following if they haven't made10 percent enlightened I know it
sounds like a weird, likepercentage, but at least 10
percent, I think that's a fairnumber um, if they haven't made
(16:13):
10 percent of the peopleenlightened, of their followers,
the true disciples, then I'msorry.
Uh, you know there's Eithereither the methods aren't
working or that teacher doesn'tknow what they're doing and
they're just taking you for aride, and they're, and they're
riding the wave, they're surfingthe waves themselves.
(16:34):
You know they're not really.
Um, you know they know thatthey can make a fool out of you.
So why, you know?
So think about it, think aboutthis logically and as students
of spirituality.
You should ask do these peoplelive by the principles of
(16:55):
advaita or vidanta in general,or yoga in general?
I don't think one shouldrefrain from doing that
questioning.
So okay, if you find out thatyour guru is a fraud, if you
find out that fraud is a harshword, they didn't embody their
(17:18):
teachings, yeah, they didn'tembody the ethics required.
So what do we do?
Well, first of all, we mustunderstand that the Guru Tattva,
the Guru principle, is greaterthan any individual.
So the Guru is that whichrepresents your true nature.
So that can be the scriptures,that can be other realized
(17:39):
beings, yeah, that can be one'sown self-inquiry, one's own
Atma-Vichaya, once you realizethat you're formless awareness,
that is a Guru Tattva.
So Guru Tattva is mostimportant.
The Guru as the individual nameand form is not so important.
Yeah, what the Guru representsis more important, and that
(18:01):
representation is the highestteaching of the scriptures, the
highest embodiment of thescriptures and teachings, and
also they are fully immersed inthat non-dual awareness that is
most important.
So what would I say then tosomebody that has a problematic
(18:22):
teacher?
Is you know what?
Distance yourself from them.
It's okay to don't feel bad,you know, and you can still be
committed to the path ofspirituality, of Advaita Vedanta
, of yoga.
You know you don't have toditch yoga or ditch non-duality
or ditch Advaita Vedanta orditch the scriptures because of
(18:48):
someone not embodying them.
That person failed.
The teachings didn't fail.
If somebody practiced it thenfailed, then you can question
but obviously they're notpracticing it.
If they practiced it theywouldn't do such things, they
wouldn't even be accused of suchthings.
Someone can turn around and sayit's conspiracy, but there's no
(19:08):
smoke without fire.
And you know whether that'seven the Guru's inability to
stop the misconduct.
You know they're still to beblamed for that.
They could have stopped themisconduct, but they didn't, and
that should be a for that.
They could have stopped themisconduct but they didn't.
And and and that should be achoice that they have to reckon
(19:29):
with and the mistake thatthey've made and they have to
accept it.
Yeah, that okay, I didn't doanything.
But going forward, it's notgoing to happen again, like if
one just owns up to it.
It'd be a lot better and it'sjust.
But if one keeps denying,denying, and if it's true, it's
worse, because then you kind ofyou're kind of trying to lead
(19:54):
the blind over.
The blind is what you're tryingto do.
You're trying to put wool overpeople's eyes, sorry, uh.
So the conclusion here is forme you know and we'll look at
some scriptures to kind of backus up you know, advaita Vedanta
is very clear that your trueself, this formless awareness,
is your true guru.
That's the real guru, that'sthe inner guru.
(20:15):
Everyone said that, ramanaMaharishi, every guru has said
that.
The guru is within.
It's not a fallible human.
You'll find many errors withhuman beings, but the Guru
Tattva is most important.
Now, if a Guru is accused ofserious misconduct and this is
just accused, yeah, it's wise toinvestigate.
(20:37):
I would say it's very importantthat we do that.
Hold them accountable.
So, even if they deny it, havethey shown you proof that they,
they have things in place tostop this from happening?
You know, do they have thingsin place to say you know, none
of this has happened?
You know we have evidence thatnone of this has happened?
(20:59):
Yeah, and if needed, move onrather than defending them
blindly.
Because you know, by defendingthem blindly, all you're doing
is actually accepting that thosemisconducts are OK, even for
you to do.
Yet you're okay with it.
And that's when it's cultishbehavior and that's when you
(21:27):
know probably you should take astep back.
So for me and for anyone else, Ithink protecting dharma is most
important and protectingseekers is always more important
than preserving an institutionor a personality.
(21:48):
I'm sorry, but even like for myown podcast, what I teach on
the podcast is going to be themost important thing.
Me as a personality is notimportant.
Me being enlightened is notimportant.
What's more important is am Ibenefiting you and am I helping
(22:10):
you reach where you want to be?
And if you want to beenlightened, am I helping you on
the journey or am I not helpingyou on the journey?
Is my conduct against what Isay on the podcast or is it
aligned with the podcast?
You know I'm a householder, so Ilive a family life.
Um, I go through very, uh, I gothrough challenges.
(22:31):
Uh, I.
I also have arguments with mywife.
I, you know, I can get annoyedwith my little son.
All these things happen.
These vasanas come up and Ihave to deal with those vas son.
All these things happen.
These vasanas come up and Ihave to deal with those vasanas.
That's the whole point.
No enlightened person canescape such things.
So, whether you're a seeker oryou're enlightened.
(22:53):
We all have to go through thesame thing.
Yeah, as they say, beforeenlightenment chopping wood,
fetching water.
After enlightenment choppingwood, fetching water.
After enlightenment, choppingwood fetching water.
Nothing changes.
So when it comes to scriptures,the Mundaka Upanishad says the
Guru should be learned andethical.
(23:16):
So to know that imperishableone must go to a teacher who is
shotriya, well-versed inscriptures and brahmanishta,
established in Brahman.
So if a teacher lacks ethicalconduct, I'm sorry, but even
their realization should bequestionable.
And a guru must live the truth,not just speak it.
(23:37):
Then one should say well, thatguru is a good orator, but not
necessarily a good teacher.
Yeah, they're a good orator,they're a good speaker, but a
teacher maybe not, you know.
So we can be happy with a goodspeaker, a good orator, there's
nothing wrong with that.
But a teacher is of a higherstandard, okay.
(24:00):
And yes, a guru's actionsmatter, because even in the Gita
Sri Krishna says whatever agreat person does, others follow
.
Whatever standards they set,the world follows.
So a guru is expected to embodytheir teachings.
And so if they are engaging inmisconduct like sexual
(24:23):
harassment, they're setting adangerous precedent, and that's
why I think that's, that's why Idraw the line on that and I
refuse to say that such a person, from this day forward, that
they're a good teacher becauseof those misconduct allegations.
Until they are proven to be incourt, those allegations aren't
(24:48):
true.
Until then it's true.
And people may not like that,they may be like that's so woke,
but you know what?
I'd rather be woke than beblind and be ignorant.
For me that's more important.
More important may not be yourvalues, that's, that's up to you
(25:09):
.
Um, and then Adi Shankarajialso says in Viveka Jodhmanee
that a false teacher is like ablind man leading the blind.
He neither knows a path nor canhe help others.
A true guru must have directrealization and impeccable
conduct.
One needs to be in thatawareness all the time.
(25:32):
So if a guru exploits studentsand yes, that's happened they
should not be followed Again.
You can still learn from whatthey say, but they don't have to
be your guru.
I want us to understand thefine line here.
(25:53):
It's a very nuanced point, butit's important to understand
that.
Because, remember, blind faithis not Advaita, because,
remember, blind faith is notAdvaita.
Advaita does not at all, in anyshape or form, accept blind
faith.
You may have it in other bhaktitraditions, but certainly in
(26:18):
Advaita Vedanta.
It's not acceptable.
And even in the Mahabharata itis said that if a teacher strays
from dharma he is to beabandoned like an impure vessel.
So dharma is above individuals.
So you follow dharma.
And if a guru engages in adharmic behavior, in
(26:47):
anti-dharmic behavior, the rightcourse of action is to walk
away from them.
Yeah, you can say, look you,you teach good things, but I'm
not going to follow you.
I'm going to follow what youteach because I can match you
with the scriptures.
If you don't match you with thescriptures, abandon that
teaching too.
You never know how, uh kind ofcunning someone can be to lead
you more in ignorance.
(27:07):
You know, like I said, it'salways a test if, if a guru to
make you enlightened, um, andobviously in yog vashisht is
(27:30):
very clear what the guru is.
He says do not rely on wordsalone, seek direct experience.
The highest guru is your owninquiry into the self, into the
Atman.
So if you find that a guru isquestionable, trust the
scriptures and your own vivek,your own discernment.
If your gut is saying somethingis not right, then just follow
(27:52):
your gut.
You're not going to go to hellor lose on liberation if you
don't follow that teacher, youmay.
You most likely will still beenlightened because you're
following your gut, you'refollowing your intuition, your
discernment and you're trustingthe scriptures.
(28:14):
Uh, and then the next quote, thefinal quote is if a person's
knowledge must be judged bytheir actions, if their conduct
is immoral, their wisdom issuperficial.
This is in the Adi Shankaraji'scommentary in the Brahma Sutras
.
So, even if somebody speaksVedanta very well, if their
(28:35):
actions contradict Dharma, theyshould not be considered a true
realized, being a true jnani.
They can be a good speaker,like I said, nothing wrong with
being a good speaker, but that'sall.
Their skill is they can't leadyou to enlightenment.
Yeah, a blind person can onlymake you blind.
(28:57):
An ignorant person will onlymake you more ignorant.
Only someone who knows thetruth, realizes the truth,
embodies the truth, can bringyou to the truth, and that
directly, instantaneously.
And the reason why I say thisis I'll give you the example of
Adi Shankaraji.
Shankaraji, he at least,started four mats, four places,
(29:25):
you know, four centres ofspirituality, and each of those
had four acharyas.
They were also referred to asShankaracharya.
So that's what I mean byAdvaita has the way to lead you
to divinity straight away.
(29:46):
So I'll conclude here that aguru is just a guide, not an
unquestionable authority.
If you feel they'reunquestionable, I'm sorry you're
following a cult leader oryou're following blindly and
therefore you may get fooled andyou know for you ignorance is
(30:08):
bliss, then don't expectenlightenment.
If a teacher is accused ofmisconduct, they must be held
accountable.
I think that's that's natural.
If you do anything that putsanybody in danger, then I'm
sorry, you are a dangerousperson and you should be treated
(30:31):
like a dangerous person.
If somebody doesn't have highethics, they should not be
teaching anyone or guidinganyone.
And and I say this because thescriptures they emphasize
discernment vivek over blindobedience.
We have to discern what's rightand wrong in the long term and
(30:54):
the short term and see what doesthe greatest amount of good
over harm and and that's what'smore important not obedience to
some authority that actually isquestionable, that is causing
harm and is ignorant themselves.
So again, I'm not saying thatany of the gurus that I
(31:16):
mentioned earlier that they arein that category, but there's
been no evidence of any of theallegations being shown untrue
in court right now.
So obviously they may be goingthrough legal process right now,
so that's possible.
But whenever allegations likethis come out and it's been
(31:39):
investigated, like from theguardian or even base goldfield,
because she has been, she haswritten for the guardian they
should be held with some levelof truth until proven guilty.
I know we believe in thisinnocence before proven guilty,
but such allegations, especiallyin sexual misconduct, they're
(32:00):
very serious and I feel thatsuch teachers shouldn't be
promoted.
Um, you can still appreciate theteachings.
I don't think there's anythingwrong with that.
But you know, in my opinion, ifyou want to stay safe, if you
want to be protected, if youwant to really advance in
spirituality, follow what I'vementioned in today's video and I
(32:24):
hope this helps you.
And again, like I know somepeople may follow Sadhguru, amma
, mooji, andrew Cohen, so onOsho, so on Osho.
But at the end of the day, ifsomebody does bad, if somebody
(32:46):
does misconduct, they have to beheld accountable, whether
they're dead or alive.
One can appreciate what they'vesaid, one can appreciate their
teachings, one can appreciatetheir meditation practices and
the yoga practices, of course,but just remember that the
highest authority is your ownself and if somebody takes that
(33:08):
away from you, they're not aguru, trust me.
A guru never takes away yourauthority and if they do.
You're following a cult leaderand you need to take a deep look
within whether you want tostill follow that person.
That's all I've got to say.
But yeah, if you want tochallenge me, I'm open to the
(33:29):
comments.
And if you feel that this hashelped you, please like this
video and please share it.
I mean, it can help somebodyfrom following a false teacher,
or at least a teacher that hasbeen accused of misconduct.
We live in a day of the internetand where misinformation and
disinformation can be wild.
(33:50):
But with such allegations,anyone that puts an article like
that is open to defamationlawsuits.
So it can be highly damagingfor them if they put something
that's untrue.
So it's only if there is someelement of truth do these
(34:11):
allegations come out.
But again, people can be shady.
So keep an open mind, butremember you are your highest
authority.
Okay, thank you very much forlistening.
Take care, namaste.
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