Tips on Discerning an Authentic Yoga/Non-dual Teacher
“One who is steady, who neither gets elated in happiness nor gets depressed when faced with sadness; who is free from attachments, fear, and anger, is truly the enlightened one.”
(chapter 2, text 56 )
OMG I’ve Awakened, I want more!
There’s a beautiful moment when we feel so ecstatic, free and high on Love during a Satsang, in a meditation or in the presence of a teacher. It’s true it does happen. It also happens to people in the middle of a forest walk, on a beach and in the Supermarket. It even happens when we fall in Love.
I’d like you to consider the proposition that it happens to one in a Supermarket. Does one then become at the mercy of the Supermarket. Or does one see the Supermarket as a Supermarket and the not the cause of the awakening. Does one continually return to the Supermarket to experience the event. I know it’s a cheesy analogy. But, hey it’s a supermarket.
Some causes of this
1. The environment
2. The teaching itself
3. Delusion
4. Cognitive dissonance
5. Compartmentalizing
6. A moment of letting go
7. An awakening/Grace
8. In RARE cases the teacher
Too many Teachers not enough Truth
We live in an age of fear and dissolution. More than half of the population in the West experience some type of depressing thoughts and anxiety.
We also live in a time of awakening. Many people having a small awakening, realising they are not what they thought they were, then stepping into roles as teachers, with a half baked truth. Usually these people are self professed Enlightened masters or teachers, some may even have charismatic personalities that can expound wisdom with great ease. This does not make them enlightened.
We end up seeing results of people getting hurt and having to undergo post trauma therapy for cognitive dissonance, stress, compartmentalizing disorders (and more) on top of their unresolved issues that sent them to the Guru/teacher in the first instance. Examples of these are many but here is a few – like Osho’s Cult, and Andrew Cohen’s Abuses and Mooji’s Neo-Advaita cult like activities in Portugal. Or Mooji here
And Manouso an apparent Yoga Master And there are many more.
Here we see and hear Papaji directly speaking of teachers who are not Enlightened who say they are messengers of Him. He refers to them as Fake messengers.
What is Spiritual Bypassing?
A spiritual bypass or spiritual bypassing is a “tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks”. The term was introduced in the early 1980s by John Welwood, a Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist. WIKI
The most popular form of Spiritual Bypassing comes with Neo-Advaitist teachers and teachings.
Advaita Vedanta is a school of Hindu philosophy and one of the classic Indian paths to spiritual realization. It includes the teachings of The Rig Veda, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita for example. They are deeply rich in content and expel the means of Yoga and Truth of existence.
Neo-advisits take a small portion of the teachings and begin to create satsangs and worldwide followings, often with vulnerable seekers , falling into a trance and idolising the teacher based on snippets of Advaita. It’s dangerous. It’s irresponsible. And, it’s delusional.
So how can we discern an Authentic Teacher?
- Humbleness/humility
- Compassionate
- Has wisdom from valid sources
- Doesn’t have sex with female disciples under the guise that they will become enlightened
- Is able to admit failings and constructive criticism
- Encourages Self discernment and Self Inquiry. Doesn’t create a dependency on them or their wisdom
- Encourages healthy relationships within their teaching and the outside world.
- Creates feelings of inner clarity that remain after the satsang or in the presence of the teacher
- Encourages practices and has knowledge of techniques
- They do no set up hierarchy of you and them. This goes back to the humble aspect.
- Usually doesn’t proclaim to be a Master or enlightened.
- Has at least 10 years of Practice with a teacher or a teaching, after awakening.
- Understands and behaves in accordance with the basic Patanjali’s Yamas and Niyamas
Yama
Yamas, outline one’s ethical standards and sense of integrity, focusing on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in life. Yamas are universal practices that relate best to what we know as the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” From Yoga journal
The five yamas are:
Ahimsa: nonviolence
Satya: truthfulness
Asteya: nonstealing
Brahmacharya: continence
Aparigraha: noncovetousness
2. Niyama
Niyamas has to do with self-discipline and spiritual observances. Regularly attending temple or church services, saying grace before meals, developing your own personal meditation practices, or making a habit of taking contemplative walks alone are all examples of niyamas in practice. from Yoga Journal
The five niyamas are:
Saucha: cleanliness
Samtosa: contentment
Tapas: heat; spiritual austerities
Svadhyaya: study of the sacred scriptures and of one’s self
Isvara pranidhana: surrender to Divine
So if you have that niggling feeling in your gut that something is wrong, or not quite right.
YOU ARE PROBABLY RIGHT!!!
Here is an awesome link to The spiritual Ethic Association put together by some concerned members of the spiritual community including BATGP and Jac Okeeffe
Don’t adhere to the “It’s all in your mind”, “There is no I, it’s all an illusion”, “You are not your body”, “Surrender to me and you will be enlightened”, “Nobody else knows the truth like I do”. “I am enlightened.”
“If you think you are enlightened, go home for Thanksgiving.” — Ram Dass
BHakti Yoga
Now I hear the wild cry from some saying “What about Bhakti, what about the old tradition of the Guru, Surrendering with pure love and devotion to the Guru. Well, as a Bhakti and Karma Yogi and Jnana Yogi and Raji Yogini, I am certainly not apposed to surrender. I’m totally, eternally surrendering. To the Divine within me and to all beings. Except the ones that say they are enlightened.
The conclusive advice Shree Krishna gives to Arjuna in the Gita is
sarvadharman parityajya mam ekam sarnam vraj
“Abandoning all Dharmas, physically and mentally, surrender to Me alone.” — Gita 18:66
Rick Archer (BATGP) & others have started an Spiritual Ethics association to Help
Here is a beautiful talk from a humble down to Earth Western Teacher
And an example of a humble traditional teacher of Yogic and Adviata principles
Here is a further guide to uncovering unsafe, untrue groups, teachers and Gurus
Megan Jackson runs meditation and yoga retreats for women in Bali and Brisbane. She has been immersed in spiritual practice and study for 15 years, living it fully, with humility and compassion as her backbones for progress.
She lives a quiet life reflecting on the dharma and helping others who are wanting change, transformation or spiritual wisdom.
Join her on the Women’s Art & Yoga retreat Bali
Warm Blessings
Megan