Gina Sharpe, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, and Pilar Jennings examine spiritual power, the roots of its abuse, and how we might learn to hold it differently going forward.
Things You Need for Your Journey
Buddhist monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu lists the good qualities you should take with you on the Buddhist path.
When Teachers Don’t Practice What They Preach
Tenku Ruff on what to do when you discover a teacher is all too human.
Is the Guru Model Broken?
Pema Khandro Rinpoche, Lama Rod Owens, Lama Rigzin Drolma, and Lobsang Rapgay discuss the guru model in the Tibetan tradition, in which the teacher is central to the path.
Breaking the Silence on Sexual Misconduct
Willa Blythe Baker offers both her painful firsthand account of sexual misconduct by a guru and insight for fellow survivors and communities.
What should I know before accepting a guru?
I’m uncomfortable about the principle of guru devotion, which seems hierarchical and potentially exploitive. Should I follow a guru?
Dalai Lama denounces ethical misconduct by Buddhist teachers
The Dalai Lama said that when a teacher commits ethical misconduct and disregards Buddhist ethics, students should make the misconduct public.
Pain, Practice, and Pure View
When the teacher F’s up, what’s a Buddhist to do? Justin von Bujdoss offers a clarification of the pure view of the tantric Buddhist path.
Our Teachers Are Not Gods
Longtime practitioner and psychotherapist Rob Preece says even though as students we may be devoted to our teachers, we can’t afford to idealize them anymore.
How Will You See the Guru?
Are you able to see your teacher as the Buddha? It’s not easy, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, but this is where the real path begins.