The Aftermath
November 2001 Message from Ken: The Aftermath
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Discernment with Our Teachers
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The Teacher
Discernment with Our Teachers
A very special and kind lady who has been on her spiritual path for a long time wrote the following story. I am grateful that she had the courage to write her story and to allow her insight and wisdom to help each one of us to better understand our selves.
Many times previously I have talked about how important discernment is in all areas of our lives. Yet often when we are confronted by a spiritual teacher who advertises that they are going to help us to change our lives in a positive way we just give our power away and assume that they know better than we do. Often the spiritual teachers information is based on fear and polarity issues such as Light and Dark or good and bad. How many people have packed up and moved their homes because a spiritual teacher has told them to protect themselves from something? How many people are living in fear because their teacher told them to be afraid, that there was something "energetic out there" to be afraid of?
We need to constantly use discernment. If an idea, action, belief, or philosophy doesn't feel right to you, it is okay to let it go and still respect the teacher for who they are. Just know that now is the time for you to become the teacher. We are all teachers. We are all students. And we move back and forth between these roles. If your teacher holds on to you it is because they don't know who they are any longer without you. Just know that you hold all the secrets and wisdom within yourself.
Be in your power and allow yourself to move into your own creatorship.
The Teacher
This story was shared by J. R., a Canadian friend of mine.
Hearing About the Event
This is a summary of how the event with the Teacher was presented in advertisements:
"An enigmatic eight-day event in Europe with this teacher, one of the most powerful, prolific and legendary teachers of our time. A rare and unique opportunity. Highly unstructured and filled with unimaginable surprises. There's no regimented schedule, no script to follow and the events of the day and night unfold in the most intriguing and peculiar ways. It's as if nothing and everything is happening all at once. The teacher believes that control is rather demonic and free-flow is a manifestation of love and spontaneity. Therefore this event will appeal to those who are open to challenges and ready to take their perception to the next level. Anyone who has spent time with this teacher will tell you that he is more than just ahead of his time. It's as if he comes from another dimension altogether. "
(The rest of the event summery advertisement can be found at this link on our web site)
Choosing to Attend the Event
Sounded pretty good to me! I was stirred to go. I had read his books (along
with many others) and had even tried to go to a previous event with this
same teacher several years ago. I was even teased — this recent event
was to be offered in a city only two hours away —perfect I thought
— then it was canceled — great disappointment! I had read about
this event much earlier. Where is this location? I didn't even consider
it because it was too expensive and too far away. But something stirred
inside me when I read about it.
So with the event close by canceled, I mentioned this new location to my husband in the unlikely event of a positive answer and was very surprised when he said "yes" right away. The stirring in me was thrilled. How could it all go so wrong? Was it lesson that needed to be learned? What part of me jumped for joy and why?
I had felt I was on a spiritual path for many years. I practiced the way of Subud for twenty-six years. This pathway was all about surrender and your own personal evolution from within. I was empowered and I have always been thankful for it. Six years ago I felt the need to move on and with some anguish I did just that. Since then there have been many changes and much learning.
I don't believe in accidents and I believe our lives are divinely guided. In two dreams before we left for this event I fell off a cliff into a beautiful Hawaiian bay of clear water. A leap of faith and trust that my life is divinely guided was an interpretation that felt right with me.
So the event became a reality. As with other leaps of faith I have taken I became nervous and frightened and asked the Universe for confirmation. My hawk showed up as usual. I was especially frightened when the day came for our group to be picked up and taken to the event destination, but I signed up so I didn't even consider not going especially with the amount of money we had paid.
This was only the second time my husband had accompanied me to a spiritual workshop. The first one was quite enjoyable. He did his own thing most of the time and joined in when he wanted to. We had a lot of fun even though some of it was quite "out there" for him. He took it in his stride as he usually did.
Friday — We Arrive
After a two and a half hour ride we arrived on our destination. Going
through large gates which locked behind us there were two buildings, one
like a small castle. The main building housed the meeting room, which
was a large living room with a large fireplace, several couches, and candles
burning much of the time. The advertising was rather exaggerated. There
was no gourmet chef (but good food), no horseback riding to be seen and
it certainly didn't feel at all like it had been presented, but the scenery
was beautiful.
When all finally arrive (sixteen total -- one from the previous week returned again as she loved it so much), we are greeted by the teacher along with seven helpers and three cooks. The room is filled with cigarette smoke and several bottles of wine are on the table along with water and plastic glasses. All but one of the helpers, including the teacher, are heavy smokers. It's rather uncomfortable for us, but the room was very informal and we relaxed into a soft chair. The evening is spent with the teacher criticizing anything you would consider traditional using very vulgar language and presenting it in a vulgar way continuously. He talks, we listen.
Throughout the time we are there the teacher attacks most modalities — Reiki, hands on healing of any sort, religions and some well known teachers, etc. He advised that there is no structure, you definitely don't get your money back, and that things will come together as they should. The night ends when we finally go to bed ourselves at 4:00 am.
We like the other people. They are from all walks of life — Doctor, homemaker, business folks, TV personalities, and from many places — Australia, US, Sweden, Germany, England, France, Denmark, Israel, Italy and Canada. (Seven men and nine women). We are not sure about some of the helpers. Their eyes are unusual.
Saturday
Saturday morning we show up for breakfast, which is now cold, and are
told we missed the morning talk, which we had no idea was taking place,
so we mustn't have needed it. Some of us are taken to a museum. Our choice.
When we return we find two ladies in tears as they have been as I now
call it "stripped down". The afternoon continued with more non structured
talking in the same vulgar way. (He is being video taped by one of his
helpers.) They show us the Matrix and one of the helpers he calls "Jesus"
talks about the dark side and that if we think we don't have one —
think again. The day goes into the night and we finally turn in at 5:00
am.
One man left today — I don't know how — and the teacher belittles him. (The teacher jokes that at one of his classes half the class left). He is the young lad who talked with me at lunch. He questioned the wisdom of the teacher. He also spoke up and questioned what the helpers were doing at one point and was quickly challenged and belittled by a helper.
Comments are made: If you leave you are f----- and that it crystallizes inside you. There is much fear put around leaving.
Sunday
Sunday morning. When we arrive to a cold breakfast at 11:00 am several
others have gone off to the local pub with the teacher. Some are talking
to Jesus and he is saying how wonderful President Clinton really is and
how evil Oprah is. Upon their return the teacher is all excited about
a discovery he made and two more ladies are in tears. He has made the
lady from France whisper "je t'aime" all over his arms and chest in front
of everybody at the pub and "stripped down" the lady doctor from Sweden.
He then makes two other men lie on the floor and she does the same to
them all over their upper bodies. She is very uncomfortable and all are
embarrassed. The afternoon seems like a blur with some of the men challenged
but not as harshly as the women. The helpers sit with the ones who are
upset. I heard the teacher telling his helpers when to stop as they were
giving too much energy and needed to rest. Two of the helpers embraced
on the floor for some time. When I asked one to help my husband they would
not do so without the teacher directing them.
During the afternoon there is lots going on between people -- it feels to me as if they are crossing barriers without appropriate boundaries, but I put it down to being my problem.
My turn is yet to come and come it does. After my "stripping down" I spend the rest of the evening in tears on the couch and the teacher will not allow anyone to come near me including my husband. My husband gets one of the cooks to sit with me (a very kind lady) until he finally ignores the teacher and sits with me anyway. After several hours of tears, we finally go to bed. I am totally devastated. He would not allow any of his helpers to be with either my husband or me.
Another attendee has now left and he too is belittled. The teacher laughs how they get out of there -- hiking over hills etc. etc. There are no cabs to call and no cars to rent.
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