DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Difficulties in practice after a recent retreat.

**bxxasxxa** · 07-26-2010, 11:44 PM

Heartbeat, please take care of yourself. Don't let anyone abuse you, hurt you, esp. in the name of spiritual growth!

I definitely second this. Just because someone is a member of the sangha doesn't mean you aren't allowed to disapprove of anything they do, and it doesn't mean you have to submit to everything they seem to think will be good for you. Buddhist teachers are still only people, and no person should ever be in a position of such esteem and authority that they are above accountability or criticism.

You're not a bad person for complaining about a member of the sangha who pressured you to subject yourself to pain (which, frankly, is there so that your body can tell you something is wrong so that you can avoid hurting it), who doesn't seem able to be fair with female practitioners, and who apparently is giving students the idea that they must submit to anything and everything suggested without question.

Take care of yourself. If your sangha isn't interested in letting you do this very very basic thing, they are not your sangha; they're just other Buddhists.

07-26-2010, 11:44 PM	#16
bxxasxxa Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 414 Senior Member	Heartbeat, please take care of yourself. Don't let anyone abuse you, hurt you, esp. in the name of spiritual growth! I definitely second this. Just because someone is a member of the sangha doesn't mean you aren't allowed to disapprove of anything they do, and it doesn't mean you have to submit to everything they seem to think will be good for you. Buddhist teachers are still only people, and no person should ever be in a position of such esteem and authority that they are above accountability or criticism. You're not a bad person for complaining about a member of the sangha who pressured you to subject yourself to pain (which, frankly, is there so that your body can tell you something is wrong so that you can avoid hurting it), who doesn't seem able to be fair with female practitioners, and who apparently is giving students the idea that they must submit to anything and everything suggested without question. Take care of yourself. If your sangha isn't interested in letting you do this very very basic thing, they are not your sangha; they're just other Buddhists.
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