Spiritual communities are famous for clannishness, infighting, and for harshly ex-communicating those who trouble other members of the group. In some instances, it is teachers who set the tone for this kind of activity. In other cases, the teacher is not around, and the fixations of the students are free to mask themselves with egoic misapplications of the teachings.

A certain highly accomplished Guru traveled to a new city where some students had formed a group. Now, it so happened that, in the absence of Guru, one fellow had assumed the “top dog” leadership position in this group. He was enjoying his self-appointed role as the director of everything and everyone. In fact, he fancied himself quite an advanced practitioner capable of giving teachings to students even though he had no permission from the Guru.

This fellow was so attached to the ego enjoyment he derived from this role playing, he was like a heroin addict–compulsive and controlled by fantasy fixes. Far from being capable of leadership or conveying teachings to others, he was possessed by an automaton: a totally programmed, robot slave. The robot slave acted confident and knowledgeable. Others were impressed and followed along. They didn’t know that acting “confident” and “knowledgeable” was just a part of the robot slave’s programming.

So there this fellow was, playing the role of preceptor, when the real Guru showed up. The robot slave really didn’t like the idea of being shut down. So it went into overdrive. It threw a tantrum and physically threw the real teacher out of the teaching hall and onto the street.

It was late at night. The Guru had no place to sleep, and it was wintertime. But he was resourceful and luckily did not freeze to death! The next day, the Guru called a meeting. To everyone’s surprise, he extended a kind invitation to the student who had thrown him out the previous evening. During that meeting, the clear seeing and compassion of the teacher acted like a reverse poison–a remedy. The student was freed of being possessed by the robot slave.

Without that compulsive programming, the real situation of the student could manifest. Far from being confident, he was terribly afraid that others might find out how unworthy he really felt. Far from wanting to to be the Guru, he longed with the grief of a little abandoned child for the Guru’s love. But he felt so cut off from true love, he had tried to manipulate others into looking up to him, and even fearing him.

The spiritual literature of India, Tibet, and many other places is filled with stories of accomplished teachers who encounter thieves, rapists, those possessed by greed, and even demons. With great insight and compassion, these teachers free other beings from fixation so that they too can continue on the path to Self-realization.

Students, all students, come to spiritual communities and teachers with their fixations, compulsions, and attachments on full display. This is true without exception. The student who is obviously disruptive is no more in the wrong or right than a student who tries to win the favor of the teacher with acts of false devotion and obedience. Or one who uses “the teachings” as a weapon against other students. If people didn’t have fixations, there would be no need for teachers. In fact, Tantrik teachers are well-known for purposely inflaming the fixations of their students so that these may be recognized and resolved.

The greatest teachers neither seek nor reject students. All are welcome, without exception. However, this does not apply to every teacher. It only applies to those teachers who are Self-realized and can be of true benefit to the incredibly diverse beings they meet. Less accomplished teachers must be keenly aware of their own limitations, and/or follow the directions of their own teachers in the matter of who and what they are equipped to teach.

This being said, it is never the fault of the student if a student is unteachable by a certain Guru. This situation is a reflection of the limitation of the Guru. So-called “bad” students should never be vilified by teachers or communities. We are all “bad” students until we are Self-realized. It is only a matter of degree. And this world, composed of nothing but intelligence and compassion, teaches everyone without exception. This is cosmic law. No one is unteachable. Only individuated teachers with their own limitations are not yet fit to encompass everyone who comes their way.

There are three golden rules for working with difficult situations within spiritual communities.

1. Any reaction you have to another person or situation is your reaction. It is not the fault of the other person; it is your fixations at play. In order to confirm this, you need only think of the accomplished beings who do not have “issues” with any person; all people are held in the crucible of their intelligence and compassion. This is your beacon. Your fixations are your real situation; they are what you have to take responsibility for and work with. The member of your community who really, really irritates you is your Guru in that this person makes sure that all of your attachments are available to be recognized and worked with. In fact, this person is none other than an aspect of World Self communicating with you.

2. Teachers and students must recognize their limitations. We all have limitations. Being blind to these, or trying to rise above them with applications of spiritual View that you have not yet embodied, will slow your unfoldment. All students and most teachers, cannot encompass every situation. Sometimes we have to leave another person, or ask them to leave, or take some other measure to protect our ability to continue our practice individually or as a group. The Buddha Yeshe Tsogyal once asked her Guru, Padmasambhava, what to do about disturbances to her practice arising in her environment. He answered that these disturbances should be brought into one’s practice, “onto the path” as is said. But if this is not possible, his advice was: “Run for the hills! Protect your practice!” Notice that the emphasis is on what you should do to take responsibility for your sadhana, not on punishing, denigrating, criticizing, or ostracizing another person.

3. The teacher is the teacher. In the matter of the conduct of spiritual communities and a student’s individual choices with respect to sadhana, the teacher is the guide and the arbiter. Students should ask the teacher what to do in difficult situations. Some students, in a moment when the watchful eye of the teacher is not on them, like to play the role of gatekeeper or even Guru. They try to wield power over other students, and this is the source of a lot of the bad reputation of spiritual communities. An accomplished Guru will know how to work with this situation so that everyone can grow. Put everything in the Guru’s hands. Don’t take on the karma of prematurely guiding other people, whether by giving them practices to do, criticizing them, or showing them the door.

Sometimes the most difficult student is transformed by interaction with the Guru into the most sincere disciple, an example to everyone. And students generally are in a fog of fixation and compulsion, but even so, they recognize the primordial light of insight and compassion shining from their teacher. We can still recognize and follow despite our situation of limitation. This is Guru Kripa, or Guru’s grace.

In Matriseva,
Shambhavi

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