How To Pick (Or Not Pick) A Spiritual Teacher
(Part 1)
This section is written by Christine Breese, D.D., Ph.D.
Some of the statements below are excerpts from her forthcoming book:
Integrity Handbook For Spiritual Teachers, Leaders, Healers And Students
The question of how to pick a spiritual teacher is a pressing issue in this era. Spiritual teachers are everywhere, and many of them are not very enlightened at all. However, even if a spiritual teacher is not completely enlightened it is still possible to gain assistance and guidance from these ones. The guidelines I am going to give you on this subject are given in order to help you pick which of the spiritual teachers can be of best use to you on your spiritual path.
Keep in mind the true master rarely calls himself or herself a true master. A spiritual teacher is quite aware that enlightenment is a lifelong process, and that mastery of life and consciousness takes vigilance and diligence until the day one dies. The only difference that might be apparent between a spiritual teacher who has a certain level of mastery and a spiritual aspirant who has not quite realized the self yet is that the spiritual teacher notices more quickly when he or she has fallen off balance, or the mind has begun to move again. How quickly can one realize when one has fallen asleep back into the human condition? For the teacher, it should be fairly soon upon falling asleep. For the student, it may have not happened yet, or there have only been brief glimpses of what it is like to not be sleepwalking in the dream of being human. This is all that separates the student from the teacher.
I advise that if someone tells you that he or she is the embodiment of pure masterfulness, is a reincarnation of such-and-such master, requires your utter and exclusive devotion, tells you that if you meet certain criteria or behave well then he or she will bestow enlightenment on you when you are ready for initiation, wants to have sex with you, or asks that you pay a lot of money or sign away your life savings - run the other direction as fast as you can! This is proof that he or she is not a true spiritual teacher. This is proof that this teacher is not egoless and has personal gains in mind. Although a true spiritual teacher is quite human, and might well exhibit human faults that are unavoidable even for a master, there is a certain level of integrity that is present and unquestionable, no matter what. The above mentioned characteristics would not be present in a teacher who is acting with integrity, even if he or she does not have a perfected human state.
A false spiritual teacher can be quite detrimental to you on your spiritual path. It is not uncommon to encounter spiritual aspirants who have had extremely negative experiences with spiritual teachers who were not acting from a place of integrity. Many of these negative experiences have to do with teachers being greedy about money, asking high prices for their workshops, their retreats, their products, and initiations into enlightenment. The business of being a spiritual teacher has become increasingly marketable and has become a profitable business.
Some seedy structures for spiritual teachings come in the form of pyramid schemes where once you are initiated for a large price, you then initiate others for a large price with a cut for the previous one who initiated you. There are some who simply charge exorbitant prices for their teachings and make it unavailable to those without money. There are many spiritual teachers who are living lives of luxury and wealth, having achieved this level of financial abundance on the backs of spiritual seekers. You will also notice that they don’t share very much of their wealth with others for charitable purposes, and will offer to pray for your charitable organization, but won’t support it with money. Some of these teachers may as well be oil tycoons for they are operating under the same beliefs and energy around money that those in uncaring corporate businesses do.
If you are wondering if a spiritual teacher has integrity around money, find out if he or she has created a non-profit organization where the chances for personal greed and financial gain are diminished. If the spiritual teacher is not operating a large business and only teaches a few classes or workshops here and there, ask him or her what he or she feels about money and its purposes, and see what is said. A spiritual teacher should offer sliding scale fees, work trades, and full or partial scholarships for those who don’t have very much money but are avid spiritual seekers. It is important that those without money are not left behind by those who would use spirituality as a vehicle for amassing wealth. This may well be the mistake that was made in Atlantis, for it is believed that in Atlantis only the wealthy were privy to spiritual knowledge and opportunities for enlightenment.
Keep in mind, however, that money is a necessary thing, even for a spiritual teacher. It costs money to rent the facilities where he or she holds gatherings. It costs money to advertise and promote events. Keep in mind that your teacher is human and has human needs. It costs money to take care of basic needs like shelter and food, so realize that there is nothing wrong with your spiritual teacher making money doing what he or she does. It is only the fact that some live in extreme luxury and are unwilling to share, or are in it to make a lot of money as a goal, that is inappropriate in a world where people are starving.
The following are a few quotes from the web site http://www.sentient.org/index.html:
“The true guru knows you need nothing, not even him.” ―Nisargadatta Maharaj
“When asked about those he sent to teach, Papaji said that the purpose was to have them point the way, not to pose as awakened teachers. When asked further about these people, Papaji said that none of them were enlightened or even temporarily enlightened. Papaji said that many can fool others into thinking they are liberated but they are the false coin. When asked about the experiences that so many people had in Lucknow, he said they were false experiences. Papaji said he met only two Jnani's in his lifetime. One was Ramana Maharshi. The other was a man who appeared from out of the jungle into the town of Krishnagiri.” ―Poonja, quoted from the book Nothing Ever Happened by David Goodman
“It is common to demand entry into Enlightenment through someone else. This renders it needful to make clear that NOBODY, not even the best of gurus, can bestow final and lasting realization. A glimpse is the most he can possibly pass on and there are not many with even that capacity. Even in such cases, his disciples must work diligently and win it themselves.” ―Paul Brunton, quoted from The Guru-Disciple Relationship
What about religions, teachers, gurus? “If they can help in the quest of the Self. But can they help? Can religion, which teaches you to look outside yourself, which promises a heaven and a reward outside yourself, can this help you? It is only by diving deep into the Spiritual Heart that one can find the Self.” ―Ramana Maharshi, quoted from Here Lies The Heart by Mercedes De Acosta
“Real enlightenment definitely is not on sale at the corner store, it doesn't contain preservatives, and isn't wrapped in plastic. Absolute surrender to God, or the Universe, is the greatest gift, the “pearl of great price,” and it will never be cheap [and this has nothing to do with money]. That is why one should question the ersatz gems that pseudo-spiritualists so readily sell in their fancy packages. If one wants the real thing, one must learn about counterfeits; otherwise, one is showing off a rhinestone to God, convinced it is the Hope Diamond.” ―Mariana Caplan
“I know that no spiritual teacher leads to enlightenment because there is no leading to enlightenment. There is no teaching of enlightenment. Hence the inevitable outcome we see all around us - everyone's grooving on the gurus and everyone's getting more and more spiritual, but nobody's waking up.” ―Jed McKenna
“Teaching is a tricky thing. It can ensnare both teacher and student within invisible walls of reassurance. It is not at all difficult to convince thirsty people that you have water. Especially if you have first convinced yourself. And often a loop can occur - wherein the teacher convinces the student who convinces the teacher who convinces the student and so on. A dynamic occurs where both are convinced of the rightness of what is being said and both reassure one another that they are uncovering truth.” ―Peter
“What is the difference between you and me? If you say that there is no difference between us, why are you sitting up there, and why am I sitting down here? If I sat in your chair, nobody would listen to me, or believe me. [Answer:] ‘No differences. All differences are imaginary. If you imagine that there are differences, you belong on the floor. If you have no doubts or thoughts about imaginary differences, you belong on the chair.’”
We can all appreciate, at sometime in life, the benefits of inner healing. Some of us prefer to call upon a psychic healer for assistance; some of us respond better with a faith healer to aid in our most inner spiritual healing. Whichever sort of leaders you are drawn to it’s good to remember that healing is an important part of growth. Many of the great leaders mentioned in this section have noted that awakening and spiritual enlightenment are products of spiritual growth and psychic healing. They’ve taught that having faith in your self is a door to enlightenment. Find a spiritual healer that encourages your faith. There are many people who consider themselves a healer, you can use your inherent psychic knowledge to decide whether they are on the right spiritual track.