Jon Bernie: You know, as ... I think it's natural for us as human beings to want things
from other people.
I think that's natural.
So why wouldn't a student want something from a spiritual teacher?
And maybe hope that they could give it to them.
You know, if you want to ... I just think that's natural.
That we want answers, that we want guidance, that we want help.
I certainly did.
Plenty.
And I don't think there's any ... I mean I think it's beautiful to want, and it's beautiful
to try to get it.
I think at some point whether it's in relationship to one's parents where there may be all kinds
of projection going on, or with a teacher where there may be all kinds of projection
going on, there's going to come a point in the person's unfoldment where they're going
to see through that projection.
They're going to see, "Oh my goodness, I'm ... that's not over there!"
And, I think that, you know, again a teacher that is clear and is clean, if you will, will
acknowledge a student as themselves.
And not say, "I'm ... I know more than you, I'm better than you, I'm more enlightened
than you" or any of that kind of thing.
Or, give that impression.
But simply point out quite clearly and directly that this openness in the connected field,
the unified field, is the oneness that we are.
And so there is no projection when that's happening.
When there is the dropping away of the subject-object relationship, when you're in that nondual
realm, there is no projection going on.
Projection is only a psychological function.
So, if that's going on then that's work that someone needs to work with.
However they work with it.
Whether they get in touch with those feelings, or get in touch with the needs that aren't
getting met, or the desires that they want something that they're not getting, or whether
it's bringing up, you know, unfinished business from parental issues.
It could be a whole host of things.
That's what I call the human work.
And how beautiful that it will come up.
I mean, I think if we can honor that and welcome it and embrace it, and not say, "Oh, well,
that's not spiritual."
Or, "Gee, I guess I must be on the wrong path because ... or on the wrong track because
I'm not just in the oneness."
And see wow, this is actually facilitating ... to actually bring consciousness to the
fact that there's projection going on, that actually can facilitate being free.
If one doesn't see it then one can be stuck in that ... what? ... in that identity, in
that trying to get something.
So, personally, I think teachers have more responsibility than students in this department,
to be honest about it.
And I'm not sure how many are clear about it to be perfectly honest.
And are really communicating about it.
They may not understand it, they may not know that that's going on, they may be so removed
from the people that are coming to their gatherings, that they don't realize that that impact is
happening.
So, I don't know, maybe because I work so much one-on-one with people and have for so
many years that I'm much more aware of that?
And I think for people who work through that, and so many people have, all I hear is, thank
you for saving my life.
I mean, in a way there's a kind of benefit to having the illusion of some elevated person
stripped away and say "Oh, you're just an ordinary human being who isn't perfect.
I guess it's ok that I am."
You know, that you can also be free AND an imperfect human being.
I mean, that's the real message to get across.
That's the message that I keep communicating as much as possible.
People don't want to hear that.
Because there's this illusion of perfection.
But it's an illusion.
That which we are is perfect.
There's no question about that ... I mean, you could say that's already perfect.
It doesn't need our help, it doesn't need our understanding, it doesn't need anything.
And when we're ... when awareness moves in that, we are happy and free and open and loving
and compassionate and unified.