I first met Jean Klein in the spring of 1988 when a Buddhist friend urged me attend one of his dialogues. I didn’t know anything about Advaita Vedanta, and I certainly wasn’t looking for a teacher. In fact, after nearly 20 years of Buddhist practice, I had become disenchanted with the teacher-student relationship that lies at the heart of the Buddhist tradition. Many of the teachers I knew used their power and authority to manipulate and exploit their students, and I had ended up leaving the Zen priesthood myself because I didn’t feel comfortable with the identity and role of teacher that was gradually being thrust upon me. I went to my first dialogue with a blend of curiosity and skepticism.
Be Who You Are An Interview with Jean Klein by Stephan Bodian
Wonderful article.
It addresses the question that I too have as I find
myself entering into the education required to become
an MFT at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Can you be a spiritual teacher as well as a therapist?
I liked the article. I suppose a person needs to hang out with someone who can give pointers. Maybe I can read Jean Klein’s books or something as a way of hanging out. Thanks for the article.
Please consider giving away this interview as a booklet. There are people who will certainly be benefited by it.
Shankar, India
Thank you for including this article in the journal. I was introduced to his teaching through his “students” Richard Miller and Joan Ruvinsky- and it resonates completely with the teachers I have been blessed by in other and related disciplines. It is so refreshing to see it all put in the context of letting go rather than striving.
Great article, thanks for sharing it. This is the first text I am reading from Jean Klein and he seems to be attained a high degree of realization.
I find jean klein with Ramana maharishi and nasargadatta maharaj as the best communicators of spiritual knowledge. Thanks for posting.
Wonderful companion piece to the couple of Jean’s books that I’ve read.
I’m certain I’m not the only person who thinks the ‘stillness’ Jean speaks of is the not-quite-daydreaming that got steadily knocked out of you as childhood turned into adolescence?