I know all too much about the Guru/student relationship. Maybe I should say, I know all too much as Westerner about the Guru/student relationship. I am certain I know all too much as a feminist about the Guru/student relationship. I was in a formal, structured and resolute Guru/student relationship for over eleven years. At first it was a relief to be asked so much and give so much but as the years unrolled, with the deepening of feminism, politics, social activism and personal self-discovery, the structure became not just unlivable, but unethical.
I have written extensively about my disdain for the top ~ down movement of power in lineage. Maybe it is right as rain for the patriarchy, I am not sure. Maybe linear transmission was a balanced form when elders and seniors and teachers lived in fully integrated intergenerational communities; when older members of the tribe were the sole living libraries ~ holding truth, form, text, music, art, etc. They were sought out, treasured and wrung dry by curious, unquenchable, young seekers.
These days I am unraveling old ideas and discovering new ones about intergenerational sharing. Before I build on any conclusions, I want to really examine the circles, the sources and ethical transfers of power. These are a couple of my concerns ~ Here in the West, though exceptions do exist, seeking insight from elders is not respected, developed or rewarded. While you may know a few occasions where the long standing form of mentor and apprentice are working, overall it is lost to history, talked about as if it is pastoral. Secondly, the glut of information available in a click or a google makes the wait for an elder to show up with an insightful jewel unreasonable. (I taught myself to knit with an on-line video teacher) In many cases, people are no longer the most accessible, reliable, encyclopedic or educational resource.
As a feminist and political/spiritual activist I am very interested in lines of power. Who has it? How does it travel in a community? Can it be done in such a way that empowers the seeker and validates the elder without an assumption of one as higher and one as lower? Could this be the antidote to the terrible misuses of power by many western gurus, teachers and authority figures? And, finally, what are we missing by not reaching across generations?
Comments