I don't think this is necessarily an infallible "test." Parading around "examples" of purportedly enlightened students is not without some potentially negative consequences, for the students in question and for the as-yet-unenlightened students, and this has to be weighed against the presumed benefit of satisfying the skeptical public. Besides which, how does the skeptical public know the students on exhibit have in fact achieved enlightenment?
The first has a tendency to raise hackles, and in fact has gotten me thrown out of a couple of meetings. :-) And that is interesting, because it's *exactly* the kind of question that a prospective student should be asking of the teacher they're considering studying with. So, if the teacher or org promises enlightenment as a result of practicing their techniques and sadhana, I just ask, "Could you show me a few of your students who have achieved this enlightenment you speak of, *as a result of following your teachings*? If the teacher reacts with evasions like, "Oh, we never speak about our own advancement," then you know they're shuckin' and jivin', and that they have created an environment in which everyone is pursuing a goal, but no one but the teacher is recognized as having reached it. I don't think one can be sure of this. It's not a slam-dunk that declining to "show examples" constitutes "evasion," for the reasons I suggested above. If the teacher reacts angrily, that is certainly not a good sign; but if the teacher takes the question seriously and gives a well-reasoned answer as to why s/he thinks providing "examples" is a bad idea, it's worth considering. Just in general in life, sometimes there is more integrity in refusing a demand for "proof" than in complying. Not always easy to tell the difference, but it can make sense to hold the possibility open. If they react angrily, that is a big red flag and you'd best be advised to be Outa There, and quickly. If the teacher *can't* point to anyone who has attained the goal of their teaching, then you have the right to ask him or her, "How do you know it works, if you have no examples *of* it working?"
