Self-Realization Fellowship

Why does initiation and shaktipat actually matter? Look, during initiation, you're channeling a specific part of the teacher's energy. You're essentially under their direct supervision. In this lineage, we’re talking about Paramahansa Yogananda. This setup is what keeps you from getting wrecked while practicing these techniques—and let's be clear, they are intense enough to hurt you on multiple levels if you aren't careful. That's why initiation is non-negotiable in the Yoga tradition. Think about it: imagine someone with a 10-watt circuit trying to plug into a 1,000-watt power grid. It’s going to end badly. Period. Beyond just the physical or psychological fallout, there's the whole issue of the ego getting sick. So many people develop massive egos when they start practicing Yoga because they lack the oversight and guidance of a teacher. Shaktipat provides that initial surge of fuel, giving you the momentum to take up the method easily without any nasty side effects. Plus, it clears out all those blocks—energy, mental, emotional, spiritual. It lets you start fresh so you can actually accumulate new energy and awaken Kundalini. If you aren't clean starting out, you're just asking for trouble on the path to self-realization.

Anthony Perez9 said:Underwear and socks? Is that even worth talking about?

You've gotta be kidding me. Don't you know that Babaji personally gave those folks a symbol for their diapers during a dream back at Sajbabin's ashram?

Anyone know anything about this? 🤷

A friend of mine was at the ashram back then, and he said they're just a bunch of idiots. 😁

The Guru hymn during Guru Day

Karen Perez44 said:The Guru hymn during Guru Day

Ugh, just more media-driven, over-the-top idol worship.

Babaji's mantra

This is just one of the mantras from Paramahansa Yogananda. But let’s be real—it’s easily one of the most famous ones out there right now.

Paramahansa Yogananda is a total fraud—at least, that’s what I heard straight from his inner circle, people who actually lived with him for a while. Before he got exposed in the media, he was running some other organization, and now that all the scandals have hit, he’s rebranded everything under Transcendental Meditation. I actually sat through two of his seminars myself, and I’ll give him this: the guy is smart and a damn good actor. But looking back, his whole philosophy is basically just parrot work. He just repeats the same old stuff everyone already knows, claiming he’s the reincarnation of this or that whenever it suits his agenda. The craziest part? Now I’m hearing he isn't even a guru, even though he used to walk right up to people and insist to their faces that he was.

Listen, everyone, please believe me when I say this guy is a master manipulator.

@ashwinikumaras- man, don't fall for this stuff. Getting brainwashed is dangerous, both for you and anyone else around you.

Look, I’m not trying to drag anyone’s name through the mud for the sake of it, but I feel like I have a responsibility to tell the truth here.

You pay for the techniques and you don't give a damn about anything else, including the guru prices. It’s pure commerce, plain and simple. You pay your fee and you leave. Personally, I don't even follow Paramahansa Yogananda.

Karen Perez44 said:You pay for the techniques and you don't give a damn about anything else, including the guru prices. It’s pure commerce, plain and simple. You pay your fee and you leave. Personally, I don't even follow Paramahansa Yogananda.

Interesting take. ☕

Some people would try to grab God by the beard for a few bucks... forgetting that cash only goes so far. You buy a technique, you get the technique. Fair trade.
You got exactly what you paid for.

Anthony Perez9 said:Interesting take. ☕

Some people would try to grab God by the beard for a few bucks... forgetting that cash only goes so far. You buy a technique, you get the technique. Fair trade.
You got exactly what you paid for.

Everything we get is just a technique. Whether it's free or paid, it doesn't matter. The rest is on us to actually do the work, whether we take the easy way or the hard way. I paid for a technique, and for what I paid, it isn't bad.

I don't care about the folklore surrounding Vishwanand any more than I care about any other guru...

Walter Carter2 said:Paramahansa Yogananda is a total fraud—at least, that’s what I heard straight from his inner circle, people who actually lived with him for a while. Before he got exposed in the media, he was running some other organization, and now that all the scandals have hit, he’s rebranded everything under Transcendental Meditation. I actually sat through two of his seminars myself, and I’ll give him this: the guy is smart and a damn good actor. But looking back, his whole philosophy is basically just parrot work. He just repeats the same old stuff everyone already knows, claiming he’s the reincarnation of this or that whenever it suits his agenda. The craziest part? Now I’m hearing he isn't even a guru, even though he used to walk right up to people and insist to their faces that he was.

Listen, everyone, please believe me when I say this guy is a master manipulator.

@ashwinikumaras- man, don't fall for this stuff. Getting brainwashed is dangerous, both for you and anyone else around you.

Look, I’m not trying to drag anyone’s name through the mud for the sake of it, but I feel like I have a responsibility to tell the truth here.

Spot on—you hit the nail on the head. I'm sick of all those scammers around the world trying to mess with our heads. 😠
Vishwanand is just some spoiled prick who’s been playing the field since he was sixteen—especially with the ones he shoved into his own damn celibacy pact. And you actually go to him, all worked up and horny, just to worship his feet? Seriously? 🙂Ugh, gross. Me and my buddies spent months hanging out with him over in Germany. Some of those guys totally fell for that whole "freedom" trap. 😢They gave me the whole rundown—in detail. But honestly, it’s not even just about that sex stuff... there’s a massive pile of other garbage involved too... we're talking stolen relics and a whole laundry list of scams. Assuming you guys actually know enough English to make sense of this: http://tellthetruthswamivishwananda....orld/#comments 🙄 Check out the American version here:

Regarding that former bhakti yoga—now Atma Yoga—stuff... I was actually one of the first people he ever gave it to back in Germany. What can I even say? For a while there, the guy was basically just harvesting info from all of us about techniques we learned from other teachers. He’d just sit there, type everything into his laptop, and then dictate the first round of bhakti yoga straight from his notes. 😂 Whenever someone actually asked him a question, he had zero clue what was going on—so his go-to move for everything was just, "hmmm, let me check with Babajija first, I'll get back to you tomorrow." 😍 What a saintly guru answer. Real deep. Anyway—if anyone actually cares about the real yoga from back in the day, just go read *Autobiography of a Yogi*. You don't pay for yoga; it’s given to you individually... but of course, you have to be some kind of guru first to pass it on. Ahhh. Man, so many people have been spoiled by that arrogant attitude. 😕And you say so little about the One who actually gives you this yoga. 😢 ...but then again, maybe you don't even care. 😛 Wake up ppl !!!!

Does anyone even need anything else? He’s the Guru—the one who supposedly wipes away all that ignorance. And now they aren't just calling him a guru, but a sadguru too... 😵

I mean, even Krishna himself had to know how to speak 🤣, and all those sweet little guys—the gopis 😉. And if someone happened to be a Christian back then, there was a Christian version of that story too! 🙂

The sad part is most people don't realize how much V. has straight-up ruined lives—we're talking people selling their houses, walking away from jobs and families, handing over every cent they own 😢. It's even more pathetic that he’s still pulling in all these wannabes and naive souls. Honestly, I feel bad for him (Vishama), because I have a feeling he isn't even happy himself—he just bit off way more than he could chew with this whole "Great Guru" act he wasn't ready for.
Plus, he's still pretty young... who knows... maybe he can actually fix all this nonsense and shit 😛

Karen Perez44 said:Everything we get is just a technique. Whether it's free or paid, it doesn't matter. The rest is on us to actually do the work, whether we take the easy way or the hard way. I paid for a technique, and for what I paid, it isn't bad.

I don't care about the folklore surrounding Vishwanand any more than I care about any other guru...

Oh, so you think you can just buy better music by paying more? Fine. How much do you think someone would charge you to hand over "enlightenment" on a silver platter?! Where would you even go to take out a loan for that?? 😂 Man, it’s people like you—and all those Vishwanand clones—that make these guys filthy rich. Good for you, I guess. Clearly you aren't looking for actual wisdom or "depth," as someone put it, so you're doing just fine 😉.
But hey, you're all "meek and humble," right? Just waiting for that heavenly kingdom 🙂.

Anthony Perez9 said:Interesting take. ☕

Some people would try to grab God by the beard for a few bucks... forgetting that cash only goes so far. You buy a technique, you get the technique. Fair trade.
You got exactly what you paid for.

hehehe, kind of feels like medieval politics and some Pope Borgie nonsense 🤣 I bet all those great teachers who walked this earth are spinning in their graves right now—or maybe they're just hitting some massive moral mahasamadhi. Anyway, good thing a revolution is coming (on every level). 😂

I’ve got a collection of books on Yoga and ancient Eastern philosophy up for grabs
1. Stories of the Most Wonderful, by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada—a summary of Vyasa's teachings from The Tenth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam
2. Srimad Bhagavatam, Complete Edition
3. Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto Five – Part One
4. Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto Six – Part One
5. Journey to Other Planets, Raya Vidya, and the Treasure of Knowledge🙂The Wisdom Collection
6. The Song of King Nala, an excerpt from the ancient Mahabharata, Word and Thought
7. Shatkarma – The Six Yogic Purification Techniques, by Swami Anandananda
8. The Upanishads, introduced by Vojislav Despot
9. Krishna, The Highest Personal God, by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
10. Reincarnation: The Science of Rebirth, by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
If anyone wants to take a look, just shoot me a DM!