[MD] an authentic teacher?

[Dallas Van Winkle]

Also, I should add that I have had experiences with a teacher, I would call
it the "meeting of the mind", from my perhaps limited knowledge. I sometimes
wonder if I gave up on my original teacher and fell into a kind of Vajra
hell. On the other hand, the teacher does things that many other teachers
have said to be weary of, things you might call Tantric practices, or
hedonism... ;) Still, a lot of my spiritual references kind of revolve
around this teacher, so perhaps a karmic destiny was set into place that I
must follow through.



On 11/4/07, Dallas Van Winkle <dallas.vanwinkle at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I find that there are so many
> pitfalls, that I doubt many teachers, because I have felt at times that I
> could be a teacher, but in retrospect I feel that I was wrong. It seems a
> good teacher should be obvious if you were to meet them. If I were to seek
> out a teacher at this point, i'd probably start with someone like Khenchen
> Thrangu Rinpoche, after reading his books.
>
> I have doubts about many popular spiritual icons and gurus. I have doubts
> about most people that write books to sell to begin with.
>
> But, in the Buddhist tradition it has been said that the guru is only your
> own mind. Still, I think it's wayyy too easy to succumb to ego clinging if
> you feel like you don't need anyone's help. I am partially convinced that
> the only way to find true enlightenment is to completely give up, go into
> solitude, and resolve to meditate until either enlightenment or death. I
> think that is the attitude one must have.
>
> Of course, my conviction is only partial, so I am stuck in this sort of
> limbo, a kind of karmic prison. Hopefully I will get out of it at some
> point.
>
>
> On 11/4/07, MarshaV <marshalz at charter.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Greetings,
> >
> > I was being serious when I said most often assistance comes in the
> > form of a book.  But what I find confusing is that there are
> > different views about needing a teacher.  Some state the journey is
> > to be taken alone.  Some state when you're ready the teacher will
> > appear.  Some state you should seek out an authentic teacher and
> > community.  I think I should do this work alone, and sans drugs.  But
> > sometimes I do get into a fit of confusion.  I don't find making
> > mistakes so terrible, because there's always some lesson that
> > accompanies a mistake.  And since I'm alone, there's no one else to
> > mess up.  Does anybody have any thoughts on finding a teacher?
> >
> > Marsha
> >
> >
> >
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>