![]() ![]() Unfortunately, unstable personalities who are subjected to such conditions are especially vulnerable I've found it useful to thoroughly screen and prepare potential trainees who wish to participate, including observing individuals over a period of time and assuring that they complete shorter intensive retreats before becoming overly involved in long-term retreats in often marginal conditions. Having experienced these austere conditions and austerities myself for lengthy periods of time, including several years on end, I know that these things are effective and can be appropriate it's all a matter of degree, intensity, intention, management and coordination, to be balanced and rounded out with various healthy and nurturing mitigating factors for purposes of group well-being and inner individual flourishment. All these can lend an aura of cultic activity to a fairly harmless group such as any ordinary short-term yoga retreat or prayer enclave, things that we ourselves may be engaged in without remaining very conscious of or vigilant regarding potential dangers and downsides. ![]() Traditional long intensive practice retreats and monastic training rules of reasonable efficacy are well known to sometimes take unprepared people over the edge practices including long-term silence, fasting, celibacy, sleep deprivation, restricted outside contact, secret teachings, proscribed readings, etc. Lama Surya Das is a sought after speaker and lecturer, teaching and conducting meditation retreats and workshops around the world. Michael's group is not the only one whose retreats might look, to the outside viewer, like a mere refugee camp, trailer camp, barracks or prison. In recent years, Lama Surya has turned his efforts and focus towards youth and contemplative education initiatives, what he calls True higher education and wisdom for life training. ![]() This scandal is very troubling as well as troublesome, and raises a lot of questions about spiritual centers and accountability. ![]()
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