http://nalandainstitute.org/guru-question/guru-question-joe-loizzo-r20170907.pdf

This is a truly exquisite article about buddhism, gurus, scandals, tantra, vajrayana, history, Nalanda, teachers, students, ethics, narcissism, maturation, psychology, sex, death, and all that good stuff.

Enjoy!

Daniel

That was excellent, Daniel. Thanks for sharing. Lots of good stuff in there.

I especially liked how the authors identified "grandiose overexpansion" as a particular problem with teachers in the West and discussed some of the more glaring causes. We might rightly say that this is a pervasive problem throughout our culture, not just when it comes to spirituality. And I wonder, what with climate change and the precarious state of our human world, how much the increasing pressure for bringing about a mass awakening will exacerbate this problem.

I see the value in Guru Yoga and transgressive tantric practices as potentially very rapid paths to letting go of the dogmas and narratives that tangle the mind.  How one figures out if the Guru is a boddhistava or a manson seems like a tough nut to crack.  Lineage, time in practice and apparent demeanor are clues, but not dispositive.  Is there a solution in the west?  Board certified Gurus? 

Good read. I do hope this bridge between psychology and Buddhism keeps mending, but I think that there will always be scandals because human nature is what it is. In the end we have to look to our practice and be a light unto ourselves and not put leaders on a pedestal.