My view about some possible criticism of my 'spiritual aspirant' book writing even though I still have human flaws; "Attractive Female Pics Spiritualism"/"Cute Doll Spiritualism"

Last updated on 5th Jun 2019

In the past few decades, many Hindus from India and in the Indian diaspora in other countries of the world have enjoyed financial prosperity which is significantly more than what their immediate previous generations had. Some of these Hindus are also quite religious with some being very religious.

Once people are financially stable, they are in a position to pursue other aspirations of theirs including spiritual and religious aspirations.

To be acknowledged as spiritually elevated if not as spiritually enlightened/self-realized perhaps is of great attraction to some of these Hindus who come from prosperous backgrounds. I think it is a human thing. They may be enjoying them being viewed as not only moneyed but also spiritually elevated. Champions of both material and spiritual worlds! What greatness! I think that must be the attraction.

And then there is the adulation of followers. Social media is a platform where followers can freely express their adulation. I also see what I view as "Attractive Female Pics Spiritualism" (or to put it in a more colloquial way, "Cute Doll Spiritualism") where pics of good looking ladies are put up with a spiritual context/theme, which get appreciated by many on social media with Likes and adulatory comments. The female form is an attractive aspect of the Lord - Maya - and it is natural that such "Attractive Female Pics Spiritualism" gets a lot of following on social media. Perhaps those who put up these pics get gratified by seeing so many Likes and adulatory comments. Please note that I am not speaking negatively of this phenomenon. I am just making my observations.

A big learning for me, especially over the past few years as I have done extensive reading of articles/books & viewing of videos on spiritual masters & religious leaders and spiritual & religious movements, including some traps they fell into, is the sexual hypocrisy thing. This early 21st century period that we live in, is an extraordinary period of higher levels of truth and transparency ***within religious and spiritual movements*** never ever experienced in previous centuries and millennia. This is not to say that these religious and spiritual movements are completely truthful and transparent today. I am just saying that they are forced to adhere to significantly higher levels of truth and transparency now than in earlier centuries and millennia.

One of the biggest failings in today's religious and spiritual movements in general is sexual hypocrisy. Some of those who are revered as celibate masters and spiritual leaders are charged with sexual abuse crimes and convicted to prison terms in so many countries of the world, including India!

I admire the Christian Protestant movement which arose as a reaction against the failings of the then Catholic church, as it (Protestant movement) has a much more healthy approach towards human sexuality. As I have understood it, even today the Roman Catholic church does not allow for married male priests! They have to be celibate or rather they have to claim to be celibate with some engaging in sex in secret. The latter is pathetic sexual hypocrisy! How can such priests be good spiritual leaders!

The Christian Protestant church allows for married priests called pastors, if I got that correctly. I find that to be a really good thing. It reduces this horrible problem of sexual hypocrisy.

Hinduism has a very positive view on such matters, IMHO. Rama and Krishna avatars were both married and had children. So when the divine Lord took human form they, as Rama and Krishna Avatars, were not celibate. That makes it so clear to Hindus that sex is not an evil thing. What is problematic is uncontrolled sex! Ravana desired another man's wife (Rama's wife, Sita) which led to him being killed by Rama, and his whole army being defeated with many of his own clansmen being killed.

I think what disgusts people in this early 21st century is sexual hypocrisy, especially when spiritual masters and religious leaders engage in it. I too get very put off by sexual hypocrisy. And I am perfectly OK with spiritual masters who may be married (and so engage in sex without any sexual hypocrisy).

BTW as far as my own view is concerned on my level of spiritual progress, I am very much in a spiritual aspirant category with my own fair share of human flaws. So there is no question of me claiming to be spiritually enlightened. I have had some spiritual insights though but I am still very much a spiritual journeyman rather than somebody who has reached the goal/destination.

One important reason why I am self-publishing my part autobiography is to share my partial journey of life, including some part of my spiritual journey, with ****interested spiritual aspirants****. I have gained enormously, especially in the days when I was a newbie spiritual aspirant, from reading about the journey of other spiritual aspirants. So I felt it is my duty, in a way, to share my spiritual journey so far with ****interested spiritual aspirants****, including newbie spiritual aspirants.

Now some may be critical of me for having self-published such a book. They will say this man is promoting himself! Some may say that if a person has not conquered all his human flaws he/she should not write such a book!

Criticism is natural for such endeavour, especially in spiritual groups. There is a lot of jealousy and back-biting in spiritual groups. And there is a lot of gutter-inspector and garbage-mongering stuff with attempts to throw garbage on such book writers. So some may say that I have no right to write a book on my spiritual journey so far because I have still not conquered all my human flaws of Kaama (desire in general, uncontrolled lust in particular), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (infatuation/attachment), Mada (pride) and Maatsarya (jealousy).

They are entitled to their views. But I disagree with them. Some of the books of spiritual aspirants that I have gained enormously from reading, have covered in detail the challenges faced by these spiritual aspirants as they tried to conquer their human weaknesses. It showed me that such human challenges are common, and that the spiritual path is a battle against such human weaknesses. And that having these human weaknesses does not mean that one is ***not fit*** for the spiritual path. Many masters have reached their spiritual goals by battling with and eventually overcoming such human weaknesses.
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Given below are some comments from my Facebook post,  https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2504478953102000, associated with this blog post:

In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited):
Thank you for your valuable view. The topic of sex and spirituality is a very confused and complex one in today's age even in India. And then we have somewhat recent Indian Supreme Court rulings on sexual norms which have become law of the land.

I think Sangha Neethi is something that is very important to follow in this regard, bearing in mind that Sangha Neethi changes quite a lot as one moves from one social group to another, even within Hindus. I think such Sangha Neethi norms have emerged from practice of centuries within each social group and they have a lot of wisdom in it. Typically the focus of these norms is on protection of the family, especially wife/partner and children. And I think such norms have been vital for various social groups within the large variety of Hindu social groups to survive and flourish over centuries and millennia.

Crossing the Laxman Rekha of sexual norms within the Sangha that one lives, is dangerous and if a woman and children have been betrayed/abandoned, I think it would involve serious negative karmic consequences for the associated man.
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In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited):
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was very strict on sexual norms. No question about it. I know that very well from my stint in PN system in His physical form presence. BTW if you have not read his May 2010 discourse which talks about Pati vrata and Sati vrata, you can view it here: http://sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/dd18052010.html. I view it as Bhagavan's Dharma Adhikaari role discourse on these matters in 2010!!! I will never forget this discourse of his for the rest of my life - I heard it live sitting in Sai Kulwant Hall.

But, a year or so after Mahasamadhi, I have moved out of PN ashram sangham and live an outside ashram Puttaparthi life. Now I am in the larger Hindu sangham in our country and have to deal with the realities of life in that sangham.

My comments are based on my understanding of larger India Hindu sangham norms which includes outside ashram Puttaparthi.
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Btw I am commenting here in the context of my role as a social media writer on spirituality & religion. I am not getting into personal matters. I prefer not to get into that.
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After mid 2012, as I have lived in outside Puttaparthi ashram sangham I had to come to terms with how life is lived there. And this is where general Hindu society norms, Muslim & Christian society norms comes into play, which are quite different from Prasanthi Nilayam ashram norms. Indian law and how police and courts implement/interpret it are the vital aspects as some such matters go to the police & courts and they play a major role in final outcome.

What I have learned is that the great pillars of Indian rural society are wives and mothers. Many of the wives (some of whom are also mothers) endure great challenges including sometimes physically abusive husbands, alcoholic husbands and sexually unfaithful husbands who may have additional sexual partners.

Earlier, I used to feel a little judgemental about such husbands. Now I don't. Rural Indian society is a complex society with lots of challenges which I, coming from an urban middle class educated and later software professional background, cannot easily understand.

The families which face these challenges, typically come to some kind of compromise and understanding with the wives doing most of the adjustment and sacrifice, and life moves on.

I have developed enormous amount of respect for rural Indian wives and mothers in general. I repeat that I view them as the great pillars of Indian rural society.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba should forgive me but I think his super-strict norms which he applied in Prasanthi Nilayam ashram system while he was in physical form, would just not work in typical rural Indian society  ***today***. So as a social media writer on spirituality and religion, when it comes to my writings about sexual norms in Indian society today, I look at current practices, views of some Hindu spiritual masters who are more in tune with current challenges of Hindu society including rural Hindu society, Supreme Court judgements and what seems to be  practical.
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