482.2 Ethics and Spiritual Teaching Panel

With Jac O'Keeffe, Craig Holliday, Caverly Morgan, and Rick Archer Questioning whether higher consciousness and ethical behavior are tightly correlated. The founding of the Association for Spiritual Integrity (formerly the Association of Professional Spiritual Teachers). The attempt to formulate a code of ethics that might apply universally in the contemporary spiritual community and enliven an understanding of what may or may not be appropriate, giving students greater confidence in their own discernment and discrimination. Ancient traditions held the teacher beyond reproach and students surrendered their own will. This may have worked in monastic settings but generally does not work today. Preventative support so we’re not busy doing cleanup. Power hierarchies should not be an essential part of spiritual development and can lead to abuses. Spiritual awakening does not necessarily qualify a person to offer advice on relationships, finances, etc. Ethical training of some sort is integral to most honored traditions. The issue of sexism and patriarchy in spiritual organizations. Entering the teaching profession prematurely. All too often, when teachers are challenged on their behavior, they ignore the challenger or become defensive. How do we offer the possibility for redemption and atonement? Moving away from a culture of competition to one of cooperation. The importance of humility. The importance of teachers not identifying with their role and thinking that students’ devotion is about them. South Africa’s “Truth and Reconciliation” as a model. Discussion of this panel in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and Transcript of this discussion Recorded October 27, 2018 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - The Disconnect Between Higher States of Consciousness and Ethical Behavior 00:02:15 - Developing a Universal Code of Ethics 00:04:11 - Creating Ethical Standards for Spiritual Teachers 00:06:04 - The Purpose of Spirituality 00:08:05 - Redesigning the Future of Spirituality 00:10:46 - Healing and Support 00:12:55 - Education and Growth as a Community 00:14:36 - The Importance of Addressing Abusive Power 00:17:01 - Opening up to Questions and Collaboration 00:19:03 - The Usefulness of CPE for Spiritual Teachers 00:20:34 - The Importance of Boundaries and Power Dynamics in Communities 00:22:31 - The Importance of Ethical Development in Spiritual Practice 00:25:03 - The Healing Power of Community 00:27:06 - Cedar Barstow: The Right Use of Power in Spirituality 00:29:03 - Equal Gender Representation 00:31:41 - The prevalence of gender imbalance and abuse in the community 00:34:07 - Moving beyond collective conditioning 00:36:31 - The Perpetual Debate on Relationships and Ethics 00:38:41 - The Spiritual Aspect of Trauma 00:40:39 - The Deep Desire Within 00:42:28 - Empowering Students and Demanding Accountability 00:43:57 - Premature Immaculation 00:46:21 - Challenging Ethics in the Spiritual Community 00:48:01 - Addressing Apologies, Making Amends, and Atonement 00:50:14 - Creating a Culture of Accountability 00:52:14 - Moving towards a culture of cooperation 00:53:57 - The Importance of Humility in Learning 00:55:25 - The Importance of a Deeper Student-Teacher Relationship 00:57:34 - Abuse of Power in Teaching and Learning 00:59:10 - Mutual Healing and Reconciliation 01:01:34 - The Birth of Something Helpful