Beware
Spiritual seekers often meet different kinds of spiritual teachers. This world of spirituality can be dangerous for kind and naive meditators. Deviant personalities are found in this milieu, and often, they are very drawing and convincing! When you start to realize that something is fishy about them, your life might be already upside down, your wallet empty, and/or your spiritual progress at a full stop since a while.
That’s why I put below for you to read a checklist to differentiate between realized beings (to a certain degree or fully) and deviant teachers/gurus who act and speak as realized beings. It’s taken out of Bill Hamilton’s book on the topic “Saints and psychopaths,” freely available. I recommend.
I’ve heard a teacher say that enlightened beings should show some psychic powers. This is not a criterion on which we could rely on to certify the attainment of a person. The Buddha talks about it in the Susima sutta ( SN 12.70). Some monks wouldn’t believe other monks were Arahants (fully enlightened beings) since those Arahants didn’t display any of the supernormal powers, and therefore they had doubts about their attainments. ( Here we are talking about extra ordinary spiritual powers such as vanishing, walking on water or visiting the Godly realms among others). To be sure about their conclusion, they went to the Buddha, who explained that some meditators more insight-oriented wouldn’t develop those powers yet would have a liberated mind, a mind freed from the defilements, aka greed, hatred, and delusion.
I have seen people who have basics supernormal powers (healing, energy transmission at a distance or by touch, or divination/visions and reading minds…) and have no meditation skills, only basic wisdom, and who are not enlightened. They most probably have inherited them from samadhi cultivation in past lives. CIA has its own remote viewers and psychics. Nothing to do with enlightenment. On the contrary, some skillful masters would keep the display of such abilities behind closed doors or talk about them only when students start to display some as well. Others would decide to not talk nor display unless the student is at least a non-returner (greed and ill-will are eradicated, and therefore there is no danger of misuse). Some other teachers teach them as a way to enlightenment. I have seen students of such masters use them very badly. The mighty-creator complex can arise in the minds of those who don’t have morality as a strong support or who have little wisdom. This is a dangerous state of affairs, and the wise man might hide this knowledge to avoid problems.
Psychopaths might have psychic powers and use the display of them. This is not a sign of realization. Unfortunately, it easily hooks people to believe that this person must be a good and benevolent person to be trusted as if she was a messenger of God of some sort. A rule of thumb to discern reliable teachers from disordered personalities is that the former kind won’t ask you to do anything immoral, would discourage you from lying and stealing or from having sexual relationships in the name of spiritual acceleration.
A highly realized teacher might have a strange personality, though.
It is highly likely that the trustful master is slightly obsessed with the enlightenment of his students. Most probably, he won’t be much interested in the life content of his students and will seem a bit distant or heartless. That’s a good sign, I would say. That means he knows what matters and what doesn’t, and what matters is the security from bondage. Yet, benevolence should be present in the way he/she teaches. If a teacher asks details about your personal life and then uses your past trauma to make you feel bad and guilty, repeatedly, it is not a good sign. Enlightenment is not psychology. If the teacher yells, threatens, or refuses to teach you as a form of punishment, just run away.
If a teacher asks you to leave your discernment or rational thinking at the door of the class, well, that’s a red flag too. I’ve been told myself that my rational mind would stay on the way to enlightenment. I’m glad I kept it to question precise topics regarding the practice and made good use of it to walk away from gaslighting people. If you look at how the Buddha and the monks would discuss the Dharma among the Sangha or with other ascetics from other schools, you would see that discernment is key. It comes from insights acquired through sitting practice but also from the capacity to comprehend the way to those insights. So, keep a little ounce of judgment (to not be confused with skeptical doubt related to the doctrine, which is one of the 5 hindrances).
You can feel very not at ease with a very masterful teacher. That wouldn’t mean he is a psychopath. It happens very often when the master sees very clearly your defilements and wrong views and points them to you. It might be delivered abruptly to your taste without sugar coating. It is generally not a very pleasant moment for the ego. Students with very strong egos won’t stay with such teachers. They may even try to find psychopaths, which would make them feel good, important, and part of a community to which they belong.
A proper teacher will guide you to more and more autonomy towards your practice rather than to more and more dependency on him/her. The method taught should lead you to more and more self-reliance and confidence with ways to cope with negative and difficult mind states on your own so that you can help and soothe yourself.
The path to enlightenment is not every day pink and fluffy. There are days that are unbearable when walking through some stages when the mind starts to see clearly. So you can’t put it all on your teacher. Don’t blame her. Your mood swings and difficult mind states are often brought about by proper practice and by walking the path itself. The practice will deconstruct everything you believed in. It’s not only ego death, to use a mainstream word; it’s a revolution in perception and a purification of morality, views, and understanding. It’s hard, but it’s damn worth it. Check that list below and evaluate for yourself.
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SAINTS / PSYCHOPATHS
SAY MEAN DO consistency /SAY MEAN DO disparity
Adhere to own moral standard / Breaks own rules
Pay debts / Many bad debts, writes bad checks
Keep promises / Break promises
Truth is highest standard / No true regard for truth
Insists dose associates tell the truth / Tell close associates to lie
Un-aggressive philosophy / Push philosophy aggressively
Attractive but not drawing / Attractive and drawing
Waits for you to seek help / Comes on with unsolicited advice
Good reputation endures & improves / Good reputation fades in time
Projects & organization grow & improve / Projects & organization degenerate
In the long run things turn out well / In the long run things turn out badly
People have long term benefit from association/ People are damaged by long term association
Have concern for effect of actions on self / Are unconcerned for effect of actions on and others self and others
Will immediately apologize for errors / Apologize as last resort
If trapped will not renounce principles / Ignore their own mistakes and apologizes gize only if cornered
Look for their own mistakes & will apologize / If trapped will do or say anything to escape
Typically have good health / Typically have variable exotic health problems
Typically have few accidents & injuries / Typically have many accidents and injuries
Felt loved when a child / Felt unloved when a child
Can sit very still / Can sit still only when center of attention
Encourage associates to be self reliant / Enslave people around them
Refrains from using mind-dulling substances / Substance abuse common stances
Are comfortable being in the background/ Compulsion to become the center of attention
May adopt a spiritual name one time/ Adopt many aliases
Any one psychopath or saint is unlikely to have all of the characteristics listed. Just because some one has some of these characteristics does not mean he or she is a psychopath or saint.
Nibbana Unplugged 
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