Guest guest Posted July 26, 2005 Report Share Posted July 26, 2005 ************************ I Feel I May Need a Teacher Q: My personality is such that I've never really grown attached to any particular teacher or any particular spiritual group. I do feel an affinity to the teachings of non-duality, especially Advaita and Zen. When I first started reading spiritual material I read mostly authors who had a Christian mystical background such as Joel Goldsmith's work, and A Course in Miracles. I felt comfortable with this because my own religious background was Christian, although I've always had an intuitive sense that all religious philosophies pointed to the same fundamental truth. I'm now at the point where I feel that reading and thinking about this by myself may be fruitless. I feel that I may need a teacher to help clear things up for me, however, I'm generally skeptical of so called gurus and teachers, and I'm definitely not the devotional type. Is a teacher necessary for this understanding to come to fruition or can I do it on my own? Stephen: Ultimately, what are all of the ancient traditions and teachers pointing out? Isn't it the fact that you are not a limited, separate person directing his own life; and that what you are in essence is Life Itself, Intelligence, Pure Consciousness, God, the Buddha Mind? You exist. You are aware. Is a teacher needed to know this? A teacher may remind you of what you are, and what you are not, and point you back to this fundamental truth time and again until you realize it for yourself, or until you get sick and tired of hearing it and you move on to another teacher who tells you the same damned thing! When you see and know for yourself what the ancient traditions and teachers are pointing out, initially, questions and doubts may arise. You may feel the need to discuss them with a teacher. But, even then, you already know the answers. You are teaching yourself what you already know, and the understanding comes to fruition on its own. There is no need to become attached to any teacher or spiritual group. As it's stated in Zen: No teacher! No teaching! No student! Stephen Wingate www.livinginpeace-thenaturalstate.com ******************************* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2005 Report Share Posted July 27, 2005 Stephen, It is perfectly appropriate at times to have a teacher. We shouldn't non-dual that away. At other times we come to know that we are identical to the teacher. We shouldn't non-dual that either. It is very powerful to have a living teacher who knows that he or she is That. It is very powerful to know that for oneself. Cathy Nisargadatta , " Stephen Wingate " <stephenwingate11> wrote: > ************************ > > I Feel I May Need a Teacher > > Q: My personality is such that I've never really grown attached to > any particular teacher or any particular spiritual group. I do feel > an affinity to the teachings of non-duality, especially Advaita and > Zen. > > When I first started reading spiritual material I read mostly > authors who had a Christian mystical background such as Joel > Goldsmith's work, and A Course in Miracles. I felt comfortable with > this because my own religious background was Christian, although > I've always had an intuitive sense that all religious philosophies > pointed to the same fundamental truth. > > I'm now at the point where I feel that reading and thinking about > this by myself may be fruitless. I feel that I may need a teacher > to help clear things up for me, however, I'm generally skeptical of > so called gurus and teachers, and I'm definitely not the devotional > type. > > Is a teacher necessary for this understanding to come to fruition or > can I do it on my own? > > Stephen: Ultimately, what are all of the ancient traditions and > teachers pointing out? Isn't it the fact that you are not a > limited, separate person directing his own life; and that what you > are in essence is Life Itself, Intelligence, Pure Consciousness, > God, the Buddha Mind? > > You exist. You are aware. Is a teacher needed to know this? > > A teacher may remind you of what you are, and what you are not, and > point you back to this fundamental truth time and again until you > realize it for yourself, or until you get sick and tired of hearing > it and you move on to another teacher who tells you the same damned > thing! > > When you see and know for yourself what the ancient traditions and > teachers are pointing out, initially, questions and doubts may > arise. You may feel the need to discuss them with a teacher. But, > even then, you already know the answers. > > You are teaching yourself what you already know, and the > understanding comes to fruition on its own. > > There is no need to become attached to any teacher or spiritual > group. > > As it's stated in Zen: No teacher! No teaching! No student! > > Stephen Wingate > www.livinginpeace-thenaturalstate.com > > ******************************* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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