From: "James Haines" : Who (or what) counts as a teacher?> As we have heard on many occasions from Fudo, only a Zen Temple Certified Sensei with Teaching Credentials is a Teacher. And yet isn't Fudo's definition a reflection of his own bias due to his chosen career path?
Certainly, no one would dispute Fudo's definition of a Teacher within the scope of a Zen Temple practice. But aren't we all wise enough to know that almost anyone or anything can teach us? Haven't you on some sunny day learned from a child? An elderly friend or relative? Your dog or cat's love, loyalty, & dedication? Perhaps even the mentally disadvantaged? Some have had interactions with bums, criminals, and others who taught something of value. Sometimes you learn from reading a book. Other times you can step outside in the morning and learn something from the morning dew. Isn't the world full of teachers if your mind is open to being taught? So what isn't a teacher? A teacher is not someone that belittles his students or uses his superior knowledge to degrade and browbeat others. That is not a teacher. A teacher is not someone that makes you feel low, or who routinely points out your faults just so that you know where you stand. A Teacher should be someone who helps you fly and soar above the forest in your mind. Someone who shows you the horizons and the vast vistas of Space and Time. Teachers amplify your senses and expand your mind. Teachers help you make more of you than what was already there. Bad teachers tell you that you are nothing more than a masturbating maggot rolling around inside a ball of crap being pushed by a dung beetle to the edge of a cliff where it will fall into a pit of mud. But then again, we have all seen or read about bogus teachers, psychics, Tarot Card Readers, etc. that tell their students-customers only good things so that the student-customer will keep paying $$$. So what other factors should we consider? From who can we get good & positive teaching that is honest? ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/hjtSRD/3MnJAA/i1hLAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Livelihood Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
