In the aftermath of Genpo Merzel's sexual transgressions (Wild Fox Zen has offered good coverage of the events), Diane Musho Hamilton (who often teaches with Merzel and is [was?] one of his dharma heirs) has offered a good post on the issue - from her perspective as a teacher.
It's worth noting here, as Brad Warner has pointed out many times, these behaviors (reckless sexual involvement and misuse of donated funds) go back almost 20 years - see this letter re: Genpo's behaviors from 1992. He apparently has not worked hard to hide these affairs or the possessions he has accumulated - so why did anyone allow him to continue teaching? Why did Integral Institute make him a central figure?
In his defense, Merzel has handled this with much more integrity than Gafni exhibited in his own sexual ethics transgressions (denial, threats, and defamation are his patterns). Of course, one wishes Merzel might have shown integrity in NOT doing these things.
Anyway, aside from all of that, I highly recommend this post from Hamilton . . . . Here are a few small bites from the larger article that resonate with me. I offer some additional thoughts below.
Diane Musho Hamilton - Simply UncoolPlease go read the whole post - and if you are a part of the integral community in any way (as are both Genpo Merzel and Diane Musho Hamilton), please leave her a comment in support of taking this position into the wider integral community as well. I have been a bit of a gadfly in this realm, so my voice will mean nothing.
. . . . The heated complaints elicit an outcry of responses calling for the development of standards, guidelines, sound and consistent ethical policies which can provide oversight and accountability to the teachers in the Zen world. This is so that teachers and students everywhere are held accountable to the impacts that their decisions and behavior have on the communities in which they practice.
* * * * *
These guidelines, written policies, and legal contracts provide the basis for durable structures that can outlast the unruly behaviors and destructive tendencies of the humans who inevitably pass through them. And who among us hasn’t contributed to some mayhem among our friends?
Formulating these policies is natural, necessary, and even admirable, when you realize that we are capable of holding each other to higher standards of conduct.
* * * * *
In the meantime, however, while we are learning and while these policies are developed and implemented, I would like to introduce a handy word that may help guide you in your decisions until the ground rules are put on paper. The word that I want to offer to you in your search for integrity is simply “Uncool.”
“Is this cool or uncool?”
* * * * *
Sleeping around. Students bring a tremendous amount of vulnerability to the spiritual search, it gets very confusing and harmful when the student’s spiritual aspiration and their un-clarified sexual desire is mixed with the erotic impulses of the person in power. If you are a teacher and want a relationship with a student, change the agreement, acknowledge your position, and cultivate one with some consciousness and integrity. It doesn’t even have to be long-term. But habitually sleeping around with the people who are studying with you? Uncool.
For reasons that fail me, this is a hugely ignored area of shadow in the integral world. There have been several big names involved in "sex scandals" - Genpo Merzel is only the latest. But aside from an initial stand against Marc Gafni when his little sex circle in Israel became public (and international news) - and which they have subsequently been misled into retracting - the central integral leaders have allowed this element in the community to remain a big freaking elephant of a shadow that lurks (silently) at every integral event where Gafni, or Beck, or now Merzel attend.
It's too bad no one in a leadership position in the integral community has stepped up to deal with this ethically and responsibly as is being attempted by the Sangha of which Merzel was a part - but then Merzel and Gafni are meal tickets for the Integral Institute, so maybe money beats ethics.
In AQAL, it's all a matter of perspectives, right?
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I think that it is a structural thing, this kind of abuse simply goes with the territory - and has been in all of history. Nothing new about it. And it will be an important ingredient in any game where you have semi-divine authorities (re.)connecting you with whatever is regarded to be the Highest. It plugs right into our evolutionary impulse to follow the alpha-male or female. What would be a real new spirituality is a participatory one... but I've been saying this since a long time (and practise a non-hierarchical spirituality, by the way) since a very long time... it just doesn't fit into the landscape yet. But, hey, that's no problem. It's just human nature :-)
ReplyDeleteI would recommend you have a look at the comment section of her post. Over the past few days, a thoughtful fellow has challenged many aspects of her post and her responses have been far less than adequate. In particular, he believes (rightly so if you ask) that, as a figure of authority in some communities, her initial response to the whole Genpo's mess should have far more serious and engaged.
ReplyDeleteI myself wished to post the following comment but as the moderator she blocked it:
"Dear Diane Musho,
You really believe that those who eventually came to dearly suffer from their involvement in power relationships were unable to say ‘I like’, ‘I dislike’, ‘cool, ‘uncool’, etc. Those screwed up relationships have origins in deeply complex and ambiguous dynamics and your simple rule won’t help because it fails to account for them.
You had to know for quite a while about Genpo: was it not ‘uncool’ ? And yet it went on for decades … "
I think the people in some communities deserve much better from their teachers and Diane in particular
given her close association with guys like Genpo and Gafni than her superficial and naive post.
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYour comment was never blocked. It is there for people to read.
Gassho,
Diane Musho Hamilton
anonymous: it looks as though your comment has been posted, however mine (under "more cool") has been removed. I suspect not so much because of my comments about genpo roshi as much as because of my mention of marc gafni. With diane's removal of her request that I re-read the post because I was "missing the point" and my reply that I understand the point but insist that she is is misguided in her support of the two, (along with my lack of "integralspeak"), my original post just looks like a troll posting to be ignored.
ReplyDeletethis maneuver has gafni written all over it.
anonymous2
...and then there were none. Not only are all the comments removed now, both articles "Simply Uncool" and "More About Cool" have also been 404'ed.
ReplyDeleteVery uncool, Diane.
In fact, an internet search shows this Cafe posting as the only indication that any of this ever even took place. Now buried in the Cafe under weeks of subsequent posts, it will probably never be heard about again.
Though one should never underestimate the tenacity of Team Gafni.
anonymous2
Thumbs up to earlier "anonymous" for insightful, rigorous and tough-love posts. You rock.
ReplyDelete