According to news reports, 3 people died and 19 became hospitalized from a sweat lodge ceremony led by self-help guru James Arthur Ray at one of his private workshops in early October. Injuries ranged from dehydration to kidney failure to scorched lungs, with at least one participant slipping into a coma (for more details and opinions http://beyondgrowth.net/).
Like you may have felt when you first heard about this tragedy, I was shocked, horrified and confused. How could something like this happen? Clearly, something went terribly wrong.
Many wanted to rush to judgment, which is common in these types of situations when fear and shock come up in people. Admittedly some of the reports were pretty disturbing, such as one claim that Ray encouraged participants to disregard their concern for others around them when they were throwing up and passing out, in one case stating “she’ll be dealt with in the next round.” Apparently, participants had been sent on a 36 hour vision quest with no food and no water shortly before entering the grueling sweat lodge ceremony.
One would wonder why the participants didn’t follow their inner wisdom and leave the sweat lodge once they were in overwhelming distress. That is a question we may never have the answer to.
The official definition of Guru is:
an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.
However, especially in western culture, people often give their power away to their gurus, believing the guru “knows best”, abandoning their own inner power and wisdom by obeying someone else’s wishes and will above your own. There is a fascinating energy exchange that goes on with some gurus and their followers, leaving a wake of imbalance and dis-empowerment and perhaps, in some cases, tragedy.
What is the fine line between a leader challenging you, helping you to push past your comfort zone and a leader having you discount your own internal wisdom?
How do you spot “Guru-ism”? Ask the following questions:
How do you know which spiritual leaders to trust?
Remember, all of your answers are within. The most skilled of masters will lead you back to those answers, encouraging your self-discovery and unique expression of “YOU”!
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