Dead or Meditating?

[Lite Beer]

Dead or Meditating?

JAMES HAMBLINMAY

NEW DELHI: -- A court has been called to rule on whether a wealthy guru is dead or in a transcendental meditative state.

One of the wealthiest spiritual leaders in India has either been dead or in a transcendental meditative state since January. The Telegraph's Dean Nelson reports from New Delhi that a court has now been asked to settle the matter.

Ashutosh Maharaj is presently in a commercial freezer in his ashram, guarded by elders within the multinational sect (or, self-described "socio-spiritual-cultural, not-for profit organization") that he created. His followers insist that Maharaj is in a state of transcendent bliss called samadhi, a central tenet of traditional yoga in which a yogi becomes one with the universe. Upon moving all of your prana (currents of energy) up your spine and into your head, according to the seminal yoga manual Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a yogi can become "as if dead."

This would seem to be at odds with the assessment of a team of local physicians who examined Maharaj in February. After performing an ECG that showed no heartbeats, noting that he had no respiratory movements, and seeing that his pupils were fixed and dilated, the physicians declared him "clinically dead."

The sect's website states, "His Holiness Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji has been in a deep meditative state (samadhi) since January 29, 2014." Though, a representative from the sect did say on February 3, "About 4:00 PM yesterday, some changes were noticed in his skin (it became greenish). The body was then shifted to a freezer," which may or may not be part of the traditional protocol for transcendent bliss.

The guru's son and wife corroborate that he died of a heart attack in January, and that his followers are keeping his body in order to retain control of his financial empire, including the ten billion rupee ($170 million) estate where the corpse resides.

Read More: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/05/dead-or-meditating/371846/

--Atlantic Media 2014-05-31

[HeavyDrinker]

socio-spiritual-cultural, not-for profit organization

The guru's son and wife corroborate that he died of a heart attack in January, and that his followers are keeping his body in order to retain control of his financial empire, including the ten billion rupee ($170 million) estate where the corpse resides.

Bung him on a funeral pyre and divvy the money up between India's needy...

If he is alive he'll soon wake up and start running around like a cartoon character trying to put himself out before jumping into the fish pond.....

[Dogmatix]

He is in a transcendental meditative state, otherwise known as dead.

[AleG]

He's become one with the universe alright, ashes to ashes and all that.

[canopus1969]

Started to smell yet ?

[Kerryd]

Yeah - follow the money. I don't care who you are, how powerful/religious/holy/righteous/rich and/or powerful, when heartbeat and respiration stop, brain and body begin decaying. Decomposition (rotting) starts and within a short time pungent odours are very noticeable. Even being professionally treated and "kept on ice" won't stop it for long.

Of course, this is the same country where not long ago they claimed some kid had been meditating under a tree for months without eating. And then there's that "other" country where apparently Jesus has made his presence known by having his face appear on a rusty air conditioning unit (seems he also likes appearing on toast and dog's butts too - just like you'd expect from an all-powerful supernatural being).

I hope the court has the sense to cut through the BS (but then again, there's a lot of money at stake it seems).

[dukeandduke]

My girlfriend said that I was dead to her, but I was just meditating.

[Chao Lao Beach]

All about the money

[neverdie]

Yeah - follow the money. I don't care who you are, how powerful/religious/holy/righteous/rich and/or powerful, when heartbeat and respiration stop, brain and body begin decaying. Decomposition (rotting) starts and within a short time pungent odours are very noticeable. Even being professionally treated and "kept on ice" won't stop it for long.

Of course, this is the same country where not long ago they claimed some kid had been meditating under a tree for months without eating. And then there's that "other" country where apparently Jesus has made his presence known by having his face appear on a rusty air conditioning unit (seems he also likes appearing on toast and dog's butts too - just like you'd expect from an all-powerful supernatural being).

I hope the court has the sense to cut through the BS (but then again, there's a lot of money at stake it seems).

kerryd Everything you say is Spot On, but you lost me on the last line where you were expecting something decent to come out of a court

[Morch]

Yeah - follow the money. I don't care who you are, how powerful/religious/holy/righteous/rich and/or powerful, when heartbeat and respiration stop, brain and body begin decaying. Decomposition (rotting) starts and within a short time pungent odours are very noticeable. Even being professionally treated and "kept on ice" won't stop it for long.

Of course, this is the same country where not long ago they claimed some kid had been meditating under a tree for months without eating. And then there's that "other" country where apparently Jesus has made his presence known by having his face appear on a rusty air conditioning unit (seems he also likes appearing on toast and dog's butts too - just like you'd expect from an all-powerful supernatural being).

I hope the court has the sense to cut through the BS (but then again, there's a lot of money at stake it seems).

kerryd Everything you say is Spot On, but you lost me on the last line where you were expecting something decent to come out of a court

The problem lies more with police and government officials not doing their jobs, or ignoring court decisions.

The courts, at least in this case, seem to be alright.

[sprq]

At a rough guess, I'd say someone who is kept in a freezer is dead.

[neverdie]

Yeah - follow the money. I don't care who you are, how powerful/religious/holy/righteous/rich and/or powerful, when heartbeat and respiration stop, brain and body begin decaying. Decomposition (rotting) starts and within a short time pungent odours are very noticeable. Even being professionally treated and "kept on ice" won't stop it for long.

Of course, this is the same country where not long ago they claimed some kid had been meditating under a tree for months without eating. And then there's that "other" country where apparently Jesus has made his presence known by having his face appear on a rusty air conditioning unit (seems he also likes appearing on toast and dog's butts too - just like you'd expect from an all-powerful supernatural being).

I hope the court has the sense to cut through the BS (but then again, there's a lot of money at stake it seems).

kerryd Everything you say is Spot On, but you lost me on the last line where you were expecting something decent to come out of a court

The problem lies more with police and government officials not doing their jobs, or ignoring court decisions.

The courts, at least in this case, seem to be alright.

You and I are coming from two different angles.

There seems to be no shortage out of touch judicial members around the world. In some countries people get sentenced to long drawn out punishments for relatively minor things and in other places your flat out getting a result.

I understand how the law works and often laws are drafted with all sorts of defences.

Who knows what's going to happen I. this case. The money ones are often the ones where the strangest results are a achieved.

[Morch]

Yeah - follow the money. I don't care who you are, how powerful/religious/holy/righteous/rich and/or powerful, when heartbeat and respiration stop, brain and body begin decaying. Decomposition (rotting) starts and within a short time pungent odours are very noticeable. Even being professionally treated and "kept on ice" won't stop it for long.

Of course, this is the same country where not long ago they claimed some kid had been meditating under a tree for months without eating. And then there's that "other" country where apparently Jesus has made his presence known by having his face appear on a rusty air conditioning unit (seems he also likes appearing on toast and dog's butts too - just like you'd expect from an all-powerful supernatural being).

I hope the court has the sense to cut through the BS (but then again, there's a lot of money at stake it seems).

kerryd Everything you say is Spot On, but you lost me on the last line where you were expecting something decent to come out of a court

The problem lies more with police and government officials not doing their jobs, or ignoring court decisions.

The courts, at least in this case, seem to be alright.

You and I are coming from two different angles.

There seems to be no shortage out of touch judicial members around the world. In some countries people get sentenced to long drawn out punishments for relatively minor things and in other places your flat out getting a result.

I understand how the law works and often laws are drafted with all sorts of defences.

Who knows what's going to happen I. this case. The money ones are often the ones where the strangest results are a achieved.

Oh, not saying that I would place blind trust with the courts. My post was specific to this case.

India's justice system is somewhat like Thailand's - results can be compounded by either court decisions or the way these

are executed (and in many cases, both).

[bluebluewater]

What he really is, is a "meditating popsicle" . . .

[klauskunkel]

Upon moving all of your prana (currents of energy) up your spine and into your head, according to the seminal yoga manual Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a yogi can become "as if dead"

...,however, if only one of your prana is misaligned or doesn't make it into your head for some reason, according to the yoga journal 'Yoga, You and the Universe' a yogi will immediately do the Chicken Dance and after 15 minutes become "very hungry".

[richard_smith237]

At a rough guess, I'd say someone who is kept in a freezer is dead.

Not necessarily so... apparently moving the body to a freezer may or may not be part of the traditional protocol for transcendent bliss...

[that line tickled me pink !!]

About 4:00 PM yesterday, some changes were noticed in his skin (it became greenish). The body was then shifted to a freezer," which may or may not be part of the traditional protocol for transcendent bliss.

Its actually somewhat of a humorous story and would be more so if it wasn't due to an apparent undercurrent of greed and attempts to clutch at the transcendentally departed's wealth...

[vogie]

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its a duck

[ggt]

They just will not let the man die...in piece...what a mess...for the immediate family...

[phantomfiddler]

You,ve gotta love it If they were not outbreeding us it would be comical, but alas they are

[sirineou]

wait a few days, if he starts decomposing...

Ok so I wasted a couple of minutes of my life and read the story, apparently he is refrigerated, so scrap the decomposition theory

Now you need to wait for freezer burns

[Jeffreyake]

being s spiritual leader seems a good business in India

lol

[Morch]

They just will not let the man die...in piece...what a mess...for the immediate family...

Getting more curious - seems that as a young man the deceased(?) was an ordinary person. He got married, had a baby son,

had a fight with his wife and took off. Later on he found his calling, and founded his sect/cult (whichever one fancies). Had no

contact with family since (the cutting of ties with family is quite the norm when ones dedicated his life to religious practices in

India).

So basically now it's more of a succession/inheritance battle, with two or three factions within the DJJS, with the family (aided

by another small group of followers) are the wildcard. The DJJS itself is a sort of Sikh sect/cult/branch (really depends who does the defining), and its rise (in terms of followers, influence and theological differences) - not a favorite with mainstream Sikh

leaders, who meddle as well.

A lot of money involved.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Suspense-over-Ashutosh-Maharajs-death/articleshow/29573430.cms

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ashutosh-maharaj-a-dead-seer-kept-alive-by-blind-faithfuls-in-punjab-village/1/341909.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Ashutosh-Maharajs-son-on-way-to-Punjab-to-claim-his-body/articleshow/30300059.cms

[ableguy]

What a cracking story had me in stitches, there's a sucker born every minute.j

[kurnell]

He's in the freezer and not dead? Perhaps there's still a chance for my fish fingers. Better get a fish bowl

[khaowong1]

Saw this story on Yahoo news. It cracked me up.. I would think it's pretty obvious he's dead. It's happened in Thailand where a spiritual leader died while in meditation, however there wasn't a big row about it because he was poor as a church mouse.

I'm willing to wager, that the people who oversee his property, wealth, come to some kind of agreement with his estranged wife and son.. Now I'm also willing to bet, if he's actually still alive after spending months in meditation and in a freezer, a lot of people are going to say it was all a hoax.. And I'm also willing to wager, very few people here give a rats ass either way..

[avander]

DEAD? DEAD?! He's not dead! He's just sleeping! ROFL!!

A classic. Great article. Is he nailed to his perch? HaHaHaHaHa

[Morch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X90qKQAMh8A

[sirineou]

DEAD? DEAD?! He's not dead! He's just sleeping! ROFL!!

A classic. Great article. Is he nailed to his perch? HaHaHaHaHa

Very Funny

[somchaismith]

Would only need to thaw him out and take a sniff. If you smelt more than curry you would known that he's a goner.

[bbbbooboo]

Reminds me of the goons skit re the dead parrot "dead....it's not dead......it's just resting"