[Buddha-l] Victimized vegans?

[Dan Lusthaus]

The sexual proclivities and abuses by "gurus" of their impressionable
devotees is still one of the major dirty secrets of the guru business.
Initially those being abused do not come forward since they are partially in
shock and partially still are deluded into believing that they are having a
"special" relation with something divine or transcendent.

When the accusations eventually surface, the "true believers" predictably go
into denial mode, casting doubts on the credibility of the whistleblowers -- 
they are more interested in reassuring themselves that the object of their
own credulity is still credible.

One of the more publicized cases -- concerning a Hindu, not Buddhist guru -- 
is the Sai Baba story. BBC did an expose back in 2004.

Transcript at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/programmes/this_world/transcripts/secret_swami17_06_04.txt

Background:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/3791921.stm

http://barrypittard.wordpress.com/2007/05/14/bbcs-secret-swami-clip-man-claims-abuse-when-young/

The "believers" counterattack:
http://www.sai-fi.net/sathyasaibaba/secret_swami.shtml

Further expose:
http://home.chello.no/~reirob/CovUp4.htm


As it turns out, one of Sai Baba's victims happens to be a close friend, who
I've known for a long time, from before his Sai Baba days, and whose
credibility in this matter is beyond question -- and who still bears the
psychological scars of the ordeal.

Sadly, this is not a unique event. But we needn't go into naming all the
gurus who have been exposed -- some still objects of veneration. As usual,
the moral of the story is:
caveat emptor.

Dan Lusthaus