Occupy Spirituality - September 17, 2012

Just returning from a spiritual retreat where I experienced first hand what I perceive to be spiritual bullying in mature bloom. It was breathtaking to see the teacher speaking about "speaking about coming from depth". Even one step further removed himself from the accusation.

And interestingly, as committed as I am, after initially feeling jarred, I am in a place of peace about the unfolding of this interesting situation within a small, new sangha. A couple of things arise.

I notice that I bear no malice toward the one who claims the position of authoritarian teacher but rather only hope that he will eventually let go that heavy mantle and share his essence and true gifts with the world as we are invited to do.

And secondly, I am struck by the often repeated notion that the next Buddha will be a sangha, though not, I suspect, in the form that comes to mind for many practitioners, the one beholden to a teacher. Rather more like the Occupy movement that mushrooms all over when conditions are right, ordinary people who's wisdom blooms and meets the future in the way it is needed. Teachers welcome, and indistinguishable from others, simply modeling truth in action.

Below is a soul collage constructed in the middle of the retreat, called Bully - poor creature filled with toxic teachings provided as force fed "gifts" from the teacher.