Is the student ready?
My spiritual intention for today is to be open to teachers no matter what the source. An oft quoted saying is “When the student is ready the teacher will appear”. Another wording is, “When the disciple is ready the Master will appear.” or “When the seeker is ready the Master will appear.
No matter what form one uses and no matter what the origin of this sage reminder, when I am ready to see, hear or experience what I need to know in this brief life journey I always get exactly what I need. My experience also tells me that I cannot decide who the teacher is going to be. Although there have been wise teachers who were formally educated, often the sources of new knowledge or old knowledge I have “forgotten” is “the least of these”, the flowers in my garden, or one of the animals which pays me a visit. For example, the yellow roses in my garden have been announcing all summer that they are perfectly happy being who they are. They do not want to be the Lenten roses, the parsley, fennel or any of the other plants in my small garden. None of the deer, groundhogs, bees, squirrels, the. birds or other animals which visit my home seems to be comparing themselves to each other, their parents, siblings or other relatives. Yet, constantly it seems us humans are attempting to prove that we are better than, richer than, more moral or righteous than, prettier than, more virile than or in some other way inferior or superior to each other. Usually the need to think that we are superior arises from a fear that we are inferior.
Often, the addict who cannot find their way to a healing dance has very sage advice for me or others. Frequently the homeless man or woman who has lost all hope have given me a message of hope when I could not find it for myself.
More than once I have been at a lecture or a public forum and decided that a certain person cannot possibly teach me anything. Of course, it is that person who has what I most needed. It is very easy me to do precisely what I often advise others not to do. I put someone in an ideological, religious, philosophical or political box, seal the lid and frantically search for the bit of wisdom that I just ignored because it its source. Surely that person who I have labeled as racist, sexist, criminal, uneducated or some other dehumanizing term could not have what I am needing to learn today.
Thus, my spiritual intention today to stay open to teachers no matter what the source. Sounds simple and, yet, if not very careful I will again fail to honor the teacher who is loudly knocking at the door of my heart or mind.
Written July 2, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
My spiritual intention for today is to be open to teachers no matter what the source. An oft quoted saying is “When the student is ready the teacher will appear”. Another wording is, “When the disciple is ready the Master will appear.” or “When the seeker is ready the Master will appear.
No matter what form one uses and no matter what the origin of this sage reminder, when I am ready to see, hear or experience what I need to know in this brief life journey I always get exactly what I need. My experience also tells me that I cannot decide who the teacher is going to be. Although there have been wise teachers who were formally educated, often the sources of new knowledge or old knowledge I have “forgotten” is “the least of these”, the flowers in my garden, or one of the animals which pays me a visit. For example, the yellow roses in my garden have been announcing all summer that they are perfectly happy being who they are. They do not want to be the Lenten roses, the parsley, fennel or any of the other plants in my small garden. None of the deer, groundhogs, bees, squirrels, the. birds or other animals which visit my home seems to be comparing themselves to each other, their parents, siblings or other relatives. Yet, constantly it seems us humans are attempting to prove that we are better than, richer than, more moral or righteous than, prettier than, more virile than or in some other way inferior or superior to each other. Usually the need to think that we are superior arises from a fear that we are inferior.
Often, the addict who cannot find their way to a healing dance has very sage advice for me or others. Frequently the homeless man or woman who has lost all hope have given me a message of hope when I could not find it for myself.
More than once I have been at a lecture or a public forum and decided that a certain person cannot possibly teach me anything. Of course, it is that person who has what I most needed. It is very easy me to do precisely what I often advise others not to do. I put someone in an ideological, religious, philosophical or political box, seal the lid and frantically search for the bit of wisdom that I just ignored because it its source. Surely that person who I have labeled as racist, sexist, criminal, uneducated or some other dehumanizing term could not have what I am needing to learn today.
Thus, my spiritual intention today to stay open to teachers no matter what the source. Sounds simple and, yet, if not very careful I will again fail to honor the teacher who is loudly knocking at the door of my heart or mind.
Written July 2, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
RSS Feed