Teaching or Teacher?

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam group,

Having just finished reading posting between Guruprem and Nirmal,

I had something I wanted to share on teaching. And I'll preface it

by saying there are many of you out there with decades more teaching

experience than myself. So you may or may not agree.

This came from a Buddhist newsletter, and I thought it very

related to what Nirmal and probably some others have wrestled with.

 

"When I was in college, I did art because I loved it. One day I

decided that I was an "artist". That was the day I stopped doing art.

When I had no idea of myself as an artist, expressing myself through

art was natural and enjoyable. But my attempts to live the identity

of "artist" inhibited that natural expression. All too often, when we

enter a situation playing the identity game we suffer or cause ohters

to suffer."

 

Admittedly in teaching we have students and we owe them the

benefit of our best effort. I don't see myself as much a teacher

though as someone who just teaches. I leave it at the studio when I'm

finished with the class, for the most part. That allows me to just be

I guess.

 

Sat Nam

 

Brad