[MD] an authentic teacher?

[Akshay Peshwe]

It is obvious that an authentic guru per se is far from the only factor that
helps one learn. Some skills that a guru has are:

*accumulated knowledge and experience
*ability to communicate ideas in a way that can be assimilated by the
student
*developing motivation and sustaining it
*having patience, kindness, and a genuine desire to teach

It is the benefit (the student receives) of the product of these skills that
counts, not the guru per se. Hence, if one can develop these skills within
oneself, I don't think there ever is a need for a teacher. In fact, if you
can create a fictional human being in your imagination who has these
qualities and helps you out, that's as good as the meditating monk on the
mountain teaching you.

"When you are ready, the teacher appears": I'd interpre that in the way that
"becoming ready" is nothing but knowing and practising the qualities of a
teacher, so that then the mind itself becomes your guide. In ancient
traditions (such as Hinduism), there is a huge emphasis on your guru, and
the claim that you cannot learn without the guru. Well, that was true in the
old context, when there was no internet, there wasn't even writing. But
today, we have books, and so if the author is patient enough to compensate
for the reader's ignorance, then I believe there simply is no need for a
teacher. I, for example, overcame naive realism simply by reading ZAMM. And
if I can do it, even a dumb street beggar can do it.

Akshay


On 05/11/2007, 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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