Personally, I am not swami; nor do I have the authority to judge swamis. But fortunately, I have had the opportunity and privilege to meet many of those who are, in my opinion, true and spiritually authentic. Through my meetings with them- which form the basis of this book, I have gained in-depth insights and understanding of what it means to be a true Swami.

I had the opportunity to explore their views greater depth and follow up these discussions with more extensive conversations. But the difference between them and many spiritual seekers who were lost while being exploited was disappointing and a matter of concern; people from all walks of life were being misguided and abandoned to their fate after putting their trust in some smoke sellers wearing orange robes. I began to wonder if one could identify certain patterns, some driven by common sense and others more sophisticated driven by experience, that could be utilized to stay away and safe from them. In this book I have sought to present an understandable approach to follow the path spirituality and learn about the outer obstacles that surround it.

I was born into a family of traditional Brahmin priests in the holy town of Vrindavan, the spiritual home of Shree Krishna and my spiritual abode. Through the years I have observed how the essence to Sanatan dharma has been exploited and misconstrued by society. Thousands of people all over the world, even at this very moment that you sit and read this are being exploited and taken advantage of by the ‘so called swamis’. We must consider the fact that some of these swamis may think they know the essence of the Vedas, the purpose of life, how to experience the silence and a popular phrase in the new age community ‘how to raise the kundalini or do transcendental meditation etc.’

On the other side of the coin you have those who very well know that they are simply charlatans who mislead for power, money and simply because they can. A multi-billion-pound industry has sprung in society where there is lack of peace and harmony – where people are searching for answers to life. For every true enquirer there is a “Stupid Swami” ready to take advantage of the vulnerable.

In an existence where it can often be difficult to navigate through the ebb and flow of lie – the thirst for spiritual knowledge like the vast ocean in never ending. The search for sincere seekers often results in a quick spiritual death when they are enticed into a glamorized world of illusion, fakery, and false promises. It is often a case of the blind leading the blind.

Throughout the book, a number of examples and personal anecdotes have been recounted to illustrate the ideas under discussion. In order to maintain confidentiality and protect personal privacy, in every instance I have either changed or omitted names to prevent identification of particular individuals.

I wrote this book for the eager seekers of spirituality (beginners and the more advanced), the curious and the sceptical, and hopefully change the world of spirituality, which is unfortunately, being exploited by some business-minded false spiritual masters to which I refer as “Stupid Swamis, to whom I also want to reach out hereby with goodwill. I don’t pretend to lecture you about the superiority of one approach or one master over another. Instead, you will get the information that you need to get on the right path of Spirituality by yourself as well as the guidelines to find an Authentic Swami.