We
often hear people saying of some famous monk
or spiritual leader: "Lama So-and-So /
Guru This-and-That is my Teacher!" Ask
them what they have learned from these teachers,
however, and there is sometimes an embarrassed
silence.
People
flock from far and wide to see a monk who is
reputed to have psychic powers—not in
order to learn something from him, but just
to see something extraordinary and be entertained.
Thus, they are easily misled by the numerous
cheats and charlatans masquerading as ‘Living
Buddhas’ or ‘Enlightened Ones’.
A person
might have someone enlightened as his teacher,
but that is no guarantee that he will learn
anything. In the Dharmapada, verses 64/65, we
find the Buddha’s words about this: "Though
a fool throughout his life associates with a
wise man, he no more understands the Dharma
than a spoon tastes the flavor of soup. Though
an intelligent person associates with a wise
man for only a moment, he quickly understands
the Dharma, as the tongue tastes the flavor
of soup".
The Buddha
had no teacher to show Him the way to Enlightenment,
but discovered it Himself. This is not to say
that we should abandon teachers and depend solely
upon ourselves, but that, instead of always
waiting for a teacher to teach us everything,
we should strive to learn for ourselves, and
in this way, make ourselves ready to receive
instructions and help. |
