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Preamble In any community, there are some who feel called to Spiritual practices, and especially primary religious 1.[Intention] Spiritual guides are to practice and 2.[Serving Society] Spiritual practices are to be 3.[Serving Individuals] Spiritual guides shall respect Guides shall make reasonable preparations to 4.[Competence] Spiritual guides shall assist with 5.[Integrity] Spiritual guides shall strive to be aware 6.[Quiet Presence] To help safeguard against the 7.[Not for Profit] Spiritual practices are to be 8.[Tolerance] Spiritual guides shall practice 9.[Peer Review] Each guide shall seek the counsel This draft for public comment was released 15 November Copyright © 1995 - 1999 Council on Spiritual Practices Box 460820 Permission is hereby given to reprint this Code, provided Your comments are invited and will be considered for
Code of Ethics for Spiritual Guides
People have long sought to enrich their lives and to
awaken to their full natures through spiritual practices
including prayer, meditation, mind-body disciplines,
service, ritual, community liturgy, holy-day and seasonal
observances, and rites of passage. "Primary religious
practices" are those intended, or especially likely, to bring
about exceptional states of consciousness such as the
direct experience of the divine, of cosmic unity, or of
boundless awareness.
assist others along spiritual paths, and who are known as
ministers, rabbis, pastors, curanderas, shamans, priests,
or other titles. We call such people 'guides': those
experienced in some practice, familiar with the terrain,
and who act to facilitate the spiritual practices of others. A
guide need not claim exclusive or definitive knowledge of
the terrain.
practices, carry risks. Therefore, when an individual
chooses to practice with the assistance of a guide, both
take on special responsibilities. The Council on Spiritual
Practices proposes the following Code of Ethics for those
who serve as spiritual guides.
serve in ways that cultivate awareness, empathy,
and wisdom.
designed and conducted in ways that respect the
common good, with due regard for public safety,
health, and order. Because the increased
awareness gained from spiritual practices can
catalyze desire for personal and social change,
guides shall use special care to help direct the
energies of those they serve, as well as their own,
in responsible ways that reflect a loving regard for
all life.
and seek to preserve the autonomy and dignity of
each person. Participation in any primary religious
practice must be voluntary and based on prior
disclosure and consent given individually by each
participant while in an ordinary state of
consciousness. Disclosure shall include, at a
minimum, discussion of any elements of the
practice that could reasonably be seen as
presenting physical or psychological risks. In
particular, participants must be warned that
primary religious experience can be difficult and
dramatically transformative.
protect each participant's health and safety during
spiritual practices and in the vulnerable periods
that may follow. Limits on the behaviors of
participants and facilitators are to be made clear
and agreed upon in advance of any session.
Appropriate customs of confidentiality are to be
established and honored.
only those practices for which they are qualified by
personal experience and by training or education.
of how their own belief systems, values, needs,
and limitations affect their work. During primary
religious practices, participants may be especially
vulnerable to suggestion, manipulation, and
exploitation; therefore, guides pledge to protect
participants and not to allow anyone to use that
vulnerability in ways that harm participants or
others.
harmful consequences of personal and
organizational ambition, spiritual communities are
usually better allowed to grow through attraction
rather than active promotion.
conducted in the spirit of service. Spiritual guides
shall strive to accommodate participants without
regard to their ability to pay or make donations.
openness and respect towards people whose
beliefs are in apparent contradiction to their own.
of other guides to help ensure the wholesomeness
of his or her practices and shall offer counsel when
there is need.
1999. The current version is available on the Internet at
www.csp.org.
San Francisco, CA 94146-0820
USA
that the text is reproduced complete and verbatim,
including the CSP contact information, copyright, and this
notice of limited permission to reprint.
future revisions. Endorsements of the Code are also
welcome.