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Sunday 27 March 2011

Bill of Rights for esoteric groups




Nick Farrell's ideas for the melting pot

1. A teacher is also a student, and the teacher and the student are members of an Order.
  1. The Bill of Rights applies to all those who have signed it and also indicates their attitude to individuals, Orders and Groups who have not.
For the Student:

  1. has the right and duty to ask questions and receive an answer which they can understand.
  2. has the right to be respected.
  3. is allowed to develop their individuality and not have that dictated to them by the Order or the teacher.
  4. should not be exploited for any spiritual or material gain.
  5. should not be prejudiced against on the basis of the sex, religion, race, sexual preference or political views.
  6. should not be engaged in attacking, defaming, slandering another member of another spiritual group. Debates about teaching are acceptable but these must not become personal.
  7. No student should be forced to do anything that is against their own moral code or the laws of the land.
  8. A student will do all they can to support the order.
  9. A student will always act in a fraternal way and assist their brothers and sisters to develop on the path of return.
  10. No student will attempt to control another or use magic to harm another.
  11. A student the right to leave a group if they wish without having to receive pressure to stay.
  12. A student will work the system they have been given under instruction.

A teacher has
  1. The right to be respected.
  2. The right to refuse membership or grades to those who do not meet the order's requirements.
  3. The right to have their version of the system followed.
  4. The right to call for assistance and not have to do everything themselves.
  5. The right to say that they do not know an answer to a question, but will find out.
  6. The right to be mortal.
  7. to follow their spiritual path and not stop for the sake of the Order
An order
  1. Recognises the right of another Order to exist even if its views are the antithesis of its own.
  2. Does attempt to get another Order to do its bidding or claim “seniority” over it.
  3. Does not take legal action against another.
  4. Does not recognise the grades of another or attempt to steal members from another group. (People may leave to join another, but they must not be actively head-hunted recognising grades is a way to make it easier to jump ship).
  5. Does not market or advertise itself as being superior to another Order.
  6. Does not publicly defame or humiliate another group or an individual knowing them to be a member of that group.
  7. Is not a business designed to gain any economic power but is a spiritual organisation designed for the improvement of its members.
  8. Does not attempt magical attacks on another group or individual.
  9. Attempt to keep channels of communication open with other Orders.
  10. Do not attempt to interfere with the internal workings of other Orders or create schisms in other groups.
  11. If disputes arise between members of groups then this must be dealt with between group leaders perhaps under the assistance of a neutral third party.

3 comments:

  1. Simple values like the ones written above, in my opinion, should be taken for granted. However, my experience in several groups taught me that it is not so. Power trips, ego mania, pettiness etc etc...the hallmarks of great spiritual institutions and the very thing I was seeking on my spiritual path. Pardon my sarcasm.

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  2. For the order's rights did you mean for number 2 to be 'Does' or Does not'?

    Also, some of the right should be their duties :) Such as Student #1,#6,38,#9,#10,#12 - Teacher #2,#4,#5 and Order #6, #7, #8, #10 (possibly #4)

    Good List.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's good to see "order-level" rights and responsibilities listed here; in my experience these are often under-emphasized.

    ReplyDelete