Godman (Hindu ascetic)
Encyclopedia
A godman is a colloquial name for a particular type of charisma
tic guru
who has a high-profile presence, is capable of attracting attention and support from Indian society, and makes claims of spiritual attainments. Godmen sometimes claim to possess paranormal
powers, such as clairvoyance
, or healing abilities.
They are often outside the establishment and may not have taken initiation
and associated with that, they tend to live in their own ashram
s, instead of that of belonging to a religious order.
Their success comes, often not from the strength of their parampara
, but from their personal qualities. They may however assert that they accept authority of a guru
. An example of a godman is Sathya Sai Baba
.
denounces the purportedly supernatural feats of godmen as “well-packaged gimmickry.” This group performs demonstrations of magic tricks which replicate the effects achieved by godmen, such as walking on coals, producing sacred ash from thin air, exploding stones with "mental power," levitating, or turning water into blood.
Very few godmen have allowed observation of their feats under controlled laboratory test conditions, such as Swami Rama
's controlling of his heart functions, or simultaneous differential thermal control of a hand.
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
tic guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
who has a high-profile presence, is capable of attracting attention and support from Indian society, and makes claims of spiritual attainments. Godmen sometimes claim to possess paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
powers, such as clairvoyance
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
, or healing abilities.
They are often outside the establishment and may not have taken initiation
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
and associated with that, they tend to live in their own ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
s, instead of that of belonging to a religious order.
Their success comes, often not from the strength of their parampara
Parampara
Parampara denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture and Indian religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism...
, but from their personal qualities. They may however assert that they accept authority of a guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
. An example of a godman is Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba
Śri Sathya Sai Baba , born as Sathyanarayana Raju was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, a spiritual saint and miracle worker who died in 1918 and whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and...
.
Criticism
The Indian Rationalist AssociationIndian Rationalist Association
Indian Rationalist Association is a voluntary organisation in India whose 100,000 members promote scientific skepticism and critique supernatural claims. It publishes books and magazines, organises seminars and lectures and its representatives regularly appear in TV and print media exposing...
denounces the purportedly supernatural feats of godmen as “well-packaged gimmickry.” This group performs demonstrations of magic tricks which replicate the effects achieved by godmen, such as walking on coals, producing sacred ash from thin air, exploding stones with "mental power," levitating, or turning water into blood.
Very few godmen have allowed observation of their feats under controlled laboratory test conditions, such as Swami Rama
Swami Rama
Swāmī Rāma was born Brij Kiśore Dhasmana or Brij Kiśore Kumar, to a northern Indian Brahmin family in a small village called Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. He became the lineage holder of the Sankya Yoga tradition of the Himalayan Masters...
's controlling of his heart functions, or simultaneous differential thermal control of a hand.
External links
- India’s ‘godmen’ face questions about wealth by Simon Denyer in the Washington Post 12 July 2011