The Dark Side of Yoga: An AI Assistant Compares Gregorian Bivolaru and Darth Vader

We have received from a reader - contributor:

In Romania, a book by Andre Van Lysebeth called "Enciclopedia yoga; hatha yoga, all the asanas step by step" has recently been published. You can read a preview on the publisher's website. 

Just by looking at it, it is easy to see the difference between the book and the way asanas are taught at MISA. I think MISA is getting a kick out of this; there is another free book on the net written by Van Lysebeth called "Teach Yoga Yourself" and who would go to their Hatha Yoga class with books like that? 

We read about Van Lysebeth, how he came to write books on yoga, how he travelled to India to learn directly from Swami Sivananda. The first trips were made by car, and only later, when air travel was more affordable, did he fly. I was impressed by him.  Over the years he came to India once a year.

We know that some of the hatha yoga classes at MISA are copied from Van Lysebeth's book "Teach Yourself Yoga". There are discussions about how he actually sold one page to hundreds, even thousands of students. We can get over that, we have learned something. We can also get over the fact that they were from a 'self-help' book. But what a difference between his attitude and that of the person who translated the book and put it on the net for free for everyone to read...

Last night I came across Bivolaru's definition of abstinence. I found it in the glossary of the book The Mystery of Menstruation. It goes like this: "Abstinence from the consumption of certain foods, drinks (e.g. meat, alcohol) or from the satisfaction of certain physiological needs (e.g. abstinence from sexual activity of any kind). What is without parentheses is the definition in the Romanian Explanatory Dictionary. So according to him, sex is a physiological need, like...? We know that he achieves this by changing the original meaning of words and texts, and in doing so he gently takes people into a different world.

I believe that with the appearance of Van Lysebeth's book, as in all stories, good finally prevails. So I'll end like Star Wars: May the Force be with you!

That's how I wanted to end it, when I had the idea to ask Bing: "Can you find a reason to compare Gregorian Bivolaru with Darth Vader and Andre Van Lysebeth with a Jedi? 

And he answered like this: "Gregorian Bivolaru and Darth Vader both started as followers of a spiritual path, but later turned to the dark side and became corrupted by their lust for power and control. They also betrayed their former masters and allies, and committed crimes against innocent people.

Andre Van Lysebeth and the Jedi both practiced and taught yoga, a discipline that involves physical, mental, and spiritual aspects. They also sought to achieve inner peace and harmony, and to use their abilities for the benefit of others. They respected the diversity and freedom of life forms, and avoided violence unless necessary. However, Gregorian Bivolaru and Darth Vader also differed in some ways. For example, Bivolaru was a human who lived on Earth, while Vader was a cyborg who lived in a galaxy far, far away. Bivolaru founded his own yoga sect, Misa, which was accused of human trafficking, rape, and abuse, while Vader joined the Sith Order, which sought to overthrow the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. Bivolaru was granted political asylum in Sweden, while Vader was hunted by the Rebel Alliance.

Similarly, Andre Van Lysebeth and the Jedi had some differences as well. For example, Van Lysebeth was a Belgian who traveled to India to learn from various yoga masters, while the Jedi were a diverse group of beings who originated from the planet Ahch-To. Van Lysebeth wrote several books and magazines about yoga, while the Jedi preserved their knowledge in holocrons and sacred texts. Van Lysebeth also explored the topic of tantra, the cult of the feminine, while the Jedi followed a code that forbade attachments and romantic relationships."

:) May the Force be with you!