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Guru Twittered About Sweat Lodge Death

But a source close to James Arthur Ray says this is common imagery

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 30, 2009 10:31 AM CDT
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(Newser) – James Arthur Ray, who yesterday canceled his upcoming appearances to devote all his "physical and emotional energies" to the fallout from the sweat lodge tragedy, talked a lot about death in the days leading up to the ceremony. His Twitter feed was full of posts that have since been deleted, but not before fans saved them and forwarded them to People. One person close to him says Ray often used death as a symbol and that these posts are no different. A sampling:

  • "The Toltecs practice an 'awareness of impending death.' Makes every moment precious when you know it could be your last."
  • "The Spiritual Warrior has conquered death, and therefore has no enemies in this life or the next."
  • "For anything new to live, something first must die. What needs to die in you so that new life can emerge?”

This Sept. 2007 picture picture provided by Rev. Meredith Ann Murray shows her with James Arthur Ray at the Spiritual Warrior Course at Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona, Ariz.
This Sept. 2007 picture picture provided by Rev. Meredith Ann Murray shows her with James Arthur Ray at the Spiritual Warrior Course at Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona, Ariz.   (AP Photo/Courtesy of Meredith Ann Murray)
This Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 picture shows the road leading to the Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona, Ariz.
This Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 picture shows the road leading to the Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona, Ariz.   (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona, Ariz. is photographed Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009.
The Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona, Ariz. is photographed Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009.   (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
cochiserocks
Oct 31, 2009 3:45 AM CDT
WHy do they keep calling him a guru? The word has a meaning in most the world that he doesn't even come close to fulfilling - charlatan, con man, nut job maybe, but 'guru' - not a chance - it just muddies the waters and makes people distrustful of properly trained and disciplined individuals who are labelled with the same word as a term of respect. If he's a guru - then I'm the Dalai Lama
newsrmandan
Oct 30, 2009 5:19 AM CDT
from the bio section of his web site....His Journey of Power® events fuse together the wealth-building principles, success strategies, and the teachings of all great spiritual traditions and practices that he has experienced and assimilated over the last 25 years...... this is the problem when you assimilate all the traditions of the "great religions" of this world. I would say that as much as James Ray is at fault here so is Oprah for promoting his books, and his ideas.
schmidtkoff
Oct 30, 2009 4:15 AM CDT
another freaking self-aggrandizing cult nut job. interesting that oprah is silent on this.

 
death • New Age • self-help • deaths • Twitter • James Arthur Ray • sweat lodge • Sedona • Angel Valley Retreat Center

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