This zeersight is mostly covered in zeer-consciousness but it is worth reiterating; at the end this zeersight will discuss this understanding with relevance to some cultishness.
The title "Path and Coping" is in some way derogatory, and for some might be more comfortingly seen as "Path and Well-Being" or "Path and Self-Esteem" although zandtao will assert consideration of a spectrum of coping. In addition this is a contextual discussion of the Buddhist characteristic of anatta, this characteristic being seen as ego-restriction in zeer-consciousness; for zandtao practice is:-
Let us start with the distinction that the spiritual path is beyond self - beyond any collection of egos. When we are following our spiritual paths we are releasing egos - GENTLY (see later) - naturally, and bringing in Unity-consciousness - not stopping Unity-consciousness coming in with our restrictions.
At the stage where we have released sufficient restrictions and are sufficiently beyond self, we have limited attachment to egos - limited attachment to the khandhas of body, emotions, memories and perceptions, and mental operations. At this stage we could also describe this as being beyond conditioning and conformity - usually having released the egos we built up in our upbringings of conditioning and conformity.
For those following the path this distinction of consciousness being beyond is a clear description, however for those who have not released sufficient restrictions - what zandtao calls being ready to follow their spiritual paths - this description is vague. And this lack of clarity might well arise because the individual is in a state of well-being - or full of self-esteem. If you have some vague notion that you should be on the path and yet are comfortable in well-being, this approach sounds completely derogatory - seeing self-esteem as a form of coping. Typically such individuals have worked hard to reach the stage of self-esteem and well-being - they might even be societal successes, yet here is zandtao with his focus on the path minimising any self-esteem or well-being.
This is a huge conundrum, and is best to go back to upbringing to understand it. The priority of any upbringing is survival - a minimal level of coping. So when zandtao describes upbringing as conditioning and conformity, that upbringing is intended to give some level of coping. Through our love for parents we accept and imitate parental behaviour and advice, and in this way we listen and live attachments to this behaviour and advice - when we do what they say we attach as many egos as their different behaviours and advice require. By adulthood we have collected egos and this collection is referred to as self (by zandtao and by the doctrine of anatta); with this self the young adult is able to cope with society. Now there is a spectrum of coping behaviours where the self ranges from escapism and addiction to substance through to self-esteem and well-being. If in early adulthood we were barely coping and have worked hard to reach self-esteem and well-being, there might be a triggering when zandtao describes this as a spectrum of coping and that the path is beyond this - if asked some might say their societal success is path. In another way upbringing can lead to young people having self-esteem and well-being - if they have come from a particular loving home, and they might compare themselves to the limited coping ability that some grow up with. They too would have difficulty with an explanation of the path as being beyond.
This is why readiness is so important to zandtao's understanding of zeer-consciousness. It is often the case that teachings describe individual egoic detachment as gently letting go of attachment to a particular ego. When zandtao is describing following the path, this is a level of consciousness that is sufficiently free from restriction and intuitively follows the path nature intended. This path can only really be known as path by the individual seeker, path cannot be observed nor can it be disputed as it cannot be known from the outside (there might be psychics who can observe like Teal but zandtao cannot know this). Transcending to the path means going beyond conditioning and conformity whether from upbringing or societal forces, and transcendence is known inside. But can it be observed? For zandtao this process of transcendence comes from releasing restrictions, "filling up" with Unity-consciousness, and at some stage within this process the seeker is ready and transcendence occurs. Whilst this is magical for the seeker, from the outside there is nothing to observe .
For zandtao transcendence occurs when we are ready - following a practice of releasing sufficient restrictions gently. zandtao has never had a state of self-esteem - in a state of alcohol addiction he was barely coping with young adulthood when firstgrace happened; any well-being has come from building his practice and then following his path. However he surmises the following. At some stage those with self-esteem and well-being begin to evaluate their societal success from within. Deep inside the path begins to question the value of their societal success and begins to ask if there is more. In this process of enquiry the egos that constitute their self-esteem begin to be seen with less importance until they are ready to let go - GENTLY. They release egoic restrictions - previously seen as self, and transcend to following their paths. This is why zandtao entitles this zeersight as "path and coping" because the path is beyond coping but also beyond self-esteem.
 Hammering the ego - NXIUM
How much of what zandtao describes above Keith Ranieri accepted zandtao does not know, no person following their path would exploit women the way Keith did.
At one stage zandtao net-researched a lot on NXIUM. What he saw was Keith developing a process of what zandtao calls "hammering the ego". NXIUM followers who wanted to be close to Keith were subjected to long processes of "hammering the ego" - FORCING followers to let go of egoic attachment - FORCE not gently - not when they were READY. Because of this FORCE when the ego was sufficiently hammered he replaced the selfs of his followers with himself as guru. He demanded of these followers behaviour guided by his advice - no-self and no consciousness but guru-following, and then proceeded to exploit the followers especially abusing the women; there was no attempt at path or autonomy.
Tibetan Guru-devotion
zandtao has never practiced Tibetan Buddhism so this also is speculation based on net-research. zandtao has no reason to dispute whether there can be a path-process of gently letting go of ego that arises from upbringing, and replacing those egos with Guru-devotion. But the path process cannot end there. Eventually guru-devotion hopefully leads to behaviour and practice where the seeker is ready and that readiness leads to transcendence, the seeker goes beyond conditioning and conformity, and the seeker begins to follow their autonomous path. Whilst in this path process there will be discipline in behaviour and practice the seeker accepts this discipline so there is no FORCE - no hammering of the ego.
The Vulnerability of Guru-Devotion - the big IFs
For zandtao, in Guru-devotion there are too many big IFs:-
 IF the individual is a seeker:-
IF the seeker is ready to accept the Guru-defined discipline:-
IF the seeker understands that ego can be released through the Guru-defined discipline without harm:-
IF the seeker can accept the state of Guru-devotion:-
IF the guru does not exploit nor abuse - no harm:-
When you put all these IFs together this process is vulnerable and open to abuse. If the guru is exploiting then the state of mind of the individual or seeker is open to abuse as that abuse would be perceived by the seeker as guru-direction as there is no ego and no enquiry. If the individual is not seeking then even if the actions of the guru were beneficial, the individual would see the Guru actions as abuse.
Overcoming Tibetan Vulnerability
If such a process leading to abuse were happening in daily life there would be a potentially illegal outcry; as it is, abuse appears to have been avoided by the institution. When discussing Sogyal HHDL was very clear - there needs to be a spirit of enquiry as the Buddha taught; for zandtao that teaching was in the kalama sutta.
Given the vulnerability in the process of Guru-devotion there needs to be monitoring; the office of the Dalai Lama is sufficiently respected within the institution of Tibetan Buddhism to do this. Whilst HHDL's comment was clear, the burden of responsibility of the institution for the practices of individual lamas is less clear. Given the abuse that happens zandtao asks for the integrity of this burden to be considered.
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