Spiritual Abuse: The Wound and the Way Forward

⚠️ Content Note / Trigger Warning: This video discusses experiences of spiritual abuse, trauma, and harm. Please watch only if and when it feels right for you.

Spiritual abuse is unlike any other harm. It pierces the heart of meaning itself - our relationship to truth, to community, and to who we know ourselves to be.

In this video, I share my story of harm, aftermath, and healing after decades as a Buddhist nun. I describe how the misuse of spiritual authority, misconduct, and the distortion of sacred teachings left deep wounds - and the long, slow process it took to recover.

What I discovered is that meditation alone is not enough. Healing required safe relationships, trauma-informed practices, and attachment repair. Out of this journey, I developed the Integrated Meditation Program https://awakeningtruth.org/integrated... and Trauma-Informed Satipaṭṭhāna, practices designed to bring safety, awareness, and resilience to those carrying trauma.

This is not just a story of harm - it is a testimony to our capacity for resilience: how awareness can help us transform even the most painful experiences into life-affirming ways of being, and deepen our connection to love and truth.

If you’ve been harmed in a spiritual community, you are not alone.
If you are healing, may these words affirm your path.
If you are interested in spiritual practice, may this video help you discern between devotion and danger.

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