To study the Buddha way is to study the self.
To study the self is to forget the self.
To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.
~Dogen Zenji

Council Confidentiality

Council Practice | Why Council? | Confidentialty

Honoring the Integrity of the Circle
from The Way of Council by Jack Zimmerman, Virginia Coyle

The maturity of the group, its intentions, the frequency of meeting, and the human environment in which it functions are all-important in determining an appropriate confidentiality agreement. Here are a few general guidelines.

Determine the need to know. If a person outside the circle asks you questions about council business, ask yourself if he has a need to know. Perhaps he is a member of the community in which the council functions or the results of the circle's deliberations affect what he does. If the person has an authentic need to know, talk about the general conclusions the council reached. If there is no need to know, be direct and tell the questioner that the Council has an agreement about confidentiality and you'd prefer not to talk about its proceedings. Explain the difference between secrecy and confidentiality, if that issue arises.

Examine your motivations. If you find yourself telling someone, who has no clear need to know, about a recent council, ask yourself, Why am I talking? Am I motivated by self-importance? Am I gossiping? Is my integrity intact?

  1. Talk about topics, not personal stories. Identifying the topics and issues that have been discussed in a council is rarely a problem. However, if you suspect it may be, follow the first two guidelines. Retelling specific stories or comments and identifying the source is almost always a breach of confidence.
    Stick to your own experience. If someone with a need to know asks you about a council, summarize your own experience, not another another's. If you have a desire to describe a council to a nonmember, stick to your own stories and comment.



  2. Stick to your own experience. If someone with a need to know asks you about a council, summarize your own experience, not another another's. If you have a desire to describe a council to a nonmember, stick to your own stories and comment.



  3. Invite the curious. If a person expresses a lot of interest in the council, invite her to witness the next session, as long as that is appropriate and the rest of the group agrees. Don't get into the habit of being someone’s source of information, even if she has a legitimate need to know.

shadow
CALENDAR

> Intro to Meditation class
> Daily Schedule
> Monthly Schedule
> Online Teachings
shadow
FOLLOW US
SWZC relies mostly on user support.
Any and all donations via PayPal are welcome.
We are a 501(c)3 corporation
and as such your donation is tax deductible.
The suggested membership fee is $50.00 per month, however you can contribute as much as your situation allows.

Listen to our SWZC Song
by Bobby Werner

 

  1. Avoid leaks within the council between sessions. People who council together naturally feel free to talk about the sessions with each other in between times. But damaging leaks can arise from this situation as well. At the Ojai Foundation, we call it "talking in the bushes." Intimate conversations by and about people in the circle may rob the council of an opportunity to work through important material together. (This is often the case when "talking in the bushes" is used as a way of avoiding a face-to-face confrontation in front of the whole circle.) On the other hand, the council may ask two or more individuals to work out some personal issues before the next meeting and report to the whole circle. This approach is a common one in business, family, and community councils.

 

  1. Make clear agreements. When your council begins to formulate a confidentiality agreement, stress the importance of making it simple and clear. Misunderstandings about confidentiality are not uncommon, particularly in circles of school children. In many situations writing out the agreement can be helpful. In an ongoing council, be sure to strongly discourage "talking in the bushes" as part of the confidentiality agreement.

 


  1. Deal with broken agreements quickly. Everyone in the circle (not just the leader) is responsible for bringing breaches of confidence to the attention of all the members. Trying to find out who broke the agreement is less important than acknowledging the breach, processing the feelings, and re-evaluating the confidentiality agreement. The violation may seriously diminish trust in the group for a while and the circle may have to go through a painful process of rebuilding. As well as signaling the need to renegotiate the confidentiality agreement, broken agreements are sometimes a sign of the need to reassess the group's vision or way of working together.

 

  1. Encourage transparency. Whatever the agreement about confidentiality, remember that the nature of council is essentially non-secretive. Most of us feel unsafe in the world unless we have ready access to information and people that affect our lives, either directly or indirectly. More than creating a protective or defensive environment, council seeks to create freedom of communication while encouraging awareness and care for self and others. Although a confidentiality agreement is recommended for circles of children, many organizations and communities find that formalizing this precaution is unnecessary. Ultimately the way of council challenges each of us to take responsibility for what we share outside as well as outside the circle. When the spirit of council is well grounded in a group, confidentiality issues are rarely a problem.


Back to top | Home

Zen Center Accreditations: White Plum Sangha | Zen Peacemakers | Soto School
2727 Highland Avenue National City, CA 91950 | 619.477.0390 | info@swzc.org
© Sweetwater Zen Center 2012. All rights reserved. Designed by Roosevelt Roshin Ulloa