SBMG 20200524 Joe Kellett

Practice Talk Topic: “Why the easy way out never is: Diving deep into spiritual bypass, then coming to the surface again” .

Joe Kellett, sangha member and Vipassana student, writes:

At age 20 Joe read “The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are” by Alan Watts, and decided to become Enlightened. The only problem was how? He picked the wrong teacher and ended up studying with a false guru for 15 years, learning and intensely practicing a “spiritual bypass” teaching. This ended badly, as spiritual bypass so often does, with some extremely serious psychological damage. A friend and survivor of the same teacher pointed Joe to Anapanasati. Resolved never to have another spiritual teacher, Joe learned Anapanasati from a website and practiced secular mindfulness solo for 15 years, gradually but steadily healing. Five years ago something clicked, and Joe found himself washing ashore at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City and attending dharma offerings by Gil Fronsdal. He hasn’t looked back since.