RSSB: the Gill problem

Below is another in a series of guest blog posts from Anon, an ex-RSSB initiate. RSSB stands for Radha Soami Satsang Beas, an India-based religious organization headed up by a guru that I belonged to for 35 years, which explains my interest in sharing criticisms of the faith that I also found lacking. GSD stands for Gurinder Singh Dhillon, the primary RSSB guru.

RSSB: The GILL problem

Many will know RSSB has a new guru, Jasdeep Singh Gill. He’s not the main guru – although he does sit on the podium, has authority to speak, authority to give initiation to new members, and wear the uniform (white turban, white trousers and long sleeved dress, grey flowing beard). So far – he seems to be a backup “guru in training” and we haven’t heard much from him yet.

After so many branching-off and sister RSSB branches – I personally think it’s to ensure a continued legacy and no battle/dispute over future RSSB leadership. I personally think GSD has been nudged/asked to step down amidst all his legal/financial controversy. Still – he hasn’t quit yet and Gill is still just a vice-president guru.

Here is what we do know:

Despite being a sudden “Indian mystic” or spiritual guru – he is also a very highly educated academic and professional in the secular world. Gill is an IIT graduate, MIT attendee, Cambridge Ph.D doctorate, scientist, professional global executive and former c-suite Chief Strategy Officer. Here are the obvious issues between his background and RSSB spirituality which has been documented in its books and throughout satsangs by previous gurus.

1. GILL IS WELL-EDUCATED: It is going to be very hard for a highly educated person to turn around and preach “RSSB is harder for educated followers” and demonise education and the intelligent/educated followers – which RSSB does.
2. GILL IS INTELLIGENT: It is going to be very hard to demonise the same mind which led him to his achievements or demonise traits which led to huge professional success like critical thinking and independence, preach that the mind is the enemy of spiritual progress – which RSSB does.
3. GILL HAS REAL WORLD SUCCESS: It is going to be really hard to demonise the secular world and say that the real world is an illusion/maya and is dangerous when the guru found his obvious success within it e.g. wealth, status, prestige, reputation, funds etc – which RSSB does.
4. GILL HAS A NAME. It is going to be really hard for a wealthy global pharmaceutical c-suite executive to preach we need to live humble honest quiet lives – which RSSB does.
5. GILL POPPED UP SUDDENLY: Many will question since he doesn’t really have any spiritual or theological background, experience or training (although, I wonder – did any of the gurus possess this – beyond “Soami Ji meditated in a cave for years, got enlightenment, and handed it down”). RSSB maintains the guru is a perfect living saint who has achieved enlightenment – yet it looks like he’s spent his life in a classroom and boardroom.
6. GILL IS FAMILY: Gill is the 4^th guru in a line which came from the same South Asian North Indian Punjabi family. RSSB maintains the guru is the Messiah figure – yet once again he’s come from the same family circle.
7. GILL IS A SCIENTIST: It is also going to be hard for a literal scientist to preach a spirituality pseudoscience based on “the third eye” as an actual science like biology or chemistry or physics. It is going to be hard for a scientist to say “treat it like a lab experiment and try it for yourself” knowing that real scientists conduct experiments and look at the results and act based on the results. If it isn’t working then the experiment fails. This is just basic secondary school science – a Ph.D Cambridge engineer will know this. It’s hard for a scientist to advocate “keep trying the experiment for your whole life even if you don’t see results” – this isn’t science.

CONFLICT

RULES FOR YOU, NOT FOR ME: I find it VERY ironic that the same traits which RSSB has built its legacy on demonising now suddenly elevates that to guruship. These traits are also found in the current guru (GSD as an executive) or even the previous guru (Charan as a lawyer). It seems really ironic that these intelligent, educated, successful, wealthy, elite men preach honest, humble living and demonise education, independence and critical thinking – when they themselves have all these traits – and they demand blind faith, devotion and obedience. It does come across as narcisissm and hypocritical. “Here are the rules – not for me though – just you”. I’m surprised nobody ever addressed this within RSSB. You could probably put a mass murderer on the podium and call him a guru.

EXECUTIVE OR GURU: It will be interesting to see how Gill addresses his former life with his future life as a spiritual guru. Was it all maya/illusion? Did the mind mislead him into education and wealth and success? Is he going to give it all up? Does he regret it all? Does he dedicate his entire life to enlightenment? How will he reach out and connect with an increasingly educated audience? Will he demonise them and their traits and achievements? Will he expect them to give it up and become a full time RSSB person too? I’m surprised nobody has questioned this in RSSB but all have just blindly accepted him. You could probably put a white robe on a stick of wood and call it the next Guru.

RSSB GURU FANATICISM: I already know the fallout from this post, because RSSB teaches that you cannot question or criticise the Guru – it will be seen as a literal attack (almost a physical attack)p on him and his followers who are insistent he is God In Human Form. I have said this before and I’ll say it again – the RSSB Guru could literally punch someone in the face and their followers would go “wow you are so blessed the Guru touched you!”. People openly praised the fact an individual died on site at a Western centre, saying he died in the right place and would go automatically to heaven, guided by the guru personally. Guru could literally tell his followers to go jump off a bridge and kill themselves – and they’d do it. I would like to see Gill address this fanaticism – but the Gurus never address this, or encourage their followers to calm down and say/do less, let alone enforce anything – I personally think the Gurus lap it all up like a kid who loves milkshake.

Anon