SPIRITUAL BUSINESS

A New York Times article describes a guru-disciple chat between Yogiraj Siddhanth and his followers. They do not explore different ways to achieve salvation, what they do in fact is to share concerns about the correct way to market a CD version of the Swamis Corporate Executive Programme Did I forget to tell you that this baba offers 99.9% success rate in turning around failing businesses. These services certainly arent free and the money is used for noble purposes. No way to verify his claims as he claims customer confidentiality as well. This is an unfortunate example of the commercialization of something as simple and pure as religion and spirituality. Our country is steeped in ancient traditions with a particular reverence for the supernatural. Exponents of spiritual business are smart alecs who use the right mix of yogic practice and religion to promise the distressed a sure-shot formula for their troubled mind and body. This cult of god men has created supermarkets of spiritual fast food. As noted lyricist Javed Akhtar said, Today people can buy crash courses in self realization and cosmic consciousness can be acquired in 4 easy lessons. People today seek divine intervention in all spheres of life-education, employment, foreign travel, marital discord and even childbirth. People make donations in the name of God and the result is far from healthy. The treasures in a temple of Kerala are 4 times the national health budget. According to the Times of India, the spiritual industry is worth Rs2000 crore and more with VCD, DVD and audio cassette sales next only to Bollywood. Religion has been reduced to a mere spectacle. Religious tourism has pushed the realty rates of temple towns like Mathura,Tirupati,Ajmer by 400%.Kumbh mela has been turned into a photography event to capture all that is not so spiritual about religion in india.People are forever keen to watch a Jai Shri Krishna or Sai Baba for entertainment. God is indeed recession-proof.Today; there is a desire to attain nirvana and material wealth making it a heady cocktail to drink. From being the opium of the masses, spirituality is the tranquilizer of the rich and famous. There are corrupt saints who take advantage of the blind faith of devotees and dupe people to amass wealth in the name of charity. Spiritualism is being sold across the counter making it difficult to distinguish between a quack and a true practicioner.Some may be genuine in their Endeavour to provide relief while most others are merely promoting their own ideology. Woody Allen once said, I am astounded by the people who want to know the universe when its hard to find your way around Chinatown.The statement

epitomizes the directionless lives of todays generation. Spirituality isnt just getting your breathing right, its a connect with our own righteous soul. Controversial are the ways of mankind, sale of divine objects and minting money in the name of religion.