Radical Teachers, Prasangika Meditation & the Need for a Guide
The Challenge of Finding Truth
I started reading Paul Brunton when I was ten—over 40 years ago. His books were my first introduction to the deeper search for truth, blending Eastern and Western thought in a way that was both accessible and profound. More than anything, he emphasized the importance of finding a teacher—a guide who had already traveled the path and could help cut through the illusions the mind creates for itself.
As seekers, we often hesitate to analyze or critique the very teachers who inspire us, fearing that doing so might be an act of disrespect. But over time, I realized that even the most brilliant thinkers can only take us so far—and at a certain point, we must let go even of our most treasured guides.
For years, Osho was one of my favorite teachers. He was radical, cutting, and fearless—someone who expressed hard-to-accept truths that shattered conventional morality and forced seekers into deep self-examination. He dismantled illusions, but in the end, I had to throw all his books away.
I love and admire these two teachers, but admiration alone cannot replace direct experience and realization. At some point, we must ask whether even the most profound teachings are liberating us or subtly reinforcing our conceptual attachments.
The Power of Non-Affirming Negation
Osho and Paul Brunton led me to question deeply, but I found that even their insights still left a conceptual framework intact—something to hold onto, an idea of truth rather than truth itself.
Why? Because once I fully grasped the Prasangika Madhyamaka approach of non-affirming negation, something shifted.
Through my Shedra studies, I learned that every concept—whether positive or negative—ultimately obstructs direct insight if we cling to it. This is where Prasangika stands apart from all other approaches: instead of replacing ignorance with "higher" concepts, it removes all conceptual ground entirely. It is the cleanest, most precise method to empty the mind and ego faster, dissolving both mistaken views and subtle attachments that even refined philosophies create.
As Chenrezig states in the Diamond Sutra (paraphrased):
"Even the idea of liberation is itself a concept to be abandoned. One must not be attached even to the view of emptiness, for in doing so, one creates another illusion."
This is why no book, no philosophy, no amount of personal reflection can replace the guidance of a qualified teacher. The mind is conditioned to grasp onto something, even negation itself—and only someone who has walked this path further can expose those hidden attachments in real-time.
Jesse Lee Peterson: A Modern Socrates & Christian Non-Dualist?
Jesse Lee Peterson stands out as a rare esoteric Christian teacher who, knowingly or unknowingly, taps into profound spiritual principles found in both Buddhism and non-dual traditions. He is one of the first figures in modern Christianity to actively guide people into silent meditation, a practice that closely mirrors shamatha meditation—the foundation of deep awareness in the Buddhist path.
Beyond that, his emphasis on forgiving our parents is not just a psychological exercise but a direct confrontation with the root of our conditioned identity. The "demon-like" image they impose on us—formed through childhood wounds, misunderstandings, and control—becomes the hidden architect of our suffering. But this false image can be broken through by actively forgiving our parents.
In my own experience, after doing this process with my father, I saw an immediate and tangible shift—suddenly, I was able to trust other men again, in both personal and professional settings. The underlying resistance, fear, and unconscious skepticism simply dissolved. It was a remarkable transformation, one that would have taken years of psychoanalysis to even begin addressing. And yet, this one act of forgiveness cleared nearly 50% of my internal obstacles.
But as profound as this was, there was still more to do. Forgiveness alone doesn’t eliminate self-clinging, nor does it reveal the nature of mind. It creates space, but that space must be filled with insight—and that is where Prasangika logic and a qualified teacher come in. Jesse Lee Peterson tears down illusions, but what remains when everything is deconstructed? That’s where true self-inquiry begins.
For those interested in his method, his podcast can be found here:▶️ Jesse Lee Peterson Podcast on YouTube
How His Meditation Mirrors Shamatha & Vipashyana
Jesse Lee Peterson’s silent prayer meditation mirrors both shamatha (calm abiding) and elements of vipashyana (clear seeing), though in a raw, unstructured way.
🔹 Shamatha: He teaches people to simply sit in silence, observe thoughts, and not get caught up in them, which directly parallels calm-abiding meditation.
🔹 Vipashyana: His method isn’t analytical, but by observing thoughts without attachment, one naturally begins to see their impermanence and illusory nature, which aligns with early vipashyana practices.
🔹 Christian Non-Dualism? Though not framed in Buddhist terms, his method breaks attachment to thoughts, emotional reactions, and conditioned beliefs, which aligns with many non-dual traditions.
His approach clears mental clutter and reactivity, but what he doesn’t explicitly address is the nature of awareness itself. That’s why, while effective in removing a large percentage of conditioned suffering, it must be supplemented with further inquiry.
The Role of a Teacher: Seeing What We Cannot See
If non-affirming negation is so powerful, why do we still need a teacher? Because intellectual understanding is not enough. We can easily deceive ourselves, believing we have “figured it out” while still being trapped in subtle ego structures. Only someone who has traveled further on the path can reflect back our blind spots, challenge our assumptions, and cut through our self-deception.
A true teacher is not there to give us new ideas to hold onto but to methodically strip away our attachments—especially to the self. They provide:
✔ Precise challenges to ego-based clinging
✔ Skillful means to help us integrate insight into daily life
✔ A mirror to expose subtle delusions we cannot see on our own
Even Jesse Lee Peterson, in his own way, uses non-affirming negation through radical questioning, much like Socrates. He applies this method with sharp wit, fun, and charm, often leaving his opponents struggling to defend their assumptions. His ability to disarm people through direct inquiry makes for entertaining and revealing discussions, but Socratic reasoning alone doesn’t lead to realization. Without a guide deeply rooted in the Dharma, it’s too easy to get stuck in philosophical doubt, nihilism, or false certainty. A teacher doesn’t just help with understanding—they cut through our very sense of self.
Final Thought: The Mirror Must Be Broken
Paul Brunton often highlighted the importance of finding a teacher, and now I see why. The greatest obstacle to realization is our own conditioned mind, and only someone further along the path can truly help us dismantle what we cannot see on our own.
Radical teachers shake us awake, but only the right teacher can cut through our deepest clinging. The Prasangika approach is the cleanest blade, but without guidance, we risk turning it into just another conceptual weapon of the mind. At some point, all mirrors must be broken—until there is no reflection left to grasp.
