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Is there a difference between a spiritual leader and a spiritual teacher?

A few days I asked if we expect perfection from our spiritual leaders. I asked because I am considering the spiritual path as a career, beyond a personal quest.

At first, Gayle said that “spiritual leaders strive for a high moral and ethical standard, but that I’d understand failure; they are human just like me.” Then she confessed that she has a hard time forgiving the recent “priest scandals, adultery, and other major moral messups” that have occurred.

Mr. Biggs followed by saying that he would hold his spiritual leaders to “high standards”. But what are those “high standards”? He quickly followed by eschewing the notion of spiritual leaders.

Lyman made the distinction that ordination does not make you a spiritual leader. “Throwing a robe or a collar on someone doesn’t make them a leader. Anyone can go to school, take some vows, and get appointed by an organization to oversee a community. But some of the greatest spiritual giants I’ve met have been guys who have been to hell and back (do I really have to say figuratively?) , and now dedicate themselves to bringing others back as well.”

“A spiritual leader would not claim to be a leader as such. They are simply someone who lives their truth, speaks their truth and does their truth,” so says Kara-Leah.

Paula takes it a step further by adding that spiritual leaders “inspire me in ways I hadn’t dreamed of and demonstrate love and compassion for others.”

In today’s world, leaders, in general, are scarce. Spiritual leaders are virtually non-existent. I think society evolved to this state. First finding out that our leaders are fallible with sex scandals and the like. Then, the democratization of information with the advent of the Internet. Today, we can find kernels of spiritual Truth in our nearest blog post. There is a sense of separation between the messenger and the message. Hence the distinction between a spiritual leader and a spiritual teacher.

A spiritual leader to me, is someone who is an example of my highest Spiritual Truths and who is accessible. Like Kara-Leah and Lyman, it has very little to do with any sanction by an organization. As such, I don’t yet have a spiritual leader. When I take a look around me, there is no one who is completely walking their spiritual beliefs, myself included. I don’t expect perfection. For example, I think you could be a great spiritual leader and have relationship problems. However, I would expect that they walk their talk. So, in that case, they would practice the principles of unconditional love and compassion in their relationships.

On the other hand, I see spiritual teachers as those individuals who are a clear channel for a Spiritual message. They are an example of my next spiritual step and they can show me how to do what they are doing. The distinction being that a spiritual leader epitomizes the ultimate, while a spiritual teacher has mastered a particular Truth and is living it.

At any rate, I want my spiritual leaders and teachers to practice what they preach and be accessible. It is what I will strive for as I proceed on my path to be a spiritual teacher, or will it be leader ;-)

In Spirit,
Nneka