[MD] an authentic teacher?

[Akshay Peshwe]

I just remembered a quote: "The infinite library of the universe is in your
mind" -- Swami Vivekananda

It's all the intellectual patterns of static quality after all...

Akshay


On 05/11/2007, Akshay Peshwe <akshay.infosys at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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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