Description
Book SynopsisIn the search for inner awakening and self-realization, a spiritual mentor can be key to advancement. Yet the process of finding an authentic spiritual teacher who resonates with you can be daunting, especially for anyone who has had a negative experience with a guide. Exploring the emotional nuances of mentoring relationships, Greg Bogart details the nine stages of spiritual apprenticeship, from choosing a teacher to teaching others, and explains how to successfully navigate each.
The author explores how to gauge your inner response for trust and resonance with a teacher and then how to approach them for initiation. He explains how the teacher-student relationship affects the student's state of consciousness over time and how most students eventually need to become independent from their teacher. Describing emotional conflicts that can arise at this stage, he shows how wise teachers accept our need to separate and graduate while immature teachers try to thwart and control us.
Openly sharing his own interior journey, the author illustrates the lasting resonance of his encounters with several provocative spiritual mentors, including Swami Muktananda and Dane Rudhyar. He shares stories showing how unpredictable "crazy wisdom" teachers cause us to confront doubts and sharpen our commitments and how "fierce" teachers expose our fears and lack of confidence, rousing dormant energies and expanded states. Examining practices in Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist Yoga, Sufism, and Jewish and Christian mysticism, he also explores the deeper mystical aspects of the guru-student relationship.
Describing nine stages of the spiritual seeker's journey, the author affirms that a direct path to self-liberation is still attainable through initiation in the company of sages.
Trade Review“A clear, reasoned exposition that will help seekers of all persuasions.” * Yoga Journal *
“Bogart calls upon his expertise as a psychotherapist and his experience as a mature spiritual seeker to discuss issues that are crucial for Western students of inner pathways. This is a must-read for all spiritual seekers and their teachers.” * Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., P.T., coauthor of What We Say Matters *
“This book is valuable for anyone who has been a student of a spiritual teacher or who is contemplating becoming one, and it helps prevent misconceptions so that a mature teacher-student relationship can develop.” * Yoga International *
“Bogart’s book is a clear and detailed map of the experience of self-unfoldment under the guidance of a guru or spiritual guide--including its difficulties, dangers, joys, and ultimate value. Highly recommended.” * John Warren White, author of What Is Enlightenment? *
“If the recurring stories of gurus gone egregiously astray have you wondering whether teachers still have relevance on the spiritual path, I encourage you to read this wise and balanced book. Bogart makes a cogent case for the perennial value of awakening to who we are in relationship with one who already knows and can point the way.” * Stephan Bodian, author of Wake Up Now *
“In this volume, which I regard as his best, Bogart brings an integrated psychospiritual perspective to his description of the guru-disciple relationship. I welcome this book and will recommend it frequently to clients and students of my own.” * Bryan Wittine, LMFT, Ph.D., teaching and supervising analyst, C. G. Jung Institute of San Francisco *
“Based on decades of firsthand, inspiring, and life-changing experiences and scholarly research, Greg Bogart’s
In the Company of Sages astutely and caringly steers you through the winding terrains of the spiritual mentor and student relationship.” * Stuart Sovatsky, Ph.D., author of Advanced Spiritual Intimacy *
“This is an excellent practical guide for anyone seeking a spiritual teacher and for those who are teachers. Bogart’s openness and forthright storytelling may benefit parents or loved ones who are concerned about friends and family members who invest themselves in spiritual practice. I highly recommend this book. Well researched and documented, readable, and personal, it lights the way for those navigating the journey of transformation.” * Laurel Clark, author of Intuitive Dreaming *
“This uniquely insightful book is a new classic of contemporary spiritual literature.” * Master Charles Cannon, originator of Synchronicity High-Tech Meditation *
"Sensitive both to traditional views and the unique concerns of seekers in the West." * David Frawley, author of Yoga and Ayurveda *
“Valuable, even essential, words of wisdom to open the eyes and minds of those who have a spiritual teacher in their past, present, or future.” * Dan Millman, author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior *
“Clarifying, balanced, highly readable, and above all helpful. This is the best book available on spiritual apprenticeship and the psychological issues involved.” * Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D., author of Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga *
Table of ContentsContents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction The Catalyzing Role of Teachers
Stage One
Choosing a Teacher In Search of a Trustworthy Guide
Stage Two
Initiation The Kindling of Spiritual Life
Stage Three
Discipleship Absorbing Instruction and Developing a Spiritual Practice
Stage Four
Testing Trust, Surrender, and Refinement of the Personality
Stage Five
Grace and Guru Yoga Receiving the Teacher's Spacious Gaze
Stage Six
At the Threshold of Awakening Glimpses of the Goal
Stage Seven
Separating from a Spiritual Teacher Maturation and Autonomy
Stage Eight
Finding the Teacher Within Creating Your Own Synthesis and Paths of Self-Liberation
Stage Nine
Teaching Others Sharing Knowledge Gracefully
Epilogue
The Cycle of Apprenticeship Complete
Notes Glossary Bibliography
Index About the Author
