And @BuddhistGeeks.
That was a tad harsh, though. There have certainly been some "real" meditation teachers on batgap (some of whom also appeared on DU), and while I don't listen to batgap now, it did introduce me to some genuine teachers I might otherwise not have heard of.https://twitter.com/Kalieezchild/status/975571978764541953 …
-
-
We need spiritual leaders who don't speak in enlightened poetry, but rather educate people on what's useful spirituality versus spiritual entertainment; who promote teachers that are actually qualified to teach and make sure none of them are batshit crazy, amoral, or both.
-
Doesn't matter what you believe about consciousness or quantum physics. Non-dual politics is still politics, and all politics is bullshit. How about we actually try to figure out how we can practically spread awakening to as many people as possible?
-
There are practices that can solve a few pretty major collective psychological problems that prevent us from building a better world. This is a fact. Everything else is irrelevant. We'll have plenty of time to worry about the metaphysics if we achieve world peace first.
-
It's important to be able to learn from a qualified teacher without giving up your critical thinking skills in the process.
-
There are people who may be awakened but who are not qualified to teach, and ones who are also psychopaths. Podcasts, blogs, and books that aim to spread awakening need to be careful with what teachers or practices they promote. Otherwise we're headed for a spiritual dark age.
-
That's my tweetstorm for the night. My apologies for any unwelcome notification storms.
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
It’s really not always so cut and dry, though basic discrimination goes a long way. As does avoiding the extreme of becoming a part of the righteous moral police, thinking we’re somehow above or beyond these things. People who believe that are usually in for a rude awakening IME.
-
You make some really good points. My intention wasn't to start an anti-guru crusade, and I wasn't specifically calling out batgap. I was just trying to point out the dangers of creating a spiritual circus without recognizing that this is very fragile territory.
-
It seems to me that spiritual podcasts should take the same approach as a psychotherapy podcast would. Of course things can always slip through the cracks, but it's important to be vigilant when it comes to practices that dramatically alter people's psychology.
-
You're right that we don't need crusaders. We need leaders (which I genuinely consider you to be, by the way).
-
Trying my best, failing often.
-
Any spiritual leader who claims to be superhuman and to never make mistakes is a scam artist. Leaders who embrace and showcase their humanity is precisely what we need!
-
No religion wants you to think for yourself, not any of the Monotheistic religions, and not Buddhism either, which is why, in that sense, it’s just another religion. Recite scripture, follow the rules, obey the teacher, and most of all, don’t think.
-
First of all, religions don’t want things, people that practice religions want things. And your claim doesn’t hold up to reality testing. Not all people who practice religion want the things you’re saying. This is a form of bigotry, I’m sad to say.
- 7 more replies
New conversation -
-
-
It’s also the case that teachers change. 10 years ago Bentinho seemed a relatively harmless neo-advaita teacher. His cultishness has escalated over the years. This isn’t a defense of Batgap it’s just a fact that people change and we have to evaluate things with time awareness.
-
there are really common recurring "red flags" though, aren't there? A pattern that I've noticed is that the more aggressively someone pushes an "I was a special child"/"I had a spiritual awakening at 14 years old" story the more likely they are to be a cult leader.
-
Not sure. I hear that all the time. My first breakthrough was at 13 and I know several friends who had similar experiences, including my 1st teacher, Dan Ingram. That just seems like a normal time to get interested in deeper questions for many folks.
-
In a sense I can say mine was too, except the proximate result was about 12 years of hard atheism. It's not the presence of a spiritual event that's the red flag, it's the emphasizing of it as a sign of specialness.
-
Gotcha, makes sense. I think you’re right. Sorry for jumping the gun on your post before fully groking your point.
-
I'm glad you said what you did. It's very easy to slip into extremes, even when our intentions are moderate and well-meaning. Balance through open conversation is the only corrective mechanism for that.
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.