Fall

“… Teachers tend to fall from grace. Our immortality becomes mortal, whether it's power, money or, as in my case and others, the amorous and loving encounter. As years go by, students develop two inner strengths, namely wisdom and confidence. If students are seeing clearly, then their clarity will reveal both past and present, and have the confidence to express what they experience and know. The student finds her or his voice that invites one expression of the embrace of the Non-Dual (namely teacher and student). One hopes as a teacher and servant of the Dharma, that students will learn from both the wisdom and foolishness of the teacher, the kindness and reactivity of the teacher.

We, who are in the privileged position of teaching, must never forget that the clear and the unclear within are merely a thought apart. Your website provides a service since it makes those of us who live in the rarefied realms, called a spiritual teacher, accountable to those we serve. I know very well. I've attended a few meetings with students and co-teachers, some of whom I made teachers. At times, they pulled me over the hot coals because of a romantic event years ago or some things I have written or spoken about. Unfortunately, inner pain and fear hide beneath aggression and that makes it harder for you to find reconciliation with Andrew who, judging from your reports, still seems to have an unconscious need to belittle people.

All credit to those of you who speak up. In a certain way, it is a kind of backhanded compliment to Andrew that his students do speak up. Isn't that an emphasis in his teaching? He should be proud of you all! Some may contribute to your website from outside the story; others are still inside of it. If one has moved outside the story totally, then you express an authentic freedom of the Non-Dual (realizing the dependent arising of so-called 'self 'and 'other'), and a seeing through the fictional mindset that give substance to the ultimately insubstantial; and that surely is the heart of any worthwhile teaching.

If students who have left Andrew write from a place of reaction, faultfinding, and blame, then consciousness is still embroiled in the story and still hooked emotionally into Andrew's inner world. Such students will be revealing echoes within themselves of the very criticism levelled at Andrew - namely negative and apparently dehumanizing treatment. Those who point the accusing finger at another should remember they have three fingers pointed at themselves. Hopefully your contributors, whether anonymous or not, remember to look within themselves, even if your former teacher cannot.

In the Dharma, Christopher Titmuss”

 

“I was personally effected by Christopher’s sexual predatory behavior when he stuck his hand down the pants of my wife on a beach – I then discovered at least 4 of my personal friends had been similarly treated or worse. I don’t know if you any idea of the effect that can have. In total there are dozens of woman around the world that have been similarly burnt.

I was then faced with a wall of the denial the size of the wall of China and had to wade through years of treacle to try and get this issue addressed. Why nobody wants to hear an uncomfortable truth is beyond me –

It took 10 years to get anything done about this and I eventually attended a meeting with the all the teachers of Ghia house where many woman risked making public representation of how they were abused.

Even in the face if this barrage of evidence Ghia house was still slow to act – they were more concerned about their reputation than about the abuse and offered no support or follow up to any of us. The whole affair is frankly disgusting I am not afraid to state that publicly. I should add though that to their credit Stephen and Martine Batchelor promptly left the organization. It is now a matter of public knowledge that Christopher has left this trail of devastation.

He was publicly challenged by a worldwide gathering of teachers at Spirit Rock (over 100 people present) and he still declined to accept any admonishment, which why he has finally been banned from using most centers around the world… This is why I lost my head – I can’t stand seeing this being white washed AGAIN -and if the story reemerges I feel obliged to rock the boat.

Christopher is now getting old and has cooled down somewhat – I am not without compassion for the guy – but I cannot let worldwide public support for him go by without addressing it“ ~ ‘uberme’ post on BATGAP

~ Christopher Titmuss, is a retired Theravada Buddhist monk, an Insight Meditation meditation instructor and an author of books on Dharma who resides in Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom.