Link: http://books.google.com/books?id=gjnfDpm6ubIC&pg=PA50&lpg=PA50&dq=steven+seagal+omega+teacher&source=bl&ots=udmiuV7H3o&sig=gScWJGo2FTwtXnqaoKTRWmsHeLQ&hl=en&ei=21zKS5b5NYbW9AS7tbjMBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CBgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=steve

The staff at the famed institute where I taught meditation kept a little black book on the spiriual teachers there. You don't easily fool people who support the retreats...they have seen it all - the love and light, the good, the bad and the ugly.

How do you find a spiritual teacher? How can you tell who really walks the talk and who is simply capitalizing on the marketing of a name, self-proclaimed mandate, or a tradition whose meaning has long been lost can be very simple:

1. 1. Look for the enegetic connection that awakens a higher consciousness. Rely on YOUR reaction. Explore the recommendations of others, but rely on your own intuition and experience.
   
2. 2. Observe the progress of the teacher's group. Is this the way a spiritual group interacts? Are issues handled with compassion and in a way to promote growth? Is there a structured hierarchy or is this a circle of peers?
   
3. 3. Ask questions. Be respectful, but how does the teacher handle the challenge? The truth withstands all questions.
   

And if all else fails, look inside that little black book
Namaste.