Abuses of power by spiritual teachers continue to happen. Why? How could teaching culture be improved?
In November of 2025 I spoke about building structures to support accountability on the part of spiritual teachers at a webinar. This was sponsored by the Association for Spiritual Integrity (ASI), a group with member teachers from a variety of spiritual traditions. You can find a video recording of the talk and the subsequent group discussion here.
Continue reading “Building Accountability into Spiritual Culture”The liberation that Zen offers is real! Yet, as I explain in my book, Zen practice must be engaged with carefully.
“Practicing Safe Zen imparts a lesson we all will have to learn if we want to truly mature in our spiritual practice…” —Barry Magid, author, Ending the Pursuit of Happiness
“…This is a thoroughly engaging exploration based on deep knowledge of the tradition as well as contemporary research.” —Martine Batchelor, author, Principles of Zen
The book was released in June 2025, and is can be purchased from Indiepubs and other booksellers. With the publisher’s permission, I’ve reproduced (most of) the introduction below. I hope you will be inspired to read the rest!
Continue reading “Practicing Safe Zen”
Julie A. Nelson 