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.
