TEACHER ? IS ONE NEEDED ? TEACHERN.TXT *********************************************************************** The question is often asked, "does a person need a teacher on one's spiritual journey into the light, to develop spiritually, and or to become Enlightened ?" Some say no teacher is needed, you can do it all alone. They are correct. Some say you must have a teacher, you can not do it alone. They are correct. Some say, you can do most of it alone, but when near the end of the journey, a you must have a teacher. They are correct. You could replace the word teacher with the word Master and the above statements are still correct. This is one problem with questions and answers to them. In my humble opinion, each of the above answers are likely correct for some specific seeker and none are likely correct for all seekers. If a person is blessed to have found a real Master, an Enlightened being, "sit" with him/her, and listen to the questions asked/answers received, a strange thing may be observed. You may see three different seekers come to the Master with the exact same question on three different days, ask the question in the exact same words. And you may hear the Master give three different answers to the three seekers. The answers may even be contradictory to each other. What is going on in the above situations ? Consider this deeply. [In my humble opinion, the Master tells the seeker exactly what the seeker needs to hear to move them on in their development, because a real Master can clearly see inside the seeker to the deepest places, knows -everything- about the seeker in his/her presence.] Returning to teachers: If a seeker has a teacher who is reasonably developed, and the seeker is is fully open to what the teacher shares, is willing to follow the teachers instructions precisely, has some self-discipline, and has an objective view of their development, the seeker will obtain great benefit from spending time with the teacher. You need to understand that a teacher is just a teacher, not an Enlightened being. A teacher may or may not also be a "holy" man or woman as well being a teacher. A TEACHER IS A SEEKER WHO HAS SPENT A LONG TIME PERIOD EXPLORING, LEARNING, AND EXPERIENCING. A TEACHER HAS DEVELOPED PARTS OF HIS/HER SELF WELL AND STILL HAS MORE SELF-CULTIVATION TO DO. OFTEN A REAL TEACHER HAS SPENT TIME WITH A MASTER, AND OR OTHER BEINGS WHO ARE HIGHLY DEVELOPED. THIS ASSISTED THE TEACHER'S DEVELOPMENT. A spiritual teacher is usually a seeker who has spent a long time exploring, studying, learning and experiencing spiritual information and situations. A person who has developed certain parts of his/her self well, but still has other parts that are not developed yet, still needs more self-cultivation. Often a spiritual teacher has actually spent time with an Enlightened being, and or with other spiritual seekers who were more highly developed than he/she was. Often a teacher will send his/her students away, When they have reached "certain levels", when the teacher believes the student can not learn anymore from him/her or if the teacher has given the seeker all he/she can. Sometimes a teacher will send the seeker way telling him/her to go out and teacher others what they have learned. Sometimes: A Master may send out a disciple or a devotee seeker to teach others. A seeker reaches a certain level of spiritual development and people just start magically appearing in their lives asking to learn. A seeker just decides he/she is a teacher and starts teaching. A person has just studied a lot of books and decides he is going to teach what he/she has studied. A person believes/has decided they are very spiritually developed and therefore decide they are going to teach. And the truth is that this is an illusion in their heads. All the above results in: There being teachers who are reasonably well developed spiritually, have studied a lot and have had a lot of direct spiritual experiences. [In my humble opinion, these are qualified to teach others spiritually.] And there being teachers that are not qualified to teach at all. [One must choose one's SPIRITUAL teachers with great care ! One must continue to evaluate the teacher as time passes. A teacher is not a MASTER! A teacher teaches "through" their sets and belief systems, which may or may not BE TRUE. A teacher can only assist you reach their own level of development, no further! A reasonably well developed teacher generally; Tells his/her students that they are not enlightened. Exhibits modesty, is polite & seldom exhibits anger. Practices self-cultivation regularly. Is very careful about making commitments & fulfills them consistently. Does not ask a student to do what she/he is unwilling to do. Shares the understanding of no separateness. Shares the understanding that "this" is not reality. Emphasizes direct experiences, over book reading and the words of others, including his/her words. Directs students attention to consistent daily practice of self-cultivation, to seeing GOD in all others, to the seeing the positive aspects of all others. Directs his/her students to meditate each and every day consistently. Is hesitant about sharing negative information about others, and seldom speaks judgments on others. Usually Shares knowledge and methods without charge. (The teachers of Martial Arts, Tia Chi, and groups having the high overhead of non-paid for facilities are often exceptions to this.) It is easy for one with a large ego and a small amount of knowledge, who lives in the illusion that she/he is highly developed and a great teacher, to appear to be so, accept students and teach classes. Such a one may actually have some valuable knowledge, and methods to share. Their students may learn some things, may actually have some powerful direct experiences as a result of practicing the methods taught, BUT, Such a teachers's ignorance's can be very dangerous to their students. BEWARE OF ANY TEACHER SAYING SHE/HE WILL AWAKEN YOUR KUNDALINI ENERGY OR WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO AWAKEN IT YOURSELF ! Some teachers state that those attending the classes offered will be taught how to awaken the KUNDALINI ENERGY that lays asleep at the base of the spine. Awakening the KUNDALINI is one of the VERY FAST methods of spiritual growth, BUT it is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Awaking the KUNDALINI is a GIFT given by a FULLY ENLIGHTENED MASTER to his/her Highly Developed Disciples when they are PROPERLY PREPARED and their BODIES AND SPIRITS are FULLY ready for it. If IMPROPERLY CONTROLLED, awakened kundalini can cause serious illness, physical damage, madness and even death ! Such DANGERS are one of the reasons that certain spiritual practices have been kept SECRET for thousands of years. The MASTER from Poona states: "The GREATEST SIN that a human being who is not FULLY ENLIGHTENED can do to another human being is to awaken their KUNDALINI", unless the awakener is Enlightened. SRI AUROBINDO said: "One of the reasons a GURU (MASTER) is needed, is to -CONTROL - the KUNDALINI in the seeker after it is awakened". DASS says: "The second GREATEST SIN may be to teach a person to awaken their own KUNDALINI, if one is not an ENLIGHTENED MASTER". Every SCRIPTURE this one has consumed, that speaks of KUNDALINI in depth contains similar statements. Every MASTER who this one has been blessed to be in the LIVING PRESENCE OF has made similar statements regarding the KUNDALINI. Mon teachers: Some teachers who have been initiated by a Master, have been given the ability to give a seeker a direct powerful spiritual by touch. If a teacher can provide such an experience, its likely to be of great benefit to study with and "hang out" with the teacher. Some teachers have a circle, a small group of people who consistently "hang out" with him/her, some do not. It is important that one approach a teacher with respect, an open mind and a fully willingness to listen and learn. A good spiritual teacher is open to being asked any and all questions. A good teacher will not look down on you for asking any question no matter how mundane the question seem to you. So never be shy about asking a question. Just try not to be attacked to the answer and proceed from there. --text by ganashyam das