An enlightened one who cares about our spiritual well-being? Or a narcissist who uses everyone’s adoration and his power to satisfy not quite spiritual needs?
Spiritual quest is a noble occupation, as well as curiosity and the desire to broaden one’s horizons. But there are often pitfalls along the way.
Guru Witnesses
“I had family problems. I blurted out about this colleague, and he dragged me to a lecture (or sermon?) of a man whom he considered almost enlightened. It was a mixture of the ideas of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and some kind of esotericism. I found it all boring and superficial. But it’s amazing that the people in the audience literally worshiped this man.”
“Somehow I decided to deepen my spiritual experience, to go on a retreat. It was very interesting — several times a day we were given lectures. There was something to think about. But he was unpleasantly struck at the very end, when people began to come out and bring him money, gifts, sing songs and idolize him in every possible way.
The strangest thing is that although I did not share their feelings, when the whole hall stood up in some kind of outburst of delight, tears also appeared in my eyes. And the voice of reason said: what is going on here, what kind of idolatry? There was an unpleasant aftertaste, as if the important, correct words from his lectures were overshadowed by this adoration.
“A couple of years ago I went to yoga, it was called unusually — and it didn’t work out the first time to enroll there, everyone was waiting for some special guru. I will not mention either the name or the name of the person who led the meetings. But it looked more and more like a sect. Everyone looked into his mouth, he admired himself and taught a lot: about faith in himself, light and an open mind. And when I did asanas, I corrected and as if accidentally touched my chest.
At first I decided — it seemed, I was even ashamed that I thought so. I won’t lie — I also wanted it to be my guru, who would help me become stronger internally. But then one girl boasted that he let her in — slept, in general. I don’t think she was the only one…
These stories were shared by people who, in their spiritual or intellectual pursuits, have encountered “guru syndrome.”
The Perils of Worship
Often the followers themselves literally create an idol for themselves. In pursuit of a special experience and vivid sensations, people tend to elevate and idealize the figure of the one who was chosen as a teacher. By completely trusting him even with their lives, they can experience a really pleasant feeling of unity with some powerful guardian figure. And this figure is parental.
Freeing himself from the burden of adult responsibility, including for his own life, a person dissolves into a single “we” with a certain perfect being. It gives a sense of security, serenity and deep devotion. So the baby merges with the mother who cares and controls his life.
Such infantile narcissism is often taken by people for enlightenment. But by wishful thinking, they lose the ability to think critically. In confluence, boundaries are blurred, and people with acceptance relate to what they would consider unacceptable in another situation. They part with money and property, allow themselves to be hit or have sex, sometimes in groups.
The Temptation of Power
The test of glory or the adoration of followers is a serious test for someone who takes on the courage and responsibility to teach people and lead them. Following a spiritual leader, we usually a priori expect from him a high level of morality and a certain purity.
However, with the rarest exception, we are dealing with a person endowed with human weaknesses. And most often, individuals with a high degree of narcissism act as preachers and teachers.
Universal adoration and boundless devotion, as a rule, corrupt. A person whom everyone convinces of his exclusivity and perfection can sincerely believe this. Rising above the rest, he loses moral guidance and allows himself to use the power and trust of others to satisfy material, sexual or other needs.
Not all spiritual teachers abuse their authority at all. However, having become the center of a spiritual community, many cannot resist the temptation. They even sincerely believe that they have achieved awakening. Since the formation of worshiping disciples around the guru, a system begins to work in which worship increases his sense of power.
The tradition of relationship between the spiritual guru and disciples in India and East Asia has ancient roots. It is justified by the fact that there are many pitfalls on the path of a beginner, and devotion to the teacher, together with the wisdom of the latter, helps to overcome obstacles and achieve enlightenment. However, moving along with the fashion for Eastern practices into the world of Western culture, this concept often turns into an obstacle on the spiritual path.