35 VOLUME 6 |ISSUE 3 |2015
Choudhury is known for developing and copyrighting a
sequence of 26 yoga postures that are normally performed
in a room heated to 40 degrees Celsius. His chain of 650 yoga
studios around the world has made the Beverley Hills resident a
multimillionaire. (CBC News, 2/25/15)
Pasadena man believes he is Buddha and is gaining
followers despite suspicions
A Pasadena artist known as His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha
III is wanted for allegedly stealing nearly $8 million in China.
Chang has built an empire of devoted disciples in California
based on the claim that he is the reincarnation of Buddha.
Chang’s followers believe he can perform miracles and
create masterpieces worth millions of dollars. One follower
noted that “Temples, nonprofits, museums and dozens of
businesses—many handling millions of dollars per year —exist
throughout California and the San Gabriel Valley with ties to
Buddha.” However, an expert on Chinese Buddhism called the
organization “suspicious” and questioned the money flowing to
Buddha.
In March, “the sale of one of his [Chang’s] ink drawings for $16.5
million shocked the art world, with one dealer calling the sale
extraordinary.” Some believe that disciples may be behind
the huge increase in the sales of Chang’s paintings. Chang’s
followers have spent roughly $120,000 on lobbyists. Perhaps
as a result, Chang has received many honors from politicians,
even though Interpol investigated him (the investigation was
later dropped), and the Chinese government claimed that he
had committed fraud in China. Chang and his followers call the
fraud charges “political.” (The Pasadena Star-News, 4/18/15)
Five from Church of Almighty God cult jailed in China
Following a conviction of six members of the Church of
Almighty God in Hubei province for “brainwashing,” a court
in Wuhan sentenced five Church members to between 3 and
4 years in prison because they were found guilty of recording
“cult training materials,” and using mobile phones, laptops, and
voice recorders in September, the Wuhan Evening News has
reported. “They spread the materials among cult members and
others,” the newspaper said. “They also communicated with
each other with handwritten notes taken during the training
in order to ‘cultivate dissemination talents.’” More than 1,000
Church of Almighty God members have been arrested over the
past year. (ucanews.com, 7/2/15)
Church leader free on bail
Fred King, the leader of the Chatsworth Church of Jesus
Christ Restored in Canada, has been released from custody on
a $50,000 bond after he was arrested in a hotel without incident
following issuance of a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.
King was charged with several counts, including sexual assault,
death threats, and weapon possessions. King cannot go near
the Chatsworth Church property, he isn’t allowed to possess
any firearms, and he must stay in Ontario.
Judson King, Fred King’s brother, was arrested on April 4 and
also released on bond. He was charged with “assault with a
weapon, uttering death threats, and four counts of assault.”
Both brothers are scheduled to appear in court on May 15.
Six former church members, including Carol Christie, who wrote
a book about the group, have settled lawsuits against church
principals, including Fred King, out of court. (Sun Times, Owen
Sound, 4/16/14)
Disappearing act: What happens when your guru
disappears?
In June 2013, in response to many allegations of cultic abuse,
American spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen relinquished
leadership of his worldwide group of followers. After his
resignation, Cohen disappeared from public view. There are
a few reports of people having seen him in India, but there
is still no public response from Cohen. An ardent seeker in
India, Cohen so impressed guru Poonja-ji that in 1986 the
guru declared Andrew to be his successor. Cohen has been
very successful in amassing a worldwide following of spiritual
acolytes. In recent years, however, his spiritual empire began to
collapse, especially when persons from his inner circle joined
the chorus of criticism. Cohen’s mother, Luna Tarlo, who wrote a
book, Mother of God, changed her views from adoring to critical
now, according to some reports, they have reconciled. (The
Daily Beast, 5/27/15)
Excommunication from Exclusive Brethren costs man his
family
Robin McLean, a former member of the Exclusive Brethren,
recently described his life inside the group and the price of
leaving his family. The 58-year-old was born into the church
community known as the Plymouth Brethren. Mclean began
to question the rules the group had. He hoped the Brethren
leaders would realize that forcing families to separate because
of their differing beliefs was too callous to continue, or that
governments would force the group to cease. Instead, the
church withdrew from and excommunicated him. His family
who is still with the group said Mclean chose to leave his family
and pursue his own life. For his part, McLean said the small
community’s withdrawal brought a pain he would not wish
on his worst enemy. “All your support is taken away from you.
That’s a terrible feeling.” (The Dominion Post, 5/18/15)
“Pope Francis effect” leads to boom in exorcism
The surge in exorcisms has been attributed in part to Pope
Francis, who has frequently made reference to the devil. For
instance, in the diocese of Rome, one-third of the phone calls
to Catholic officials now have to do with requests for exorcisms.
And in April, about 160 priests from around the world attended
a weeklong conference on the topic at Pontifical University of
Regina Apostolorum in Rome the conference was endorsed by
the Vatican. One British priest in attendance recognized that
many cases of alleged exorcism are psychiatric illnesses, but he
stated that some involve genuine demonic possession. (The
Telegraph, 4/13/15)
Choudhury is known for developing and copyrighting a
sequence of 26 yoga postures that are normally performed
in a room heated to 40 degrees Celsius. His chain of 650 yoga
studios around the world has made the Beverley Hills resident a
multimillionaire. (CBC News, 2/25/15)
Pasadena man believes he is Buddha and is gaining
followers despite suspicions
A Pasadena artist known as His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha
III is wanted for allegedly stealing nearly $8 million in China.
Chang has built an empire of devoted disciples in California
based on the claim that he is the reincarnation of Buddha.
Chang’s followers believe he can perform miracles and
create masterpieces worth millions of dollars. One follower
noted that “Temples, nonprofits, museums and dozens of
businesses—many handling millions of dollars per year —exist
throughout California and the San Gabriel Valley with ties to
Buddha.” However, an expert on Chinese Buddhism called the
organization “suspicious” and questioned the money flowing to
Buddha.
In March, “the sale of one of his [Chang’s] ink drawings for $16.5
million shocked the art world, with one dealer calling the sale
extraordinary.” Some believe that disciples may be behind
the huge increase in the sales of Chang’s paintings. Chang’s
followers have spent roughly $120,000 on lobbyists. Perhaps
as a result, Chang has received many honors from politicians,
even though Interpol investigated him (the investigation was
later dropped), and the Chinese government claimed that he
had committed fraud in China. Chang and his followers call the
fraud charges “political.” (The Pasadena Star-News, 4/18/15)
Five from Church of Almighty God cult jailed in China
Following a conviction of six members of the Church of
Almighty God in Hubei province for “brainwashing,” a court
in Wuhan sentenced five Church members to between 3 and
4 years in prison because they were found guilty of recording
“cult training materials,” and using mobile phones, laptops, and
voice recorders in September, the Wuhan Evening News has
reported. “They spread the materials among cult members and
others,” the newspaper said. “They also communicated with
each other with handwritten notes taken during the training
in order to ‘cultivate dissemination talents.’” More than 1,000
Church of Almighty God members have been arrested over the
past year. (ucanews.com, 7/2/15)
Church leader free on bail
Fred King, the leader of the Chatsworth Church of Jesus
Christ Restored in Canada, has been released from custody on
a $50,000 bond after he was arrested in a hotel without incident
following issuance of a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.
King was charged with several counts, including sexual assault,
death threats, and weapon possessions. King cannot go near
the Chatsworth Church property, he isn’t allowed to possess
any firearms, and he must stay in Ontario.
Judson King, Fred King’s brother, was arrested on April 4 and
also released on bond. He was charged with “assault with a
weapon, uttering death threats, and four counts of assault.”
Both brothers are scheduled to appear in court on May 15.
Six former church members, including Carol Christie, who wrote
a book about the group, have settled lawsuits against church
principals, including Fred King, out of court. (Sun Times, Owen
Sound, 4/16/14)
Disappearing act: What happens when your guru
disappears?
In June 2013, in response to many allegations of cultic abuse,
American spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen relinquished
leadership of his worldwide group of followers. After his
resignation, Cohen disappeared from public view. There are
a few reports of people having seen him in India, but there
is still no public response from Cohen. An ardent seeker in
India, Cohen so impressed guru Poonja-ji that in 1986 the
guru declared Andrew to be his successor. Cohen has been
very successful in amassing a worldwide following of spiritual
acolytes. In recent years, however, his spiritual empire began to
collapse, especially when persons from his inner circle joined
the chorus of criticism. Cohen’s mother, Luna Tarlo, who wrote a
book, Mother of God, changed her views from adoring to critical
now, according to some reports, they have reconciled. (The
Daily Beast, 5/27/15)
Excommunication from Exclusive Brethren costs man his
family
Robin McLean, a former member of the Exclusive Brethren,
recently described his life inside the group and the price of
leaving his family. The 58-year-old was born into the church
community known as the Plymouth Brethren. Mclean began
to question the rules the group had. He hoped the Brethren
leaders would realize that forcing families to separate because
of their differing beliefs was too callous to continue, or that
governments would force the group to cease. Instead, the
church withdrew from and excommunicated him. His family
who is still with the group said Mclean chose to leave his family
and pursue his own life. For his part, McLean said the small
community’s withdrawal brought a pain he would not wish
on his worst enemy. “All your support is taken away from you.
That’s a terrible feeling.” (The Dominion Post, 5/18/15)
“Pope Francis effect” leads to boom in exorcism
The surge in exorcisms has been attributed in part to Pope
Francis, who has frequently made reference to the devil. For
instance, in the diocese of Rome, one-third of the phone calls
to Catholic officials now have to do with requests for exorcisms.
And in April, about 160 priests from around the world attended
a weeklong conference on the topic at Pontifical University of
Regina Apostolorum in Rome the conference was endorsed by
the Vatican. One British priest in attendance recognized that
many cases of alleged exorcism are psychiatric illnesses, but he
stated that some involve genuine demonic possession. (The
Telegraph, 4/13/15)
