When Students Want to Change Groups - (1398)

Introduction

Sometimes it happens that a student for some reason wants to change groups, Gnostic groups that is. This is a situation that really merits some careful consideration. It is something not to be taken lightly.

Ethics

There are some ethics involved in such a situation. There is the great responsibility to do the right thing by the student and the right thing by both missionaries. This is what I would like to touch upon in this post.

Two Cases - Clear and Fuzzy

Usually there are two cases. One type of case is clear and easy to process and the other type of case, is fuzzy and more difficult to process.

Clear Cases

The clear cases are when the student is happy with his or her current group but for clear physical reasons such as relocation, or other clear physical reasons, the student to continue his or her studies, must join another group.

There could also be clear esoteric reasons as well, where things are clearly going awry beyond reasonable acceptable limits and for the student to continue his or her studies in a harmonious and appropriate environment, the student must move to another group. Such examples are when the leader of the group is teaching and promoting actions that are contrary to the Gnostic doctrine, the behaviour of the group leaders or group members is unethical and against the principles of the Gnostic doctrine, or the group is entirely dysfunctional (rarely meets) etc., and other such reasons. 

Fuzzy Cases

These are the more frequent cases and usually in these cases the student isn't happy and wants to move to another group for psychological reasons. Usually the student is upset with the missionary or some other member of the group.

Such reasons do not really bear much weight as we have the knowledge in our esoteric and psychological work to surpass these obstacles, and as most of the conflicts that we have with others are due to the conflicts residing within ourselves, that is within our psyche, we are going to encounter the same thing in the new group. Then the student is going to want to change groups again.

Many of these problems can be resolved by talking openly and sincerely with the missionary of the existing group about how things can be improved.

Sometimes it is just a matter of personality. The student may just not be able to stand the personality of his or her missionary. Such a reason is not valid. The work can solve this, students and missionaries are in Gnosis to overcome themselves, and personality is one aspect of ourselves that for our own path must be overcome. Sure it is difficult, but if we constantly we escape from it, for sure we are never ever going to overcome it.

In such cases most of the solution rests in the hands of the student's psychological work. Such a situation holds some treasures to be discovered and gained if the student decides to seriously work on what is upsetting him or her. Perhaps even the reason why the student has failed in the work on themselves several times in the past is behind such protests and disagreements.

Missionaries

When a student of another group approaches a missionary in charge of a group that he or she does not belong to, ethically speaking the missionary of the 'new' group should contact the current missionary and explain the situation and talk to see if the real cause can be found. Knowing the real cause makes all the difference. If the missionaries can not talk for some reason I think it is more ethical to not accept the new student.

It is not ethical that the 'new' missionary just accept the student from another group without contacting the student's current missionary. This is because the current missionary has spent much time and effort teaching that student. For sure they have, becasue students don't get upset from the first class, if they did, they would be long gone. So the missionary has spent much time and effort teaching that student and has perhaps made some spiritual type of commitments to help that student and has assumed the great spiritual responsibility of helping that student and the Monad of teh student by taking that essence to the path. The existing missionary has at least the right to know what is going on with the student that perhaps he or she has vouched for.

Often when missionaries talk, things can be worked out and a better arrangement can be struck for the student so that the student can feel more confidence, trust and contentment in the group in which he or she is already in.

There is not much that a missionary can do when a student wants to go to another group. They have to let them go because to detain them against their will is not quite right either. The main part of the responsibility resides with the 'new' missionary. Ethically speaking the 'new' missionary should contact the existing missionary and suggest to the student to stay where they are and work on themselves to overcome the issue. If the student does not want to work on him or herself the new missionary has the full right to not allow the student in. 

It can even happen that the two missionaries agree that the disgruntled student can move to another group but in agreement and in full knowledge of the student's current missionary. This though works the best when there are weighty reasons for it to be done and it will benefit all involved or mostly all involved.

Conclusion

The main ethics involved is that there is communication and transparency, this way many problems are avoided and the real underlying issues surface for them to be amicably resolved and the cause of the problem to justly fall onto the person whose ownness it is to provide the solution.

End (1398).