ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

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ex-l

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ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

See also, Sat Yoga Instutite.

ex-BK Robert Shubow, who is now a self-proclaimed guru running his own Sat Yoga Ashram in Costa Rica, calling himself Shunyamurti, resurfaces on Robin Ramsay's 'More About Brahma Kumaris' website, see; Memorial Maha Samadhi Tribute: To Raj Yogini BK Dadi Janki.

Robert was one of the Brahma Kumaris story tellers who ghostwrote the very largely fictionalised biography of Lekhraj Kirpalani, called 'Adi Dev, The First Man.' It established the false narrative of the BKs' history in English, and the other non-Hindi languages into which it was translated ever since and became the "official version of the history we all fell for". A hagiography.

From an ethical point of view, I've never heard of him asking them to withdraw the falsehood his work establishes from publication.

Interestingly, he states, "I took a vow to live by the Dharma fully for ten years. I probably would have taken lifetime vows if I had been offered the chance to live in their ashram. But they wanted me to continue to work part time at least as an attorney, which would enable me to be a more influential speaker on their behalf" (and, presumably, to bring the money in to pay for their centre).

I question if it is completely true. Did he really take a 10 year vow in advance, or just give up 10 years later (presumably around the time the prediction Destruction failed), and decide it retrospectively? Notice how he translate BKism into language that suits the mythology he is selling now; dharma, vows, ashram etc.

He also goes on to hint at his own exiting process, "A time came when it became incumbent upon me ethically and spiritually to leave the BK University. For a number of years, I had been becoming more and more unsatisfied with the teachings, unable to reconcile them all with my own internal sense of the Real ... I began to read again—after years of having abandoned my scholarly pursuits entirely for meditation and service—now focusing on science and psychology. I studied clinical hypnosis ... I had to study Jungian analysis and dreamwork, then went even deeper into psychoanalysis and discovered the writings and seminars of Jacques Lacan ... The Knowledge gained from all this formal study of course distanced me from the simpler paradigm of reality taught by the BKs".
Shunyamurti, Director of Sat Yoga Ashram on the BK's and his DJ experience

By Shunyamurti

Dadi Janki, the administrative head of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, left the body in Maha Samadhi on March 27 at the age of 104. Dadi (the title means elder Sister) was an extraordinary being, a powerful yogi, a great leader, an inspiring role model, and an exquisitely beautiful soul. I had the privilege of serving with her, studying under her tutelage, and having a personal relationship with her for ten amazing years during my spiritual journey on the Earth plane. I offer blessings for her ongoing seva in the Subtle Regions, no doubt leading battalions of angels assisting in the return of God’s Dharma to our ruined planet, restoring our world to a new Golden Age.

The decade I spent in association with the Brahma Kumaris was formative for my style of life, my appreciation for purity and integrity, and my dedication to spiritual service and meditative remembrance of God. My introduction to their spiritual order was magical and involved overwhelming ecstasies and synchronicities that could not be downplayed. That meeting caused me to take a sharp turn in my life in a new direction and at an accelerated pace that has never stopped.

I was one of the first people in the USA to be mesmerized to such an extent by the BK message and vibe that as soon as permissible, I found myself on a plane to India to visit their ashram headquarters in Mt. Abu, in Rajasthan, to learn the profound secrets of their non-ordinary energy field and the Source from which it came. When the time came to make a commitment to the path, I took a vow to live by the Dharma fully for ten years. I probably would have taken lifetime vows if I had been offered the chance to live in their ashram. But they wanted me to continue to work part time at least as an attorney, which would enable me to be a more influential speaker on their behalf, and even to give talks to various bar associations in India about karmic law, which I did.

Many incredible events took place during that wondrous period in my life, of such a nature that no novelist could have imagined such a carnival of divine beauty and humor. I had the honor of attending a great Kumbha Mela in Haridwar; meeting sadhus and saints in Rishikesh; of spending time in Shiva’s holy city of Benares; of meeting Indira Gandhi, then prime minister of India; of conversing with many gurus and pandits, Bollywood celebrities, and scholars of Indian philosophy; and of coming to understand the most subtle inner treasures of wisdom contained in the many spiritual traditions of ancient Bharat.

But the most powerful influences upon me during those blissful days were the great leading yoginis of the Brahma Kumaris Vishwa Vidyalaya. The top leader at that time was Dadi Kumarka, and she won my heart completely. She gave me the name Raj Kumar. (Later, from the secret leader, BapDada, I received another spiritual name. But that is another story for another time.) Dadi Kumarka—her given name was actually Prakashmani, Jewel of Divine Light—was the happiest person I had ever met. I felt joy whenever I saw her, and I was lucky enough that she sometimes called me into her private quarters to participate in special planning meetings. It was a great honor and I was humbled.
Often, at those meetings, Dadi Janki was also present. Dadi Janki symbolized not happiness but sheer fearless invincible power. At that time, she did not live in the ashram, but managed the movement’s affairs in London, and had charge of all the BK centers outside of India. In that capacity, she traveled widely around the world. Since I was sometimes also sent on little speaking tours in Europe and around the US for their spiritual order, I had the chance to see her in many places, and of course I spent a good deal of time in London attending her classes. Dadi Janki toughened me up. She kept us all in permanent boot camp. “Keep your titles tight!” I remember her telling us, referring to such titles as Child of God, Gyani (true knower of God), and Raja Yogi—royal and holy being, sovereign over the Maya (illusion) of body identification.

Dadi Janki was a dynamo of karma Yoga. She never stopped working, used every opportunity to teach and to shape her students into greater and more accurate manifestations of worthiness, virtue, intelligence, perseverance, and tip-top self-presentation. She hardly slept, yet was always bright and shining at those 4am meditations that she led every day. And she always had a new teaching on her lips at every class, a new take on the understanding of the soul and God, a new motto to motivate us to even greater efforts toward self-mastery.

A time came when it became incumbent upon me ethically and spiritually to leave the BK University. For a number of years, I had been becoming more and more unsatisfied with the teachings, unable to reconcile them all with my own internal sense of the Real. I was also being asked by many other BK students for counseling and felt wrenchingly the limitations of my abilities. So I began to read again—after years of having abandoned my scholarly pursuits entirely for meditation and service—now focusing on science and psychology. I studied clinical hypnosis. Eventually, I went professional as a hypnotherapist, and then a past life regression therapist. Eventually I also added other titles to be able to deal with all the varieties of spiritual emergency that a California healer had to master: ghostbuster, curse remover, depossessionist (exorcist), and finally close encounter therapist. And of course, I had to study Jungian analysis and dreamwork, then went even deeper into psychoanalysis and discovered the writings and seminars of Jacques Lacan, which took me even further down the rabbit hole.

The Knowledge gained from all this formal study of course distanced me from the simpler paradigm of reality taught by the BKs. Moreover, at the ten-year mark of my time with the Brahma Kumaris, when my vow had ended, I had a meeting, again in the private women’s quarters of the ashram, this time in Dadi Janki’s room. With Dadi present, BapDada appeared and gave me blessings to go on the new path I was now called to, and it was clear that this was my official parting from the life of the Brahma Kumaris, and the beginning of a new phase of my individual journey.

I have been privileged to have met and studied with a number of great spiritual beings in this life. I number among those of course Baba Hari Dass, my first Indian guru; Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the last Lubavitcher Rebbe, and many wonderful Hasidim; a holy Christian monk and several Christ-like beings of that lineage; a beautiful Sufi master and many devout Muslims; a great Zen teacher; a crazy wisdom shaman who introduced me to entheogens and some wild rides into near insanity, if not divine love; several extraordinary masters of martial arts; and a few mind-boggling secular teachers, including the great Lacanian analyst, Moustapha Safouan.

But the most impacting person and the most exacting teacher, for the longest period of study, during my entire and very long apprenticeship in the spiritual world, was no doubt Dadi Janki. I cannot say she was a friend or even that I felt close to her. What I felt, as never before, was respect, honor, and recognition of undeniable greatness. I will never forget her, and never stop thanking her for the help I received through her example.

I remain on close terms with a number of Brahma Kumaris adherents. Some visit the Sat Yoga Ashram, others correspond. But I have not had any official contact with them for many decades. Yet I always keep them in my heart, for they brought me closer to God than I would otherwise have been able to reach, and they made me a better human being than I would have become without their training.

Blessings to you, Dadi ji! And to all the Brahma Kumaris who must now carry on without her guidance. And to all of us, all children of God, who must now grow up from childhood and become full manifestations of the Supreme Being. Our time has come.

Namaste,

Shunyamurti.
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Re: Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

Robert re-sells his BK involvement as,
ten years of vowed association with a Brahmachari ashram in India

Although he spent almost all of that time, except holidays, in San Franciso, California.

Independent discussion on CultEducation.com appears insightful and picks up on the connection between what he is doing and the BKs, Shunyamurti aka Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Institute and his story telling abilities. This is an edited excerpt.
Posted by: facet
Date: August 03, 2019 08:22PM

Hello,

It’s my first proper post, and would like to ask if others have come across Shunyamurti? He has an ashram ‘sat Yoga institute’ and has been a familiar ‘guru’ face on YouTube now for many years.

Across the YouTube uploads he gives some really wonderful insight and value, however I couldn’t help but notice and become disappointed with his obvious and more frequent references to the ‘end of the world’.

It is also very expensive to attend.

I since found that Shunyamurti is in fact ex Brahma Kumaris, And was not permitted to rise in it’s hierarchy (likely due to race), I wonder if Sat Yoga and it’s teaching could be considered an offshoot of Brahma Kumaris since it’s teachings are very similar.
Posted by: zizlz ()
Date: December 16, 2019 04:58AM

I felt the same way when I watched some of his videos some years ago. He doesn't strike me as a narcissist, unlike most cult leaders (though he might be one). But his doomsday prophecies are definitely a big no no.
facet
Date: December 16, 2019 09:08PM

Thanks for reply, I agree the doomsday prophecies are a big no.

What really struck me was the similarity in what Bramah Kumaris put out, and that is a shame because for me BK is an establishment that has much to answer for.

I imagine coming out of something so abusive as BK would make usual life extremely difficult to navigate.
zizlz
Date: December 17, 2019 02:13AM

Yes, and Bramah Kumaris are very into doomsday prophecy too, from what I gather.

> I imagine coming out of something so abusive as BK
> would make usual life extremely difficult to
> navigate.

That might help explain why he has set up a community where he can live sheltered from the society he so often condemns, and where he's treated as the one who knows truth, and tells others how it is.

I watched some of his videos yesterday, and I must say I genuinely like him, but even though he wants to appear very knowledgeable on many subjects, he is demonstrably ignorant on some of the things he lectures about.

He repeats a common misunderstanding of quantum mechanics, that quantum behavior depends on an observer's belief. See for example this article for an explanation of why this claim is erroneous: [arxiv.org]


When he says "I don't even actually believe they are particles they're perturbations of the waves of electromagnetic energies that that make up the the content of space and time," he's probably referring to the widely accepted Quantum Field Theory, but he totally garbles what that theory says.
facet
Date: December 17, 2019 07:41AM

That’s exactly what I wondered, it’s lovely to share knowledge and this is appreciated, though it pains me to see the aftermath of manipulators interwoven in his output, it’s disheartening.
zizlz
Date: December 18, 2019 04:06AM

... It confirms the critical notes we made before—that he is not open about having in Brahma Kumaris
facet
Date: December 20, 2019 08:40PM

.. I have really enjoyed many of his teachings and I see that he is a very talented story teller and is genuinely doing what he does from a benefit to humanity perspective. I also see those bits that have been picked up elsewhere though and this is the issue.

Unfortunately it is those bits picked up elsewhere that I see as harming for people, and the creating fear through death end of the world apocalyptic thing seals the deal for me.

Every fibre of my being was ready to go there too, though I’m glad that I didn’t in the end because I don’t think it would have been healthy for me in the end. In my imagination back then, I would go there and stay for life hehe.
sig
Date: December 20, 2019 09:32PM

The spiritual costume ... the hypnotic voice ... the withdrawal from external society and external reality ... the guru-figure dominating proceedings ... plenty of red flags for me.
zizlz
Date: December 23, 2019 02:11AM

So it's clear where Shunya got the idea of a coming nuclear apocalypse.

I read elsewhere that BK already picked a date for the apocalypse several times, but each time the world just went on existing, to their chagrin probably—not only because of the damage to their reputation for being wrong, but also because they believe that the time after the apocalypse will be heaven on Earth for the BK members, because then the Earth will have been cleansed of all non-BK people.

In the quote above, I bolded the most scary part, where it says that BK not only predicts the apocalypse but wants it to happen, and even hopes to help make it happen ... Shunya talks about the apocalypse in a cheerful manner. There's no indication that Shunya has distanced himself from BK's beliefs, though he probably adapted them a bit because I haven't heard him say anything about BK members surviving the apocalypse. But he may still share BK's cheerful anticipation of the apocalypse.
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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

He's still teaching very close to BKism, with regards to Destruction, just more elegantly and educatedly presented.

He even states that "Only 8 make it ... only 108 manifest without suffering" which is pure BKism.
zizlz
Date: December 23, 2019 02:11AM

Thanks for that link.

I rewatched a bit of the Batgap interview. When Shunya talks about joining an ashram at Mount Abu, he must be talking about the Brahma Kumaris ashram at Mount Abu. He probably avoids mentioning the BK name due to their notorious reputation. Se says nothing negative about them, other than that they couldn't help some people who needed psychotherapy, so he became a therapist himself and eventually outgrew the ashram.

See also.


He also goes on about Destruction and the "global death drive" in an interview, here, Shunyamurti - Buddha at the Gas Pump Interview.

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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

As I wrote in another topic recently, "You can take the BK out of the BKWSU; but can you take the BKWSU, out of the BK".
garuna
Date: January 04, 2020 08:35AM

I have spent several weeks at Sat Yoga ashram with Shunyamurti and his followers.

At first I was very impressed by the energy of the place and his teachings. Shunyamurti is very intelligent and knows a lot about all kinds of topics (he reads a gigantic amount of books). His words are perfect and he has a deep understand of the spiritual journey and the ego. His followers are crafting beautiful meditation retreats which have the potential to attract many people.

It took me almost two months of deep involvement to realise what is really going on behind the scene.

Robert Shubow (Shunyamurti) is constantly putting fear in people so that they don't leave him. He is manipulating people to cut ties with their family so that he becomes their only authority. He is manipulating people to doubt all their perceptions about themselves and only believe what he says as the ultimate truth. He believes himself to be beyond all critique but he is criticising on a regular basis (other teachers, past members who left in a disguised way, the mother principle, sexuality etc...).

He does not accept when his superiority or authority is questioned. He is attached to the dependency of his followers to him and doesn't tolerate when they learn from another teacher. Followers need to ask his permission for everything and he is controlling their life like puppets. He is using his followers for his entertainment, to comment on his spiritual writings, for discussion about movies, for theater play etc. He is carefully keeping his followers in a state of emotional dependency and need of validation and throwing some nice validations when they behave well and frowning upon them when they don't.

Robert Shubow distorts reality to make it fit his grandiose ideas about himself and fully repress his shadows, projecting them on his followers or the external society. I have carefully evaluated his behaviour and have found that it closely matches the characteristics of the pathological narcissist which often becomes a cult leader of some sort.

Robert Shubow has the intelligence, knowledge and psychologcial skills to be a DANGER for others. People are sacrificing their life, their careers and family ties for him and for building his "ark" of apocalypse survival without receiving any compensation or social security (other than a ticket on his arch if they behave well).

I believe warnings about Robert Shubow should circulate wildly.
garuna
Date: January 05, 2020 03:54AM

His students are discouraged from talking among themselves at all, or only for practical day to day things. Their life should be about their meditation, their function in the community and the guru that's it. They are conditioned to believe that their own criticism or questions are intrinsically invalid because they are under the influence of their ego.

Some people are aware he was in the Brahma Kumaris but he is believed and regarded by the people there as completely ultimate. Therefore his past doesn't matter because he has transcended his past and everything else. There is absolutely zero criticism or questioning of Shunyamurti's behavior or teachings in any way by anyone. This is completely taboo and if someone would dare to do that he would be regarded as completely retarded and lost in ego and ignorant.
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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

It seems the apple does not fall far from The Tree ... although he has a wife and maidservants now. And charges $100-125 per session in US cash for personal sessions.
garuna
Date: January 08, 2020 09:44AM

Since 2015 I have met or talked to more than ten people who have been under the influence of Shunyamurti and have left him. They all describe the same manipulation tactics : being flattered in the beggining, making them feel understood but then subtle ways to scare about leaving him, to demand total and unconditional devotion to him, to cut ties with everything else, to lose all self-autonomy and trust in self. He is using : fear, guilt and shame. These are the main tools of Shunyamurti to play with the threads of his puppet followers using his very deep psychological understanding.

If you have guilt, fear or shame issues, and if you are potentially useful for his vision, he will use these to try to make a puppet slave out of you to serve his vision without self autonomy, freedom while believing that you are understanding yourself better and growing spiritually. It actually might be true that you start understanding yourself better from all the psycho work that you do, but it remains a mental understanding that is not diving deep in the sensations and energies behind the traumas. Therefore the progress remains at the intellectual level and he maintains the control over your wounds and shadows.

When I left I wrote an essay about what I had seen and what had happened to me there. I shared about the lies that he used, false accusations, guilt trip attempts by email and everything else. I have sent this writing to almost the whole community there to try to wake them up. Only two out of twenty people realised the truth behind what I was saying and left him. The others remained completely entrapped in their image about him and that place.
facet
Date: February 04, 2020 09:59PM

I have learned so much more from this, thank you for the nod. It has been rough going though I rather know than not know. I knew a few years ago that nlp was used to manipulate for ill purpose though not the actual workings (I never looked into it that deeply) and certainly not hypnosis.

I had to google what “flaming” was, and flaming posts so that’s a learning curve too. I see what you mean about the anger.

In my own questioning on the Shunyamurti topic this week, if the end of the world is really upon us as Shunyamurti regularly broadcast, then what is the need for charging for the services at such a high end cost?

None of this is transparent.
Amoo
Date: April 03, 2020 06:44AM

I recently attended Sat Yoga retreat and my retreat was shortened by Sat Yoga's decision. I was supposed to stay until April 2, which is 30 day Ashuram experience; however, they asked me to leave asap after I expressed my disagreement responding their unilateral 'suggestion' on unrequested psycho analysis and working for Shunyamuti' s wife at his personal kitchen ...

I wrote respectful yet direct and honest gogle review, which was removed by Sat within 10 minutes.

One thing I noticed happening at Sat Ashuram is some Sat residents 'listen people and tell to whoever making decision', which is similar to communist regime or G. Owell's 1984. There are a couple of sat crews who are overly enthusiastically royal to Shunyamurti, who constantly glorofy and defend his teaching and seem to tell all to whoever making decision.

I expressed my view to one managing person and in 2 hours, Sat asked me to leave the program asap.
Amoo
Date: April 03, 2020 06:44AM

Sat unilaterally said to take 3 times a week 'session' with R asking if I am financially OK. Oddity is that I never requested nor expressed that I was interested in healing, on the contrary, during pre telephone call in the process of application, I expressed that I am not interested in healing ...

In my view, Sat doesnt like anyone not fully obeying their dictation. I met Shunya in person close twice (each about 55 minutes in his small study room for paying session each $125 us) and another 5-6 times I vibrationally observed him sitting vety close physically, I felt that he is very different in person than his editted exposure in youtube.

In my view, he is not particularly interested in anyone who has 'ground' or 'spiritual bone'of their own.
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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

During my stay at Sat, Cov19 got serious, Shunya and the residents, at least in my eyes, appear to celebrate that finally Shunya's apocalypse agenda physically arrived ... After a while, his teaching loops its agenda of apocalypse

It was definingly disappointing scene watching Sat was stocking up disinfective items and toilet papers in the middle of the mountains. In my view, they have the least reason to be panic. But they exibited clear sign of panic. In doing so, Sat asked 'donation' with fixed minimum amount of $260 USD to prepare them for cov19.
Shunya has been forwarding the notion of the end of the world for a decade, and 2012 he really forwarded his apocalyptic agenda, which proved to be inaccurate. Now, his stain { i took the liberty of calling it as his stain, as that stains nothingness in his own teaching}is excited about the current human tragedy.

BK or Shunya or whoever push any fixed agenda on the notion of apocalypse, that is not genuinly serving truth nor human liberation.

zizlz
Date: April 03, 2020 07:54PM

Thanks for sharing, Amoo!

That confirms the impression I got (as I wrote earlier) that Shunya seems to anticipate the apocalypse gleefully, probably because according to his Brahma Kumaris beliefs, he'll be one of the few pure souls to survive it and enter the Satyug where this select group of souls will rule as gods.
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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

Amoo
Date: April 04, 2020 12:25AM

In terms of your positive look on 'they did favour to me', I do not see the reason to interprete that way, as they asked me not for my benefit but for their benefit; no benefit creating any non existing positive favour in their end.

Anyone who has spiritual bone of their own could live at Sat forever and still their apocalyptic agenda cant penetrate as their agenda is just like throwing rocks randomly hoping it hit some blind bird one day. I was there more for the nature and mountains, and Sat's psychoanalysis is so 1960s and never that convincing from the beginning and his apocalytic agenda was never convincing either; rather really weaken his teaching method, which otherwise could be more alive.
See effectively, stand against any fixed sectarian agenda like Shunya or BK's apocalypse agenda, it is more fluid to go beyond that. Shunya is off not because there will be no nuckear war nor collapse of monetary system and all; rather such fixed agenda is off despite that there actually is a possibility of nuclear war or financial disaster. There can be nuclear war or end of humsn race not because Shunya or BK saw it, but because this phenomena called world or universe is infinite possibility including nuclear war and collapse of humanity.

I can sit and build my own sec based on the phenomena experienced through my own kundalini transe; however, that is hiw exactly cult and sect are created. It is just a dream appeared in my little bubble of body mind, never be universal truth no matter how graphically I paint and decorate with bunch of theories and preexisting similar theories.

Even if there is nucleat war today, it is never the indication that Shunya or BK had some ability to see that comming. They threw rocks for tens of years, and one day their rock hit a blind bird. That is that nothing more than not.

If anyone is impressed by Shunya, go directly source such as Lacan, Freud, and I recommend Derrida if you want to short cut {you better check all names dropped by Shunya ...

I dive into direct source without subjecting my brain to the second hand knowledge puked by Shunya.

There is really nothing original to be impressed from Sat teaching as far as my little brain concerned. Their celibacy, cleaness, and all stuck up lifestyle is from BK. Lame joke is if Sat people are next Yoga leading force, I prefer to not survive. They are very very spiritually, intellectually, energenically monotonous, aka fatally unauthentic.
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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

It strikes me this is the BK model, pure and simple. Oh, and the ashram is out of funds, so they want your money to pay for their toilet roll.
My highly conditioned brain says that Shunya is not interested in highly intellectual minds, whom he appears to care is mediocre intellect (under the condition ones are wounded souls yearning salvation or healing) with RESOURCES, which includes but not limited to youth for physical labour, usuable skill (such as marketting, IT, engineeering etc. Any usuful skill), connections, and financial resource. But, the deal breaker is the independent critical minds which can see through his genuine intention.

Robert than delivers a pure BKism ... "our yogis [becoming] worthy of receiving the Crown of Light that is now being offered by the Supreme Self".
A special message from Shunyamurti regarding the current world situation and the coronavirus.

Beloved Friends of the Sat Yoga Ashram and Members of our Cosmic Sangha,

Our Ashram community is taking full advantage of the current world situation to engage in an intensive Corona Retreat. We have closed the ashram to visitors so that our yogis can give continuous attention to being worthy of receiving the Crown of Light that is now being offered by the Supreme Self to those who are ready to lead the human species to a divine reordering of the world. This in turn will enable us to create a transmission tower of infinite spiritual strength that we can send out to all souls everywhere who remain under the influence of the ego and are therefore suffering in one way or another.

At this point, it seems likely that events will require sustaining this closure at least through the end of May. Of course, our project began on 9/11 in 2001, when this and other events still to unfold were clearly foreseen, and our growing family of stalwart yogis have been working very hard for all these years to prepare both spiritually and physically, so that we would be ready to serve during this time of global emergency. For us, it is the time of global emergence of the highest level of human potentiality, which deserves to be called God consciousness.

Many people are already under lockdown in their countries, forced to stay at home or to shelter in place wherever they are. In a sense, the world is being turned into a giant monastery, with each monk left to pray in his or her own cell for salvation. Please do use this precious time to meditate, to silence the ego mind forever, and to become a living temple of God. That is the underlying meaning of this historic moment.

The more time you spend in the radiant light of the Supreme Presence, the more power of health will be received by your organism, the more will power you will have at your disposal to endure the privation of food and medical care, and the less you will feel any need for any other source of support. The prana will flow through your organs and keep your immune system strong, Shakti will gradually replace the need for food, and the bliss of the Self will dissolve all fear and all desire. This is the time to return to the One Self. God is giving us all a forced occasion to slow down, to reconsider the nature of reality, to re-calibrate our values, to renounce the ego and its delusions, and to be spiritually reborn as unified manifestations of the Transcendent and All-pervading Luminous Intelligence known variously by such names as Shiva, Allah, Brahman, Jehovah, Christ or Buddha Nature, or the Dao. Out of the many shall now emerge the One.

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ex-l

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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post15 May 2020

And if all that is not enough, here's the punchline ... Robert's younger wife, Janie Howarth, now has a spiritual name. It's Radha Ma (Mother Radhe).

Let us not forget, Lekhraj Kirpalani, the married founder of the BKs, also took a younger, attractive follower of his (while he was God Brahma) as a wife.

She was renamed Om Radhe.
As the co-director of the Sat Yoga Institute and wife of Shunyamurti. When not leading classes in spiritual development and holding private Atmanology sessions (psycho/spiritual analysis) for students ...
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Pink Panther

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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post16 May 2020

Oh Dear. Robert Shubow. He used to be such a nice boy.

Comparing the list of teachers he wishes to acknowledge to what he teaches and how he lives reminds me of the saying:
Modern Education is mostly the art of notes passing from teacher to student and back again without entering the mind of either

The apocalyptic end of the world he also obsesses over and teaches is obviously a projection of his insecure inner world. He has worked his way to a psychological "comfort zone" that works to fend off his insecurities and seeks to perpetuate it, expending a lot of time and energy to cherry pick others’ work (a very BK thing to do) to build up his own ”philosophy” and needs to have it validated by convincing others, of his wisdom. For a price. (Notes passed to the teacher! Cerificates and diplomas for sale!!!). Now they are invested. Pyramid scheme.

I knew Robert Shubow and his first wife, what happened to her?

The big lesson I think RS took from the BKs was how to build a hagiography. Weave a tale. I think I am remembering correctly when I say that It was Shubow who first wrote a children's version of the BKs teachings in a pocket-sized story book called, "The Voyagers". He then went on to create (maybe co-create?) the 'fairy tale for adults' biography of Dada Lekhraj called ”Adi Dev”. That was a warts-removed sanitised version of history which became the organisation’s official history. He learnt the body language and verbal delivery (pitch and timing) - mostly from Denise I suspect - and the ribbons and wrappings expected by the target market, clothing, location, spiel, etc.

The other lessons he has obviously learned is ”Never give a sucker an even break” and ”A fool and his money are soon parted”.

We see, again, American culture's linking of education & health with religion & profit-making. Betsy De Voss would be proud of him.

His website shows a page called Healing, photos show him using the wide eyed dristi stare and applying ”Atmanology” - giving the lie to his having learnt anything from the Buddhist teachings he says he studied.

On the contrary. Just like the BKs, he doesn't disabuse people of the ”evil” bondage of ego, he simply substitutes his version of it. And if you think I am having a rant - you are right. I loathe hypocrites.
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ex-l

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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post16 May 2020

Pink Panther wrote:Oh Dear. Robert Shubow. He used to be such a nice boy.

I knew Robert Shubow and his first wife, what happened to her?

Presumably went the same way as Lekhraj Kirpalani's first old wife did too? Robert is clearly "following the Father", to quote a BKism, in word and action.

"Oh dear" indeed.

In a way, it is quite fascinating and all very obvious what went on. On the other hand, it raises all sorts of interesting ownership issues. How do we understand what is going on, he's doing a Virendra Dev Dixit and starting up his own PBK-style sub-sect?

Let's try and analyse it from a BK/ex-BK point of view ...

Hypothesis; denied rising in the ranks because of his race and gender, denied the ability to play out his own guru desire/fantasy (?), denied full expression of his intellect and education by BKism (and, let's be fair, the far more stupid and less educated women who are at the helm of it), who want him to remain being an attorney because, hey, attorneys make lots of money to finance a centre and keep BK stupid Sisters in saris and have material status in society ... he says, "sod that, I'll show them and go it do it better for myself?"

Perhaps around the 1986/1996 failure of Destruction? (I don't know when he left BKism, or when his "10 years" were up).

I remember Robert as a BK but did not spent much time with him. I find it interesting one of the first things one of the commentators put their finger on is, he was a story teller, which is what I addressed him as; and what you substantiate. And I think he is telling or inventing stories about himself here too.

From a BK point of view, he is headed for an awful, clusterfuck of eventualities. He is "the mouse who found a grain of turmeric and opened up a store" ... he has taken not just key concepts from BKism but broadly purloined their methods and modality, bundled it up with a whole lot of "manmat" and "parmat" (his own and other non-BK sources of information), and then is selling it all for money ... AND has taken a new, younger, attractive wife!!! (Don't they all ... BK Brian Bacon?).

Strangely, from a BK point of view, that is sin, after sin, after sin ... and yet some BKs still patronise him? (He has offered other BKs personal and marital counselling services). What are they doing, checking in to see if they can steal some ideas back from him?

On the other hand ... he is doing NOTHING that Lekhraj Kirpalani himself did not do ... except, perhaps, for the bathe with numerous semi-naked young women followers etc ... and NOTHING but precisely what BK thought leaders have done since ... borrowing and stealing widely from numerous external sources to sell their product.

The apple does not fall far from The Tree. The BKs must be butt hurt to have lost such a star player ... or perhaps they are just binding their time until his universe collapses on him (which they believe they know it will, because he has set up such bad karma for himself through ego and arrogance), and he comes back to them with his tail between his leg ... and gives them all his nice spiritual retreat property.

Shubow is a Russian Jewish name, is not it? Elsewhere, I remember name checking some rabbis too. He's really bundled all the religio-businesses in together.

But then, from a non-BK point of view, disregarding BK ethics (for what they are), what do we make of it? He is gifted, intelligent and well read ... and a good story teller ... does he have a right to sell his worldly and adopted wisdom?

May be ... but he's going much further than that.

From a higher spiritual or ethical point of view (which in the case of BKism is not hard to achieve), I think he's all over the place and into outright fraud. Again, just like the BKs.

And, yes, I understand your disgust at his jumbling up of different wisdom traditions, to disguise a degree of dishonesty in what he is doing.

I wonder what the BKs make of him? "Atmanology" means, after all, "knowledge of the soul"; and is that not what the BKs are offering for free? He's even still dressing up in BK whites (albeit with a yarmulke now and again), while he acts out his Swami Satchidananda role plays for the young and impressionable.
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Pink Panther

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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post16 May 2020

ex-l wrote:I don't know when he left BKism, or when his "10 years" were up

If 10 years, then he was BK between approximately 1980 and 1990.
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ex-l

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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post16 May 2020

My honest response to the atmanology quote is above.

As an aside, Shubow is an acronymic surname from the Hebrew shohet u-bodek, meaning a "Slaughterer and Examiner", or similar furier. I wonder how much he is just playing out his Yiddish heritage, both mock rabbinical and as a folk story teller?

His first wife was a Peggy? Peggy Burgi? Since the BKs he's been teaching hypnosis and although he claims to have started his work on 9/11 (2001) ... thereby anchoring it in the minds of followers on the date of a national trauma ... he previously, in his own name, ran the Institute of Transformational Healing, at least in 1993.

My goodness, the BKs will be claiming he must be the Abraham soul next!

Let's try and look compassionately for one moment. As a male BK in the USA, he would have been subject to the ball breaking Denise, the "Lioness of the Punjab" (Big Mohini), and the "kooky" Hansa Raval. On top of that, they would have imported or migrated a compliant, brainless, submissive Indian Sister/s to run the centre above his head, of which he would then be expected to finance, support and provide unpaid services for ... at a time when BK Gyan was still taught in its fundamentalist stage.

No wonder he left, but I wonder what he went through before doing so?

I do not, however, believe he is telling the true account of it and here is where the problems of spiritual integrity start to arise, along with his sustenance of the co-pocrisy, ie his polishing and re-marketing of them as a vedic brahmachari ashram etc.

Robert has always, to the best of my knowledge, been publicly silent about any of the critical matters or controversies surrounding the BKs, he has never asked them to withdraw his fraudulent account of their history, and now it appears to be more in his financially business interests, to keep them look good ... 'one hand washes the other'.

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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post16 May 2020

Ex-I and Pink panther,

Robert seems to bring in "apocalypse" and other stuff from BKism. Had known that he belonged to the BKs. Watched the video shared in the link. This man, too, seems to be playing with innocent minds!! He is entering into a serious business mode!! Another Kirpalani!! S**t!!
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Pink Panther

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Re: ex-BK Robert Shubow of Sat Yoga Ashram resurfaces

Post17 May 2020

A bit of lateral context.

There was an expansion of numbers of BKs from San Francisco in the 1980s, including Robert and Peggy Shubow. Among their numbers was Dr Harold Streitfeld. Before joining BKs, around the time of his retirement, he was one of the group of psychotherapists who pioneered a lot of the post-1960s "human potential" movement in the USA.

Like many very tall people, he had a heart condition. He died around 1983, I think. He is probably best known professionally for being one of the founders of the Kundalini Clinic, which dealt with (let’s generalise with a sense of humour and a pinch of salt) some of the drug addled hippies who had gotten into various ”fast food” Yoga and meditation groups that had sprung up on the US West coast and found themselves shaken, if not more seriously disturbed or damaged, by partaking in practices they had little preparation and proper guidance for.

Anyone who was around these hotspots of cultural experimentation in these 'heady' times would know how varied and mixed up a lot of it was. It was all new, and many became like "the mouse who found a grain of turmeric and opened a shop”.

(TBH, it's still going on, people who’ve done a few months of Yoga can pay soem money and do a teacher training course and set up their own studio-cum-ashram! Just like Dada Lekhraj, and Robert Shubow.)

I travelled with Dr Streitfeld around parts of India - maybe 1981? - doing BK ”service programs”, ie we were ”VIPs” to any Indians (other than wealthy international travellers) who were fascinated by exotic foreigners who took up Indian traditions and even local ”new religious movements”. So we had time to talk on trains etc. Compared to the flotsam and jetsam of the nouveau yogi Californian hippy culture that he had dealt with in his professional life, the BKs were benign, simpler, and their lifestyle was the opposite of the hedonism and how it affected some people that he was very familiar with (he did not live long enough to see the effects of BKism on others) he may have had a contribution to make, but it was still the early days of BK presence outside India.

He got pulled in really deeply, infatuated with the senior Sisters, writing a book about Gyan well known by BKs called "God’s Plan" (1981) - which even I, as a BK, couldn't stand. To me, it was an overtly fundamentalist tract (a sign my days were numbered?) !

Image

He was, as his name implies, Jewish, like Robert Shubow. One interesting comment he made to me, in the course of our conversations as we discussed jewish people and their history was this, that he had never met an American Jew who was psychologically whole, together. Remembering his lifespan (1921-1983), and what the Jewish people’s legacy was to that point and had experienced during his life, that made sense. Also a disproportionate number of his clinic’s clients were of Jewish heritage. I mention all this to give a cultural context to the Shubow/Shunyamurti persona. It's also common, almost stereotypical, for there to be parental issues. For men that’s usually with mothers and mothers-in-law, very evident in a lot of Jewish humour! This ”mother issue” may partly explain (if I may speculate) how these two particular highly intelligent individuals were so vulnerable to enchantment by the Dadis).

Interestingly, Harold’s daughter Dr Lisa Streitfeld is of a similar bent as Shubow and her Father. She describes herself as "the only Hieros Gamos Philosopher in Western culture”. Hieros Gamos means ”sacred marriage” or ”divine marriage” - a basic principle / archetypal metaphor used in many esoteric schools, East and West, so it's a mightily exaggerated claim. All I can say is ”How Californian!”.
Her Father, Harold Streitfeld, was a psychologist in the human potential movement who ran a ''growth center'' called Orion, modeled after Esalen. ''My Father was really focused on his own journey,'' Ms. Streitfeld said. ''He was away a lot.'' Eventually her parents divorced.

So, again, possibly her philosophical focus might be a kind of a compensation?

What I can say, based on my experience of Harold Streitfeld, is that, unlike daughter Lisa and Robert ”Shunyamurti” Shubow, at least Harold Streitfeld had the humility to not make any such exceptional claims about himself.

I believe that he knew he was not long for the world (when I knew him he looked much older than his 61 years and was taking medication), and his experiences were that the human psyche was incredibly complicated and complex, and gets messed up really easily. I think he was very tired of all the theories, spiritual conjectures, complex cosmologies and needed to surrender to, live according to, a simpler and reassuring view of the world and what followed mortality, just to conserve energy and enjoy his last years.

The term ”infantilisation” is something we use here on this forum sometimes to decry how the BKs surreptitiously take away an adult's autonomy and independence. In Harold’s case, and maybe this is true of many BKs who come from the high pressure business and professional world, he seemed to relish the chance and permission to be a playful kid, do silly things in the loosely titled ”cultural” programs - he used to like to tap dance - and to just go through a regular routine without making decisions or taking personal responsibility. For whatever reason, he found giving everything over to the BKs and following their ”Sri Mat” easier than giving everything over to YWHY and following Torah (Jewish law).
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