The Teacher Should Also Be Tested

If the teaching should be tested, so should the teacher.

When the Buddha said, “Do not take my word for the truth: test it for yourselves”, he meant don’t just trust my words – or me, for that matter. Taking someone’s word is merely repeating hearsay that can be altered to build a reputation, and an expensive and elaborate religious culture.

When we test the Dharma, we’re actually testing our self. The Dharma is about what we are, rather than about wonders of the world.

The Dharma isn’t a singalong; it is the ultimate meaning of life. It’s not something to learn, and then argue about. When we know what we are, this results in understanding others through dynamic, empathetic compassion, without a sense of entitlement.

The only reason to trust a teacher is if they are truly helpful, so that we can go away and exhaust all our karmic display with confidence. They are not to be used as a sticking plaster – a temporary or

inadequate solution to a problem.

When we fawn over a guru, we have fallen a long way down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, a fictitious country created by Lewis Carol. When we live in a world of ideas – others’ ideas – we live in the same illusory world.

Fawn – a servile display of exaggerated flattery or affection, typically in order to gain favour with the teacher or impress others