RSSB guru in poor health, cancels satsangs for six months

Today someone left this comment about the guru of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Gurinder Singh Dhillon. (Quite a few people who visit this blog have an interest in him, being either currently associated with RSSB or having done so in the past, as I was for 35 years.)

Well, it appears RSSB has finally updated their website. All satsangs in India and abroad have been cancelled, including the dera effective immediately until end of November. The update says GSD has been told to rest for his health. Sounds serious if he's cancelled the next 6 months of satsangs and initiations. Hope he recovers quickly from this.

I visited the RSSB web site and confirmed this is true. Here's a screenshot. Baba Ji is a term of respect for the RSSB guru.

It seems a bit strange that more information about the guru's health wasn't communicated. Yes, usually health and medical care is a private concern. But in the case of a public figure, it makes sense to share more information publicly. Maybe this will be done at some point.

Comments

[no speculation please]

"Satsangs are cancelled for 5 months - but please don't speculate

It is impossible not to speculate when the full information is not supplied.
clearly if it's not serious, there would be no need for 5 months of rest under doctor's orders.

I hope he makes a quick and complete recovery.

To avoid speculation, full and accurate information should be given, Otherwise definitely people will speculate.

[Dungeness]

@ no speculation please [ To avoid speculation, full and accurate information should be given, Otherwise definitely people will speculate. ]

I think a mystic would say, without mastering the mind, there will always be speculation.
With or without full disclosure. Agree full info is preferable though.

[Arun Marwah]

It is a practice of the Rssb never to disclose the actual health problem faced by the Baba ji even earlier.

[Neon]

a mere mortal

[questions]

If the guru is indeed GIHF and comes to earth from Sach Khand to release souls from the clutches of Kal, surely he would write his own destiny and give himself a long healthy life so he can effectively release a lot of souls.
If he is subject to normal karma, then how is he different from the rest of us?
if he is subject to lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride like everyone else,what qualifies him as a master?
GSD has all five. Without greed he would not have been involved with the financial dealings. Without attachment he would not have made his sons multi millionaires.

Anybody can conduct satsangs and give you the theory of sant mat, and indeed there are so many appointed speakers who do that. Brian Hines himself used to be one.

You can create any belief you choose, but it doesn't become the truth.

There are thousands of different beliefs about god. what makes one more believable?
nothing, except that you believe it.

unless you have actual proof, your belief is one of many.

how long have you meditated? where have you really gotton?
can you travel to sach khand and do you know it's real and not imagination?

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Questions
You asked
"There are thousands of different beliefs about god. what makes one more believable?"

After over fifty five years of meditation, it seems to me that one plausible answer is... The one that speaks to you.

You asked
"can you travel to sach khand and do you know it's real and not imagination?

That's an easy one. How do we tell real from imagination for any event you personally experience? People have all kinds of different personal criteria.

How about travel to one place where you set things a little more clearly than you do today? Wouldn't that be easier for you to verify for yourself?

It's the same process.

Suffice it to say this claim has already been made in so much literature.

But none of that can help you answer it for yourself.

What you can do is take a look at meditation research and pick something that appeals to you. If there is any benefit to you choosing and following a system, isn't that the only thing of value that can come of questioning any system?

Here is a very Scholarly and conservative review.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_meditation

And a few fun reviews of some selected current research...

https://www.fastcompany.com/3040039/its-not-just-for-your-brain-meditating-can-actually-change-your-dna

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation#3.-Promotes-emotional-health
https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/transcendental-meditation

[arun marwah]

Whatever our differences on the ongoings in RSSB,i wish him a speedy recovery

[Sonya]

Spence, I honestly don’t understand why you consider yourself a follower of RSSB given that you are pro choice. All the RSSB gurus were and are vehemently opposed to abortion—it’s worse than eating meat.

That’s just something that always confused me about you.

That said, I don’t follow the RSSB path and it actually kind of reminds me of the “Tealers”. If you haven’t heard about the Teal Swan cult then watch Deep End on Hulu. It’s mesmerizing—totally trauma-drama crazy. She has over 90 million followers on YouTube. What’s almost even more fascinating is the cult within a cult—her “inner circle” (reminds me sooooo much of RSSBs “inner circle”).

It’s like watching a train wreck but you just can’t stop watching. The show actually prompted me to start doing more research on her (it’s fascinating) and that led me to these YouTubers that have channels dedicated to talking about what makes a cult a cult. Hours and hours of helpful, “same” dissection of these organizations. Please spend some time watching these videos. All of the sudden you’re like “my belief system isn’t so ‘special’ after all.”

Even pockets of atheism can get culty—it just depends on whether you use your belief system to try and separate and elevate yourself. That’s where things start unraveling. Searching for the truth and using discernment to weigh the facts is a good thing. But when you’re driven by a need to feel “special” and morally or intellectually superior, then you can easily be swayed by others.

There’s a good book called ‘Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of Brainwashing in China’ by Robert Jay Lifton. When you see the same type of cultish behavior played out over and over again across numerous cults, religions, social groups, and governments, it’s hard not to eventually stop and say to yourself, “Oh, maybe I am a little brainwashed”. 🤔

Maybe just a little. 😉

[Sonya]

*”sane” dissection

[Sonya]

I don’t wish GSD unwell. I truly hope he’s not in any pain—I don’t want anyone to be in pain. (I just think RSSB is a cult… that’s all).

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Sonya
You wrote
"Spence, I honestly don’t understand why you consider yourself a follower of RSSB given that you are pro choice. All the RSSB gurus were and are vehemently opposed to abortion—it’s worse than eating meat."

"That’s just something that always confused me about you."

Yes I am entirely pro choice. I'm proud that my company helped Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles get through some tough years to become one of the best running chapters of Planned Parenthood in America. It's the high point of my career aspiration to help others.

Yes, I've stood with Naral at women's health centers to keep the doors of clinics open and to protect doctors from fundamentalist cults.

Where you see communities that do not provide free and judgment-free contraception and sex education to anyone at any age, there you have the highest incidence of unwanted pregnancies. And unwanted pregnancies lead to abortions, legal or otherwise.

Maharaji said it was a personal choice.

No one wants an abortion. Everyone understands that it ends life at some level. But the consequences must be weighted. And no one can do that best except the woman involved. Because losing control over one's own body, having your human rights violated, and being told that is the law, has ruined many lives, even contributing to suicide . But in order to make a decision you must be given the tools and education to do so. And support for any choice.

Abstinence only communities have the highest incidence of unwanted pregnancies. Often 2-6 times the unwanted pregnancies compared to communities with safe, free and legal contraceptive and abortion healthcare.

90% of Planned Parenthood funding, and 100% of federal reimbursement for Planned Parenthood is for Women's health check ups, diagnosis and treatment, mother and baby health check ups and contraception.

Not abortion.

When women are encouraged to honor themselves, take care of themselves, prioritize their health and their life, you get the lowest rate of unwanted pregnancies by a wide margin.

I can't explain the karmic reality, but any objective and detailed observation of the issues involved, the harm done by any community effort to control a person's own body in this matter, is significant.

Taking away a person's right is, from a karmic perspective, the equivalent of human slavery. That is a very, very heavy Karama also.

This is why Maharaji, who was entirely against abortion, was 100% for the right for the woman to make her own decision. And for families to support that decision.

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Sonya

You wrote
"Spence, I honestly don’t understand why you consider yourself a follower of RSSB given that you are pro choice. All the RSSB gurus were and are vehemently opposed to abortion—it’s worse than eating meat."

"That’s just something that always confused me about you."

Yes I'm absolutely pro choice. In communities with free contraception, sex education and abortions you see the lowest rate of unwanted pregnancy.

I'm communities with abstainance only, you see 2 to 6 times the number of unwanted pregnancy.

Yes Maharaji was 100% against abortion, but he also was 100% firrm about the fact that the woman must make her own choice.

Abortion is a level of harm, yes. It is a level of killing. But the issue of taking that choice away from anyone is, karmically, the equivalent of human slavery. And that is a terrible burden as well.

If you want to avoid anyone having to make the decision, then free contraception, free public education, free women's Healthcare, and all the community and government support necessary for any choice is the actual path.

[Dungeness]

@ sonya [ Spence, I honestly don’t understand why you consider yourself a follower of RSSB given that you are pro choice. All the RSSB gurus were and are vehemently opposed to abortion—it’s worse than eating meat. ]

Ahem, pardon my elbowing in, Sonya, but where did you find evidence
of such an absolutist RSSB view on abortion... Although I didn't spot
any Q&A exchanges in the books, I can well imagine RSSB gurus
giving careful nuanced answers but certainly not threatening nor
fanatical in tone as you seem to imply. Advising firmly in some cases
but not in others and never, ever co-opting a woman's right to make
her own choice. Unlike a cult.

[Sonya]

@Dungeness,

GSD has said it many times in his Q&A sessions—many, many times. I’m pretty sure this has even come up in some of the video Q&As.

He’s also against contraception and spaying or neutering animals. If you guys are going to follow him, you should get to know him. Write to him at the Dera. Someone else will answer but they will tell you what he believes.

[Dungeness]

@ Sonya [ GSD has said it many times in his Q&A sessions—many, many times. I’m pretty sure this has even come up in some of the video Q&As. ]

Thanks, I'd be interested in which specific Q&A's as I follow the video's,
er, religiously, and don't recall any related exchanges. Also, the nuances
are important because a particular answer may not signal a hard black 'n
white, unvarying position. That is, a rape/incest pregnancy victim may
well receive a different answer than another who wants to terminate for
a seemingly impulsive, emotional reason for example. In either case a
guru doesn't make the decision for that individual.

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Sonya
I'm sorry but you will not find a single video or book passage in the entire RSSB library that advocates outlawing abortion.

Life is sacred. So is the right to choose.

You are most welcome to prove your claim at any time by providing a quote and source.

But you will find none.

[Spence Tepper]

Even in the current RSSB website you may read the Empowering Women book. This is basically geared to encouraging women not to abort the unborn in the third trimester at the behest of their husband simply because they are not going to be a male child.

But even here there is zero advocacy for legal sanction. The whole point of Empowering Women is to encourage women to make their own choice. Which is consistent with Maharaji and Baba Ji's position:

https://rssb.org/awareness_programs.html

[Spence Tepper]

Even in the current RSSB website you may download and read the book Empowering Women.

https://rssb.org/awareness_programs.html

This is basically a tract encouraging women to avoid third trimester abortion simply to make sure they only have male children.

Nowhere here or anywhere else in RSSB is outlawing abortion advocated.

The entire book is about allowing women to make their own choices.

Life is sacred. And so is the right to choose.

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Sonya
I forgot to ask, are you personally pro-choice?

[Sonya]

@Spence,

I’m personally pro choice. Although, I think it’s a decision one should weigh very, very carefully.

It’s funny “Satsangis” are religious about their vegetarianism, abstaining from drugs and alcohol and meditation. However, as is typical with all human beings, since the 4th vow is clearly listed out — just a vague “lead a clean and moral life”, Satsangis typically just make up their own set of rules there. I think Satsangis are basically religious about just the first three vows.

GSD also both added to the teachings and took certain things away. So, unless you spend a lot of time around him—like go to the Dera every year, you don’t really know him. After all isn’t that the only purpose of a guru or a teacher? A “Living Master” so that you can learn from him/her?

It’s hilarious how different the Dera groupie satsangis are from the ones who don’t go to the Dera regularly. Like GSD strongly discourages makeup and hair coloring. All the rich western women who go to the Dera each year believe not wearing makeup and not coloring your hair is what you must do the please your master.

One night at evening meeting a woman who was strikingly beautiful got up and said that her husband (who was sitting next to her) was upset that she decided to her hair go grey. The woman told GSD that she wanted to be obedient to GSD and live in his will. GSD nodded and gave reasons for why people should dye their hair or wear makeup.

The next year her hair was cut super short and all grey and she wore no makeup whatsoever.

I’ll say that there’s nothing inherently wrong with going natural, but it’s overstepping a boundary for a spiritual teacher to impose that ideal.

My point is, I’m amazed at how confused and misinformed satsangis are over what the guru believes.

[Sonya]

Meant to say:
since the 4th vow is NOT clearly listed out

[Sonya]

Spence,

Actually, the abortion issue is the toughest of all. I wouldn’t encourage someone to get an about it at the same time I don’t feel it’s my place to tell someone else what to do with their body.

So, it’s a hot topic across the board for everyone. Probably the reason John Kerry lost to GW Bush in 2004.

No judgement at all… I completely understand why women make that decision. I did it myself and it seemed like the best option at the time… but it sort of “killed my soul” a little.

[Sonya]

(Proofread, Sonya, proofread.)

“I wouldn’t encourage someone to get an abortion…”

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Sonya
You wrote
"GSD also both added to the teachings and took certain things away. So, unless you spend a lot of time around him—like go to the Dera every year, you don’t really know him. After all isn’t that the only purpose of a guru or a teacher? A “Living Master” so that you can learn from him/her?"

That's an interesting take. But please consider that the only point of any teacher is to help you connect with and learn from yourself and reality better.

Even living next door to the Dera is no assurance of understanding.

But if you know your own heart you have everything Sant Mat is offering. That is actually in the teachings. Then you don't need to follow the master wherever he goes. Once you are connected to yourself, that becomes your pipeline. Then your master is within you, where he always was.

Some folks have an internal locus of control and others have an external locus of control. The external locus means a person looks to others to tell them what is going on, what is right or wrong.

The ones with an internal locus of control have what Hemingway called, a good crap detector. They follow the sacred book of their own heart.

In my humble opinion let me suggest the purpose of Sant Mat is to connect you to that, give you some tools to develop that.

But, and here is what I believe to be the big point, everyone views Sant Mat through their own lens.

So the Sant Mat of one person is going to be different than the Same Mat of some other person. Each person, consciously or unconsciously, selects what to see, hear and remember. It's how the brain functions.

Until that is addressed directly, the individual only has the collage created by their own mind. And those are not the same for any two people.

Confronted with contrary information, even factual, the nature of the mind is to justify its existing collage.

So it's fine to enjoy each person's perspective as having at least some validity, knowing that no single opinion will be perfect.

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Sonya
You wrote
"GSD also both added to the teachings and took certain things away. So, unless you spend a lot of time around him—like go to the Dera every year, you don’t really know him. After all isn’t that the only purpose of a guru or a teacher? A “Living Master” so that you can learn from him/her?"

That's an interesting take. But please consider that the only point of any teacher is to help you connect with and learn from yourself and reality better.

Even living next door to the Dera is no assurance of understanding.

But if you know your own heart you have everything Sant Mat is offering. That is actually in the teachings. Then you don't need to follow the master wherever he goes. Once you are connected to yourself, that becomes your pipeline. Then your master is within you, where he always was.

Some folks have an internal locus of control and others have an external locus of control. The external locus means a person looks to others to tell them what is going on, what is right or wrong.

The ones with an internal locus of control have what Hemingway called, a good crap detector. They follow the sacred book of their own heart.

In my humble opinion let me suggest the purpose of Sant Mat is to connect you to that, give you some tools to develop that.

But, and here is what I believe to be the big point, everyone views Sant Mat through their own lens.

So the Sant Mat of one person is going to be different than the Sant Mat of some other person. Each person, consciously or unconsciously, selects what to see, hear and remember. It's how the brain functions.

Until that is addressed directly, the individual only has the collage created by their own mind. And those are not the same for any two people.

Confronted with contrary information, even factual, the nature of the mind is to justify its existing collage.

So it's fine to enjoy each person's perspective as having at least some validity, knowing that no single opinion will be perfect.

If we are works in progress, so then is our understanding.

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Sonya
You wrote
"No judgement at all… I completely understand why women make that decision. I did it myself and it seemed like the best option at the time… but it sort of “killed my soul” a little."

Sonya, it was the right decision then and now.

This is why inner searching and finding inner truth and inner peace is so crucial, not just to ourselves, but as a resource to those around us.

[Dungeness]

@ Sonya [ No judgement at all… I completely understand why women make that decision. I did it myself and it seemed like the best option at the time… but it sort of “killed my soul” a little.]

What haunting, evocative words [ 'killed my soul" a little]. IMO
this is what draws us back inside ourselves... to understand why
it happened. Not to dwell in regret but only to be free.

[Cheryl]

I am trying to get in touch with Mike Williams. If someone could give me an email address for Mike that would be great, or you can email me on the email address o provided, thank you.

[googlecash]

"But in the case of a public figure, it makes sense to share more information publicly"

Do explain how it makes sense to share the precise medical status of Gurinder Singh.

[anonymous]

Seems odd to cancel for 6 months...I wonder if Gurinder just wants to enjoy his ill-gotten millions.

[Sonya]

Well, if they’re saying Satsangs are canceled for 6 months then we can rule out Covid. Must be more serious than Covid and less serious than imminent death. So, there you go. Nothing to worry about.

[777]

I wouldn't worry Sonya
I know a girl , initiated after abortion
in meditation found out that he killed her
and worse, . . in 1947

77

[Sonya]

@777

Well, regardless I wouldn’t punish anyone for treating me badly in a past life. And I’m not the most benevolent person in the world, so I certainly don’t think a loving God would punish them.

My memory is like a goldfish’s memory. 😉

[El]

Sonja is presenting a half-truth. The abortion the Master object to is FORCED abortion ON THE MOTHER by FAMILY, based on GENDER BIAS against girl baby pregnancies. The Masters are educating people about this cultural violence.
Besides that, the Masters don't interfere with anyone's personal life. I believe in one of the many tapes of Q&A's MaharaJi was questioned about if a woman should have the baby in a situation where she was raped and impregnated. I believe I recall the answer to have been... why should she have it she didn't ask for it.

[Sonya]

@El

OK, whatever… ALL of the RSSB Masters have given different answers to the exact same questions. What does that tell you? How do you create “scripture” or dogma based on completely different opinions?

RSSB dogma changes with each Master guru.

Think about it.

There are NO absolute laws in RSSB. What Great Master wrote does not apply to Charan Singh’s followers and it certainly doesn’t apply to Gurinder’s initiates.

So, again, what does this tell you??

It tells you that each Master makes up his own rules.

RSSB is a very inconsistent philosophy.

Deal with it.

[Sonya]

And if you repeat the typical worn out phrase that “each Master addresses the problems of their times” then you are completely delusional about the definition of truth.

[Appreciative Reader]

"All the RSSB gurus were and are vehemently opposed to abortion." -----Sonya

"The abortion the Master object to is FORCED abortion ON THE MOTHER by FAMILY, based on GENDER BIAS against girl baby pregnancies." ---El.

"OK, whatever" ------Sonya.

-----

Hardly "whatever".

That's actually a thing with some regressive societies, where male offspring are favored over the female, and that results in all kinds of atrocities. I'm no cheerleader for RSSB and far less for GSD, but if it's true that he passed a dictum to the sheeple that follow his words that they shouldn't force an abortion on a hapless woman because they'd found out the sex of the child would be female, then I applaud the man wholeheartedly. And I don't see how anyone can dismiss that with a casual "whatever". In as much as you were under the impression that GSD advocates regressive practices like taking away from women their right to abort, and instead it apparently turns out (provided El is correct in so reporting) that on the contrary GSD is basically trying to root out the barbaric practice of abortions forced on an unwilling mother in order to pre-empt a female birth, then surely being shown that the facts are diametrically opposite of what you'd imagined them as, merits more than just a casual "whatever" thrown in.

Banning abortions is regressive, indefensible (providing, obviously, that it is the pregnant woman herself who wants to abort). Female infanticide, and abortions to pre-empt female births, are barbaric. And forced abortions, forced on a mother against her wishes, is so barbaric as to truly deserve being called "evil" and a "sin", even if you don't actually believe literally in sinning.

Thanks for clarifying that on these pages, El. (Always assuming you're right about this. I do see that no one has challenged you on the factuality of your statement, so there's no reason for it not to stand on its own; but still, if you're able to back that up with a link to a statement or a video, or maybe a reference to a book or something, then that might add even more heft to your comment.)

[Appreciative Reader]

Actually that's an interesting question. How do different religions and denominations actually view abortions? And contraception also, while we're at it? I'm afraid that's something I myself am ignorant about.

RCC very definitely, and without a shadow of a doubt, sees not just abortions but also contraception as "sins", that much is common knowledge. I realize that apart from the Catholic Church, I don't actually know, not for a fact, what exactly the other religions and denominations have to say about these two things.

-------

I vaguely remember a kinda-sorta creation myth where some God or some deity goes and basically, well, to put it biblically, spills their seed. In the Bible when the guy spills his seed, God basically kills the guy, so clearly the Biblical God isn't a fan of going solo. But in this vaguely remembered myth I'm referring to, nothing bad happened to the guy --- or deity, or God --- that did the seed-spilling, but instead creation ensued (or at least, even if it wasn't creation ex nihilo --- I'm fuzzy about the details --- but at least, life ensued, that is, life was born directly off of that "seed".

I can't for the life of me recall where that myth came from. Some Shinto myth? Some Hindu Puranic story? Some [American] Indian, or maybe Maori, creation myth? Can't remember, at all.

[7.77]

@Sonya
There is no punishment

There is only a matrix that strives to equilibrium

If We we steal something, an apple, a car, a wife, a country, a planet, . . a smile

we will have to give it back and the universe is so kind to prepare molecules for that

This is very precise and works with nano seconds
so that the victim will meet the thief

777

I told here that my wife had a melanom on her back
It's cut out now and after a treatment called KYTRUDA she feels fine
During that epreuve Charan told her en showed her was the reason was

In a former life she was attacked by an intruder but she had an arm
the intrudersaw it and gave up
Then she shot him anyway, exacly on the spot were she had the melanome

In meditation Charan made her really revive it like people have flashing rememberences at the
end of their life

777

[El]

Hi Sonja
I just noticed your response and find this topic interesting since there are many assertions about this. I am not biased to the outcome of researching it, nor to the outcome of whatever we find is the truth when we pass from this life. Just like Brian H reserves the right to keep speaking to imaginary friends we all have practices to bring us comfort in this unpredictable chaos.

To your topic of they all teach it somewhat differently:
RSSB only has 4 principles. Does the ' expounding on these principles' help or complicate things?
The Q&A's of the predecessor reflect similar sentiments to the current Teacher's. For instance the big one.... does he show up at death. I've recently started to jot down which Q&A say what but only AFTER I realized this is getting interesting. The predecessor explains in more detail (after several different sessions saying that it depends on whether we cultivated that relationship during life, and also on grace), that actually he IS ALWAYS there but whether we are AWARE of it depends on the awareness cultivated during life i.e. if you saw him inside you'll see him at death.

I believe one could say we hear something similar from the current teacher, except for ONE occasion where I heard him say he WON'T be there at the time of death (without any qualifications. But people assure me that those qualificatikns are implied. I did not hear it).

So for anyone who believes in a 'source energy', it might be smart to keep cultivating that relationship just in case you haven't cultivated the one with the 'son' sufficiently. And as a backup have a respectful relationship with ... let's call him Kal. You never know if the promised "it all fades into black" of atheism might let you down and some unsavoury characters show up. (Don"t quote this it is meant light heartedly as a reminder for humility about not knowing anything for sure. Till we know.)
As for the more complex issues, I leave it for the smart people to ponder. For me personally the 4 principles seem like a common enough guide for a spiritual/yogic/ "religious" life to aspire to.
And again more humorously, for blockheads they might add an 'In Summary Principle- Don't be a Schmuck'
Because it seems to me people think they keep the 4 principles yet they totally allow themselves the leeway of being a thorough Schmucks.

To Appreciative Reader
Please, yes, I will feel better that you don't trust anything I say without proof. I wish I could back that up with a Q&A number. There has been one I heard in the more recent months where someone tried to raise the topic of abortion and the answer came quickly: "we don't comment on these personal matters". If I hear either again I will ask Brian to forward you the info. I don't think the point is that they say it is ok, or not ok, just that every action we take we are accountable for. Life is filled with painful choices and they don't come to judge us, nor interfere or get involved with our choices, nor absolve us. If someone forces us into something and who defines force, we have to make decisions. They tell us to resist this Path until we feel desperate enough to embrace 4 principles by which to simplify life and its problems.

[Ferdinand]

Somewhere I recall Charan Singh saying the soul entered a body (in utero) within 6 or 7 days after conception. Thus, the fetus became a "person" subject to the rules of universal karma at that time. In the USA, if you murder a pregnant woman, you are charged with two capital crimes. An interesting legal and metaphysical knot?