HEART CIRCLE ZEN
GRIEVANCE POLICY
The Sangha Sila Council (SSC) receives all complaints about any misconduct that may have occurred within the Sangha. A complaint may be verbal or in writing. When a complaint is received, the SSC Steward will assign someone to clarify the nature of the complaint.
The SSC member who vets the initial complaint will listen, help to assess the situation, and explore with the complainant various ways to address it. The SSC member may need to speak to the other party(s) involved and consult with other SSC members. A good faith effort to respond within fourteen calendar days from the date initially contacted by the complainant will be made.
The HCZ Statement of Right Conduct sets forth five categories of harmful conduct. These are:
Situations involving mundane misconduct that is not criminal in nature.
Situations in which conflicts are not being addressed and are affecting others.
Situations involving conduct of an egregious or criminal nature.
Situations in which a HCZ member is in conflict with person(s) of another sangha.
Situations such as a personality conflict, romantic attachment, and/or dual relationship, that might lead to a change of teacher for a given student.
The steps towards resolution are set forth in the following section.
THE STEPS TOWARDS RESOLUTION
1. The Procedure For Addressing Situations Involving Mundane Misconduct That Is Not Criminal In Nature.
A. STEP ONE: go directly to the person(s) involved.
(i) When a conflict arises, the person(s) who is involved should go directly to the person(s) in question and make every effort to work out the situation.
(ii) We encourage people to speak directly to each other. This is the practice of the Three Tenets: (1) not knowing, or being open and not fixing our position; (2) bearing witness by listening and speaking from the heart and being candid, open, and specific; and (3) arriving at a liberating action that fosters the health of the Sangha. It is our experience that many difficulties can be satisfactorily addressed in this way, even if it takes several meetings.
(iii) A good-faith effort should be made by the Sangha member to exercise this step within fourteen calendar days from the date of the incident, and for there to be a response from the other person(s) in question within fourteen calendar days from the date of request.
(iv) We recognize there may be situations where speaking directly to another person is not advisable. When speaking directly is inappropriate to the situation or when attempts at speaking directly are unsuccessful, the SSC member will guide the complainant to STEP TWO.
B. STEP TWO: Facilitated meeting.
(i) In a situation where a facilitator is advisable, the SSC member will help the parties to the conflict to choose an appropriate facilitator. All parties to the conflict should make every effort to agree to the choice of facilitator and method of facilitation (i.e., council, conversation, mediation, etc.) before proceeding. If the parties cannot come to agreement, the SSC will appoint a facilitator.
(ii) We understand that situations arise when a quick solution is not forthcoming. We commit to practicing with these situations by continuing to hold a space for introspection, deep listening, speaking our truth, and working towards action(s) that will serve all parties. Effort should be made by all parties to move forward to a satisfactory resolution of the problem.
C. STEP THREE: A formal, written grievance.
(i) A formal, written grievance can be made against any person in the Sangha when STEPS ONE and TWO do not work, or when the offense is egregious.
(ii) A formal grievance is written, signed, and dated by the person filing the grievance. The written grievance will include all the pertinent details of the situation(s), what (if any) previous attempts have been made to resolve the issue(s), and why the previous attempts (if any) have not been satisfactory.
(iii) The written grievance is submitted to a member of the SSC. The member contacted will immediately forward the written grievance to the other members of the SSC and the person against whom the complaint is made, if appropriate. Upon receiving the written grievance, a minimum of three members of the SSC will convene and decide what the appropriate next steps should be. The SSC will make a good faith effort to respond to the member filing the written grievance within fourteen calendar days from the date it is initially submitted to inform the complainant of how the written grievance is being addressed. These next steps could include, but are not limited to:
(a) Further investigation. A narrative timeline documenting incidents is created and verified by all parties involved in the dispute.
(b) The person being investigated may be placed on leave from teaching duties, a staff position, or have limited access to the Sangha.
(c) An arbitrated meeting between the parties.
(d) Referral of the issue to an independent party for investigation and for HCZ GRIEVANCE POLICY recommendation. Independent parties may include White Plum Asanga teachers or someone with expertise in the subject area of the grievance. For serious breaches such as sexual abuse or financial misconduct, two independent resources that may be utilized are An Olive Branch (Pittsburgh, PA) and Faith Trust Institute (Seattle, WA).
(e) When conflicts are referred to an independent party, the SSC Steward will contact legal counsel for advice and to assess potential liability to HCZ.
(iv) A response in writing will be submitted from the SSC within a mutually agreed-upon time limit. The SSC should make a good faith effort to respond to a written grievance within sixty calendar days from the date the written grievance is initially received.
2. The Procedure For Addressing Situations Involving Egregious Or Criminal Offenses.
A. Examples of egregious offenses include malicious gossip, written, verbal or electronic abuse, bullying, and sexual harassment. Examples of criminal actions include theft, physical violence, sexual violence such as rape, threats of violence, stalking, and embezzlement.
B. Anyone who is aware of such conduct should contact a member of the SSC and the SSC will determine an appropriate response depending on the situation. Crimes will be reported to the appropriate legal authorities.
3. The Procedure for HCZ Sangha Member Conflict with A Member of Another Sangha.
A. Where a problem occurs between a HCZ Sangha member and a member of another Sangha, the problem-solving process will defer to the policies and practices in place with the Sangha of the person that HCS GRIEVANCE POLICY 5 the complaint is about. The HCZ Abbot and Teachers Circle will be informed about the situation. The situation shall be discussed with the HCZ Sangha only where there is a bona fide need to know.
4. The Procedure for Change of Teacher for an Individual Student.
A. For Senior Students (shuso or head trainee) or Ordained Priests (tokudo), if the parties deem it necessary and/or desirous, the procedure for changing to a teacher in another Sangha or Lineage as outlined by the White Plum Asanga (See Attachment: Procedure for Changing Teachers Within the White Plum Sangha) will be followed.
PROCEDURE FOR CHANGING TEACHERS WITHIN THE WHITE PLUM SANGHA
Policy of the White Plum Asanga, Inc.
Recommended procedure for handling situations where senior students change teachers within the White Plum.
When a senior student (Shuso or above), or an ordained priest, makes a request to change teachers within the White Plum, the first and simplest procedure is for the teachers involved to speak with each other. Ideally, the first teacher would advise the second of any perceived difficulties in the student’s training, state what needs to be done to appropriately transition the relationship (if this is still outstanding) and give his or her blessing.
Ideally, the departing student would take an honorable leave from the first teacher by requesting such a leave and also performing any leave-taking ritual established by the teacher or Center. Each teacher/Center can establish its own leave-taking procedures. The new teacher will consider his or her own terms for accepting the new student for a trial period. It would be helpful for the student to have timelines and guidelines for the transition and for establishing a relationship with the new teacher and sangha.
Some thought should be given as to how the student is integrated or presented to the new sangha as well has to how the student is spoken of by the former teacher to the sangha they are leaving. The practice of right speech is particularly important at such times on the part of the teachers, the student and the members of both sanghas. If there is some ill-will or difficulty between the student and the first teacher, efforts can be made to resolve it through the use of a facilitator, and if that is not possible, some form of forgiveness practice may be helpful. Moreover, teachers are encouraged to involve their senior disciples, if any, to help work through the issues. It is recommended that the first teacher be included, and invited to empowerment services conducted by the second teacher. Both the first and second teacher involved are encouraged to work together for the student’s benefit.
NB: This recommendation is intended for senior students, and for permanent changes of status, not for those who travel, explore, and follow the peripatetic life-style of ancient monks or contemporary transients.