Smart crooks

  I used to often wonder, why do these English-speaking gurus like Osho, Sri Sri become so popular among the Indian urban middle class and elite?

We must acknowledge, Osho was a great intellect in post-modernist perennial philosophy and Sri Sri a successful franchise builder. But anyone with the know-how of brand loyalty theory would point out that, these things are not enough for such popularity.

Today when I saw a photo of some disciples of Osho doing "arathi" something Rajnish abhorred in his life, I had the Buddha moment in my life :-)

I realised that these people liberate their followers only from their inhibitions and guilt of indulgence in material life. They make them at peace with their material possessions, self-directed fantasies and their overindulgence in bodily pleasures, which their orthodox culture would have made them feel guilty. They reassure them that they need not feel sorry for their ghetto life.

smart crooks :-)