"I've seen this trait in *so many* spiritual teachers that I really think it "comes with the territory." Just as it can be legitimately said that anyone who actually wants to become President of the United States is unqualified to hold the position, I think it can be legitimately said that anyone who is willing to fit into the trad- itional "me teacher, you peon" spiritual teacher mold is potentially unqualified to do so."
Wow, that was best thing I have read all week! That totally nails where I am at. I am only interested in relating to people as equals. I expect the same in return. People can try to separate themselves in so many ways, spiritually being only one. I grew up in prep schools and never even really saw the class system in place. But as hired help as a bluesman for rich private parties, I often see my employer tying to speak to me as if I am in a different class. Not overtly shitty, but distinctly not equal. At some point in the conversation they often realize that I am not speaking to them in the deferential, insecure manor due to their status. This usually leads them to "get real" with me and drop the false wall. It has lead to some really interesting friendships. I think that unless the person is a real dick, being real with them can make it safe for them to drop the barriers. My therapy for my upbringing has been close friends from other cultures. They relate to me on such a deep human to human level, beyond either of our conditioning. I'll bet you have found the same. Great post Turq. --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > "Actually casual investigation will show that Guru Dev was very > > reluctant to take the post of Shankaracharya. It took twenty years > > (!) for him to take it. You are either trying to start a discussion, > > or haven't taken the time to challenge your assumptions with some > > research." > > > > This was my point. Before he was Shankaracharya he couldn't > > stand to be around people. When they were waving camphor and > > ghee lamps in front of him worshiping him as Shankaracharya > > he was OK with people. I think he had a strange relationship > > with his fellow man. > > I know very little about Guru Dev and have no > desire to find out more. He's dead, and of no > relevance to my life. But what you say here, > Curtis, strikes a *strong* relevance to things > I've noticed in my study of spirituality in > general. > > There is *all too often* a common trait among > spiritual teachers -- they have an inability to > relate to other people *except* in the role of > teachers, to whom these other people are often > *required* to wave camphor and treat them as > *non-equals*. One has to journey far and wide > to find a spiritual teacher who is willing or > able to relate to his or her students as equals, > and to form any relationships with them that are > *not* based on an enormous disparity of power. > > I've seen this trait in *so many* spiritual > teachers that I really think it "comes with the > territory." Just as it can be legitimately said > that anyone who actually wants to become President > of the United States is unqualified to hold the > position, I think it can be legitimately said > that anyone who is willing to fit into the trad- > itional "me teacher, you peon" spiritual teacher > mold is potentially unqualified to do so. > > It's just such an *artificial* model, and one that > in my long-considered opinion has so many *drawbacks* > for both student and teacher, that I think the whole > traditional teacher-student model should be thrown > into the trash bin and another one found. >
