534. SAND Panel on Sexual Misconduct, Money, Power, Trauma & Ethics in Spiritual Communities

Panel DiscussionPanel Discussion at the Science and Nonduality Conference on Sexual Misconduct, Money, Power, Trauma & Ethics in Spiritual Communities, with Jac O’Keeffe, Mariana Caplan, Craig Holliday, and Miranda Macpherson

  • Introduction by Rick Archer
  • The spiritual awakening sweeping the world may be critical to addressing our critical problems.
  • Ethical breaches by spiritual teachers sabotage this awakening.
  • How the ASI was founded. Its role & perspective.
  • Qualities and Characteristics of a healthy teacher, student, and spiritual community.
  • What to look for in a spiritual teacher
  • The student’s responsibility.
  • Healthy teacher/student relationships.
  • Support for teachers recognizing their blind spots.
  • Are higher consciousness and more ideal behavior correlated?
  • Continual growth and learning, even in the teachers’ seat.
  • Discriminating between Awakening, Integration process, and actualization.
  • Abiding exclusively in nondual awareness vs. developing a multi-layered perspective.
  • What contributes to unhealthy behavior or cult-like tendencies.

Questions and answers

  • Guru addiction
  • Money issues in spiritual communities
  • The responsibility teachers and students share
  • The importance of therapy.
  • Teachers referring students to other teachers.
  • How long to stay with a teacher
  • Teachers inviting students to give them feedback

Discussion of this panel in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this discussion.

Recorded October 25, 2019

Video below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction and Purpose of the Organization
  • 00:02:40 – Establishing Guidelines for Spiritual Teachers
  • 00:04:40 – Introduction of Spiritual Speakers
  • 00:06:29 – Qualities of a Healthy Spiritual Teacher and Student
  • 00:08:38 – Pursuing Growth in Spiritual Communities
  • 00:10:47 – Accountability and Ethics in Teaching
  • 00:12:47 – The Role of Humility in Teaching
  • 00:14:31 – The Role of Trust in Teacher-Student Relationships
  • 00:16:17 – The Process of Idealizing Teachers
  • 00:18:23 – The Interplay in Unhealthy Relationships
  • 00:20:25 – Higher Consciousness and Behavior
  • 00:22:22 – Aligning with Integrity in Sexuality, Money, and Power
  • 00:24:26 – Embracing Lifelong Learning
  • 00:26:20 – Finding Balance and Growth in Education
  • 00:28:08 – The Tricky Spot of Non-Dual Awareness
  • 00:30:02 – The Deterrent of Fixed Notions and the Endless Possibilities of Awakening
  • 00:32:02 – The Problem with the Search for Enlightenment
  • 00:33:49 – The Danger of Group Think in Spiritual Communities
  • 00:35:41 – Challenging Group Think and Teacher-Student Relationships
  • 00:37:41 – Recovery from Guru Addiction
  • 00:39:35 – Working on Our Relationship with Money
  • 00:41:30 – The Illusion of Giving in Spiritual Teachings
  • 00:43:30 – Mobilizing Teachers in the Shift
  • 00:45:27 – The Power of Students Speaking Up
  • 00:47:02 – The Development of Spiritual Maturity
  • 00:49:05 – Engaging in Good Therapy and Trauma Healing
  • 00:50:43 – Referring a Student Out of Their Depth
  • 00:52:12 – Long-term relationships with students
  • 00:54:24 – A Teacher’s Role in Empowering Students
  • 00:56:09 – The Need for Connection and Support in the ASI Community
  • 00:58:01 – Music Interlude