Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, called “Sri Chinmoy” by his devoted followers, has made something of a career through publicity stunts. His favorite appears to be phony power lifting that he uses to attract attention and feed his seemingly insatiable ego.
The latest newspaper to be sucked in by the guru’s antics is the New York Times.
In a long piece today titled “They’re Not Heavy; They’re His People,” NY Times reporter Cory Kilgannon gave the guru enough space to make him blush, perhaps for the sake of humor.
However, though the NY Times correctly reported that the guru’s group has been called a “brainwashing cult,” it gave much more attention to his self-serving public relations ploy than the people he hurt.
Readers were regaled with a long list of celebrities that Chinmoy has lifted in the past, which reportedly includes Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Susan Sarandon, Roberta Flack, Yoko Ono, Sting, Richard Gere, Sid Caeser, 20 assorted Nobel laureates, sumo wrestlers and a headhunter from Borneo.
Actor Jeff Goldblum was the latest celeb slated for the 70-something guru to hold up for a photo op.
It all sounds like fodder for a good laugh. That is, unless you know the details of sexual abuse allegations that have spun around “Sleazy Sri” as reported by the New York Post.
Nothing was mentioned in the NY Times article about this.
According to former Chinmoy devotees the guru is not only posing as a celibate, he’s also is a bit kinky.
Chinmoy apparently likes to watch but not always weightlifting events.
He also reportedly has paid for at least one of his female follower/sex partners to have an abortion.
This is hardly the stuff of humor.
