--- In [email protected], "jyouells2000" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > "Some did it out of fear of the balance of power, and > that's what your post dealt with most. I think that > one reason so many spiritual seekers are so willing > to do *anything* rather than believe these types of > claims about their teacher is that they're unwilling > to admit that the environment they're in *has* an > uneven balance of power, and that they're on the low > end of it. If you are strongly committed to your > spiritual path, and some person has the power to > make it such that you cannot *follow* your path > (i.e., throw you out of the organization), then is > your decision to sleep with such a person ever > *really* uncoerced?" > > This is the heart of the matter. Some people will justify any > bad behavior.
Thanks for your reply, John. That's the way I see it, too. This is a seriously button-pushing topic, and the way that people react to it says a lot about them IMO. Once you've put someone up on a pedestal that has a label at the bottom that says, "Enlightened Person Here. By definition, he can do nothing that is not 100% life-supporting," you've placed yourself in the position of *having* to justify any bad behavior on his part. And, when it all comes down, those who are doing the justifying rarely even realize that the "definition" they're working from was given to them by the very person they're excusing. It's all so unnecessary. How 'bout no pedestal, just a scrap of paper that says, "Enlightend Person Here. He's no different than you are. Hold him to the same principles that you hold yourself to. And cut him the same amount of compassion."
