Saturday, February 05, 2005

An Angry Brainwashed Person

Craig--Your words sound like those of an angry brainwashed person to me. I have nothing to do with Andrew's community and never have, but I know the sound of someone who is brainwashed when I hear it.

The first thing of course, is to attack the character of someone who is speaking the truth. We all have character flaws. It's just a cheap shot to do that.

One other interesting thing is that you point to Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, as endorsing Andrew. That woman is the biggest fraud going! Joya, or Joyce Green, (which is her real name), is a total scam artist. A scam artist endorsing a scam artist! Great!

Good luck to you Craig. May you find the help and support and friends that you need when you finally find your way out of the mental torture chamber you have put yourself in.
- by anonymous

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6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati is neither a fraud nor a scam artist. She a great yogi, loaded with divine grace, and is a colorful and dynamic transmitter of conscious love communicated with tremendous passion and humor. Along with Lee Lozowick, (who has been quoted in this blog), she is one of the most well known of the crazy- wisdom school of teachers that appeared on the scene in the early 1970's who is still going strong. She has gone out of the way to befriend many spiritual teachers from all traditions, and never seems to have a bad word to say about anybody, so why should she criticize Cohen? She has made it a point to meet and befriend many spiritual teachers. She has spent years in tireless service to the down and out, to the disenfranchised in society, the sick and most particularly to those with AIDS. She is a fervent advocate for gay rights, and many times has marched in gay rights marches (how many other prominent spiritual teachers would do that!). Her students are also active in various social activism programs, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick. Those I know who have visited her ashram in Florida, were all greeted with warmth and were all impressed with the openness of the residents there, as well as with the wonderful work she and her students have done in other of her centers as well. Arlo Guthrie, well known folk singer, has been a student of Ma Jaya's for about 20 years, as is his wife and children, and he has also been active through her influence in various projects with the sick and dying. It would be good if Cohen could follow the lead of Ma Jaya and her students, (and also of Bernie Glassman Roshi, who also is to be commended for his extensive work with the homeless - he was also interviewed in the same issue of WIE as Ma Jaya) - by actually doing something tangible to deal with the hungry, needy, ailing, and dispossessed in society.

Ma Jaya is very generous in her praise for other teachers, and of course, she could only evaluate Cohen on the little contact she had with him when he interviewed her (which may or may not have been done on the telephone). For more information on Ma Jaya, see her website www.kashi.org

Sunday, 06 February, 2005  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This blog is about Andrew Cohen, not about Joya (Ma Jaya etc.) However, there is a link which will explain alot more about her from a much different perspective, www.kashiashram.com

I think that there is an important parallel to point out between Joya and Andrew, and indeed any fraudulent guru, which is that they all attempt to acquire an air of repectability and acceptance within a larger framework, which will legitimize them.

Andrew with his magazine, and Joya with her "good works." But scratch the surface, talk with those who have left the cult, and the truth comes out.

Sunday, 06 February, 2005  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This blog is about Andrew Cohen, but since you insist on dragging in Ma Jaya, and even print outdated and innaccurate information about her I will just explain something. I knew Ma Jaya back in the mid-'70's when my husband and I were in her group in NYC. She was known as Joya then, but changed her name to Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati around 1976. That was over 28 years ago - a long time to call someone by their old name. She only used the name 'Joya' for 3 years. Joyce Green was her maiden name. As a girl, Joyce married Sal Defiore at the age of 15 in 1955 and became Joyce Defiore. That marriage ended, and she married a Korean Tae Kwon Do master, and became Joyce Cho. My husband and I lived in Ma Jaya's group for several years, and it was a positive and enriching time for both of us. Before meeting Ma Jaya, I had spent time in India with several masters, for several years, including some time with Neem Karoli Baba, and I found Ma Jaya to be a profound teacher of incredible depth. Based on the other 'anonymous's' insistance on calling Ma Jaya 'Joya', I would guess that maybe he or she had known of her back in the '70's, perhaps met her, or was just influenced by the critical press. As far as the anti-Ma Jaya website mentioned, the man who put it together, Richard Rosenkrantz (who I knew) was involved in a lawsuit against her. There are many articles praising her as well, one can find on the net.

Sunday, 06 February, 2005  
Blogger the Editors said...

Note:
All posted comments, anonymous or otherwise, do not necessarily reflect the views of those individuals operating this blog.

Monday, 07 February, 2005  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I also was with Joya in the mid 1970's. I spent eight months in New York with her during the hay day of her involvement with Maharaji's devotees, and I lived in one of the houses in Queens.

If the previous anonymous writer, who likes Joya, was there at that time, and also spent time with Neem Karoli Baba, then no doubt we know each other, and even, I suspect, in another context, are friends.

I left Joya at the same time that many others did in the summer of 1976. I do feel that she is a fraud and a scam artist and a cult leader. That is my view, and that of many others who left at that time. Obviously it isn't the view of the previous writer.

I have found with those friends of mine who still consider Joya to be a credible teacher (though I have to say these are very few), that it is better not to engage in a dialogue about her. So, I will drop out of this exchange. If you like her, okay. I don't.

Tuesday, 08 February, 2005  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I came to this site through by searching Lee Lozowick in google.
Is anyone know a website where i can learn more about Lee?

Found few..only this link..

http://www.yogiramsuratkumar.net
/house/default.aspx
?tabid=65&EntryID=7"

Monday, 11 September, 2006  

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