RSSB national satsang at Haynes Park leaves attendee with "disbelief and disappointment"

Since I was an active member of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) for 35 years until I became disillusioned with this India-based religious organization headed up by a guru considered to be God in Human form, I like to share messages from other people who don't like what RSSB has become.

Below is a comment left on a recent Church of the Churchless blog post by M B Sharma. I enjoyed his honest "review" of a RSSB talk, or satsang, apparently given by Gurinder Singh Dhillon, the current guru. 

Sharma alludes to the fact that while the RSSB teachings clearly state that the primary purpose of human life is God-realization, which requires living a pure and simple life, Gurinder Singh enjoys a lavish lifestyle and has been accused of financial misdeeds that reportedly enriched the Dhillon family with hundreds of millions of dollars. 

There's many posts about this on this blog. Here's a couple of them:
More details surface about financial fraud involving RSSB guru
Why the RSSB guru is responsible for financial fraud

In 2018 Gurinder Singh Dhillon reportedly said that he'd answer questions about his involvement in the financial misdeeds. I'm quite sure that this never happened. In his comment, Sharma says that people attending the RSSB satsang were told they couldn't ask questions about the guru's involvement in shell companies or his financial dealings.

So much for transparency and truth-telling. Apparently that's something RSSB initiates should do, but the RSSB guru is exempt. Here's what Sharma said:

I recently attended what is referred to as the national satsang in Haynes, Bedford, UK, and I left with a deep sense of disbelief and disappointment. The event, which draws crowds from all over, turned out to be little more than a recital of selected poetry from saints or teachings from previous RSSB leaders. There was nothing new, nothing profound—just a repetitive cycle of words that seemed designed to maintain a facade rather than inspire genuine spiritual growth.

The Q&A session, which I had hoped would offer some clarity, was even more bewildering. The responses were vague and confusing, leaving me with more questions than answers. It felt as though real issues were being sidestepped, and any attempt at deeper inquiry was subtly discouraged.

The satsang took place in a sprawling mansion, a stark contrast to the simplicity one might expect from a spiritual gathering. What struck me most was the realization that GSD has a private residence within the premises, a well-guarded house that raises serious questions. How did he manage to secure such a luxurious home on land bought under the guise of charity? This residence is maintained by sevadaars—volunteers who provide free housekeeping and other services. It seems this place serves as his holiday retreat, where he spends 5-6 months each year.

Observing the opulence surrounding GSD, it’s hard to reconcile his lifestyle with that of a genuine spiritual leader. Yet, his sevadaars, some of whom are reportedly paid handsomely, work tirelessly to project him as a divine figure, a 'God in human form.' The commercialization of the event was evident—after the program, there were stalls selling food, books, and even photographs of GSD. Donation boxes were scattered everywhere, inviting contributions without providing any receipts, making it impossible to account for the funds collected. Not be surprised if it used for money laundry.

Given the substantial income generated, one would expect that the organizers could at least provide free food, especially considering that many attendees travel long distances. However, the irony is that the food sold is prepared by volunteer sevadaars, who then have to pay for it themselves.

I also learned that attendees are not allowed to ask about GSD’s involvement in shell companies or his financial dealings. Questions must be submitted in advance, and only a select few are permitted to speak. This level of control was not seen a few years ago, and it seems designed to prevent any scrutiny.

The security at the event was on par with that of an airport—rigorous checks, and no phones allowed. The atmosphere was more reminiscent of a high-security event than a spiritual gathering.

Having returned after a long time, I couldn’t help but feel that the situation is deteriorating. The contrast between the message of simplicity and humility and the reality of luxury and control was too glaring to ignore. I can only hope that the truth will eventually emerge if there is truly a higher power overseeing all of this.

This is a comment by AAM in response to what Sharma said. 

@M. B. Sharma, I have to agree the atmosphere at these events have deteriorated, as there isn't much spiritual inspiration. Of course, the representatives are quick to tell you that the problem is with you. You are not receptive. You get what you come to get. May not be attending in the future.

Comments

[JS]

It’s crystal clear to anyone, who can maintain any degree of impartiality, that GSD is complicit, if not the ring-leader, in the fraud committed by Malvinder & Shivinder.

However, in India, one of the most corrupt country’s in the world, if millions of voters hang on your every word, and you help a floundering PM with facilities during a Covid escalation, you’re seemingly above the law, despite objective facts clearly showing your guilt.

I read an article recently that, as well as Malvinder squarely pointing the finger at his once-beloved uncle, the Board of the company is now also actively pursuing GSD. Hopefully, this will be the trigger to bring this conman to justice however, in a country known for massive corruption, I won’t hold my breath.

[sant64]

1) Charan Singh also enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and, while guru, never had a job. Yet he supported himself and his family in material splendor. "He worked for his family farm" is the thin excuse given by Beas apologists. Curiously, many of them are the same initiates who lambaste Gurinder for living like Charan.

2) Gurinder "reportedly" told the sangat...in other words, a rumor the author tries to pass off as a fact. There's no evidence that the Beas guru made such an announcement.

3) But surely Gurinder is guilty of major financial crimes -- that's the claim made here by the author, Before you believe it's true, consider the following:

a) Quite a few journalists have written about this case, yet not one has charged that the evidence points to Gurinder's guilt. "Has been accused of financial misdeeds"? By whom? The only media source ever making the claim that Gurinder is guilty of financial misdeed is Church of the Churchless.

b) Moreover, this case went to trial, yet Gurinder wasn't the party found guilty of financial misdeeds. Gurinder didn't go to prison, the other parties did. No one is above the law, right? That works both ways, or at least it should for the pious intoners of that maxim.

4) Satsang was a "recital of poetry from saints." Yeah, that's an RSSB Satsang all right. Twas ever thus. I'm not sure what other words do inspire genuine spiritual growth. Eckhart Tolle? Anyway, I challenge anyone to compare the text of a Charan era Satsang with that of Gurinder's discourses and tell me how they're in even the slightest way different. I doubt you'll be successful. You likely jus feel that Charan was more charismatic than Gurinder. You may also be jaded with the whole guru thing; this often happens the older we get.

5) Donation boxes "inspiring money laundering." What? Money laundering means hiding the source of revenue from illicit activities, such as gambling or drug dealing. But money directly donated to a charitable religious organization would hardly require "laundering." So this accusation makes no sense.

6) The idea is absurd that RSSB UK is somehow raking it in by selling hardcover books for $4 and food at barely above cost. But whatever, just post it here as if you believe it's true, like the gem about Gurinder having his wife 86ed to keep her quiet.

7) No phones allowed -- the most prescient and wisest directive Gurinder ever issued. Gurinder early on saw what an addiction and blight smart phones would be and banned them from RSSB venues.

[Brian Hines]

sant64, the news about the guru agreeing to answer questions about his alleged involvement in financial fraud came from a story in The Indian Express. Here's a quote that I included in the blog post:

https://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2018/09/rssb-guru-agrees-to-answer-questions-about-his-financial-dealings.html

"According to a source privy to the development, some senior members of the sect recently asked Dhillon about his reaction to various news reports regarding the Singh brothers. The source said that Dhillon told these members that he has answers to all the questions that have been raised and he will give the answers himself at an opportune time. Dhillon told the senior members that spiritual and business aspects of our lives are separate and that devotees should focus on the former and not get diverted from it."

You wrongly said that no one has accused Gurinder Singh of criminal conduct. That's false. Malvinder Singh did just that in a criminal complaint filed in 2019. You would have known this if you'd read the links I included in this blog post. See:

https://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2019/02/legal-filing-against-gurinder-singh-dhillon-is-fascinating-reading.html

Here's how that blog post started out:
------------------------------------
Someone sent me a copy of the legal brief filed by Malvinder Singh against his cousin, Gurinder Singh Dhillon, the guru of Radha Soami Satsang Beas; the guru's wife and children; Malvinder's brother, Shivinder; and several cronies of the guru.

It's fascinating reading that casts a dark light on the guru. Here's a 16 mb PDF file:
Download Malav EOW Criminal Complaint

This complaint has formed the basis for a number of stories in the Indian financial press (see here, here, and here). Now, obviously Gurinder Singh and the other people named in the complaint will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations of illegality.

But the complaint is very much in line with comments left on this blog from 2010 to 2014 by someone in the know. I shared their 27,000 words in "Devastating criticism of Gurinder Singh Dhillon by a RSSB insider." So this is independent confirmation that the general tenor of what Malvinder Singh alleges in his complaint is true.

I strongly recommend reading the criminal complaint in full. Though the stories in the Indian financial press accurately reflect what is in the complaint, there's additional details in the complaint. And it is well-written in what I assume is the style of Indian legal documents of this sort.
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Lastly, you said this case went to trial. That's news to me. I haven't seen any indication about a case going to trial, or with some parties being convicted. Please share a link to news stories about this, assuming this is true.

Last I heard, Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, plus Sunil Godwahni, were in various states of incarceration, sometimes temporary, aimed at getting their cooperation for an investigation into the alleged financial crimes. Seems like news about a trial would have come to my attention.

[Neon]

Odd critique, you mean the large outdoor tent is like a mansion?

RSSB has always been a giant fraud, the religion that says "we're not a religion, all teachings are same" is literally a branch of Radha Soami...

And yes the QnA are some of the most stupidest conversations I've ever heard. Every single gullible seeker thinks they'll be saved by the person on stage when death comes.

@sant64, I mean check the report from a couple years back from Uk charities where RSSB is registered, they raked in £ 9,000,000+ from donations alone.