False Gurus & Godmen (Criticisms of Hinduism Series)

Some of my fellow Hindus feel it is important to give reverence and respect to all Hindu holy men, gurus, saddhus, priests, etc. My experience has led me to a different approach.

I haven’t historically been bothered by portrayals in the media of Hindu “holy” men who are frauds and con men. Because it does happen. But I’m starting to understand now that the portrayals are rather one-sided. In the glee to tear down religion, stories are always focused on the “bad apples.”

The truth is that there are corrupt people out there. Particularly in the Kali Yuga! Whether here or in India, being a con man “preacher” can make you a lot of money and crooks are drawn to opportunities like that.

Among many impressive gurus and other holy men, there are some fakes. I urge everyone to keep hold of your common sense when you are learning about a guru. If anything doesn’t sit right with you, don’t support it. If you’re asked for money and it doesn’t feel right, don’t give. If you’re asked to go to something that feels fishy, don’t go. Your instincts may be off and it’s really fine, but when it comes to your soul: better safe than sorry.

The purification of your soul deserves your great care. I wouldn’t hand over the responsibility to that to just anyone. It is okay to be skeptical and get to know a guru slowly. There’s a strong culture of devotion within Hinduism and it can be easy to be swept away by the atmosphere of other people’s adoration for someone.

But it is okay to learn about that person, to take your time considering whether they deserve your devotion. If you don’t take that care, you can end up feeling used and like you wasted years of your life. I’ve seen that in devotees who discovered their gurus were not pure of heart. I’ve felt it myself a little bit because the people I put faith in when I was young didn’t deserve that faith.

Questioning is just fine. What I always say is that a guru who doesn’t hold up to questioning isn’t worth your devotion. When you follow a holy man, it should make you feel at peace, taken care of like a child with a beloved parent. If you’re being told that to “break down your ego” you need to criticize yourself and others, harm yourself, be angry with yourself, then I would deeply question if this is the path for you. Sometimes it is. There are traditions of being harsh to break down someone’s ego. But if you’re experiencing that, be willing to question if this is the right guru for you and the right path for you. Maybe you decide it is, but you need to trust your own instincts and heart.

In every religion there are examples of corrupt leaders. Sometimes they go into it in order to trick people and sometimes they get carried away by ego that they didn’t realize they hadn’t effectively dealt with.

We see fake faith healers who prey on people’s faith. We see rabbis who force women to stay with abusive husbands for the sake of appearances. We see priests convicted for sexual crimes against children. We see holy men arrested for tax fraud. These things do happen.

But the weakness of some leaders is not a reason to assume all leaders are bad. I’ve seen those things but I’ve also seen and met holy men from all religions who are shining examples of how to live a purer and better life. 

No one should give up on Hinduism because some con men find their way in. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you and you’ll find a guru you trust and love. 

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