July 24, 2023 - Carol Merchasin spoke to us on these four topics, and also offered opportunities for questions and discussion: Power, consent and the law Coercive tactics of abusers What every organization needs to prevent sexual misconduct Recent cases against spiritual organizations and their leader CAROL MERCHASIN is an attorney who leads a practice group litigating sexual misconduct in religious, faith-based and spiritual communities at McAllister Olivarius. She was previously a partner in the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and director of Morgan Lewis Resources, where she conducted dozens of workplace investigations and taught investigative techniques to human resource professionals at many Fortune 50 companies. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Carol and her perspective on abuse of power in spiritual contexts 00:02:24 - My Journey as a Lawyer Investigating Sexual Misconduct 00:05:13 - Investigating Sexual Misconduct in Spiritual Communities 00:08:13 - Understanding Consent in Spiritual Communities 00:11:59 - Liability for Sexual Assault in Spiritual Communities 00:15:29 - Understanding Sexual Assault and Consent 00:19:03 - Sexual Harassment and Organizational Negligence 00:22:27 - The Federal Sex Trafficking Law 00:25:49 - Manipulation and Coercion within Organizations 00:29:00 - Individual Justice and the Broken Criminal Justice System 00:32:08 - Recognizing False Light in Spiritual Communities 00:34:55 - Criteria for False Accusations 00:37:45 - Defamation and Whistleblowers 00:40:30 - Differences between Sexual Abuse in Spiritual and Corporate America 00:44:23 - Consent, Teachings, and Sexual Misconduct 00:48:22 - Policies and Processes for Addressing Human Trafficking 00:50:58 - Cult-Like Behavior and Psychological Shift 00:53:41 - Creating and Enforcing Community Policies 00:56:20 - Thoughtful Reporting Process 00:59:18 - Recourse for Abuse in Psychedelic Therapy Relationships 01:03:15 - Red Flags and Trauma Survivors 01:06:24 - Policy Considerations for Preventing Sexual Misconduct 01:08:47 - The Nuance of Teacher-Student Relationships 01:10:46 - Policies for Maintaining Decorum 01:12:32 - Preventing Child Molestation 01:15:03 - Consent and Rules in Communities and Workplaces 01:16:39 - Managing Relationships with Students 01:18:30 - Hypocrisy in Celibacy and Exposing Corruption 01:21:11 - Potential Legal Issues with Nondisclosure Agreements 01:23:05 - Survivor Support and Legal Advocacy 01:26:16 - Upholding the Teachings

On June 5, 2023, the ASI community discussed tenets #13, #14 and #15 of the ASI Honor Code of Ethics. Chapters:" 00:00:00 - Exploring the Code of Ethics 00:02:32 - The Evolution of the Code 00:05:23 - Human Limitations and Drives 00:08:46 - Disillusionment on the Spiritual Path 00:11:14 - The Liberating Point 00:13:30 - Maintaining Needs Outside the Spiritual Community 00:16:14 - The Slippery Concept of Spiritual Teaching 00:18:56 - The Nature of Being Human 00:21:24 - The Wave and the Ocean 00:24:50 - The Price of Attainment 00:27:44 - Helping Each Other Along the Path 00:30:40 - The Truth of Self 00:33:42 - The Embodied Relationship with Other Beings 00:37:12 - The Power and Responsibility of Spiritual Leaders 00:40:32 - The Importance of Spiritual Leaders' Simplicity 00:45:29 - Dealing with Glorified Status 00:48:46 - Giving Back Power in Relationships 00:51:27 - The Importance of Not Knowing 00:53:54 - The Dynamics of Projection in Spiritual Relationships 00:56:12 - Projection as a defense against the truth 00:59:26 - The Spectrum of Spiritual Growth 01:02:53 - Exploitation in Spiritual Teaching 01:05:19 - The Line Between Personal Satisfaction and Manipulation 01:07:46 - Emotional and Spiritual Maturity in Leadership 01:10:27 - The Gradual Deception of Maya 01:13:03 - Exploitation in the TM Movement 01:15:30 - Surrendering to Divine Will 01:18:07 - Influence and Manipulation in Spiritual Leadership 01:20:48 - Reflections on Manipulation and Spiritual Leaders 01:22:56 - Check and Balance in Community and Nature 01:26:09 - Closing Remarks and Feedback

Izzy Swanson presented the following paper at the recent Harvard Divinity School Conference “Uses and Abuses of Power in Alternative Spiritualities”. He kindly agreed to let ASI share it on our blog. Izzy is a devotee of the Morrigan. He is a founding member of the Order of the Crows Priesthood and a hearth member of the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood. In his day-to-day work, Izzy is an Energetic Safety and Trauma Specialist and the owner of Feileacan Ministry in Austin, Texas. EXCERPT: It is an unfortunate truth that modern spiritual communities are perpetuating a culture of abuse. Disempowerment is happening in the form of shame, humiliation, manipulation, forced isolation, and retaliation. These experiences mimic the indoctrination and behavior patterns of dominant religious institutions, the very same institutions that many of us seek to break free from. My name is Izzy Swanson. I am a devotional polytheist. I was raised in a Pentecostal Cult in a small town in Texas. I am here today to share a little bit of my story with you and tell you about how my experiences in paganism mirrored my experiences growing up in the Church....

Recording Available to Watch ASI Presentation At Harvard Divinity School Conference  With many thanks to the team at HDS, we are glad to be able to share this recording of the ASI presentation Lessons From a Young Organization Making a Difference  by Jac O’Keeffe, Philip Goldberg and Rick Archer from the Harvard Divinity School conference Uses and Abuses of Power in Alternative Spiritualities .   This recognition from a leading theological institution is acknowledgement of the behind-the-scenes work we’ve been doing to transform the paradigm of spiritual leadership with a code of ethics, resources, education and peer support.

Dr. Connie Zweig, author of bestselling books on the Shadow, deepens and expands the theme of our last community gathering. Connie offers a presentation and group discussion which will move this topic into the spiritual domain. Today we witness social media and published reports of spiritual teachers in every tradition who claim the highest reaches of human consciousness, yet who act out sexual assault, emotional abuse, and financial coercion in extreme ways—including Hindu swamis, Zen roshis, Tibetan llamas, Hasidic rabbis, Catholic priests, Protestant clergy. Are you reading this and saying to yourself, “Not me. I’m not at risk.” Or “Not my teacher. She’s awake.” This denial is epidemic – and part of the problem. It leads us to look away from red flags – in ourselves and in our teachers – reinforcing spiritual naivete and often resulting in destructive behavior. This then leads us to ignore our own intuition, our bodily instincts, our sense of agency, and our intent to do no harm. In denial, we continue to imagine a religious or spiritual life without an encounter with human darkness. How can we support spiritual teachers to add shadow-awareness to their practices? How can we support students, before disillusionment, to cultivate shadow-awareness in themselves and to discern Shadow tendencies in others? How can we support students, after disillusionment, who feel traumatized and betrayed, to uncover their unconscious projections and rekindle their yearning for awakening? A fortunate few find the narrow path through the descent, the meeting with human darkness, and undergo an initiation: We travel from spiritual innocence toward a new level of consciousness—spiritual maturity. This is the dance of darkness and light in our search for awakening. CONNIE ZWEIG Ph.D., is a retired therapist, and author of Meeting the Shadow, Romancing the Shadow, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, which extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond, and the forthcoming book Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening (May 2023, now available for pre-order). Connie has been doing and teaching contemplative practices for more than 50 years. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the ASI Webinar and Shadow Work 00:02:46 - Connie Zweig's Books and Introduction 00:04:21 - Meeting the Shadow in the Spiritual Path 00:06:33 - Shadows in Religion and Spirituality 00:08:42 - The Development of the Shadow 00:11:12 - The Need for a Spiritual Justice Movement 00:14:36 - The Idealized Teacher-Student Relationship 00:18:01 - Unconscious Dynamics in Teacher-Student Relationships 00:19:54 - Coercion by Clergy and Spiritual Teachers 00:23:12 - Patterns of Spiritual Abuse 00:26:34 - Steps of Spiritual Shadow Work 00:29:35 - The Collapse of Projections and Inner Work 00:31:15 - Embracing the Darkness Within 00:33:28 - Discussion on Spiritual Abuse and Undefined Terms 00:34:58 - Repressing Unacceptable Feelings 00:36:33 - The Buried Material in the Shadow 00:38:07 - Projection in the Teacher-Student Relationship 00:40:09 - Discussion on Psychology and Pure Consciousness 00:41:24 - Dealing with the Shadow Side and Seeking Justice 00:43:27 - Responses to Religious or Spiritual Abuse 00:45:54 - Different Responses to Abuse in Communities 00:48:28 - Spiritual Community and Catalyst for Change 00:51:31 - Understanding spiritual abuse in a healthy community 00:53:55 - Dealing with Disruptive Individuals in a Community 00:56:18 - Reflecting on Projection in the Community 00:59:10 - Misbehavior among teachers 01:01:33 - Understanding the Scale of Abuse in Spiritual Communities 01:03:26 - Rethinking the Teacher-Student Relationship 01:05:41 - Acting out the Shadow while being spiritually advanced 01:07:31 - Tricky Situations 01:09:39 - Gratitude and Farewell

We explore the topic of psychological shadow. We talk about and share how both constructive and destructive shadows may appear in ourselves, our Spiritual Teachers and Spiritual Community. We learn more about the three types of shadow: projection, introjects, and split ego states. We share proven tools that address and heal our own spiritual shadows, both golden and dark, and leave with new insights and understandings that can help both ourselves and others. Facilitated by: Kimberley Lafferty, ASI Board Member

BY SETH ZUIHŌ SEGALL Does enlightenment make you a good person? Seth Zuihō Segall ponders the balancing act of enlightenment and admirability in Zen Buddhism. Read original article here: https://www.lionsroar.com/youre-going-to-carry-that-weight/

On January 8, 2023 for the ASI Education and Growth webinar, this interactive presentation with Henry Yampolsky, author of Dis-solving Conflict From Within, will share gems of wisdom from his work in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Drawing on the core teachings of Yoga and other spiritual traditions he will speak about taking a step beyond conflict resolution to what Henry calls conflict transformation. Join us as we explore, with Henry, how to respond to conflicts and boundary issues in spiritual communities with strength, clarity, and compassion as opposed to reacting in fear, avoidance, or aggression. HENRY YAMPOLSKY is a best-selling author, mediator, educator, lawyer, and multi-time TEDx speaker. Henry serves as the Assistant Director for Education, Outreach, and Conflict Resolution at Virginia Tech’s Office for Equity and Accessibility and teaches conflict resolution, mediation, and peacebuilding as part of Virginia Tech’s Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. Henry Yampolsky has worked with hundreds of complex conflicts and has taught and lectured around the world including at: Columbia University School of Law, the New York Peace Institute, the International Gandhi Center and Museum in New Delhi, at the Bellevue Mediation in Zurich, at Barathiar University in Coimbatore, India and at the Sattva Summit in Rishikesh, India. Henry is also a master-level instructor of Sattva Yoga, trained in Rishikesh, India. Henry incorporates the core teachings of Yoga and other spiritual traditions, especially Eastern ones, in his work in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Henry resides in Southwest Virginia with his wife and their 10-month Hound mix puppy named Gigi.

An Initiative of the Association for Spiritual Integrity (ASI) A GLOBAL MOVEMENT & COMMUNITY FOR ALL SPIRITUAL LEADERS Watch the video and learn more about: • How peer groups can be a tremendous support for those who are in positions of leadership within their respective spiritual communities, particularly teachers, gurus, counselors, coaches, therapists and transpersonal psychologists • Why it's important to normalize this kind of support system among all spiritual leaders • How ASI is prototyping and modeling peer support groups for spiritual leaders • ASI’s new peer support pilot beginning in January 2023 and how you can participate BE A PART OF THIS GLOBAL MOVEMENT! Since the winter of 2021, the Association for Spiritual Integrity has been prototyping peer support groups for spiritual leaders of all lineages, religious denominations, traditions and healing modalities which are lightly facilitated by peers skilled in group facilitation. We are incorporating the lessons learned from our community to create open-sourced guidelines for those who desire to participate in peer support groups. Building on an action based research pilot program in 2021, we are preparing to embark on our second phase in January 2023.

ASI replay of live event on May 3rd, 2021 with Christopher Chapple - Ecology & Spirituality: A Toolbox for Theory and Practice. Pollution troubles planet Earth. Soil and water: tainted. Fire and air: sullied. Species worldwide: threatened. How can spirit help? First, we need an operative story that links the human body with the cosmos. Second, we must recover a sense of intimacy with both. Third, we must realistically assess our individual situations and take action. This is a video replay of the live ASI online meeting event with host Christopher Chapple. https://bellarmine.lmu.edu/yoga/ https://spiritual-integrity.org

Thank you all who joined us for this event in June 2022 along with our hosts, Dr. Katherine Lawson, Gerette Buglion, and Katherine Bell. We hope you enjoy this video replay. Description: Those who seek spiritual guidance are deeply vulnerable to influence. A cornerstone of the ethical treatment of students and followers is to accept and support their own interpretations of their spiritual experiences. As conscious practitioners, it is important to recognize that our own histories and blind spots affect our students and followers. Staying vigilant with our own processes and reading clues from our bodies will help us keep sight of these vulnerabilities. Ethical treatment of our seekers protects us as well as them. We have to learn to live with the uncertainty of never truly knowing what another’s experience means to them. As leaders, we need to understand the inherent power we hold in the teacher/student or leader/client relationship and strive for conscious attention to these dynamics.

This is the second in a two-part webinar series (previously three-part but now two) on the topic of money and spirituality. In our first webinar, we wanted to hear from everyone who wished to speak. We heard voices and opinions expressed for the first time from people whose faces are familiar from ASI zoom events. We have since analyzed what was shared and found that there were 38 contributions and each touched on one of three topics: Money in our profession (37%), Money and personal shadow (35%), and Culture of money (29%). Money touches all our lives, daily. Our upcoming webinar offers an opportunity to engage in some personal work around our relationships with money. When we honestly examine our personal beliefs, conditioning, and attitudes we can bring greater awareness to how we approach money in our profession.

Text reposted: Truth be told: I’ve been in a healing cocoon, mending a broken heart. In 2020, I learned that my spiritual teacher, Yogi Bhajan, who passed away in 2004, sexually abused many women in his lifetime. A few months after finding this out, the pandemic hit, and a tour I had planned was postponed. That’s when I entered my cocoon. I could have stayed there forever as the image I long held of my teacher crumbled before my eyes. I cried with those bravely telling their stories and as more stories of abuse emerged from our community. Yogi Bhajan taught me Kundalini yoga and introduced me to the Sikh lifestyle, all of which inspired a set of daily practices I have done since I was a teenager. These practices have brought joy, peace, and strength to my life. I had many positive experiences with Yogi Bhajan. Yet, here is what emerged in my time of reflection. Although I never experienced physical abuse firsthand, I realized how much control he exerted over my life in ways that caused me a lot of pain that I am beginning to process and heal from. I also realized that I believed that Yogi Bhajan was perfect and that I could never match up to that level of perfection and what I thought I should be. This belief left me feeling disempowered and insecure as I aimed for the impossibility of that perfection for many years. I am now forging my own sovereign connection with my spiritual path. I can no longer call Yogi Bhajan my spiritual teacher. Here are the questions I ask myself. Do I love my daily practice and lifestyle that Yogi Bhajan inspired me to do? Absolutely. Do I hate the abusive and controlling behavior I have come to understand? Yes, completely. Holding both hate and love is my path right now. It causes my heart to break and tears to flow. Yet, I am inviting myself and anyone who has ever tried to be perfect or thought someone else was perfect, to let go of that notion and just be who you are. Stand in the “I’m sorry.” Stand with the goal of doing better and being better. Stand in love and in the pain. Go deeper into something much greater — into the presence of your soul and being. I am grateful to those who have bravely told their stories of abuse and pray for my capacity to do my part along with our entire community, to acknowledge our mistakes, apologize, repair, and create environments of healing, love, and respect for all — now and for our generations to follow. In love and gratitude, Snatam Kaur

by John Lindsey , ASI Member With the rise of the internet over the past three decades, a massive amount of information is now at the fingertips of nearly two-thirds of the total world population. Spiritual teachings are no exception to this and are widely distributed to—and by—a varied and diverse audience. This is wonderful, as teachings which had remained esoteric for millennia are finally available to the public and have encouraged the growth and acceptance of spirituality beyond its traditional religious associations and rituals. On the other hand, this accessibility can easily lead one into spiritual cul de sacs or alleyways that might not have been possible with less available teachings. YouTube, in particular, has become a kind of broadcast hub for many within the realm of contemporary spirituality, with a growing contingent from nonduality schools, old and new. While experienced, well-known modern teachers can be viewed on the platform (Adyashanti, Rupert Spira, John Prendergast, Pema Chodron, Thomas Keating, Swami Sarvapriyananda, etc.) in addition to archival footage of historical teachers, there are many others taking up the mantle of teaching on a regular basis. Independent contributors regularly present videos describing various awakening-events, post-awakening processes, Satsang which they host online, guided meditations, and more. Herein lies a treacherous path for any seeker: Thousands of accounts of what one should or shouldn’t be doing to move toward so-called “enlightenment.” The stakes seem high, indeed. How is one to know which perspectives to engage? I’d like to offer the following considerations if one is searching for nondual resources through YouTube. These are based solely on my own experience of the platform—others may have a significantly different interpretation. The suggestions apply primarily to lesser-known presenters, but can potentially be helpful across the whole spectrum of teachings available. They primarily refer to nondual content and teachings, though they may apply to other approaches to spirituality as well. I will use the terms “teacher” and “presenter” interchangeably throughout the narrative. Presenters with ambiguous language masking a commercial structure: The marketplace for commercialized spirituality has seen an exponential increase since its beginnings in the early-to-mid 20th century. There is nothing inherently unethical about a teacher asking for financial compensation for their time— there are plenty who are clear that they run workshops, retreats, and individual sessions for a fee. However, if what is presented is referred to as a “sharing”, “friendship”, or “mirror of yourself” and then payment is somehow requested or required, I view this as a deliberate misrepresentation. It seems like there are some YouTube channels which present content that is designed to “dangle the carrot”, encouraging a viewer to visit the presenter’s website for more engagement—it then turns out that there is a fee for any further interaction (some of which are quite high—the largest I’ve encountered is a $2,000 per month commitment, which pays for two meetings per month). While the YouTube content itself may, in fact, be a pro bono posting, the intent behind it may be financial gain. Fundamentalist message/teaching: Fundamentalism of thought and an oppositional stance is generally best approached with skepticism. While at first glance it may seem that the nondual viewpoint fosters this position less than mainstream religion, one may quickly come to find that it is equally as prevalent within various traditions and systems of nonduality. These “My Way or the Highway” teachers tend to regularly bristle when questioned or challenged and reject contrasting viewpoints as illegitimate. While occasional frustration or defensiveness is a human pattern that can happen to any of us, some of these teachers tend to display it regularly, though it often masquerades as a kind of lofty authority to their presence (to say nothing of a stereotypical guru-persona that may accompany this kind of presentation). Denouncing the viewpoint, thought process, or experiential validity of others can be common. Emphasis on a singular aspect of nonduality/potentially damaging language: This may be the single largest issue present within the YouTube nonduality community and has the most potential for detrimental outcomes. It is frequently encountered amongst those who have very recently begun their discourse/teaching/sharing and those who begin speaking on nonduality relatively soon after an awakening experience, which sometimes go hand-in-hand. However, this kind of linguistic description can also be found within more experienced teachers as well. An approach that is more slanted toward the relative world and various manifestations of life can sometimes lead seekers into a kind of hedonistic irresponsibility— everything is seen as “a celebration” or “miracle” that deserves some kind of recognition or indulgence, and compulsive behavior may be dismissed as non-problematic. This language tends to discount suffering in the world as “part of the perfection” without acknowledging the pain it entails. Additionally, this approach is the most frequent source of “mythologizing” the awakening experience and the subsequent shift(s) in consciousness that may occur. Spiritual bypassing can be common. On the other end of the spectrum are presenters who place a heavy emphasis on the path of negation and/or disregard for the relative world. These teachers tend to view the waking human experience (if not all of existence) as illusory and insignificant, with physical phenomena being viewed as perturbations of vast nothingness. Commonly used phrases are “nothing matters”, “there is no purpose”, “you don’t exist”, etc., to communicate what they view as the absolute nature of reality. Impersonal language abounds in this approach, sometimes bordering on the nonsensical. This view, especially when presented by those with a recent realization, can be given without sufficient compassion in its delivery and be confused as a kind of nihilistic, reductionist view of life. Some individuals will find themselves overwhelmed and hopeless in the face of this language to the point of severe psychological breakdown that may or may not entail suicidal or other harmful thinking. Spiritual bypassing is common here, as well. While both approaches contain facets of truth, I do not view either as complete in or of themselves. If a teacher truly experiences either of these aspects as the dominant perspective from which life is viewed, there is no fault in saying so— however, great caution must be taken in how these experiences are described in order to safeguard the health and well-being of individuals who come into contact with the message. Semantic debate and disagreement are plentiful in nondual circles and serve to enliven the conversation around a subject that is, in actuality, completely indescribable. Even so, this should never supersede the needs of those who are seeking out these viewpoints. While there are plentiful cautions in addition to the short list above, these three seem important regarding lesser-known presenters who are gaining traction on the YouTube platform. These attributes are rarely malicious in their intent; rather, they are simply presentations or teaching that may be less skillful than they could be. What, on the other hand, are the hallmarks of a skillful presenter? I won’t go into as much detail here, but the following is a list of a few of many notable qualities that seem to point to authentic, beneficent, and ethical presentation, in my view: Balanced presentation between affirmation/world of relativity and negation/emptiness Presenter does not speak outside his/her/their experience, and acknowledges when a given subject is beyond his/her/their purview Presenter acknowledges and respects varied viewpoints Presenter meets questions or objections with kindness and compassion Presenter is not afraid to say the phrase “I don’t know.” Presenter is focused primarily on the wellness of other beings, with the explanation of their viewpoint/method/experience in service to that end Presenter utilizes self-disclosure sparingly and with purpose Presenter maintains a presence of openness, non-aggression, and safety for all involved Although there does tend to be a natural upwelling and outpouring instinct pertaining to the insights that can arise after awakening, presenters would do well to approach this patiently, methodically, and preferably in partnership with a peer or more experienced mentor. These measures are not to dispute the validity of an awakening—only the individual knows the authenticity of that. Rather, they serve as linguistic safeguards against discourse that may mislead or harm those it is meant to help. After all, if one is going to speak about spiritual practice, awakening, and/or orientation after awakening, the only reason to do so in my view is to be of benefit to others. Accordingly, the language used must consider the very real fact that many spiritual seekers are part of a high-risk group. Individuals often come to spirituality after some kind of life-shaking event or crisis, and the wrong language at the wrong time can further destabilize an individual’s situation. The click of the record button must come not only with the acknowledgment of our transcendence, nor only our emptiness, but also our precious, fragile, miraculous humanity.

The relationship between money and spirituality can be complex and nuanced. We began a series of exploratory talks on this theme. This webinar opens the topic where we took some time to share our experiences and views about the relationship between money and spirituality with each other. We hope that over the webinars series (two more meetings, usually held 6 weeks apart) we will all have a deeper understanding of how financial abuse arises within spirituality together with some insights into our own relationships with money.

Recorded October 24, 2021, a live interactive online webinar with the ASI and hosts Jules Evans (philosophyforlife.org) and Dr. Dan Wilson (Debunk the Funk with Dr. Wilson on YouTube). The title “Paramahansa”, as in “Paramahansa Yogananda”, refers to a legendary swan that was said to have been able to separate milk from water. This symbolizes the yogi’s refined discriminative faculties, which enable him or her to discern the Real from the unreal – Truth from falsehood. Many spiritual traditions and teachers emphasize that developing these faculties is essential on the spiritual path, and caution that failing to do so can throw us off course. Today, the importance of developing discernment, or critical thinking skills, is playing out on the world stage. As documentaries such as “The Social Dilemma” have portrayed, social media connect and inform us but can also distract and divide us. One might think that spiritual leaders and aspirants would be somewhat immune to such manipulative agendas, but in fact, many of us may be susceptible. Has spirituality eroded our critical thinking skills or failed to encourage their development? Does knowing that spirituality can reveal deep, hidden truths incline some of us to believe dubious assertions, simply because they have allegedly been concealed? How can we tell if our critical thinking skills are deficient, and what can we do to strengthen them? This webinar will address these points. https://spiritual-integrity.org

The dangers of becoming a spiritual teacher—and how to avoid them by developing peer-powered embodied wisdom to match our awakened minds By Nick Jankel Author, Keynote Speaker, Leadership Theorist, Transformational Coach, Wisdom Teacher, Co-Creator of Bio-Transformation Theory & Practice® The Dangers of Spiritual Teaching I am clear that most http://www.switchonnow.com/ wisdom teachers, spiritual teachers, come to the work because of their own pain and suffering. It’s what happened to the historical Buddha. Enlightenment can turn wounds into embodied wisdom teachings . Most of my fellow teachers will happily say this healing process was part of their journey. I can definitely say that I found the truth and experience of enlightenment to be the only thing big enough to help me handle the pain of my abused, bullied, and neurotic former self. When one realizes that the process of  switching on  /waking up changes everything, and one groks that until others get this they will always suffer, a lifelong commitment to spreading this realization seems the only sensible choice. I fully understand the fervent, all-encompassing evangelism for sharing spiritual enlightenment with the entire world. However,  as I detail in my books , any purposeful mission can always be hijacked by our need to protect ourselves from threats and control a chaotic world. The ego, what we prefer to call our Protector, is not wrong or bad. Far from it. It has a sacred and evolutionarily elemental job to keep us alive. But to do this, it uses old patterns—feelings, beliefs, and habits that once worked to keep us safe but are now probably maladapted—to do its job. This is where most self-sabotage and almost “evil” behavior stems: the repetition of defensive moves to control the crazy and protect us, when they are not a fit for the moment. Anyone who has established protective patterns to get by life that include, say: being rude or mean-spirited; being desirous of being sexually desired; becoming over-confident when anxious to the point of arrogance; wanting to be safe in life with a pot of cash; wanting to be seen, heard, and respected as brilliant— so that means pretty much everyone — will always be at risk of being triggered into such patterns. This is biology. This means most people who become wisdom teachers are at the constant risk of being profoundly inappropriate, sexually tacky, power-crazed, and financially duplicitous. It goes with being human. This is why there are so many abuses of power, money, and sexuality in so many spiritual communities. When charismatic spiritual teachers meet everyday folks who project their need for a savior/divinity/master onto a teacher, power can reshape the teacher and disconnect them from the flow of humanity. Many (mostly male and definitely masculine) gurus enjoy being the savior/divinity/master. If their own protective patterns have developed to allow them to feel strong, important, respected, special, then they can easily get hooked into assuming a role atop the pyramid of power. Even if we think we are liberated and emancipated, the social conditioning of expecting a father-figure to save us, to guide us, to provide us with the answer… can be hard to be free from. Then otherwise smart and sensible people get caught in the tractor beam of charismatic power, becoming acolytes who enact their own often neurotic protective patterning to “enable” the gurus. Turning Our Own Wounds Into Wisdom In my view, a true wisdom teacher—and embodied wisdom teacher—must have a sufficiently healed heart, from years of deep and committed inner work, to have anything worth teaching in the first place. This means not just doing spiritual practice, teaching non-duality, or helping people bliss out in the oneness (whether with aya or dance, meditation or toad venom) but integrating that experience into everyday life with the rigorous transformation of gnarly psychological trauma… ours first of all. Perhaps no one is ever fully healed. But the process of constant healing helps us become ever-more whole, which helps our teaching bring others in wholeness, through transforming trauma into embodied wisdom . Old-world, positively medieval, hierarchies are so embedded in both West and East and they lock us into permanent disempowerment and diminishment. No genuine teacher of wisdom, who has embodied that wisdom as love glowing in their hearts and guts, can believe in a dominative hierarchy. As teachers/coaches/healers, we merely point the way, provide a map, hold space for heart opening, cultivate the condition for healing, dialogue with the nervous system of our clients and participants, wake up the wisest parts of them… but we are never doing the illuminating or healing ourselves. Once someone has learned what they can from us, we must send them along to their next teacher—or just go practice what they have learned for a few years in everyday life). We should have no ‘acolytes’ ever, least of all those who cover up their messes from the public, attack critics in workshops and online, and act as apologists for any abuses. We never form an (abusive or neglectful) parent and (traumatized) child dynamic with our students/clients. This relationship will disable, disempower, and diminish everyone in the system. So the teacher refuses sycophancy of all kinds: actively and compassionately. Above all, we must never get high on our own supply. We always know we are always going to be vulnerable and deeply flawed beings who have a Protector ready to hijack anything we do, no matter how heartfelt, and turn into something that hurts others. Hurt hearts, hurt hearts. When it’s a wisdom teacher, it is truly tainted love. Systemic Failure In The Patriarchal Guru System As someone who does wisdom teaching on the one hand, and  transformational innovation   on the other, I have come to realize that the issues of guru abuse are symptoms of “fails” in the teacher-pupil paradigm; and guru-disciple business model that underpins it. As one of the ‘gurus’ of systems change, Peter Senge, says: never blame the person, look to transform the system. The next Buddha must be the sangha, or community. Not an individual but a network. Not a guru but a group. Not another Christ but a Circle. The network or circle — complete with peer-powered transformation technologies — is the “antidote for, or the completion of, hierarchy” (to quote my peer coach/teacher Scott Vineberg): it flattens out command and control urges, sending power to the edges where it then empowers everyone to switch on and step up with their own transformations. As teachers, we insight-share and space-hold to create the conditions by which others within the group or circle can heal ruptures in their relational fields. We teach people tools and practices by which clients/students can work with their peers (family, colleagues, lovers, friends, fellow students) to do the inner work together. We harness our disciplined practice of, and nuanced knowledge about, meditation, music, movement, and more to help people integrate their realizations and revelations into their body, and embed them into life. But we always know that we are peers in the network/circle/sangha. Wisely designed peer-to-peer systems allow everyone to work with other humans to free themselves from old patterns and embed new repatterns into their leadership and love lives. In peer-powered horizontal networks, those in vertical positions atop pyramids, whether CEOs or gurus, have to give up power to the people (whilst still being confident yet humble leaders). They support the people from below: with servant, supportive, stewardship. In a transformational network/group /circle /community, many people have some of the truth. They can, and must, share it with others. This is their purpose calling them to act. To be of service they teach with love about love. They can even be paid for it. After all, those diapers don’t pay for themselves. Teachers amplify the potentiality for the wholeness of those they serve. Showing Up Whole There is still very much a role for an embodied wisdom teacher within this network-sangha, as long as we see ourselves as one in a node in a network, or one a point within a circle. True wisdom teachers of the 21st Century don’t ever seek to rise up to the top of the outdated pyramid of hierarchy (literally, “rule by the priests”); or seek to sit upon the apex pontificating to subordinates and preaching to acolytes. Sure they teach. Sure they write. Sure they send out Youtube videos and podcast interviews. But they never take their mission too seriously even as they know it is the most important thing on the planet bar none. If we are going to ride the wide-open plains of the unregulated wild (wild) West of wisdom teaching/coaching/healing, it is essential that we surround ourselves not with people stuck in a “fawning” protective pattern (wanting to be loved or find a rescuer) but those who love us and can act as peer-supervisors: they see us as awesome yet deeply flawed human beings. Given the trappings of power, and the evolutionary design of the Protector to grab onto it to feel safe, I believe that it is essential that every teacher surrounds themselves with friends, lovers—and above all peers—who do not drink their Kool-Aid (or at least are not addicted to it); are delighted to burst their bubbles (lovingly, in-service); and can elegantly coach them on their blindspots to become ever more purposeful. I take to heart the Jewish mystical saying: don’t take up too much space but don’t take up too little either. Suffering is everywhere. People are yearning for support, for inspiration, and for guidance. If we have teachings and practices that can alleviate the suffering—after years and years of our own humbling stumbling—then our dharma is to offer it to others as a teacher/healer. Nothing else can suffice. Yet no matter how much other-worldly spiritual brilliance and “ crazy wisdom ” we (profess to) have, we must also have this-worldly integrity and old-fashioned social morality: we pay money back if it’s owed; we show up on time to meetings, always respecting others time as much as our own; we don’t cheat on our partners; polyamory is consciously consensual by all parties (with no-one really wishing they were in committed monogamy); we can be relied upon to change diapers and be present for our children’s bathtime; we are transparent about our business dealings and happy to explain all and any profits; we are ready to own our own contribution to anyone’s upset. This means we must be embodied wisdom teachers, not  disembodied minds competing for attention in the gurusphere . We are congruent and coherent: our everyday actions and emotions align with our wise words and wonderful philosophies. We know deep down that whilst we package up and share teachings, we don’t “own” them (and such teaching are never a complete system that has no fragilities or frailties). Embodied wisdom teachers walk the Middle Way between nihilism and absolutism, between hubris and humility, between chutzpah and chochmah: modern-day bodhisattvas vowed to spread the love… without the need for big paybacks in Rolls Royces, Youtube likes, or adulating crowds. If we as a wisdom teacher, of all people, can’t laugh at how our Protector has taken control of the ship, and release our protective patterning go quickly as we can transform it in real-time with presence, then we are clearly hooked on our own supply. Time to stop teaching and start  learning  again! Footstool vs. Pedestal Theory Perhaps embodied wisdom teaching starts, and possibly ends, with being able to come into an open-hearted, reciprocal, and interdependent relationship (then dialogue) with anyone, without needing to be on a pedestal of any kind. In other words, we can be with any human (and element of nature) without needing to be mysterious, hard to reach, inaccessible, or hidden behind acolytes or media walls—and without grasping for higher status with passively aggressive ways of teaching. We teachers must sit atop a footstool from time to time: just above others to be seen fully. Otherwise, people won’t get much value from us. Students/clients cannot see who is speaking and sharing. They cannot connect with us or relate to us as we are blurred by the crowd. They probably cannot hear us either. But we never sit atop a pedestal (nor a fancy throne), no matter how tempting it may be to the Protector within us. When people provide us with such a pedestal—literally, metaphorically, or metaphysically—we resist its siren song with all our healing/wholing heart. For the Connector within, the One that actually does the real teaching and healing, is always a learner. So we are always ready to jettison the footstool in a heartbeat, handing it off to a peer as we melt back into the community, from whence we came, to learn again. Whenever The Protector is in command, the Connector must be invited back in to heal, transform, and start over with what the Buddhists call “beginner’s mind”. The true embodied wisdom master is a perpetual pupil because life, and so consciousness, is always dynamic, growing, and changing. Thus we can move from floor to footstool—and back again—in an instant: always ready to serve, always ready to observe. The Atman/Brahman within, the wisdom teacher we all have inside, is a node in the network of humanity—and all life. It is the jewel within Indra’s vast net. Anyone can call anybody out on anything (patterns, amorality, lack of integrity), at anytime (with respect and responsibility). There are no disciples to abuse. There are no acolytes to enable us. There are no gurus to break bad.

ASI webinar recorded live July 26, 2021 with our host, Victoria Santos. Our topic was "The Spiritual Power of Being an Antiracist" with Jac O'Keeffe & Rick Archer, Phillip Goldberg, David Beaver co-hosting. Tapping into the spiritual power of being an antiracist means that we draw on our deep inner resources in the work of cultivating a thriving, equitable and compassionate culture that accommodates the richness of our diversity. Racism has permeated our society and manifests itself in structural systems, cultures and individuals. We discussed some of the systemic barriers to social justice and racial equity and how they impact us, internally and externally, individually and collectively. How do our inner lives shape the way we engage with society? And we looked at how we can embrace actions and practices that mobilize our spiritual power in the work of making change. When we do this, we foster individual and collective growth, transform culture, and create lasting, meaningful impact. Victoria Santos: https://www.commonweal.org/program/chl/ Association for Spiritual Integrity: https://spiritual-integrity.org

A live, interactive online video event sponsored by the Association for Spiritual Integrity, with Duane Elgin presenting. Nature has always been referred to as a teacher. What is the teaching community’s responsibility for the wellbeing of the ecosystem? What can we do for the separative world we see? What can we do for a separative world experiencing existential climate threats? What is our role in a separative world experiencing existential threats? How does spiritual leadership/teaching engage with a world experiencing existential threats? How do we respond, individually and collectively? Duane Elgin: https://duaneelgin.com The ASI: https://spiritual-integrity.org

Video replay of the ASI online meeting held March 22, 2021. The ASI is starting a new initiative aimed to build and strengthen community and peer support for spiritual teachers, counselors, and coaches. Spiritual leadership can be a pretty complex and isolating role, and when things are challenging we often have few or no colleagues that we can lean on to share what is really going on for us, and get honest caring feedback. The ASI is looking into ways of supporting small groups of spiritual teachers who want to build peer support circles of collegial friendship working toward deep trust. We are in early stages and this project and it will grow slowly, starting with a couple of prototype groups—but we are quite excited about the potential it holds for deepening our various gifts of spiritual service.