Insight Meditation InstituteTeacher Ethics

​Our teachers aspire to right conduct in every aspect of their lives. This is the ethics agreement that the teachers have signed:
 
We acknowledge a clear and specific set of expectations to which we hold ourselves accountable. We hope that by specifying these standards of behaviour we sharpen our awareness of ethical issues, ensure the trustworthiness of Insight Meditation, and serve to support the awakening of individuals. 
We recognise that our work is founded on trust - the trust placed in us each by our own teachers to transmit the Dharma faithfully and the trust placed in us by our students to provide them respectful and appropriate instruction.
Our intention is to ensure that through our teaching we do no harm to our students, either to their practice or to their general well-being.

Specifically, we commit ourselves to: 

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• Use our authority and role as teachers to serve the interests of the communities in which we are involved.

• Being honest and respectful with students, community members, fellow teachers and others; not subjecting anyone to disparagement, coercive pressure or any sort of undesired attention.

• Maintaining confidences received from students, except as required by law.     

• Practicing openness and inclusivity in relationships with others, allowing personal affinities a natural place but avoiding destructive favouritism.            

• Paying close attention to the power that comes with the role of the teacher and not misusing this position of power in any way, particularly in dual relationships*.

• Refraining from inappropriate or harmful sexual interaction with students.       

• Accepting financial support (dana) only when it is freely given, never making it an obligatory requirement.    

• Paying attention to how one’s choices lead or contribute to direct or indirect harm to other people, other living beings, ecosystems and future generations

• Taking care not to bring disrepute to the Insight Meditation teaching community by way of speech, images or expressing views not in alignment with these ethics and the Buddha’s teachings.

 
We ask our fellow Meditation and Dharma Teachers to hold us accountable to these standards.