Nithyananda Sex Videos Scandal

Nityananda Fraud Allegations

I have recently received a few emails regarding the recent sex scandal involving Swami Nithyananda, asking for my thoughts on this matter and I will present those in this article.  For those who are not familiar with this sex scandal, essentially Paramhamsa Nithyananda, a Guru who had claimed to be celibate and who had renounced worldly pleasures, was recently caught on video in some very compromising sexual positions with two (or same) women on separate occasions.  His devotees are claiming fraud and conspiracy, but the evidence so far is looking very damning.  I am not claiming one way or the other, but think this is a good opportunity to discuss some of the issues related to spiritual gurus, priests, swamis and sexual scandals.

There is of course a great deal of anger, hurt and disappointment amongst the faithful who feel they have been badly cheated by a Guru who had declared himself as Enlightened and Self Realized.  This has led to a great deal of unrest at his ashrams and centers, many of which have had to take security measures to maintain decorum and safety.  There are several aspects of this scandal which I would like to address and will do so individually below.

1. Sex is Not the Problem

I have explained in the past the great power of sexual energy.  It is the most concentrated form of energy available to the physical body and properly conserved it is very useful for healing, strengthening and rejuvenation.  In addition, this is the one form of physical energy that can be used for spiritual growth as well.  Conserving sexual energy can boost your creativity and many Kundalini Yoga techniques, such as Sat Kriya, can help you raise the vibration of this energy and employ it for spiritual growth.  That being said, you do not have to be celibate to be enlightened.  

So having sex is not the problem and the sex videos would not have been as scandalous had Nithyananda not claimed to be celibate and had he not required the monks that join his order to remain celibate.  Emphasizing celibacy and renunciation and requiring it of others, but not adhering to it himself, is where the problem lies.  The videos, if true, reveal him to be a liar, which means he was not celibate and if he lied about that, then he loses credibility. 

So the problem is the dishonesty and not the sex itself.  Many great masters and enlightened teachers in the past have lived the life of householders and still do, so sex and enlightenment can coexist just fine.  The hurt and anger being felt by his followers is due to the fact they feel cheated and lied to.  They feel they have been taken advantage of and their trust has been betrayed.  It can be heart wrenching.  The followers now feel, if he lied about celibacy, perhaps he lied about being enlightened as well?  They will have a hard time believing anything now.  This is the problem.

I cannot over emphasize honesty.  I have written about it time and again, and what is important is not just honesty in your interactions with others and the world, but brutal honesty when you look at your mind, thoughts and feelings.  This is absolutely essential to spiritual growth and the following 3 articles go over this topic in more detail as well:

5 Key Principles of Living an Enlightened and Good Life

How to Live Life

Silent Mind Meditation Program – Power of Honesty

2. How to Find Your True Guru

The topic of Gurus and Swamis is another important topic that this scandal allows me to discuss, so I want to share some thoughts on it with you all.  Specifically with regard to Nithyananda’s sex scandal my friend and evolved spiritual soul Desika Nadadur discussed this scandal and wrote a great article exploring the importance of being your own master and you will find his wonderful analysis in the following article.

I suggest all those interested in the topic of self mastery and Gurus read this article. Paramahamsa Nityananda: A Saint or a Sham

I have written before that the true guru lies within us (How to Find Your True Guru).  That we must find the strength and courage to follow our heart and inner voice, which is how life speaks to us.  The true guru IS impersonal Intelligence and Awareness in action.  Rely on that and you will never be led astray.  This though is not to say that a teacher is not valuable.

A teacher, as I have pointed out in the article For Spiritual Growth can a Teacher or Guide Help, can be a source of great inspiration, great guidance and protection.  He/She can point out the way and indicate the pitfalls.  The teacher can thus help accelerate your spiritual growth.  In addition, the company of evolved people will raise the very level of your vibration and direct you towards infinity, and remind you of the meaninglessness of worldly things.  Thus, a teacher can certainly help.

In addition, a wise teacher can indicate techniques worth trying and by so doing you can find out for yourself the Truth in what they are saying or teaching.  Such was the case with the enlightenment of Nisargadatta Maharaj, which you will find here: Transcendence Techniques from the Spiritual Science of Advaita Vedanta.  But a Guru is not a requirement.  Self Realization does not require an external Guru and with external Gurus come this danger of fakes and phonies.

There is another subtle but important aspect of understanding the risks of authority when it comes to spiritual growth, and I will mention that briefly here and address it in more detail in a future article.  Authority of any kind when it comes to the mind, leads to pursuit and imitation.  Whether that is the authority of your own past experiences or the outside authority of a guru.  This authority sets the ideal, which leads to chasing and chasing IS the factor that prevents enlightenment.  So when all authority is forsaken, including that of past impressions, you will discover true freedom.

3. Dangers of Gurus and Priests

In the article, the Helpful Tips to Avoid the Big Risks of Meditation, I pointed out that the charm, magnetism and powers gained from meditation are often misused.  All too often we hear of spiritual leaders, priests and swamis, misusing their authority and taking advantage of their followers and devotees.  The case of Nithyananda, if true, is certainly not a unique occurrence, although the sex was not forced in this case and was consensual.

Recently the Catholic Church in Germany is in disarray due to the sexual abuse by the Catholic Priests (German Catholic Church Sex Scandal) and the Church of Scientology is being implicated in abuse charges as well, by many of it’s former members.  Those are just recent scandals, and if you were to do a quick check you will find endless such events tied to religious organizations and spiritual authorities. 

Unfortunately, these organizations and gurus tend to prey on the innocent, such as children, or on the fears of others, when due to great stress or uncertainty people get conned by the false promises of these fake priests.  Therefore, if you are a great meditator, do not be tempted by the pitfalls of power and authority, and if you are a person having difficulty in life, don’t blindly follow others simply because of the promises they make.

4. Money Money Money and Gurus

How do you detect the scammers and phonies?  Generally, you will find that once they suck you into their organization they will start to try and suck your wallet dry .  This is the tell tale sign that you are heading for trouble and heading for the poor house.

The “advanced” training will start to become more and more expensive and of course without it you have no chance of finding God, they will say.  If thousands of dollars start to go from your bank account to theirs, start to be wary.  Before all those who offer spiritual services for money start to yell at me, which happens too often when I speak on this topic, let me say I am not against receiving money for spiritual services, but I am just saying that if an organization starts to demand huge sums of money in order for you to continue your progress on the spiritual path, it is time to put up the red flag and do some serious thinking.

For more on this topic, you can read the following articles:

No Shortcuts to Enlightenment

Should Spiritual Services Be Free Or Not

Summary of Nithyananda Video Sex Scandal

One final point I would like to also make is that the teaching is always far more important than the teacher.  In addition, any thing or person can be a teacher for you, at any given time in life.  So even if the teacher is not perfect, if there is something to learn from them, the teaching still holds value.

I believe many thousands of years ago, Buddha saw the changing role of Gurus in the future and he saw them transforming more towards being a friend (Maitreya) than an absolute authority figure.  I find this very palatable.  In the past, true Gurus were your friend as well as your teacher and guardian.  Today, it is best if Gurus embrace this view and take on a role more of a friend, even as they continue to be teachers and guides.  I think that will work best.  After all, we are all divine beings, so there is no need for excessive hierarchy.  We are after all just the One Consciousness, so from my divine aspect to yours, a warm and love filled Namaste.