Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 18, 2001, Page 85
lack of success is not an indication of our lack of worth. But the story of Job can also be
taken as a foundational cultural image that supports our inability to question superior
spiritual authorities. It is from this aspect that clients may gain insight from reflection on
their hesitations to use critical thinking while in an USC. They may also reflect upon the
validity of ascribing authority to teachers and leaders in their group.
The role of Satan in the story is also worthy of reflection. Rather than being scorned, he is
influential and has the ear of God. Although the questioning of Job did not induce God to
any reconsideration or change in action, Satan was apparently able to serve as the spark
plug for all the story‘s events. This seems odd, in that God introduced Job for his integrity,
features for which Satan is not generally known in our culture. In Biblical sources, the term,
―Satan‖ refers to a messenger or angel and describes an adversarial role, not a particular
character (Pagels, 1995). The root of the word means, ―one who opposes, obstructs or acts
as adversary‖ (Pagels, 1995). Perhaps God is demonstrating the necessity of true criticism,
from one close enough of an equal to have real doubts and little fear. Perhaps God fails to
answer Job in the same way specifically because Job is God-fearing, because Job is a ―yes-
man.‖ Satan appears to be accepted and influential in the story for doing exactly those
things which Job, being God-fearing, is praised for not doing. Similarly, there may have
been individuals in the USCs who were close enough to the center to question and influence
the authority with impunity. Or, there may be clients who played that role, toying with the
lives of other community members without true compassion for the effects of their
decisions. The role of Satan includes a measure of personal power and willingness to
exercise one‘s own voice, which are possibly healthy qualities in this world. The role in the
story also implies a coldness and lack of heart connection to those actions.
It may be illuminating to encourage clients to consider how they themselves behaved like
various characters in the story. For example, they may consider whether there were times
when they acted as Job‘s friends and questioned fellow community members‘ integrity
because the authority in their group disparaged the individual. Or perhaps they doubted
themselves because of disparagement they received from friends. Alternatively, clients may
find it helpful in personalizing the story to identify individuals or institutions in their USCs
who played roles similar to those in the story. Was their teacher seemingly arbitrary in his
treatment of community members and intolerant of questioning? Do clients now or in the
past react to the critical words of those outside the community, as they do to the words of
Satan to God? Do clients hold anger towards God for his behavior in the story or in their
own lives, or are they able to bow and defer completely as Job did? Would they choose to
bow if they could? Through such questions, clients may find alternate perspectives from
which to view the USCs and their own reactions.
Hyakujo and the Fox
In this Zen story, teacher Hyakujo (Pai-Chang in Chinese) observes an unknown old man
present for his periodic talks. After one talk, the old man stayed and approached Hyakujo.
The man told Hyakujo that he had been a teacher on the mountain long ago. According to
the old man, ―…a monk asked me, ‗Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause
and effect or not?‘ I replied, ‗Such a person does not fall under the law of cause and effect.‘
‗With this I was reborn five hundred times as a fox. Please say a turning word for me and
release me from the body of a fox.‘…‖ (Aitken, 1990, p. 19). Hyakujo told the man, ‗Such a
person does not evade the law of cause and effect‘…‖ (Aitken, 1990, p. 19). With this, the
old man was enlightened and released from his fox body.
This mythic story awakens questions of the fallibility of teaching, the seriousness of wrong
teaching, and limitations of enlightenment. It is used as a koan in Zen tradition, calling for
the student to express his or her experience of the issue, as opposed to supplying the
correct intellectual answer. In working with ex-members of USCs, the story is intended to
lack of success is not an indication of our lack of worth. But the story of Job can also be
taken as a foundational cultural image that supports our inability to question superior
spiritual authorities. It is from this aspect that clients may gain insight from reflection on
their hesitations to use critical thinking while in an USC. They may also reflect upon the
validity of ascribing authority to teachers and leaders in their group.
The role of Satan in the story is also worthy of reflection. Rather than being scorned, he is
influential and has the ear of God. Although the questioning of Job did not induce God to
any reconsideration or change in action, Satan was apparently able to serve as the spark
plug for all the story‘s events. This seems odd, in that God introduced Job for his integrity,
features for which Satan is not generally known in our culture. In Biblical sources, the term,
―Satan‖ refers to a messenger or angel and describes an adversarial role, not a particular
character (Pagels, 1995). The root of the word means, ―one who opposes, obstructs or acts
as adversary‖ (Pagels, 1995). Perhaps God is demonstrating the necessity of true criticism,
from one close enough of an equal to have real doubts and little fear. Perhaps God fails to
answer Job in the same way specifically because Job is God-fearing, because Job is a ―yes-
man.‖ Satan appears to be accepted and influential in the story for doing exactly those
things which Job, being God-fearing, is praised for not doing. Similarly, there may have
been individuals in the USCs who were close enough to the center to question and influence
the authority with impunity. Or, there may be clients who played that role, toying with the
lives of other community members without true compassion for the effects of their
decisions. The role of Satan includes a measure of personal power and willingness to
exercise one‘s own voice, which are possibly healthy qualities in this world. The role in the
story also implies a coldness and lack of heart connection to those actions.
It may be illuminating to encourage clients to consider how they themselves behaved like
various characters in the story. For example, they may consider whether there were times
when they acted as Job‘s friends and questioned fellow community members‘ integrity
because the authority in their group disparaged the individual. Or perhaps they doubted
themselves because of disparagement they received from friends. Alternatively, clients may
find it helpful in personalizing the story to identify individuals or institutions in their USCs
who played roles similar to those in the story. Was their teacher seemingly arbitrary in his
treatment of community members and intolerant of questioning? Do clients now or in the
past react to the critical words of those outside the community, as they do to the words of
Satan to God? Do clients hold anger towards God for his behavior in the story or in their
own lives, or are they able to bow and defer completely as Job did? Would they choose to
bow if they could? Through such questions, clients may find alternate perspectives from
which to view the USCs and their own reactions.
Hyakujo and the Fox
In this Zen story, teacher Hyakujo (Pai-Chang in Chinese) observes an unknown old man
present for his periodic talks. After one talk, the old man stayed and approached Hyakujo.
The man told Hyakujo that he had been a teacher on the mountain long ago. According to
the old man, ―…a monk asked me, ‗Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause
and effect or not?‘ I replied, ‗Such a person does not fall under the law of cause and effect.‘
‗With this I was reborn five hundred times as a fox. Please say a turning word for me and
release me from the body of a fox.‘…‖ (Aitken, 1990, p. 19). Hyakujo told the man, ‗Such a
person does not evade the law of cause and effect‘…‖ (Aitken, 1990, p. 19). With this, the
old man was enlightened and released from his fox body.
This mythic story awakens questions of the fallibility of teaching, the seriousness of wrong
teaching, and limitations of enlightenment. It is used as a koan in Zen tradition, calling for
the student to express his or her experience of the issue, as opposed to supplying the
correct intellectual answer. In working with ex-members of USCs, the story is intended to
