Yaani Drucker’s hypocrisy about academic qualifications & enlightenment

Yaani Drucker made some comments on my blogs. Most of them are so deluded that I can’t be bothered to reply. But two of them required a reply, I though, because of her false and unchecked assumptions about me and the hypocrisy that drips from her… a suppose ‘enlightened soul’! She has taken up with another person who is not only deluded but very nasty and will stop at nothing to try to destroy the character of others… Gerald Moreno.
Here are her comments:yaani9@yahoo.com

75.219.205.160
2010/05/24 at 3:29 pm

Dear Dr. Priddy,

I find it interesting that you stake so much value in the fact that you have earned a PhD.

Sometimes too much information can get in the way of enlightenment. I do not know any PhD’s who have attained, do you? I do know that Ramakrishna, illiterate, Ramana Maharshi, barely literate, and Nisargadatta, also barely literate, all attained. The obvious conclusion is that scholarly learning more probably leads to arrogance, which gets in the way of enlightenment.

I would suggest to stop idenitifying with yourself as any label and come with wholly empty hands unto your chosen form of deity, or formless… this will bring you quickly to your enlightenment.

The greatest service we can render to the planet is to wake up to the truth of who we are, for in that we expose ego as an impostor for all mankind.

That is why at the moment of my enlightenment I was told, Your aura has just exploded to infinity and you are shooting off sparks of love and joy to all humanity. It is a gift to all humanity to wake up, for we are all one.

Enlightenment is the greatest expression of selfless love. And everyone qualifies – you don’t have to have a PhD, to go for your enlightenment. You just have to be willing to be wrong about everything you taught yourself thus far, probably a tall order for a PhD, thus we don’t see any enlightened Drs.

Have a sweet day.

Yaani failed to recall that her husband, who is a Ph.D. has claimed to be self-realised, like herself. My reply to her was uncompromising, as follows (some typos corrected here):-

Yaani, Enlightenment is not just a sudden personal version of sat-chit-ananda. Your pretentious preaching at me I find laughable and also repulsive. I experienced infinity, intense sweet bliss and paranormal intuition of minds and much more when I was 26. Doctorates meant nothing to me – and never have, not have professorates (Note: Norwegian version of ‘professorships’). I never used any academic title in any of my many articles in Sanathana Sarathi, published books and articles – nor in India where Sai followers have to have letters after their names (Narasimhan once inserted tiles ‘Doctor’ and ‘Professor’ on his own guesswork – neither of which titles I have ever myself used – and so I had him cease to do!). I virtually only took my degrees with a family to support (Continental Magister degree), despite great scepticism about philosophy, psychology and science. (I wrote widely, deeply critically on these subjects in that vein too. From all you write it is perfectly evident to me that you are ensconced in a strong ego, and that you have most certainly not got anywhere near the maximum enlightenment possible. I note you also inform about having taken a BA in psychology… why so? And your husband promoted himself vastly as a Professor and scientist – but he has no academic record that can be found. I only set my record straight once because of attacks by Moreno and de Witt!! You should be deeply ashamed of your support to him (dogs barking, indeed. How unoriginal). You were caught far more deeply in the Sai cult than I, and you cannot liberate yourself or face up to reality (which is patently not in your solipsistic cloud-cuckoo land of bogus ‘oneness’).

I took my university education having a family to support (Continental-style – Norwegian Magistergrad degree), despite my great scepticism about philosophy, psychology and science at that time due to personal experiences of many kinds – and in half a dozen previous kinds of employment world-wide. (I wrote widely, deeply critically on these subjects in that vein too. Do a little research. From all you write it is perfectly evident to me that you are ensconced in a strong ego, and that you have most certainly not got anywhere near the maximum enlightenment possible. In fact your ideas about it are largely deluded and immature. It requires a thorough knowledge of many things concerning humanity, the origins of religion, deep psychology (in practice), and not just some subjective experience which once blew your mind.

I do not intend to continue any correspondence with you because I have seen how hypocritically you treated Barry Pittard. I have no help to offer you either, but you sorely need it. I am not moved by mere sweet words, as I recognise they conflict with the main body of how you react to others. I am not dear to you, you do not know me – I am a real person, not some abstraction of the kind you deal in. I do have very sweet days with my family, friends and existence, without your wishes or help. One often reaps what one has sown (not always though!)
Robert Priddy

Yaanidrucker also commented:- 2010/05/23 at 6:02 pm

Dear Dr. Priddy,

You are a PhD, correct? And by your definition of a cult, you got caught in one. Now your definition and mine differ, therefore I do not think you were so stupid as to get stuck in a cult, however you do. I find that very interesting, despite your complete faith in those PhD who lead the world, who breath that rarified air of enlightened knowledge, that is so superior to the rest of us peons.

I am neither a Ph.D nor a Professor, though I was a professor in the wider general sense, a university lecturer. I have a Ph.D. equivalent – 7 years university studies and thesis, dissertation etc.). Many people have given me these titles, and I have always responded asking them not to do so, I prefer to rely on what I actually write and stand for, not on titles. So Yaani is completely mistaken about my self-evaluations, and she never even met me. She seems to have a problem about knowledge and learning… even though she has announced that she took a BA in psychology herself. As to peons… well, she regards humanity in its virtual entirety as trapped with their egos… while she thinks she is enlightened beyond all measure? What an egocentric self-appraisal!

Yaani evidently has no idea of how I view and define cults in accordance with world experts on this subject. She could benefit from reading about them! Her view is that only a group one cannot leave is a cult. That is very simplistic. One can even leave the most oppressive cults, but it is the harassment afterwards that is the defining quality. Such as her confidante Moreno’s constant harassment of all Sathya Sai Baba ex-cult members. The Sathya Sai cult is not as extreme in the sense that some are, not unless you are in India and confront them (Basava Premanand was burgled three times (see BBC report) and suffered attempts on his life from Sai Baba goondas (i.e. killer thugs). He was convinced from his evidence that his son and helper was murdered in a Bangalore hospital too! Numerous Indian students have been murdered at the ashrams, and also a considerable number of Westerners, while other Western visitors have ‘disappeared’ from the ashram and have never been traced. Indian ex-students in fear of their livelihoods and even their lives still write to me (for they know I can be trusted, unlike continuing devotees). But for the majority it is admittedly a very subtle kind of cult, relying on voluntary donations (after deep indoctrination). Sai Baba gives people almost worthless rings (claiming they are diamond rings), fake watches, all manner of trinkets – and he gets huger donations in return out of thankfulness – but the donors were thoroughly deceived!

See The Nature of Cults examined