About eight years ago, I began writing a book called Making Fun of Gurus. It was an exploration that felt risky and even offensive to some of the people I shared it with. The book examined the long history of false teachers, deceptive movements, and manipulative leaders, from ancient times to the present. It told the story of how the same patterns repeat, how followers get caught in the same illusions, and how those seeking relief from suffering often end up trapped in confusion, dependency, or harm. The book also explored how this dynamic connects to our own childhood wounds and to the collective anxiety that drives humanity to keep searching for someone to save us. We remain vulnerable to those who exploit our longing for peace. The challenge is not to hate or judge them, but to see clearly, to grow wiser, and to transform the cycle.
This subject has always felt deeply personal to me, though I am not entirely sure why. Perhaps it is because I know the temptation to want admiration, to be seen as a teacher, or to be loved for offering guidance. Yet I have also seen how dangerous that desire can become when it serves the ego instead of truth. I remind myself to stay grounded and honest, to write only what feels real, and to trust that honesty itself will protect me from illusion.
The time has come for false gurus, snake oil salesmen, grifters, and anxious leaders to stop misleading people. The world no longer needs that noise. Those who have the gift of influence must learn that the essence of non harm is to guide others toward clarity, reason, compassion, and peace. We must lead no one away from logic or from the healing power of wild nature.
Breathe deeply, not just for yourself but for the good of others. When we understand the nature of suffering, we stop striving and stop pretending to be chosen ones. There is no need for that. When the charlatans fade and the fanatics finally quiet, when anxiety gives way to peace and the good teachings of breath and awareness return, humanity will at last begin to heal itself.