Hi James,
I’m tamasic and a little drunk now, but I love you.
Robert Harrison… Jail bird… What should I do about him? He’s sending nude pics of his big schlong to women in his Facebook group. He “borrowed” money that he hasn’t paid back to me. He knows a lot of Vedanta, and he’s sincere half the time, but he’s frigging mental the rest of the time. I joined a Facebook group that was connected to you, but it got co-opted by this Robert chap.
Anyway, Robert borrowed money form me, and when he asked for more, I not only rejected his request, but confronted him in his group. Time went by, he continued his group, and banished me. A woman that was in his group supported me in my confrontation, yet when banished from his gorup, went back, and was accepted back. It looks like maybe she was burnt too. She was asked for money, but didn’t pay. However, another woman in the group reached out to me and her, saying she was swindled by Robert and that he sent nude pictures to her, unwanted.). Lady 1 and Lady 2 cut from group. Lady 1 wants to do something about it. Lady 2 too.
Sorry, James. I love you. I love Vedanta. I love. But… What to do about this Robert Harrison jiva? I want to bury him. He’s got a group of at least 200 people. I loved his Vedanta, but then he turned on me. He’s teaching Vedanta, but on the side, it seems, behind the wall, he’s asking members for money, and asking women for sex.
A couple of years ago, I left home, went to India, out of love, out of wondering how to make some final step towards moskha. Anyway, I decided to return ot South America. You mentioned someting about not seeking a guru, that a teacher will come to you when the time is right. I thought it was Robert Harrison, as he came to me, un-asked-for.
Long story short, he has fucked with me, and he seems to be screwing some of his other Vedanta students. I’m OK, but don’t t know what to do about him. Wondering if I’m enlightened or not. I think I am. Any advice as to shutting this guy down?
I love you, James, old man. Hope you’re having fun with Sundari.
Hi Jan,
Yes, I know Robert is a criminal. He’s actually violent, did time for assault. He’s always broke and tormented by sexual urges. He’s so gross, classless and insecure that he has to resort to deception to get sex and money and drugs. Nothing ever works for him. People find out and he boots them out and preys on new recruits. He’s actually very miserable behind that spiritual façade. We helped him when he was in prison as one would help any suffering person and I offered to teach him personally but he is incapable of living a righteous life. It’s a real shame because people like that give Vedanta a bad name. It’s not up to me to sort him out. We did our best. If I wasn’t so busy serving the ShiningWorld community I’d contact the police, his parole officer, etc. but I’m an old man and haven’t got the stomach for such a nasty job. It’s better to just pray for him and leave the job to Isvara who will definitely bring him to book one fine day. It may look like he is getting away with something but I assure you, he isn’t. He’s a miserable person. The gullibility of seekers never ceases to amaze me.
You must be drunk if you think you’re enlightened. Enlightened people have discrimination. Whatever did you expect to get from him that you didn’t get from me or the proper Indian teachers that you visited? It’s your responsibility to vet these spiritual teachers, not just blindly accept them because they have the gift of gab.
I don’t know what more you expect to get Vedantawise, Jan. You certainly have enough knowledge and have been seeking long enough. It seems to me that it’s about time to take a stand in Awareness. If you looked at Jan and the world from the Self’s point of view you would stop seeking. You must believe moksa is some kind of event that is supposed to happen one fine day to prove what the scriptures are saying is true.
Vedanta is not theory and practice. You need to know that a moksa that happens will unhappen. You are already free. There is only one Self and it is limitless, meaning free, not associated with the body and mind. Apply that knowledge moment to moment and you will save yourself a lot of disappointment. But, of course there is no romance to this approach, just a lot of humble but satisfying hard work. If you want a better life, you need to work for it. Some kind of spiritual insight is not going to change your karma. Look at Robert. And look at the fools who listen to him. What do they expect? If they knew what he was actually experiencing inwardly, they would all run away immediately. That’s the danger of the internet: fake news, fake people.
Maybe you are just attached to seeking. If you actually know what Vedanta is you stop seeking and accept yourself as ever-free, ever-present existence shining as consciousness. From that point on it is just a matter of living the knowledge.
Rather than getting drunk and feel angry and disappointed, you should ask yourself why you are seeking and what you expect to get out of it. Many people think of seeking as a lifestyle. Think about this: the Self is not a goal and Vedanta is a pathless path. Somehow you are not satisfied with yourself as you are. Why? I suggest that you go to the ShiningWorld home page and click the start here menu and start over. Your sravana is obviously incomplete. You can also order the Complete Teaching video, which is for people who have been into Vedanta for a long time and are not growing. Can I borrow some money please?
Jan: Thank you very much for getting back to me. Sorry for the drunkeness. That was actually quite rare for me. I’ve been involved volunteering with a food bank and we finally got around to having a social event on Saturday and the booze was flowing. Normally alcohol isn’t in my life.
I wasn’t clear about the relationship between Robert and you, but knew there was something. I’m trying to help some people figure out how to warn others of Robert’s behaviour, and thought it could be beneficial to contact you. I also thought it might be interesting for you to know about this stuff. I’m not angry with Robert, although I may have sounded that way in my email. I’m not disappointed. I just feel that I need to warn others, and not only for their own good, but for Robert’s as well. Robert was becoming redundant with his Vedanta classes, so there was nothing lost when he kicked me out. I think he’s the one that lost out as I put a lot into his group.
I feel like my seeking is basically at its end. Absolutely nothing can affect me in any way. Things may affect my body and mind, but that’s not me. I remind myself daily of that, that I am not the body, mind, or senses. That’s all Isvara, not me/Brahman. One thing that has really sunk in lately is that as a jiva I can think crazy thoughts, have negative emotions, and it’s all OK. No matter what happens with the mind, body, and senses, it has nothing to do with me. Even swamis have negative experiences.
I’m not seeking these days. I’m just enjoying reminding me of this. I’m also just letting my life as a jiva unfold as it does. These days I’m listening to Swami Tadatmananda teaching Atma Bodha, and he keeps confirming this. As much of a criminal as he is, Robert also was quite clear about these things. The time I spent with Robert was beneficial.
I thank you so much for getting me on the Vedanta bus a few years ago. I don’t think I need to start at Square One again, but thanks for the suggestion regarding your Complete Teaching video series. I’ve listened to countless hours of your talks, and read many of the things you’ve written. I’ve enjoyed them very much, and will probably continue to enjoy them. Thank you again for getting back to me.
James: I have to take the emails I get at face value so I was talking to the booze not you. I was quite surprised because I remembered you as a pure minded clean living person. I just posted your email anonymously so that I could inform people who read the satsangs about Robert and maybe get the word out a little more. I’ll put this one up too as a follow up to show that repressed stuff comes up when drugs and alcohol are involved.
But the disappointment and anger you felt are definitely legitimate, however, because he broke dharma. He has so much desire, he can’t wait to get what he wants so he breaks the rules; he probably grew up in a criminal environment. Maybe his spiritual side came out in jail where he was insulated from the day to day extroversion of the criminal class.
In any case anyone who isn’t angered by this kind of behavior is not in touch with their emotions. It’s good that on the conscious level you acknowledged your bhakti for him and the teaching, but honestly you should never give your confidence to people until you have a secure relationship, particularly someone with whom you have a purely online connection. If a person is speaking the truth, just take the truth as a gift from Isvara and forget the messenger. If you have a proper guru this kind of thing will never happen.
I feel sorry for him but I also feel sorry for the reputation of Vedanta. And Vedanta has done and will do a lot more good for the world than any individual. Robert will not even rate a footnote in the history of the spiritual world. He’s not even a world-class demon like Adi Da and others. Maybe you can post your experience on an anti-cult website. Anyway, I’m glad to hear that you are doing well spiritually. I’m not going to mail your enlightenment certificate right away, however. If there are no more Robert’s in the next few years, however, I think you probably deserve one. You’ve been very faithful and the teaching seems to have achieved its purpose. Take it easy. If you can keep from asking for money and sending dick picks to the babes maybe you could help people online. Or write up your story. It’s a good one. The last chapter about Robert could be entitled “Egg on My Face.”
Love,
James
