Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘I’ve read a number of X’s books, and I have been around folk who worship him. Perhaps I’m odd, but I never felt anything X wrote grab at my heart. He’s got a fairly good intellect, but it doesn’t seem to be affected much by great depth of feeling. No matter how great the intellect, as long as ego is present, it will corrupt the thought process.

I can hardly stand to listen to X’s voice. There is so much ego in his voice and approach. The narcissism is quite evident. It’s like a little boy saying, look what I can do!…

Truth is beyond the intellect. Intellect is just a path. At the end of the intellectual path, one falls into the unknown. X knows about the unknown “intellectually” but he doesn’t appear have allowed himself to go over the edge. If he had, there would be an overwhelming humility. Without that humility, you can be certain he has not arrived at enlightenment. The gurus that pull at your heart and your intellect have authority, but the authority is not theirs. It comes from Source. Therefore, as persons, they are humble. If you don’t sense the humility as well as the authority, be careful!’

I can’t remember the website where I pulled this critique from – I went through a phase of reading about gurus and cults and abuses a few years ago – but I saw the quote again recently, and thought it was worth posting, with the name redacted. The name of the teacher is irrelevant; I kept the “he,” as I think that is more relevant. I have not met the teacher mentioned here, though I can think of one or two teachers I have met who also strike me the same way.