Spiritual Teachers

[CosmicValet]

Who do you consider to be an exceptional Spiritual Teacher? Though my favorite would be Alan Watts, he would probably consider himself more of a philosopher than a guru.

Although I feel that any person that claims to be a teacher is fooling themselves and others to a degree . But with that said I will say that I agree with you about Allen Watts
i keep finding myself agreeing with the view point that Allen Watts had .
He was ahead of his time for sure

[ocean breeze]

Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2

[Starman]

I have been in front of lots of spiritual teachers, and the one’s I felt strongly about were the one’s who could transform you without saying a word. They would come and sit in front of and audience and that auidance was in bliss before they even started talking. They could literally give you and out-of-body experience or and experience of overwhelming love and bliss, just by their presence. Their presence could be felt by thousands of people sitting in front of them in and auditorium.

These teachers offered “darshan” which is a spiritual experience which many in India, and elsewhere, have experienced. I used to be a darshan junkie, and would go and see a teacher not for what they had to say but for the transcendent experience that they would impart to a crowd of thousands. Everything else to me was just mental construction and talk. If you did meditation before going to see one of these teachers your experience of meditation was greatly enhanced.

I experienced many of these type of teachers back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, people like Osho, Swami Sat Chit Ananda, and others who are just not around anymore. Back then it was free to go and see them, they held spiritual retreats and festivals all over the world back then, and millions of people would go to see them. They are what started me on a mystical path, far removed from words and explanations. It was a different kind of teaching; one that I often reminisce about.

Those who have had darshan know what I am talking about. It is and incredible spiritual experience, far beyond words and thoughts, and it is given by a person of true self-mastery on a very deep level. But make no mistake, these master teachers had their human faults as well. These teachers were not on TV and the only way you might know of them was through someone else who had seen them. The 1970’s and 1980’s were a period in time like no other I have experienced since. But not everyone who lived during that time was aware of these teachers, it was a blessing that I was aware of them, and able to partake in their offerings, as others did. There is a big difference between spiritual teachers and religious teachers.

[ocean breeze]

I like the ones that whack people over the head with a stick if you don't know what is the sound of one hand clapping.

[John32241]

Hi,

Our best answers are found within the self. In my mind the best spiritual teacher would guide us on self discovery and never tell us what is best.

John

[A human Being]

It's a very personal thing, obviously, what resonates strongly with one person may be in one ear and out the other for another. For me personally, initially it was Eckhart Tolle, whose teachings about the power of conscious presence largely confirmed what I'd already seen for myself before I became involved with spirituality; then it was Adyashanti, whose direct, straightforward teachings about enlightenment appealed to the no-nonsense part of me; finally, it was Jon Bernie, whose teachings I found to be compassionate and wise at a time in my life when I was really struggling with anxiety and depression (he's said a number of times that his path was the path of the broken heart, and I could really relate to that).

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by CosmicValet

Who do you consider to be an exceptional Spiritual Teacher? Though my favorite would be Alan Watts, he would probably consider himself more of a philosopher than a guru.

Do you practice Dzogchen?

[Starman]

There are lots of threads here on this forum about external teacher verses internal teacher, or how do you find a good spiritual teacher, etc. It seems to always involve guru verses internal self teaching. But the word “guru” is a Hindu term, from the Sanskrit meaning “darkness to light,” or someone who can bring you from darkness to light. That is what the term “guru” means. Some people look at their guru like others may look at Jesus Christ, Buddha, or some other iconic spiritual leader. Although I feel a guru is most helpful when beginning a meditation practice, before a person has established and anchor in their deeper internal being; a guru can be that temporary anchor.

These discussions here rarely, if ever, consider the millions of clergy in this world. I mean how do you find a good Jewish Rabbi, a good Christian minister or priest, a good Buddhist monk, or a good Islamic Imam, and while these may be viewed as “religious” teachers some may also view them as spiritual teachers. Discussions like this seem to only consider a Hindu, or eastern oriented teacher, verses internal teachings. Any decent spiritual teacher is going to guide you into your own Self.

There are lots of teachers in this world, and I do agree that anyone and everyone is potentially our teacher. Every experience we have or situation we find ourselves in has life lessons to offer. I was a college teacher and I used to talk to students about God without using the word “GOD,” because I had all manner of students in the State University where I worked.

I taught behavioral sciences and always included spiritual principles. I had students who were atheist, agnostic, deist, monotheist, polytheist, pantheist, etc. But I always talked about spirituality without using spiritual terms, and it was well recieved. It is not so much the teacher as it is the perspective of the student. The answers we get from any teacher, including our internal teacher, are only going to be as good as the questions we ask. The answer is always in the question.

Teaching is only one part of the equation, the other part of the equation is learning, and people learn in varying different ways. What we think about teachers often depends on our learning style. It seems like when people talk about teachers here, including myself, we only refer to eastern type teachers verses eastern meditation practice learning. I think it is a lot broader than that. Yes, it is a very personal thing. How do you find a good college professor?

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by ocean breeze

Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2

Everything I learned was from Joni Mitchell.

The list of teachers that are EXCEPTIONAL is just too long. And aren't we lucky for that!
The New Thought authors alone would fill this page, and all the yogis and gurus and -
the the Native Americans quoted, then the Great teachers Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, and Shakespeare!
The ecstatic poets from Mirabai to Catherine of Sienna, the mystics from every religion from Rumi to Theresa of Avila and
many many more.
Then, the Alan Wattses and Ram Dasses and Wayne Dyer types...and so many of them!!