Teachers and Teaching

[Guest guest]

"One may seek a teacher or spiritual path, but such

will only provide more sensation, thought, and

experience."

 

~ Dan Berkow

 

 

 

"I perceive the teachings of the world to be the illusion of

magicians. I discern the highest conception of emancipation as a

golden brocade in a dream, and view the holy path of the illumined

ones as flowers appearing in one's eyes. I look upon the judgement of

right and wrong as the serpentine dance of a dragon, and the rise and

fall of beliefs as but traces left by the four seasons."

 

~ Buddha

 

 

 

Last night my teacher taught me

The lesson of poverty:

Having nothing and

Wanting nothing.

 

I am a naked man standing

Inside a mine of rubies,

Clothed in red silk.

 

I absorb the shining

And now I see the ocean,

Billions of simultaneoud motions

Moving in me.

 

A circle of lovely quiet people

Become the ring

On my finger.

 

Then the wind and thunder

Of rain on the way.

 

I have such a teacher.

 

Rumi

 

 

Adyashanti:

"These two (connecting with the raw yearning at your core, and

Inquiry) are by far the most important (in the process of awakening).

The last one, which is not a necessity – and it's very important to

understand that it's not a necessity, but it can be useful – is to

find an enlightened teacher. I stated these in the order of

importance. Because, unless you've taken care of the first two, the

teacher is not going to be able to do a whole lot for you. If you

know what you want and you know that you don't know who you are, then

when you come in contact with a true spiritual teacher the

relationship between you and that teacher can have a very dynamic

quality."

 

Question:

"What is the role of the teacher?"

 

Adyashanti:

"The role of the teacher is to simply be him or herself. That's

really the ultimate role of the teacher. The role of the teacher is

to respond to the questions of the student in such a way that the

question is used to point back to the student's true nature, which is

exactly the same as the teacher's true nature. So, ultimately the

true desire of all authentic teachers is to put themselves out of

business as quickly as possible. This means to have the student rise

to the same level of consciousness that they are so that they are no

longer needed. As long as a true teacher understands this, then their

motivation will be very pure."