Circus at Sanatan Sanstha

The day arrived very early and Sanatan Sanstha was ready for a big catfight. The sadhaks had rallied throughout the night. They were replaced in the morning by another team. Sanatan and Dr Jayant Athavale had many supporters, they were ready to do anything for the sanstha and their guru. They were controlled by the sanstha.

The first fight at Sanatan Ashram Panvel

We had an early breakfast called न्याहारी in our terminology at Sanatan Ashram Panvel. We used special words, these were difficult for the aam Janata – the normal people, to understand and we stood apart. We were part of a special team. We belonged.  We were spiritually enlightened, we were guided by Dr Jayant Athavale.

We had to show that there was nothing amiss, routine activities were carried out at the ashram premises. This was a show put together by Sanatan Sanstha.

The parents and their assorted relatives arrived. There were about a dozen of them. They demanded to meet the lady. I was in the reception area called swagat kaksh and I offered to show them around Sanatan Ashram Panvel first. They abused me and asked to see their daughter immediately. Though taken back, I recovered immediately and without losing my cool, asked them to speak softly and maintain decorum as other sadhaks were practising sadhana. This was meant to provoke them again and it hit the mark. They again abused me and Sanatan Sanstha. All this was being secretly recorded.

I asked the sadhaks to get the lady sadhak. She came down on her own. This was going exactly as per the plan. She appeared regal walking down the central staircase, there were no emotions on her face. She was not looking at her parents at all. I knew at that moment that my efforts had paid off.

Spirituality and Sanatan Sanstha

What is the connection between this story and spirituality? How does Sanatan Sanstha associate this kind of behaviour with spirituality? Do we question this; question or actions? Do we even think that we are participating in an immoral act?

We are beyond all this. Dr Jayant Athavale controls our mind to such an extent that we can no longer differentiate between good and bad. The lady sadhak is totally hypnotised by Sanatan Sanstha, she will now stay permanently at Sanatan Ashram Ponda. Dr Athavale has succeeded again.

The process is so simple, anyone can replicate it. But, the battle is not yet over. The main act is yet to begin.

http://www.abplive.in/crime/operation-sammohan-my-daughter-swati-has-been-kept-as-captive-by-sanatan-sanstha-says-bhanudas-164431

Sanatan Sanstha and I – a jailbreak

The recently discovered trait discovered by Sanatan Sanstha will be used by Sanatan Sanstha to affect a daring jailbreak. We, together, the guru Dr Jayant Athavale and his willing and obedient disciple will spirit away a young woman right in front of her parents and bring her into the folds of spirituality. What a thought? I am so proud that I am now actively contributing to the creation of Hindu Rashtra. I am progressing rapidly on the path of spirituality.

Sanatan Sanstha gears up

The big event is scheduled almost a week away. The sadhaks on the ground have planned everything; they have primed the girl (she is an adult; we have counterchecked many times). Sanatan Sanstha needs a break and a big one. Several sadhaks have left the sanstha and new joinee ranks are not growing. A shock therapy will be good and Dr Jayant Athavale can deliver a knockout punch. He has a bunch of sadhaks to assist him, sadhaks like me who has given the control of their minds to him.

Broken lives and broken relationships.

Who cares?

 Anyhow, the sadhak is ready to fly, fly away to freedom. I relive my own situation; those tension filled days and nights, the fights, my taunts and the sheer happiness of finding my barbs hitting right on target. I can visualize the sadhaks patrolling the girl’s house. I learn that this is not only to protect the girl but it is to ensure that she does not change her mind. It is intimidating and a part of the mind control process. She cannot back out now, she has committed and the evidence is right in front of her. Most of the sadhaks are from different localities or even towns so that the family in question does not suspect anything.

The suspense is getting to me. I cannot bear it any longer.

Sanatan Sanstha shifts me

Just three days before the big event, Sanatan Sanstha arranges for my trip to Sanatan Ashram Panvel. I arrive at the first step in my freedom struggle, a confident sadhak and look back on my first tentative step in the direction of spiritual progress. I thank Dr Jayant Athavale many many times for his active intervention in my case.

I don’t have much time to gloat over my time of glory. There are thousands of loose ends that need to be tied down. This is a totally new personality, I am confident and dictate the sadhaks around me. I don’t see many familiar faces from the last visit to Sanatan Ashram Panvel but don’t have time to dwell on these petty issues.

I must be making hundreds of calls daily, but I am not worried. I am focused on the job on hand.

I want to fly away a woman to her freedom. Give her a clean break. Show her the path of spirituality. See the Godliness of Dr Jayant Athavale and his Sanatan Sanstha.

Different personality at Sanatan Ashram Ponda

The reassignment of work at Sanatan Ashram Ponda is a blessing in disguise. I and Sanatan Sanstha discover a different and hidden aspect of my personality; I can handle stress; enormous amount of stress without losing my cool. I handle some very tricky situations at the swagat kaksh of Sanatan Ashram Ramnathi and in the process, earn some long-needed goodwill of high ranking sadhaks. These sadhaks are quite influential though they do not have any pompous sounding designations. Their words carry a lot of weight in Sanatan Sanstha and they are keeping a close watch on me. I thank Dr Jayant Athavale for all his blessings, only his blessings have made this possible otherwise I was down in the dumps.

A different persona Sanatan Sanstha

The different me is really a different persona at Sanatan Sanstha. I have handled two critical incidents at Sanatan Ashram Ponda and handled them in such a manner that there was a lot of goodwill generated for me and the sanstha. Both relate to some queries raised by the police department. In one situation, they are on the point of conducting a raid. I play them around till some significant persons disappear from the premises of Sanatan Ashram Ramnathi. I will not share the complete details; who knows the police or even Sanatan will try to silence me. Silence me in the same way they have silenced some troublesome sadhaks. Sanatan Sanstha does not trust anybody and if a person is privy to confidential knowledge or information, they take special care of them. Not my words but those uttered by a senior sadhak to my rakshak after I escaped from their clutches and ran away from Sanatan Ashram Ponda.

The other incident is not open to public consumption but relates to a police spy. The police had planted a spy in our midst but I could identify him very easily. He escaped with his life, I regretted it at that time. Dr Jayant Athavale had control over my mind and I could only think about him and his safety.

Another dimension of my personality

This different dimension of my personality opens a host of opportunities to the sadhaks of Sanatan Sanstha and to me as well. I can now be assigned to perform several high-level sevas. I am about to join a close-knit group within Sanatan Ashram Ponda; a group so well knit that hardly anybody is aware of it.

This development does not go down well with my rakshak. I am surprised as I felt that she would be very happy for me. I think it is envy. Though she has spent several years at Sanatan Ashram Ramnathi, she has never reached my level. She has a serious issue of personality defect; envy and that interferes with her spiritual progress. I have a serious talk with her one day but she does not reply to my accusations; in fact, she is silent throughout. She only looks at me with her soul-searching eyes.

I realize later on that I was entering a deep quagmire; one which would make it impossible to escape. But, I didn’t want to escape.  I wanted to be enveloped by the Chaitanya of Dr Jayant Athavale and his Sanatan Sanstha.

The story so far at Sanatan Ashram Ponda

I have gone through many ups and downs since the last few months after landing at Sanatan Ashram Ponda. I was expecting to spend the rest of my life in pursuit of spirituality and service to my Guru, Dr Jayant Athavale, but frankly, things have been quite different. I do not realize it at that time; my mind is still controlled by Sanatan Sanstha and I still cannot think rationally.

A typical Hindu Ashram

Positive thoughts about Sanatan Ashram Ponda

If asked about any positive points at Sanatan Ashram Ponda, I can still identify several. 

• There are several sadhaks – followers of Sanatan Sanstha, who are seriously into spirituality. They are committed to this. There is nothing wrong about this. The ashram provides them a perfect place to practice. It provides a place to stay and also provides for some basic necessities of life like food. It is very peaceful.
• Some of the occupants have bitter experiences and have nowhere to go. They had some personal experiences and wanted an escape from their past. Sanatan provides them this without asking any questions. Yes, they have to prove that they are serious in their spiritual efforts, but money can manage many things.
• Sanatan Ashram Ponda is also a good place to learn Sanskrit and study our Vedas and Shastra, provided you draw your own inferences and do not depend on the meaning provided by the sadhaks.

Negativity at Sanatan Sanstha

Apart from the techniques of mind control practiced by followers of Dr Jayant Athavale, there are several negative issues. I may be labeled a shaitan by Sanatan but these issues need to be brought to the notice of normal Hindus. 

• The first and the foremost is the worship of Guru. Hindu Dharma does not allow for Guru worship. Sanatan Sanstha, however, preaches this very actively. Dr Athavale is the center of attraction. Life at Sanatan Ashram Ponda revolves around him. Gurupoornima is the only festival celebrated at the ashram. Most of the satsangs, dharmavargs and religious discourses center around the importance of the Guru. In fact, this dominates all discussions to such an extent that we do not follow any significant religious activities.
• Sanatan Ashram dictates your life; you have to follow their instructions. You have to obey them. People lose their independence. Sanatan controls all aspects of your life. You have to take bath in the manner they specify, you have to eat when and what they say. I am not even allowed outside food; I spend several days without food.  Sleeping patterns are dictated by them.
• Sanatan controls the flow of information. Outside information is filtered. Communication channels with outside world are cut off. You cannot even speak freely with your family. Incidentally, when the family visits you, they forced to sit in a particular corner of the swagat kaksh. This was pointed out by my rakshak once I regained my rationality. We never discovered the reasons behind this.

My doctor has advised me to look at some positive aspects of my stay at Sanatan Ashram Ponda. This will alleviate the sense of guilt to some extent. It is difficult to identify any positive outcome of my association with Sanatan Sanstha – at least as of now.

Building trust at Sanatan Ashram Ramnathi

Though I felt betrayed when the Swagat Kaksh at Sanatan Ashram Ramnathi did not pass information about my father’s illness, I did not assume the worst. I rationalised that they may have forgotten. Initially, I had doubted them but one sadhak approached me a couple of days afterwards and apologised for not passing the information.

Sanatan Sanstha rebuilds trust

She said that she had forgotten to do so and this was her personality defect. It had to be removed. She also mentioned this during the personality defect removal session in my presence. The other sadhaks took her for task and told her the seriousness. Because of her, I had been hurt, I had started doubting the sanstha. She was asked to do penance. I was also asked about my father’s health and told that Sanatan could provide good medical care at Sanatan Ashram Ramnathi. It would combine spiritual treatment as well and hence recovery would be fast. I should call up my parents immediately. I could not go personally as my education was in a critical phase and such disturbances would affect it. They had also information that my father was recovering and the critical phase had passed thanks to my devotion to the Guru; Dr Jayant Athavale.

Such good thoughts; such affection. Sanatan Sanstha was really full of people giving selfless service. Look at the strength of spiritual practise, my father was responding to the positive vibes generated by my devotion to spirituality. I was now fully convinced that I was on the right path.

I phoned up my parents immediately and after apologising, asked them to bring father to Sanatan Ashram Ponda for treatment. My mother said that he was not able to travel and I should visit him. I obviously could not do so and could not understand their insistence. Sanatan Sanstha was going to such trouble and they were not cooperating? I was sure that this was the effect of evil spirits.

Reflections

I recall the whole incident very clearly. I remember meeting the friend, the news about my father’s illness, my self-doubts and Sanatan’s generous offer. I realised the inconsistencies very late. The story built up by the sanstha had several glaring inconsistencies. I should have realised them sooner, but my mind was under their control. The major inconsistency was; how did they come to know that I was aware of my father’s illness? I had only told my rakshak and as subsequent incidents proved, she never shared such personal confidences with Sanatan Sanstha. Why did the sadhak apologise after several days. My father had suffered from stroke two months before I knew, so my brother had visited about two months back. Why was this brought up after such a time difference?

My parents had stopped communicating after this incident and my offer for treatment at Sanatan Ashram Ramnathi acted like salt on a wound. I thought it was a generous offer but they took it in a totally different angle.

I was beyond any rational reasoning. Sanatan meant such a lot to me, my Guru; Dr Jayant Athavale, meant a lot to me. Anything else was irrelevant.

What is Spirituality

Isn’t it surprising that I am still unclear about spirituality? I left a home, nearly broke my relationships and family for the pursuit of something I am still not clear about. I always felt that spirituality is about searching for the meaning of life, connecting to something bigger than ourselves. Hindus connect everything with God and so do I. So, the search for spirituality is also the path for the search for God, the Eternal Truth, the Ultimate being.

Elements of Spirituality

The basic element of spirituality should have

• Deep awakening
• Enlightenment
• Compassion for everyone and everything
• Forgiveness
• Karma

Once a person increases his spiritual quotient, he can find inner peace and this will lead to bliss.

Thus, on one hand, spirituality and religion are different. But, as the ends of both are same; attaining inner peace and bliss, they are used as synonyms. This is not debated in India at all.

People can increase their spiritual quotient by many methods. Even doing their work diligently and praying to God can increase it. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। 

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ २-४७

Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,

Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani

In the simplest form, this can be translated as “Do your work without expectation of the fruits of the labor, nor use attachments be the reason for inaction.”

Several great men and thinkers have interpreted this shokla according to their wisdom. I think it means that we should also do good work without thinking about what we will get in return and without looking at our worldly attachments. I should help others without thinking that I will get “Punya”.Punya has no literal translation in English. Put very simply it is the opposite of sin. We can call Punjya as positive marks.

  

What does Sanatan Sanstha say about spirituality

Sanatan Sanstha does not attempt to define spirituality. It says that the science of spirituality is called Adhyaatm Shastra. There is no defined path for increasing spirituality. Though satsangs and dharmasabhas are held regularly at Sanatan Ashram Ponda, we are not able to define the path. When questioned about this we are told that it is our ego which is questioning the sanstha. We are asked to do more naamjap (chanting) and devote ourselves to the seva of Guru, Dr Jayant Athavale.

Sanatan says there are several spiritual practices that lead to spiritual enlightenment. They prescribe methods for everything, there is a way of taking bath (we should take bath without removing clothes), how we should comb our hair, how to maintain hair, even on how to urinate. The scientific explanations are very vague and always refer to our holy texts without giving any specific reference. There are several instances when the reasoning contradict each other.

One big contradiction in my life was the responsibilities of a woman in Grihstha ashram and my stay at the Sanatan Ashram Ponda.

Hindu Dharma has divided our life into four stages called ashrams

• Brahmacharya ashram: the first stage of life from our birth onwards till we get married. Celibacy and education are the main focus in this ashram.
• Grihstha ashram: the second stage of life commences when education is completed and a person marries. The main duties of a married person is to maintain a household, raise and educate children and live a family-centric and dharmic social life.
• Vanaprastha ashram: This is actually a transition stage when a person retires and hands over the responsibilities to the next generation. He should hold the hands till they can handle their responsibilities. The focus shifts from the materialistic world to the spiritual world.
• Sannyasa ashram: the person renounces the materialistic world and adopts the spiritual world. He is engaged in the pursuit of God.

Vedic philosophy allows for a person to shift from Brahmacharya ashram to Sannyasa ashram. This is allowed only for very Enlighted souls who have been born to serve God. However, a person like me in Grihashta ashram cannot renounce her worldly duties. Sanatan Sanstha has given a spin to this angle itself. They lay the blame on my husband’s shoulders directly and also tell me that I have not renounced my life. I am just concentrating more on my spiritual progress.

Other spiritual Gurus do not prescribe to this, but then Sanatan does not care about their views. People like me do not question them, we have relinquished the control of our mind. Families get torn apart.

Broken dreams and broken relationships.

What does Sanatan Sanstha teach you about Spirituality

An institution like Sanatan Sanstha which is engaged in the propagation of Spirituality should focus all activities on its core objective. It should be spending maximum amount and efforts on this and should ensure that its sadhaks also should do the same.

This is not so. My experience at Sanatan Ashram Ponda shows that we hardly spent any time on spiritual practices. The definition of spiritual practice is open for debate, but I feel it can be defined as performance of actions and activities for the sole purpose of cultivating spiritual development. Sanatan or rather its affiliate organization Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, lists chanting as the simplest spiritual practise.

Which activities constitute as spiritual practices

Sanatan Sanstha states that chanting is the simplest form of spiritual practice in this Kalyuga. Which, in turn, means that people like me who have forsaken the materialistic world should be spending the maximum time in chanting. It is not so; I hardly spend a couple of hours on chanting.

Now comes the spin doctor, Dr Jayant Athavale to my rescue. He says that any activity done with bhav can become a spiritual practice. Even if I brush my teeth with bhav, it is counted as spiritual practice. Other activities start getting defined by the sanstha. I cannot define an activity on my own. The list grows bigger and bigger till I activities I undertake at the Sanatan Ashram Ponda become defined as spiritual activities. Hindus are very religious and understand that spirituality and religion are related to each other. Hence HJS and Sanatan also brings in religion into this by making us chant a Diety’s name.

The sanstha undertakes different sevas at Sanatan Ashram Ponda. As any of the seva is defined as a spiritual practice, it seems that whatever I do is in the service of God.

Confused.

So am I. But during my stay there I did not doubt their word. I had no freedom to doubt their words. My mind was under their control and I trusted them blindly.

Collective sevas

Sanatan Sanstha also differentiated between self-service and service towards society. These are referred to as Vyashti Seva and Samashti Seva. They educate us that Samashti seva gives better results than Vyashti seva. Of course, they also benefit the most through Samashti seva. Otherwise where will they find free sweepers, cleaners, drivers, cooks and many others to do miscellaneous manual work at Sanatan Ashram Ponda. Of course, it is the sadhaks who do all this, and when it gets associated with spirituality and bhav, you get life-time free servants. Just what is needed by Dr Jayant Athavale.

Not all sadhaks are allotted this work. Persons staying outside are not required to “work” at the ashram. They are free to spend their time as they want. We, the occupants, who have left our homes and broken our relationships are made to do hard labor. All in the name of spirituality. Funny, isn’t it?

But, how can we complain, we no longer have control over our mind, we can longer take decisions on our own.

And, is there someone who can help us?

Broken Dreams and Broken Relationships.

Initial euphoria and Sanatan Sanstha

Sanatan Sanstha creates a sense of euphoria

The initial days at Sanatan Sanstha creates a sense of euphoria within me. I feel a sense of belonging; a sense of belonging and a supreme sense of Anand or bliss. I am aware that I am missing something; missing the company of my family but I have no time to dwell on it. The sanstha does not give me time to dwell on it. The thought enters my mind but whenever I think about it; I start thinking about sewa, my guru Dr Jayant Athavale and the other sadhaks. Just a couple of weeks at Sanatan Ashram Ponda has been enough to program my mind so much that I cannot even think independently. I realise this later, much later and the realization is brought about by a big tragedy. I will take you through the tragedy at a later stage.

Tears still well up in my eyes even today as I write about that period. How could I do it? How could I lose control of my mind? What did they seek to achieve through mind control? I shudder to even think what could have happened had I not escaped in time.

Broken Dreams and Broken Relationships.

Attachment with Sanatan Sanstha

The attachment with Sanatan Sanstha is so strong that I need their permission to even breathe. I do not think that this is a bad thing, after all, my Guru, Dr Jayant Athavale is to lead me on the correct path and I should surrender myself to him.

The attachment also means that I open up about my inner most feelings and thoughts with the sadhaks. This is done very skilfully. After all, they are experts in mind control. Slowly but surely, in a matter of days, I have narrated my life history and have opened up about my relationships. I have shared my innermost feelings and my deepest fears. I have shared such experiences in my earlier posts.

The sanstha now turns my positive memories into negative ones. Each of my experiences are made out to be bad ones and it is instilled that my family was never mine in the first place. I was just an instrument in their hands and they used me – my family, to fulfil their physical needs. My parents, my husband and my daughter are all selfish. They do not understand me and don’t want to understand me. Sanatan Sanstha stops just short of calling them shaitans, demons and devils. I cannot tolerate this nomenclature but I accept their reasoning.

I also share several other details with Sanatan Sanstha, most of them not connected with spirituality. I have forgotten the advice given by my rakshak and in my haste to please my masters, I have opened  my family to unforeseen dangers. I am in no condition to gauge this. My mind is now controlled by the sanstha, I follow the path laid out by Dr Jayant Athavale. I am not free, I am a zombie.

Why does Sanatan Sanstha not quote scriptures

Sanatan Sanstha has its own brand of Sanatan Dharma

Sanatan Sanstha says that it is dedicated to spirituality as per Sanatan Dharma. It is engaged in the providing education on Dharma in scientific terminology. In spite of such lofty ideals, it does not quote any religious texts. There is nothing on Bhagwad Geeta, nothing on Ramayana and the website is totally silent on Ramayana, not to mention vedas and puranas. Then, which Sanatan Dharma is being taught, which Dharma is being discussed during satsangs and various dharma sabhas.

Low on content, low on quotes

Sanatan Sanstha does not quote extensively from any holy scriptures. There are hardly any detailed discussions on such scriptures during satsangs and dharma sabhas. An impression is given that these vedas and puranas have been studied extensively, however, no chapter reference is given. We are asked to purchase required holy texts by ourselves; there is no library in the kendra. But, there is a huge stock of Sanatan’s publications. We are told that they will provide us with all the required information. We will get complete education through them as they are based on the holy texts; they are based on the principles of Sanatan Dharma.

The publications (the sanstha claims that there are more than 200 such publications, all written in easy to understand language and with scientific explanations). They say that these publications have been translated into 14 languages and more than 7 lakh copies have been sold. The main page has a link to “Treasure of Holy Texts”, however, it is not operational. Are there really any such discussions on holy texts? Have these been read and understood by any sadhak? Does Sanatan Sanstha provide for a healthy discussion among sadhaks? Are these holy texts explained to sadhaks by the saints?

The answer to all this is a big NO.

The brand Dr Jayant Athavale

Instead of quotations and explanations, the publications are full of quotes by Dr Jayant Athavale. Explanations and references to holy texts are very vague. However, it is always mentioned that Guru has studied these scriptures, understood them and is presenting them in a simplified manner so we can understand them. There were times when I would not agree with the explanation, I needed more information or explanation; my logic of understanding them was different. I was asked to do naamjap and focus on my Guru. This would help me to understand. This was because of my ego; my ego was saying that I knew more about spirituality than my Guru and Sanatan Sanstha.

It is quite obvious that Dr Jayant Athavale is trying to build an empire through a band of loyal followers. The spiritual upliftment and spiritual knowledge feed to us has his stamp on it. He is using psychology to undermine our thinking powers. He is trying to control our minds through actions. This is not hypnotism; it is mind control; pure and simple.

But, now I am far gone to understand these things. I have transformed myself into a zombie under control of Sanatan Sanstha.

How can you save Sanatan Sanstha?

• ·         The first step in Sanatan Sanstha’s inoculation campaign is to identify gullible people like me. People who has a holier than thou approach towards themselves – like me. I was so full of myself, so taken up by my vision of the world and my exalted position in it. They start slow. The first step is to attract spiritual persons or people with a spiritual bend of mind. We attend satsangs and are told to pray for the well-being of the nation.
• ·         The second step is now to reinforce this bond. They concentrate on Hindu Dharma or Sanatan Dharma. The attacks on Hindus are highlighted. The situation in the country and the prosecution of Hindus are discussed. Followers are encouraged to speak about the atrocities. Their website is full of such articles. I remember once when riding my two-wheeler, I dashed against a person from another community and he abused me. I spoke about this in one of the satsangs and the other sadhaks treated this as an attacked on a poor Hindu woman. I also started believing this.
• ·         Sanatan Sanstha knows that the bond is still weak. They now concentrate on my mind. They talk about the guru and gurushisha parampara. The importance of guru for spiritual upliftment is stressed repeatedly. “Saints” now join in for the discourses. The header of the main page of the website shows an image of a discipline offering respects to his guru.
• ·         I am asked to do naamjap, the sanstha says that naamjap – taking the name of Gods is different from meditation. Naamjap yields results. I believe them. Today, I know that meditation and naamjap are same as per Hindu Shastra; as per Hindu Dhrama. Sanatan wants to differentiate itself and hence shows that both are different.
• ·         Stickers with Gods and Goddesses’ names are purchased by me. I stick them all around my home. I think of the sanstha all throughout the day. This leads to the first conflict with my husband. Broken Dreams and Broken Relationships. A crack is formed; waiting to be exploited.
• ·         My family, my home, my fort no longer appeal to me. I think Sanatan Sanstha, I dream about my Guru and all my actions are dictated by the sanstha.
• ·         The focus now shifts from attacks on Hindu Dharma to attacks on Sanatan Sanstha. I am asked to do naamjap at different times. Someone phones me and informs me that evil spirits will be attacking the sanstha at a particular time. I can save the sanstha through my bhakti. I have done naamjap several times during nights, waking up at 2 am, 3 am or even not sleeping throughout the night. I became so habituated that I used to get up at 4 a.m. to do naamjap for many years.

The sanstha has gained control of my mind. I am no longer thinking rationally. I am their slave. I am a sadhak. I belong to Santan Sanstha.

Sanatan Sanstha – Propagating Myths

Mythological Santan Sanstha

Sanatan Sanstha has propagated several myths, all aimed at creating a distinct image about it. They use all resources at their hand. They produce newsletters – Sanatan Prabhat, Weeklies, fortnightlies, and monthlies. These are available in different languages – Marathi is the main language, but these are available in Hindi, Gujarati as well as Kannada. They conduct satsangs at all their kendras and upkendras. These are spread across mainly Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Gujarat. Satsangs are a good medium to propagate myths, Santan Sanstha has a docile and captive audience. They also conduct sabhas, dharmavargs and balsanskar vargs. They have a good presence across social media, they are on FaceBook, they are on Twitter and other social platforms. Their sadhaks – followers, write several blogs, they use their own Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote the sanstha.

Why are myths important to Sanatan Sanstha?

Sanatan Sanstha projects a bigger image than the reality through myths. It has created an Aura around itself; a sort of a halo under which many non-religious activities can flourish. A sanstha can operate only if it gets financial support. Dr. Jayant Athavale knows this, his spiritual aim is to create a name for himself. He wants his name to be written in history books, possible only through financial backing. Possible only if he can build an army of followers.

The second myth is about spirituality. The sanstha wants to show that it is providing spiritual education. It has been established to show the path for spiritual upliftment. Such lofty ideals, such lofty objectives. Their activities; their website, the satsangs, the dharmavargs and the periodicals propagate this myth. This provides them with a steady flow of manpower – in terms of followers, financial backing – donations, advertisements, government aid.

The third myth and equally important is that they are the underdogs. We, Hindus, get united when we see Hindu institutions being attacked. We rally ourselves behind such an organization; that time we do not look at the faces behind the veil. This is important to bind the sadhaks to a common cause and equally important to bind in such a manner that they stick together. Sanatan Sanstha uses the tag of attacks to rally their forces behind them. Do they lead from the front? No, not at all, the guru; Dr. Jayant Athavale remains behind the veil, behind the protective cover. The sadhaks are in the forefront. They carry the baton; the guru wants only the fruits.

The fourth myth is about invincibility. They cannot be touched by anybody. To the followers – sadhaks; they say that the guru is protecting them (Should it not be GOD? For the sanstha, the guru is everything). Any small incident is blown out of proportion. They hold demonstrations in front of police stations and hold dharnas. They give memorandum to the police, the collector and any other politician and publish the photos and articles in media as well as their website.

Sanatan Sanstha creates an impact:

There are several such myths. I have taken only those that were used to influence me and to convince me that Sanatan Sanstha is under attack. Yes, you are right. The focus has now shifted from attacks on Hindu Dharma to attacks on Sanatan Sanstha. This is drilled into my mind, the sanstha is under attack.

Do something to save it. You can do something to save it. You can save Sanatan Sanstha.

Lies lies and more lies

Broken Dreams and Broken Relationships

This is the start of the end. Lies lead to mistrust. Mistrust in the persons who love you the most. People who really care about you. Mistrust leads to broken dreams and broken relationships. This is the beginning of the end. Sanatan Sanstha knows this, understands this, and most of all wants this. There is nothing spiritual about this, nothing religious about this, there is no linkage between Sanatan Dharma or Hindu Dharma. It is all about mind control.

Human beings are social animals, right. They want the company of others, others who are like them, who think like them, who act like them. The social acceptance theory comes into play. I started seeking others like me. More importantly, I left those who were not like me. It started with my friend circle. I saw them as inferior beings, engaged in futile pursuits. I was a superior being. I lost contact with them, I broke contact with them. My closest friends, some of them so close that they knew all about me. I did not keep in touch.

I had a friend, she was facing a crisis in her life, I went to her and told her to embrace Sanatan Sanstha. She was shocked, her husband had just died and she was worried about making ends meet, and I was advising her to leave everything behind. I was so inconsiderate. Today, she is helping me to live again, helping me to come to terms with life and to start a new life. She did, she fought against odds, she took risks. She is my helping hand, my guiding star.

Lying is a sin:

All religions including Sanatan Dharma or Hindu Dharma teaches us that lying is a sin. Yudhishthira, the Dharmaraj, uttered just one lie in his lifetime and still he had to offer penance before he got an entry in the Heaven. He had performed innumerable good deeds and accumulated good karma. Yet Sanatan Sanstha directly or indirectly motivates its sadhaks to tell lies or to speak untruths. Spiritual upliftment should start with honesty and truthfulness, the sanstha on the face of it, shows that it does not support such misdemeanors. Then why does it motivate people to speak lies? It is not only about mind control. They tell people like me that whatever you do in the sanstha, it is acceptable if it is for the good of the sanstha. The guru; HH Dr. Jayant Athavale is there to protect you.

Nobody can share one’s sins. Remember the story about Maharishi Valmiki? Maharishi Valmiki was a notorious bandit, he used to rob innocent people of their wealth. Once a saint asked him the reason for such evil deeds. Valmiki replied that he robbed so that he could feed his family. The saint then asked him whether his sins would also be shared by his family? Valmiki decided to ask them and was very much surprised by the answer. His family out rightly rejected him and told him that they would not share his sins. He realized his mistake and changed his path and took to spiritual pursuits and became the great Maharishi Valmiki.

Lying is a sin, no matter what is the outcome. And yes, nobody can share your sins, you have to carry the burden yourself. Even Sanatan Sanstha cannot change this, this is as per Sanatan Dharma. 

Sanatan Sanstha is not Sanatan Dharma. It can never become one, it can never come close to the Eternal Truth.

Am I alone?

Are there any others like me?

A married woman runs away from home leaving behind a broken home and broken relationships. Did it happen to me only or does it happen to others? Was I deeply brainwashed by Sanatan Sanstha or is it a regular occurrence?

After my return from the clutches of Sanatan Sanstha, I spent a lot of time on this question.

To be truthful, the sadhaks always told me even before I ran away that the ashram had several inmates, mostly women who had run away. Had forsaken their lives and near and dear ones for seeking spiritual upliftment. Many of them were married, but the sanstha preferred that married women to stay behind and take care of household responsibilities. I should look at this as a seva towards Guru and should look at my family as sadhaks. Warning bells still did not go off, after all this is logical.

But their treatment with unmarried young girls is different, very different. They are actively motivated to leave behind their homes and flee to one of the Sanatan Sanstha Ashram. As a senior “sadhak” commented in a very off-hand manner – a married woman with children always has a soft corner towards her children, she will feel the pangs of love; if not for her family, her husband than for her children and will seek to return home. And when that happens, she will leave Sanatan Sanstha. Unmarried young women are a different case; they stay longer, and also manage to rope in their families into the sanstha. Logic, pure simple logic. Or is it a deep understanding of human psychology? Has this strategy been defined as a policy after studying human psychology? After all, Jayant Athavale is a clinical hypnotherapist and has spent most of his life with psychologists.

The real experience:

I experienced this first hand at Sanatan Sanstha Ashram. You can look up all such cases in the newspapers. In fact, four families from my home state, Maharashtra have petitioned the Bombay High Court alleging that young female members have been brainwashed. I was not alone at the ashram, there were scores of females like me, some young and unmarried while others married. Married with children and loving husbands. Broken dreams and broken lives.

Why is the ashram full of women; run away women? Do men not run away? Don’t they leave everything behind to seek Mooksh? The answer is simple; if any men run away from home to join the ashram, they have to manage on their own. Sanatan Sanstha will not provide them the full facilities provided to women. They have to make their own arrangements for lodging and boarding. The unwritten rules can be broken only if he is well connected and has ample funds under his control or is a foreigner. Sanstha knows how to extract maximum mileage. It squeezes out the last drop from men and women, all in the name of spirituality. This is a difference between Sanatan Sanstha and other spiritual and religious organizations.

Think about it, chew it over and draw your own conclusions.

Sanatan Sanstha and its operations

What does Sanatan Sanstha do?

How do religious associations like Sanatan Sanstha operate? What do they do? What do its followers do?

These questions are asked to me daily by people from all walks of life. Ordinary people meet me on the roads and ask me; what did I do in the Sanatan Sanstha ashram? How did I spend my time? I tell them that I was taught about spirituality.

I was wrong, very wrong.

Religious organizations are supposed to follow religious practises, we are supposed to devote time in the devotion of God. All our thoughts should be occupied with the thoughts of God, we should think God, talk God and all our actions should be guided by God.

Sanatan is said to be a spiritual organization. Not only does its website say so, it is repeated several times during the various interactions with the followers – sadhaks and outsiders. It is repeated several times very prominently in their dailies. They stress that Sanatan Sanstha provides complete spiritual knowledge and training. For an organization that was founded only in 1990, this is a very tall claim. They state that their main objective is to present spirituality in a scientific language. So, what is the key difference, or is there a difference between the scores of religious organizations and spiritual organizations?

Sanatan Sanstha is different:

The sanstha does this very differently. It aims to teach spirituality to people. They have a big offering, they conduct satsangs in the Sanatan Sanstha Ashram as well as at its different branches. They conduct balsanskar vargs so that young children are taught about Hinduism, traditions and our culture. They are given information about the various Gods and Goddesses and the festivals and their importance. Looks all okay from the look of it in fact the objective is very impressive. Why should any Hindu oppose such lofty work?

But Sanatan Sanstha then deviates from the trodden path. It has its own agenda and it is not limited to spiritual teachings. No sir, not at all. Spirituality is a disguise, there is something hidden behind the veil.

Slowly and very softly, we are informed that there are millions of Gods and Goddesses and we should not pray to all of them. We should select a few, principally our Kul Devta (the God of our clan) and a couple more. We should spend maximum time in reciting their name. Still okay, nothing suspicious, right.

Now is the stinger.

Slowly and softly again, we are told that the Guru is the true GOD. He is the one and only one. We should pray to Gods as well as the guru. And who is the guru?

You guessed it right, he is none other than the founder of Sanatan Sanstha, HH PP Jayant Athavale. A hypnotherapist turned spiritual teacher. A person who aims to teach people spirituality. His brand of spirituality, his brand of Hinduism, his words and his preaching.

A Guru’s job is to guide us, lead us to the correct path. He is our mentor; he cannot be our God. God is Almighty. We should worship him. We should not worship the Guru. This is what our religion says, this is what our holy books say, this is written in Vedas and Puranas. Don’t trust me blindly, read their website, the message is ever prevalent.

Sanatan Sanstha has turned spirituality on its head. This is not good, not good at all.

I know, I was a part of it. I had run away from everything.

Why did Sanatan Sanstha attract me so much?

Sanatan Sanstha and Attraction

You must be wondering why would anybody be affected so much by Sanatan Sanstha. The “offering” that the sanstha puts in front of people is very appealing and put in a simplistic manner. They cloak the wordings to sound scientific. There is a beautiful concoction of Hindu Dharma and science and ordinary things are given a very spiritual meaning. They publish dailies, weeklies and even monthly newsletters. The articles are all about the daily news and about spirituality. The language is simplistic and easy to understand.

So what is the rub?

I always considered myself apart from the hoi-poi, the ordinary people who go about their daily activities without any thought of spiritual upliftment. The constant attacks on Hinduism used to affect me deeply. I always had an urge to do something about it but felt helpless. My family used to laugh at all these feelings. They would never support me, I used to feel. They never understood me. Oh! How wrong I was…

Sanatan Sanstha looks around for such people, people like me who are gullible, who are carried away by good words and who feel that the world does not understand them. Why only Sanatan, there are thousands of such organisations. They do the same thing. Why is Sanatan different from them? Why do people hate Sanatan so much?

I don’t know about others, but ask me and I will say that I hate Sanatan Sanstha because of what it did to me. How it duped me with the sweet words and the promise of Mooksh. How it utilised my feelings and played around with me.

Was I thinking rationally?

The question that arises is, was I ever thinking rationally? Why was I affected so much that I left my house, my family and all my relationship behind me and ran away? Was I hypnotised? Was I drugged? What happened?

The answer lies in psychology, pure human psychology. And Dr. Jayant Athavale has used this as a powerful weapon, a weapon through which he can control the minds of people. Make them do anything that he wants to do, when he wants to do and in the manner, that he desires. People say that he uses a branch of hypnosis; called Ericksonian Hypnosis. But I also know that a person cannot be hypnotised without his or her permission. Jayant Athavale can hypnotise one person at a time, how can he hypnotise so many of them?

The truth is somewhere in between. Sanatan Sanstha uses a powerful blend of psychological methods to capture the minds. The mind control techniques rely on a powerful tool of psychology called Auto Suggestion. The so called sadhaks first identify the individuals who can be diverted, converted and then controlled. Trust me, I was there, I was controlled by them. I was converted by them.

The methods are so simple but so powerful that we accept them without any questions. We accept them and follow them and use them in our daily life. Till one day, we lose control over our lives. We give our control to Sanatan Sanstha.

They win….

We lose, we lose ourselves and hand over ourselves to them.