For me, your piece is heartfelt, eloquent and so true. For example,
you wrote:
"If inwardly the student is rejecting the teacher, then the teacher
will be a perfect gentleman. He will wait until the student is ready
to learn."
I have actually heard Sri Chinmoy say, "God is a perfect gentleman.
He will never break your door down." So, as you state, the teacher,
the guru, the master (whatever terms one feels comfortable with) will
wait until the student is ready. In fact, it seems that the teacher
is compelled to have patience by virtue of his love and compassion.
So one might ask, "Where is the problem? Let the spitball throwers
continue in their behavior they will come around because after all,
they were the ones who asked to be the Master's students.
Unfortunately, most and perhaps all seekers come to a teacher with an
undeveloped understanding of their true inner self and an over
developed sense of their false self or ego. Added to the mix is the
common human habit of projection.
In my earliest days as Sri Chinmoy's student, I used to wonder how he
was able to (as I thought of it) push aside, come through, climb over
my perceptions that I continually projected onto him.
So often it is not even a case of, as you wrote:
". . .there are some people to whom you cannot point out any fault.
If you try and help them by discussing a problem or giving advice,
they will become furious."
That is, I have very rarely heard Sri Chinmoy pointing out someone's
faults to him or her but merely by being as a mirror, he can invoke
someone's ire.
Of course there have been many times when I was not "successful" in
gracefully accepting an experience that I was given. At such times I
felt as though I had fallen into a "trap" and my reactions were less
than "divine". But even so, I knew full well that my reaction was the
problem and not the occurrence itself.
It seems that those who find the process too difficult and/or too
painful decide to discontinue the relationship with their master. But
rather than being sincere in their feelings, they make their master
the bad guy as they cannot summons the honesty and humility to state
their true position.
Or as put succinctly by Georg Feuerstein in his book "Holy Madness":
" they typically expect the teacher to alleviate their suffering.
They look upon him or her as a shaman, a miracle worker, a soul
doctor. . .When the disciple realizes that the teacher actually
demands that they cure themselves, they feel betrayed, disappointed,
frustrated, angry and desperate. They predictably retaliate by
blaming the teacher for their own failure to grow spiritually."
And from experience I do know that it is entirely possible to be
honest about one's choices and not indulge in infantile finger
pointing and playing the blame game. So I appreciate your ongoing
attempt to make clear what is occurring with those who engage in
creating distorted pictures of their experiences in the centre.
Dear Assistant Mummer,
For me, your piece is heartfelt, eloquent and so true. For example,
you wrote:
"If inwardly the student is rejecting the teacher, then the teacher
will be a perfect gentleman. He will wait until the student is ready
to learn."
I have actually heard Sri Chinmoy say, "God is a perfect gentleman.
He will never break your door down." So, as you state, the teacher,
the guru, the master (whatever terms one feels comfortable with) will
wait until the student is ready. In fact, it seems that the teacher
is compelled to have patience by virtue of his love and compassion.
So one might ask, "Where is the problem? Let the spitball throwers
continue in their behavior they will come around because after all,
they were the ones who asked to be the Master's students.
Unfortunately, most and perhaps all seekers come to a teacher with an
undeveloped understanding of their true inner self and an over
developed sense of their false self or ego. Added to the mix is the
common human habit of projection.
In my earliest days as Sri Chinmoy's student, I used to wonder how he
was able to (as I thought of it) push aside, come through, climb over
my perceptions that I continually projected onto him.
So often it is not even a case of, as you wrote:
". . .there are some people to whom you cannot point out any fault.
If you try and help them by discussing a problem or giving advice,
they will become furious."
That is, I have very rarely heard Sri Chinmoy pointing out someone's
faults to him or her but merely by being as a mirror, he can invoke
someone's ire.
Of course there have been many times when I was not "successful" in
gracefully accepting an experience that I was given. At such times I
felt as though I had fallen into a "trap" and my reactions were less
than "divine". But even so, I knew full well that my reaction was the
problem and not the occurrence itself.
It seems that those who find the process too difficult and/or too
painful decide to discontinue the relationship with their master. But
rather than being sincere in their feelings, they make their master
the bad guy as they cannot summons the honesty and humility to state
their true position.
Or as put succinctly by Georg Feuerstein in his book "Holy Madness":
" they typically expect the teacher to alleviate their suffering.
They look upon him or her as a shaman, a miracle worker, a soul
doctor. . .When the disciple realizes that the teacher actually
demands that they cure themselves, they feel betrayed, disappointed,
frustrated, angry and desperate. They predictably retaliate by
blaming the teacher for their own failure to grow spiritually."
And from experience I do know that it is entirely possible to be
honest about one's choices and not indulge in infantile finger
pointing and playing the blame game. So I appreciate your ongoing
attempt to make clear what is occurring with those who engage in
creating distorted pictures of their experiences in the centre.
Niriha