Sri Chinmoy - Controversy

Controversy

Sri Chinmoy has been criticized by some former followers. Musician Carlos Santana, as a follower, said about Sri Chinmoy “Without a guru I serve only my own vanity, but with him I can be of service to you and everybody. I am the strings, but he is the musician. Guru has graduated from the Harvards of consciousness and sits at the feet of God”. When he parted ways with Chinmoy, Santana told Rolling Stone magazine that the guru was "vindictive" and "told all my friends not to call me ever again, because I was to drown in a dark sea of ignorance for leaving him". Santana later remarked "It was a good learning experience."

Jayanti Tamm was born into Chinmoy's organization. Her account of life as a Chinmoy disciple Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult was published in 2009. Tamm claimed that Chinmoy predicted she would become his perfect disciple. She had been expelled from the group few times before 1995; the expulsion was later made permanent. The book describes her life in the guru's inner circle and her efforts to break free from his influence.

Allegations of sexual misconduct against Chinmoy were published in the book The Joy of Sects.

In 2003, Chinmoy registered a dispute over the ownership of two internet domain names with WIPO. The content of these websites was alleged to "promote false and defamatory statements about the Complainant, including serious allegations of sexual misconduct". Chinmoy also contended that the site advertised a number of for-profit "anti-Hindu deprogrammers." Under paragraph 15 of the WIPO rules, the domains were ordered to be turned over to Chinmoy.