Teachers
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JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
A Teacher is just an instrument to promote self examination. In this sense, every thing and every event, has the potential to be our teacher. Zen is not a didactic religion. It does not pontificate. However, it does have practices and a teacher teaches, encourages, and monitors those practices on behalf of his students.
In the West we are used to approaching a Teacher for help in understanding, as if the teacher is capable of this. From a Zen point of view, not so. Understanding and eventual realization is our own work requiring our own effort from the inside out.
At my Temple I have neglected this, becoming too much of my student's therapist or friend. I am changing this now.
What does this mean?
It means I am Sensei for you. I am at Clear Mind Zen Temple to manifest my Buddha Nature as Teacher; teaching is my practice. It means every aspect of our behavior at Zen Center is grist for the practice mill. It means your response to my instruction is our practice, individually, not as a dyad.
For thousands of years this is how it is in the Buddha way.
Too often today, I think, we each expect others to "understand" us, our stresses, our busy schedule, our conflicts, our idiosyncrasies. We want (and sometimes, expect) others to excuse us on this basis. I am as guilty of this as anyone. Still, awareness should lead to change or it becomes our own personal hell realm. I have had thirty years of this sort of thing as a therapist. I can tell you, nothing changes until we own it.
Zen demands a personal, moment to moment reckoning. As I have said many times before: Zen is not for everyone.
Please practice. Practice with courage and strength. Practice with personal forgiveness. Practice with deep compassion. From this arises wisdom.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
A Teacher is just an instrument to promote self examination. In this sense, every thing and every event, has the potential to be our teacher. Zen is not a didactic religion. It does not pontificate. However, it does have practices and a teacher teaches, encourages, and monitors those practices on behalf of his students.
In the West we are used to approaching a Teacher for help in understanding, as if the teacher is capable of this. From a Zen point of view, not so. Understanding and eventual realization is our own work requiring our own effort from the inside out.
At my Temple I have neglected this, becoming too much of my student's therapist or friend. I am changing this now.
What does this mean?
It means I am Sensei for you. I am at Clear Mind Zen Temple to manifest my Buddha Nature as Teacher; teaching is my practice. It means every aspect of our behavior at Zen Center is grist for the practice mill. It means your response to my instruction is our practice, individually, not as a dyad.
For thousands of years this is how it is in the Buddha way.
Too often today, I think, we each expect others to "understand" us, our stresses, our busy schedule, our conflicts, our idiosyncrasies. We want (and sometimes, expect) others to excuse us on this basis. I am as guilty of this as anyone. Still, awareness should lead to change or it becomes our own personal hell realm. I have had thirty years of this sort of thing as a therapist. I can tell you, nothing changes until we own it.
Zen demands a personal, moment to moment reckoning. As I have said many times before: Zen is not for everyone.
Please practice. Practice with courage and strength. Practice with personal forgiveness. Practice with deep compassion. From this arises wisdom.
Be well.