Written by Christine Breese, D.D., Ph.D.

Some of the statements below are excerpts from Christine Breese's 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.'"

So, the first thing to realize is that no one can teach you anything. All a spiritual teacher can do for you is remind you of what you already are and what you already know. This is what you are searching for. It is only the mind that tells you that you do not know. However, until the mind can be made to be still, a spiritual teacher might be useful in assisting with this. The teacher can help you stop the mind, or at least tell you how, but the teacher cannot do it for you. It is very important to realize this.

In my own sojourns as a spiritual teacher, and it took me quite a while before I called myself such, I began class series by saying first and foremost that I am no different from anyone else in the room. I begin by stating that we are all made of the same stuff, the same substance, the same being called God. It is all one being having many lives. Therefore, I am no one's teacher, and no one is my student, and I definitely discourage any sort of devotion or adoration. All I can do in service to the so-called students is help them realize their true nature and that they are eternal consciousness just like me. I can give them clues on how to stop the mind, but I cannot stop the mind for them. They must find out that the eternal self, God, is within them, that it is them. I also let them know that I do not consider myself a guru, master, avatar or any other sort of superhuman. I let them know right away that I am constantly challenged to practice still-mind, just like they are, and will be for the rest of my life. Even great masters are constantly challenged. The only difference between the great masters and students is that they are more proficient at catching themselves when they are not being still and at peace in the eternal self. I make sure new students realize that perfection of the human condition is not what this is about. It is only about realizing who one really is, which is eternal consciousness that never dies, never changes and always remains the same, no matter what is happening in the moment. It is about being this instead of the human called (fill in your name here). It is about being awake in the dream, and meeting the challenge of staying lucid and present in every moment-- and a great challenge it is in the beginning! It gets easier as time goes on and this new mental habit of being still becomes more ingrained, but the challenges get bigger as well.

If a spiritual teacher is not encouraging you to look within for your support, pointing out the wisdom you already have, or encouraging you to become the eternal self that you already are, then this one has nothing to offer you. Guru literally means "one who dispels darkness." It does not mean one who enlightens you, or one who wakes you up, one you must focus on for liberation, or one who saves you. It is one who can help you see the Truth that exists in you, that is you. This is the point. The guru, or spiritual teacher, helps you realize that darkness never existed in the first place, that it is just another product of consciousness. What must be done is that erroneous thoughts that there is a state of un-enlightenment must be removed from the mind. Then the enlightenment that is already here in the eternal self can shine forth and live life fully in an awakened state.

The most reliable way to know if you are in the presence of a true teacher is by the way you feel in your heart. If you feel weird, judged or uncertain, this is an indication that this one might not be a good teacher for you. Keep in mind that these feelings, including suspicions and judgments of your own, might be projections that are not about the teacher himself or herself, but may instead be related to your own beliefs that no spiritual teachers can be trusted in general. This is quite common, especially for those who have been burned by a spiritual teacher previously. Also keep in mind that if the spiritual teacher challenges your personality or ego self, and this is inevitable sooner or later, you may simply be having a personality-preservation-reaction. In that case, the teacher has not failed you at all, but is instead helping you find your true self.

If you find yourself feeling quieted and calm in the presence of this person, this can be an indication that this one can help you on your path, at least for a little while until you have outgrown this one. You might find yourself going through a few teachers before you have finally outgrown the need for teachers at all. Eventually, you will outgrow the need for a teacher, and most likely you will be in the position of being a spiritual teacher yourself, even if only in your own town. Each teacher can be of use to you as you go along. Do not try to find a teacher that will serve you throughout your growth, for you will be passing through many levels of awareness until you surpass the idea and concept that there are any levels in the first place.

There is no proof of whether this one or that one is a true spiritual teacher. The only real defining characteristic of a spiritual teacher is his or her ability to exhibit an open heart and a quiet mind. No credentials, words, or practices are qualifications for being a spiritual teacher. Not even the swami schools in India qualify one to be a spiritual teacher, for I have met some of these and they are not all that impressive. They are mostly businessmen from the higher classes who have been taught spiritual text and interpretation of it, trained to talk a certain way, and happen to be good public speakers. Many of them are not developed in the heart at all, and have no particular skills in handling students with unusual circumstances. Knowledge is not the qualification of a spiritual teacher, not even great intelligence is necessary. Only the teacher's ability in the area of the heart is the qualifying factor. This cannot be gained with an education. It can only be attained by opening to the true nature of the self.

The truest of all teachers is life itself. Life is your guru, and has the most to teach you about yourself and who you are, including what your faults and strengths are or how you are sleepwalking through life. Everyone who crosses your path, even the drunkard in the street, is a little Buddha sent to teach you something about yourself. When you see someone acting inappropriately, or has been drunk for a decade, what comes up for you? What are your judgments? How do you react or not react? Does your heart open to this person or does it close? When you see a young person panhandling who is perfectly capable of working and getting a job but doesn't because he or she is simply too lazy, how do you react? This is a fine example of life as your guru. When you have a fight with a family member or a friend, what can you learn from this? How would it have turned out differently if you had a still mind in that moment, instead of reacting from the human condition, the human habit? This is how you can use life as the guru. It can reach deeper into your being than any human teacher can.

Many ask if it is absolutely necessary to connect with an enlightened spiritual teacher in order to experience enlightenment oneself. Some say yes, and some say no. Personally, I feel that if it is possible to bring the mind to a complete stand-still, keep it that way, and find the place of nothingness that one comes from and resides in always, then enlightenment is possible without the teacher. However, this challenge of making the mind sit still seems to require teachers for direction, reassurance and guidance in this process. If nothing else, at least some guidance on meditation techniques and exercises, even if only on audio tapes or CDs. Again the teacher can only point you to the door. You are the one who must walk through the door - alone. The teacher will never be able to do it for you.

Some people ask if it is necessary to move to India, or some other country, in order to find an enlightened master. The answer to this is definitely no. The only thing that is necessary is a burning desire for freedom and realization of the self. Besides, all the teachings are now available in every bookstore that carries self-help and spiritual books. There are no mysteries about enlightenment anymore, and it does not take another person to give enlightenment to you. It does help, if you are experiencing "monkey mind," to be in the presence of someone who has mastered still-mind consciousness and realizes the self as infinite eternity, but it is not required. If you still feel that the available teachings are not enough, and you want to sit in the presence of an enlightened being, then by all means attend the gatherings of various teachers until you find one that resonates with you. You do not have to travel far and abroad to do this. Begin with the ones that are near you and reside in your own country, perhaps even your own town. There are many masterful teachers who are teaching small classes and holding gatherings in little towns. Your spiritual teacher does not have to be a famous or well-known person. Spiritual teachers who can be useful to you are everywhere.

You have the power within you to find awareness and inner peace. Meditation is a helpful path to self awareness and self realization. If you can just be still and listen to that inner voice of wisdom within you it becomes easier to feed your power and your inner knowledge. Find the healer within you, and once the realization is strong employ your warrior within to create wisdom. The knowledge you gain can help your warrior self awaken the giant within that sleeps all too much. With this awareness you can easily attain peace within your self.