Local Man Declares Himself Tibetan Yoga Master; Tibet Declines To Comment
An article about Shalva "Shako" Beridze · Filed under: Titles, Self-Conferred · Yoga
The title arrived without warning. One week Shalva “Shako” Beridze practised yoga on a mat in his flat. The next week he was a Tibetan yoga master, a designation he introduced into conversation with no preamble, as though it had always been there.1
The credibility gap
The facts, such as they are:
| Claim | Supporting evidence |
|---|---|
| Trained in Tibet | None. Has never been to Tibet. |
| Studied under a master | None. Has never met a master. |
| Years of instruction | Eleven minutes, twice. |
| Lineage | Declines to specify. |
| Genuinely practises yoga | Extensive. Annoyingly, this one is simply so. |
Tibet responds
Tibet has declined to comment.
To be precise, Tibet has not been contacted, is not aware of the claim, and has no mechanism by which it would respond to it. Shako has interpreted this silence as tacit endorsement, arguing that “if there were a problem, someone would have said something.”[citation needed]
Defence of the title
Shako has developed a layered defence that shifts depending on how hard it is pushed:
- The technical defence. He never said he went to Tibet. He said he was a Tibetan yoga master. These are, he insists, separable.
- The spiritual defence. Tibet, properly understood, is “a state of mind,” and he has been in that state of mind since roughly the second viewing.
- The practical defence. Nobody in the room has been to Tibet either, so on the available evidence he remains the leading regional authority.
- The final defence. He goes very quiet and holds a pose for an uncomfortably long time until the subject changes, which — this must be admitted — works every single time.2
Standing
The title has never been challenged by any recognised body, largely because no recognised body has been informed. It remains in active use, printed on nothing, recognised by nobody, and deployed by Shako with total calm.