The four types of  spiritual teachers.

1. The first teacher is the person who directly points out the essence of your mind.

2.The second teacher is a lineage scriptorial teacher (person or text or manual to study).

3.The third teacher is the inner teacher (the first two reveal the inner teacher: you realise your inner knowledge and wisdom through the experience of meditation/the direct pointing out)

4.The fourth teacher is the symbolic teacher: every situation – the whole of this illusory temporary creation – reflects our true essence.

The first type of teacher becomes your root teacher: it is they who genuinely point out the nature of your mind. When this happens, there is no doubt, and we develop a deep appreciation and devotion.

The second is your lineage teacher, which can be backup, technical information.
There is also another purpose to this, and this is part of Tibetan Vajrayana practice.
One can make supplications to the unbroken lineage, and receive blessings (this, to my
amazement, does work).

 The third is your inner teacher, pure perception.

The first two types of teachers enhance and give confidence in realising the inner teacher, which is then realised in meditation.

The fourth is the symbolic teacher, or the outer teacher.

Everyday situations are telling us something – to be more precise, so is every moment.

Karma is constantly being created, reinforced or exhausted.

Once the inner teacher is realised, the outer teacher can be utilised.

We learn how to dance with the relative and absolute worlds.

Everything is seen as the pure world.

This is because everything arises within emptiness.

So everything is a constant reminder – even negative emotions.

The relative reflects the absolute, and the absolute is reflected in the relative.

The emotions are seen as wisdoms, so this life is seen as a pure mandala.