ABSTRACT
More seriously, the concepts of an ever-expansive agency, un-containability and reproducibility in particular are tied to a concept of guru-ship which inevitably, if unwittingly privileges a historiography of success – both local and global success, a view most evident in the concept of “guru governmentality.” Historical guru figures are seen as little efficient in helping these groups cope with everyday problems, and the “bhakti mode of recognition” in which the guidance by and veneration of gurus could play a role seems to have lost its attractivity, giving way to a religious practice emphasizing social recognition and universal social ethics, such as Navayana Buddhism. Lucia analyzes how disciplinary logics of physicality, or “haptic logics,” are defining characteristics of communities around gurus. By rendering physical contact with the guru sacred, the followers’ desire to be close to the guru is reinforced.
