Copy of what I wrote at Wikipedia about gurus
			Forum

Posted by: Andries ® 02/05/2005, 08:43:13 Author Profile Edit Alert Moderators

The late Dutch professor in psychology of religion Jan van der Lans at the Radboud University Nijmegen has mentioned three dangers when the personal contact between the guru and the disciple is absent. 1. it increases the chance of idealization of the guru by the student (myth making and deification) 2. meditation should be performed under personal support by the the guru to keep emotions under control and to prevent psychological harm 3. it increases the chance of false mysticism. Mysticsm and critical thinking should go together. According to van der Lans, the deification of a guru is a traditional element of of Eastern spirituality, but detached from the Eastern cultural element and copied by Westerners, the distinction between the person of the guru and that what he symbolizes is lost and it degenerates into a boundless, uncritical personality cult.

Previous

Recommend View All Current page

Next

Replies to this message

I'm waiting for you to tell me... --- Cynthia ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 09:22:32 ) ( 182 bytes ) +1 Scholars taught me that I am an apostate telling atrocity stories --- Andries ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 12:15:07 ) ( 2740 bytes ) link +2 That's baloney, Andries... --- Cynthia ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 14:55:12 ) ( 1106 bytes ) +1 I think he was being sarcastic Cynthia --- dant ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 15:06:43 ) ( 36 bytes ) +2 Doh! Not another person with dry, wry humor --- Cynthia ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 15:32:33 ) ( 79 bytes ) Yes, angry and sarcastic (NT) (no text) --- Andries ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 15:42:12 ) ( 0 bytes ) +1 Re: Yes, angry and sarcastic... --- Cynthia ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 19:26:47 ) ( 192 bytes ) Wicked post Andries --- hamzen ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 19:03:34 ) ( 487 bytes ) +1 Hi Hamzen, re:Meher Baba --- Jethro ( Sun, Feb 06, 2005, 04:07:05 ) ( 436 bytes ) What the good professor didnt mention........ --- bill ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 10:11:44 ) ( 1236 bytes ) +2 Another myth busted... --- Cynthia ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 10:54:53 ) ( 1021 bytes ) +1 Yeah, the Divine " fat" and the Divine " hernia" --- Dermot M ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 11:13:29 ) ( 732 bytes ) +2 Did you mean the to say ulcer? (no text) --- Cynthia ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 12:15:59 ) ( 0 bytes ) Yeah, I did. Vaguer than I thought : ) (no text) --- Dermot M ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 12:36:02 ) ( 0 bytes ) Is there any confirmation of this metal sock? --- JHB ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 14:29:09 ) ( 221 bytes ) +1 Well, it could be plastic.....bonus post, the story of the first devotee of h... --- bill ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 14:45:29 ) ( 902 bytes ) +2 I have a theory --- dant ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 15:03:14 ) ( 904 bytes ) +3 LOL! --- JHB ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 15:19:22 ) ( 137 bytes ) +1 Re: LOL!/Here's what's coming next! --- la-ex ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 21:15:32 ) ( 1006 bytes ) LOL! But i had to supress it a bit, i didn't want to wake up the kids! (no text) --- Toby ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 15:55:31 ) ( 0 bytes ) Imitation Lotus Feet --- Lexy ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 20:33:32 ) ( 134 bytes ) Gee Bill, no wonder they wouldn't let you live in the ashram! --- Cynthia ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 16:00:32 ) ( 91 bytes ) You make it sound like there's a right way to have a guru --- Jim ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 14:42:28 ) ( 449 bytes ) guru schmuru --- lesley ( Sat, Feb 05, 2005, 16:30:12 ) ( 494 bytes ) +1 Re: guru schmuru --- Andries ( Sun, Feb 20, 2005, 08:49:31 ) ( 142 bytes )