Topic: Gangaji

I have a friend who spent some time working for Gangaji. She feels she is authentic as a teacher. Gangaji gets dissed as neo-advaita, but generally and despite her husband's little imbroglio, she seems better than a lot of the other choices out there.

because it resonates with me so much, I'd like to know if she really is who she presents publicly.

Why do people leave a Gangaji satsang wondering about who she really is? If she's teaching about true nature... I'd expect people to emerge from satsang asking stuff like "What is Truth?" or "Why am I alive?" Gangaji's autobiography is entitled "Just Like You." If she really means that, and really teaches it... then there's little reason to focus on who she is... since "What am I?" addresses the issue more clearly and efficiently.

It's true that many people initially approach a guru or satsang teacher with the hope that the teacher is someone with superior attaiment, whom we may follow and believe in and get something from. Gurus oblige with teachings that at least subtly encouraged focus on the teacher him/herself.

There are other teachers who don't emphasize themselves as individuals, but rather encourage self-inquiry. The clarity of such teaching is reflected in how much the students focus on their own experience, behavior, and thinking... rather than believing this or that about the guru him/herself.

I can only speak for myself personally and my experiences with Gangaji satsangs and other teachers' satsangs I've been to.

Gangaji doesn't focus on herself and does encourage self-enquiry. I think people who leave Gangaji retreats might be more likely to question her mainly because she

doesn't

come across as a guru, or a teacher interested in focusing on herself or on dogma or ritual. People seem to wonder why she can teach so casually and not make a big deal of it (as we've been so groomed to expect spiritual teachers to portray themselves -- either directly or subtly -- as different from us).

When I was younger and first came across Krishnamurti's books, I actually enjoyed hearing about the supposed scandals, especially the rumor that he forced his lover to abort their love-child. I suppose I wanted to hear that for a couple reasons: I wanted to see if hearing such a thing would tint the teachings resonating with me (it didn't), and I also liked that all the people, for whom such news did bother them, left his teachings and went elsewhere.

So I suppose it's the same reason I am curious about Gangaji.