The oath of a Kundalini Yoga teacher

“The oath of a Kundalini teacher:” I am not a woman. I’m not a man. I am not a person. I am not myself. I am a teacher. “~ Yogi Bhajan

I have a confession to make. I struggled with The Master’s Oath when I started my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training. When I first heard it, I rebelled. What do you mean I’m not a woman? If I am not a person, what am I? And if I am not myself, then who am I? I didn’t understand it and it confused me immensely. Who was this boy to tell me that I’m not me? Can you say “resistance”? How about that for a great start?

In this article, I will explain about The Master’s Oath and what it means to me now compared to my first impression. I will also address the key ethical responsibilities a KY teacher has in terms of student service, personal conduct, and roles. And finally I will bring my relationship with the teachings and with the source of the teachings.

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, of Golden Bridge in Los Angeles, says that, “as Kundalini yoga teachers, [we] Take this [Teacher’s] Oath. It sets the precedent for why we are there and what we must deliver: these sacred teachings. Our purpose is to deliver the student to himself, not to the teacher. We are there to inspire students. “

How do I feel about the master’s oath now? It’s about uplifting humanity! Yogi Bhajan took the Master’s Oath as a reminder to keep our ego out of our teaching and to always respond with what is best for the student. He is trying to teach us to “shine the soul of the student”, not to shine our own egos. It is about being a messenger of the teachings; be a vehicle and let it flow. The oath of teachers reminds us that we must be teachers and elevate the soul of each student.

Hand in hand with the teacher’s oath are the ethical responsibilities of a KY teacher. These responsibilities are threefold. First, there is the ethical responsibility in terms of service. As a KY teacher, it is essential to maintain the purity of the teachings and teach them in a selfless manner. It is the responsibility of the teacher to connect the students with the flow of the teachings and raise the student to the consciousness of the Infinite within them.

Second, there is ethical responsibility in terms of personal conduct. It’s about leading by example and teaching by example. It is also about relating to a person’s spirit, soul, and essence, not their ego. In addition, teacher-student relationships must remain professional. Personal conduct must be of the highest caliber and always from a place of deep care, respect and concern for others.

The third and final piece is ethical responsibility in terms of role. As a KY teacher, you must stop identifying with your own success or failure. In this role, a KY teacher must identify with “being a teacher” as an infinite task. It’s about being mindful of students (skill levels, never bullying, respecting all belief systems, and maintaining confidences). In terms of the role as a KY teacher, choose right over wrong, ethics over expediency … these are the choices that measure your life (not just your teaching experiences). Travel the path of integrity … because there is never a bad time to do the right thing.

To close this discussion, it is important to mention my relationship with the teachings and the source of the teachings.

My relationship with the teachings is one of respect, consideration, love, appreciation, gratitude and service, always, at all times, regardless of my particular momentary feelings and opinions, because that is the attitude that I need to have towards my very Essence.

As for my relationship with the source of the teachings, it was difficult at first. As a pure Sagittarius, I often feel desperately unhappy in ruled situations as I tend to get bored and uneasy, and I am also annoyed by authority. So, coming up with this kind of spiritual teaching that is based on the tradition of a guru passing on wisdom was an interesting choice. I know that usually people surrender to the guru to lead the way until he has the discipline of pure teachings. Everything changed to greatness once I started to trust my teacher and surrender to the experiences. Now, KY is a proven step-by-step system to walk my own path. Everything is LOVE … pure LOVE. I give my ego to my soul. I came to explore knowledge and did not know that knowledge would begin to explore me. It was about the wisdom to yield, rather than oppose, the flow of life.

I understand it now … as Mark Ciaburri affirms: “My whole being moves towards these teachings. I love what I am learning and unlearning.”

© Copyright 2010 Kundalini Yoga with Sharlene Starr. All rights reserved.