Your discription "mediocre and mean spirited, incompetent and arrogant" is perfect. The transcripts were the worst-of-the worst. I am not exagerating when I say I went into emotional shock for about a month after reading them. In fact, my shock was so great that I was unable to respond, and I stayed away from the site for some time. It was the most appalling post that I have read on this site, and the most damning evidence of Rawat's lack of character. I have believed for three years that Rawat does not qualify as a teacher, that he offers no basis for spirituality or a systematic way to live one's life according to spiritual (or any) principles. "Knowledge" just doesn't work. He didn't bring peace to the world or to me.
I visited Amaroo in April of 2001, and was baffled at the lack of development; it showed no manifestation of what one would expect from a conscious community. I was completely turned-off at an "appreciation" session in Broomfield, Colorado. Prem was totally unable to articulate any relevant vision for a world that is careening into violence and environmental destruction. Rather, he seemed absolutely oblivious to anything other than his narrow interest in being worshipped.
But all that aside, I still had a remnant of belief that somehow he personally had charisma and awareness. That somehow he was "awake." But in reality, he's just a shmuck. I do not want to comment on the cheap manipulations and his lack of respect to the people that have followed him for decades. His cynicism towards the group, berating them, calling them assholes,liars, etc. shows his own utter lack of faith in his own teachings. To think I followed this guy, that I had faith in him, that I though he was God or a god, was the personal shock.
