How to Handle Projection
Projection is a very human thing to do.
Projection, for a refresher, is the process of displacing one’s feelings onto something else, be it a spouse, the idea of a god, or a spiritual teacher. It is most commonly used to describe “shadow” projection — hating in others what we actually have within ourselves. For example, if someone bullies a peer about his insecurities, the bully might be projecting his own struggle with self-esteem onto the other person, hating it, and making fun of it.
But this can also get tricky, like when people hate and judge their inner Donald Trump (their inner narcissist) and then project that disdain, that vitriolic judgement, out into the world as intolerance of someone based on their intolerance of some part of themselves (I get into this in the first chapter of When the Buddha Needs Therapy, which you can read for free over here).
It's beautiful business, catching our projections. It brings us closer to the world, as it is, now. Which doesn't mean we can't hold the Donald Trumps of the world accountable. We're just more honest with ourselves in the process and maybe a little less self-righteous about the whole thing.
Your Golden Shadow, or Golden Projection, is when you project your greatness or fullness onto another being, which is more commonly seen in spiritual circles. Students give away their power and their own insights, projecting them onto the teacher, and then can struggle to see that they have the same capacity for insight and awakening as the teacher has.
When Junpo and I were first working on A Heart Blown Open, I had to fly to Appleton, Wisconsin a few times to meet with him, one on one to go through the book. But whenever I told people I was going to spend some time with a Zen master and roshi, they would always project all kinds of shit onto what was going to happen.
On a sub-zero night in December, 2009, I again flew to Wisconsin (not recommended that time of year). Junpo picked me up from the airport at 11pm, having just finished watching the Green Bay Packers play football (yes, Zen roshis from Wisconsin love the Packers). We drove back through the freezing streets towards his home, making small talk about the game and the flight.
“Junpo,” I asked, “When I tell people I’m coming to spend a week with a Zen roshi, I’m always amazed at the response I get. People act like you're some kind of holy man sitting on top of the mountain, like all you’ll do is spout wisdom for the entire week, float around a foot off the ground, and talk only in metaphor. How do you deal with that kind of projection?”
Junpo, illuminated by the passing streetlights and the gentle glow of the car’s instruments, looked over at me. An eyebrow, wild gray hairs coming off at odd angles, cocked dramatically.
“That’s easy,” he said. “I just keep fucking up.”