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A teacher

TalismanTalisman Veteran
edited April 2011 in Sanghas
Where do you look for a teacher?
How do you know if you have found a teacher of merit that can help you understand and practice the dharma with greater proficiency?
Is there a way that gurus test their students for level of comprehension and commitment?
I feel like I am doing well in studying the Dharma through books and online sources, but feel like I need some personal one-on-one time with someone to break down my practice and get some guidance on what still needs to be done and how to do it.

Comments

  • fivebellsfivebells Veteran
    I went on retreat with the fellow who wrote the book I work from. Worked well.
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    Here's a link to a good resource that will hopefully answer your questions

    http://www.viewonbuddhism.org/spiritual_teacher_guru.html
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    I have found that the best way to find a teacher is not to look for one but to pray that the teacher will appear in your life. If you sincerely pray for the way out of samsara, surely you will find your teacher. One way is the 7 line prayer to Guru Rinpoche, but that isn't the only way. Just a sincere prayer repeated as many times as you can, maybe around a stupa if you can manage it, will work wonders.
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited April 2011
    Where do you look for a teacher?
    Are there sanghas in your area? start visiting them regularly. Check out not only the teacher, but the sangha as well. (My rule of thumb is to avoid sanghas that have too much of a "groupie" feel, who are enthralled by the teacher. An ethical teacher will discourage this sort of thing.) Give it the test of time.
  • DazzleDazzle
    Where do you look for a teacher?

    How do you know if you have found a teacher of merit that can help you understand and practice the dharma with greater proficiency?
    Is there a way that gurus test their students for level of comprehension and commitment?
    I feel like I am doing well in studying the Dharma through books and online sources, but feel like I need some personal one-on-one time with someone to break down my practice and get some guidance on what still needs to be done and how to do it.

    Hi Talisman, there's a worldwide search facility at Buddhanet which will give you a list of any groups in your area. You sound as though you're coping ok at the moment, so just take your time, and if possible investigate more than one teacher till you find someone who seems genuine.

    kind wishes,

    D



  • tesstess
    I have found that the best way to find a teacher is not to look for one but to pray that the teacher will appear in your life. If you sincerely pray for the way out of samsara, surely you will find your teacher. One way is the 7 line prayer to Guru Rinpoche, but that isn't the only way. Just a sincere prayer repeated as many times as you can, maybe around a stupa if you can manage it, will work wonders.


    Try this in the middle of 'rat race' Europe.

  • NOTaGangstaNOTaGangsta
    Palzang is right, buttt I think we still gotta created good conditions for ourselves. You should still look around.
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    I vote with Dakini -- visit temples/centers and sniff the wind. Good karma, bad karma, tall karma, short karma ... don't fret about it. Put yourself out there a bit.

    A statement that goes both ways is, when the student is ready the teacher will appear. Likewise, when the teacher is ready, the student will appear. As with most other activities, you've got to show up before the game can begin.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    Look for a teacher who walks his talk. For all the teaching on compassion and loving-kindness, I've never seen a teacher who shows any sign of practicing this. But someone here reminded us that the Lamrim teachings say that a good teacher is a rare and precious jewel; so I'm still looking.
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    edited April 2011

    Try this in the middle of 'rat race' Europe.
    Try it anywhere! I agree with Palzang, and have had multiple teachers materialize through heartfelt intent.

    Consider also letting go of exactly what you think you need to be taught, so you have room for what you're ready to learn.
  • footiamfootiam Veteran
    Wonder if going to Tibet helps.
  • Floating_AbuFloating_Abu Veteran
    Where do you look for a teacher?
    How do you know if you have found a teacher of merit that can help you understand and practice the dharma with greater proficiency?
    Is there a way that gurus test their students for level of comprehension and commitment?
    I feel like I am doing well in studying the Dharma through books and online sources, but feel like I need some personal one-on-one time with someone to break down my practice and get some guidance on what still needs to be done and how to do it.
    I found my Guru quite by accident but he is special and I am fortunate.
    I found him in the midst of a life that was invested heavily in worldy aspects so it is not true that things cannot happen if we are sincere, I believe.
    There are many centers and if you know how to, see which instincts are right. Best wishes,
    Abu

  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    Wonder if going to Tibet helps.
    Westerners may not be allowed to move freely in Tibet for the time being, and it's difficult for any Westerner to even get a visa from the Chinese to go to Tibet, or even Tibetan areas outside the TAR. Plus, even if one overcame all those obstacles, one wouldn't be able to stay long enough to have the usual disciple-guru relationship. Some people have had luck in Nepal, though. (Still a little chaotic due to guerilla activity, though. The State Department recommends against women going to Nepal for that reason.)

    Try your local resources, Tal. See what seems to fit best. It may not be as difficult as you think. :)
  • newtechnewtech Veteran
    Hello:

    Its the same that finding a good teacher in any area, no magic involved.
  • NirvanaNirvana aka BUBBA   `     `   South Carolina, USA Veteran
    Hello:

    Its the same that finding a good teacher in any area, no magic involved.
    Life without magic is no kind of life at all. If I had no sense of awe I'd be incapable of looking for a teacher in the first place, let alone finding one. When I found mine, I knew I found the genuine article.

    I like what Palzang says about praying for ways to find a teacher. One should pray fervently for direction in life. Even after the right teacher is found one should still pray for direction and right insight and understanding.

    In the end, though, one must be the light that itself leads the way. That too's a form of magic.

    It all depends, though, on what your definition of magic is. Not that magic can really be defined, for then it would no longer be magic.

    But is magic not something like the very bounce in the subatomic particles whose substance and movement are at bottom inscrutable? Whether it be awe or the thrill of the spirit of joy or exhilaration, there's something magical tingling in living things unless they be dead. Call it elecricity if you'd ruther.

    If I find a teacher and that teacher accepts me, there's a connection and there's got to be some electricity there. If not, it be not sufficient to give me the direction I require.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    I think it depends on what you want a teacher for. Do you want one for the purpose of destroying your ego? As Dzongsar Khentse Rinpoche says, "Your teacher is the person you've hired to destroy your ego". I don't think too many people would agree with that, not using the traditional Tibetan methods, anyway, which Dzonsar Khentse admits are abusive. Or do you want a teacher for the purpose of instruction in meditation and in texts, concepts, application of compassion and mindfulness, etc.? Or as in some schools of Zen, do you want your experience to be mainly about meditation and insight via meditation? Do you want a teacher who requires belief in rebirth, or who is flexible on that point, and emphasizes the current lifetime? Do you like elaborate ritual, or a more spare style? Ultimately, it sometimes boils down to who one "clicks" with, and how the teacher treats others and embodies the teachings.
  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    Where do you look for a teacher?
    How do you know if you have found a teacher of merit that can help you understand and practice the dharma with greater proficiency?
    Is there a way that gurus test their students for level of comprehension and commitment?
    I feel like I am doing well in studying the Dharma through books and online sources, but feel like I need some personal one-on-one time with someone to break down my practice and get some guidance on what still needs to be done and how to do it.
    I am in the same boat.
    Maybe I can find one when time is right?
    I definitely need a teacher!
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    edited April 2011
    Try the Ch'an temple in San Fran that I recommended on your thread, Leon. The teachers are trained to help you understand and practice the dharma with greater proficiency, and to challenge you to leave illusions behind. This is what I gather from one of our members.

    I think this question of finding a teacher depends on whether you're looking for a teacher in a group setting, or for a one-on-one relationship. The latter requires much more discernment, researching the teacher to make sure he/she is on the up-and-up, making sure you'll be safe with the teacher, that the teacher is well-trained and has the best interests of the students at heart, etc. The relationship with a teacher in a group (sangha) setting is much less intense, usually. Still, there are good teachers, and mediocre teachers. All you can do is scope them out over time, see if they teach effectively, observe professional boundaries, know their stuff, and provide what you're looking for in a teacher (meditation instruction? Suttra study? Guidance in challenging yourself? whatever it may be.) Only you can decide. Following the recommendations of others doesn't always work out. Others have different needs, different psychology, may not be as discerning as you. Rely on your own judgment in this crucial area.
  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    Try the Ch'an temple in San Fran that I recommended on your thread, Leon. The teachers are trained to help you understand and practice the dharma with greater proficiency, and to challenge you to leave illusions behind. This is what I gather from one of our members.

    I think this question of finding a teacher depends on whether you're looking for a teacher in a group setting, or for a one-on-one relationship. The latter requires much more discernment, researching the teacher to make sure he/she is on the up-and-up, making sure you'll be safe with the teacher, that the teacher is well-trained and has the best interests of the students at heart, etc. The relationship with a teacher in a group (sangha) setting is much less intense, usually. Still, there are good teachers, and mediocre teachers. All you can do is scope them out over time, see if they teach effectively, observe professional boundaries, know their stuff, and provide what you're looking for in a teacher (meditation instruction? Suttra study? Guidance in challenging yourself? whatever it may be.) Only you can decide. Following the recommendations of others doesn't always work out. Others have different needs, different psychology, may not be as discerning as you. Rely on your own judgment in this crucial area.

    Thanks!
    I will be trying out the DharmaPunx in San Jose, San Francisco is a bit far for me. It is about 1 hour away, one way. I am looking to find a teacher for one-on-one. http://www.sanjosedharmapunx.com/
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