Is it right to question a teacher?
I think this is an appropriate question. It's the core of what it means to be a Disciple. Many would think that being a Disciple means giving up total control to the Master... While others want to remain an individual and question everything - and never doing anything.
But what's right?
What has sparked this post of mine, is a reoccurring theme in the followers of a certain teacher, who have come here to post comments on my posts. I don't mind the comments. I welcome all feelings and thoughts. But the comments generally have a feeling of an idea of not questioning or even trying to reason their teacher's actions.
One such Disciple of a modern day teacher, posted whats below. He was commenting on a post I wrote about how a certain teacher appeared to have some questionable characteristics. Money, was one thing that concerned me and another item was some teachings I witnessed him say that were a bit unorthodox. To my questioning nature, this person commented:
Perhaps it was a poor choice of words by the commenter, but it's an interesting comment. Is it ever right to question a Master? Today another follower of the same living teacher (a proclaimed living Guru of our age) I was talking about, posted on another old article of mine... and again they expected me to accept their Master as mine, not to question his actions no matter what. They stated that the Masters can not be reasoned or questioned. Which sparked this question. Is it right, to look at a self proclaimed Guru and say "Ah, it's suspicious these actions - but he says he's a Guru, so I shall not look deeper. I will just let what ever happens, happen"?
First, i believe before someone is your Master (and you the Disciple) you will have to question them. What separates their teaching from someone dangerous? Or someone wanting your money? After all, if you didn't question the first person you came upon, you might fall into the hands of a Jim Jones - or a David Karesh.
When I took the Discipleship Course for Yogananda via Ananda - from teacher Nyaswami Pranaba, I asked him this very question. He gave me this Great advice:
When I was in a member of a modern day "sci-fi" religion, I experienced this financial abuse first-hand. I was called upon to give up thousands of dollars. At times even forced to give up money - yelled at, and had demands put upon me.
We have to have constructive doubt, at least enough to reason this out and ask: "Is this the actions of a Guru... a Master... a True Religion?"
Conclusion:
To question everything to the point of rebellion - is NOT the way of a Disciple. But to except what's taught or told, as dogma, indoctrination and to see it as "superior" to the path of others without reason... is equally wrong. The balance here, is to follow the Master in things we know to be true. If a Teacher or Master asks us to do something we know to be false... that's cause for attention.
Which is why, Madness, IMO is not the way to a teacher - nor to God.
I think this is an appropriate question. It's the core of what it means to be a Disciple. Many would think that being a Disciple means giving up total control to the Master... While others want to remain an individual and question everything - and never doing anything.
But what's right?
What has sparked this post of mine, is a reoccurring theme in the followers of a certain teacher, who have come here to post comments on my posts. I don't mind the comments. I welcome all feelings and thoughts. But the comments generally have a feeling of an idea of not questioning or even trying to reason their teacher's actions.
One such Disciple of a modern day teacher, posted whats below. He was commenting on a post I wrote about how a certain teacher appeared to have some questionable characteristics. Money, was one thing that concerned me and another item was some teachings I witnessed him say that were a bit unorthodox. To my questioning nature, this person commented:
In my search for my Guru, I was willing to give up everything to find him or her. The fact that you are even taking so many things into account may show you are not yet ready to find your Guru. There is a madness about someone when they are really looking for their Guru. Nothing else matters. You would die just to get a glimpse of their face, to hear their voice, to touch their feet. It was Ram Gopal who said in Yogananda's book, "As soon as the devotee is willing to go even to the ends of the earth for spiritual enlightenment, his guru appears near-by."The key thing here that worried me was his reference and description to 'madness.' He then quotes Yogananda's book. But the quote doesn't speak to this same 'madness' he describes himself being affected by. It's one thing to be ready to go anywhere to find a Master (as Yogananda quotes.) It's quite another, to give up one's free will and embrace madness - Madness is just that: it's forfeiting one's will. That's what madness is.
If you have this kind of madness, your will find your Master. I promise you from my own personal experience brother.
Perhaps it was a poor choice of words by the commenter, but it's an interesting comment. Is it ever right to question a Master? Today another follower of the same living teacher (a proclaimed living Guru of our age) I was talking about, posted on another old article of mine... and again they expected me to accept their Master as mine, not to question his actions no matter what. They stated that the Masters can not be reasoned or questioned. Which sparked this question. Is it right, to look at a self proclaimed Guru and say "Ah, it's suspicious these actions - but he says he's a Guru, so I shall not look deeper. I will just let what ever happens, happen"?
First, i believe before someone is your Master (and you the Disciple) you will have to question them. What separates their teaching from someone dangerous? Or someone wanting your money? After all, if you didn't question the first person you came upon, you might fall into the hands of a Jim Jones - or a David Karesh.
When I took the Discipleship Course for Yogananda via Ananda - from teacher Nyaswami Pranaba, I asked him this very question. He gave me this Great advice:
There's an important distinction between "constructive doubt" and "negative doubt" (which ties into rebelliousness). Constructive doubt allows us the ability to not just jump into something with blind belief but rather gives the opportunity to explore what the truth or essence of things are. This is very important for a devotee in order to integrate spiritual teachings rather than just accepting dogmas with a deeper understanding and experience....and he also added, regarding Loyalty:
As I wrote earlier regarding "constructive doubt" - loyalty also has the need for common sense. Our role is to keep open to God and guru but be able to make it our own experience.I agree with this. I think he answered it well. There are stories of people abusing others financially, sexually, or just making slaves to fulfill their hungry ego.
When I was in a member of a modern day "sci-fi" religion, I experienced this financial abuse first-hand. I was called upon to give up thousands of dollars. At times even forced to give up money - yelled at, and had demands put upon me.
We have to have constructive doubt, at least enough to reason this out and ask: "Is this the actions of a Guru... a Master... a True Religion?"
Conclusion:
To question everything to the point of rebellion - is NOT the way of a Disciple. But to except what's taught or told, as dogma, indoctrination and to see it as "superior" to the path of others without reason... is equally wrong. The balance here, is to follow the Master in things we know to be true. If a Teacher or Master asks us to do something we know to be false... that's cause for attention.
Which is why, Madness, IMO is not the way to a teacher - nor to God.
1 comments:
Dear Brian, firstly I really like your being and your post. Every external event that occurs, person we meet, Sorrounding nature we observe, If something within us has woken up however little it may be (this something within is our internal guru), we will realise that all these externals are teaching us something or in other words are our potential gurus. In the life of sage Dattareya, as child, whosoever he met he found guru in him.
The role of external guru is just to connect to our inner guru or strenghthen our inner guru. In other words this little awakened one becomes fully blossomed. It is only our inner experience which is of any use. Otherwise every thing else is just illusion/delusion of our minds. Intellectually you may ask many readers how is YOGIRAJ or xyz, You will find more or less half supporting and half against, it will only strenghthen your logic which is of no use, Please start working towards learning techniques or sadhanas for stilling your mind and experiencing no mind states, intution state which is beyond logic. Logic is best upto living in material world but if once wants to go beyond than logic has no role.
May you find your physical external guru soon, Like Yogananda , you will immideately know, as your whole being will get tremendous magnetic pull whenever your guru will ne in your near vicinity !!!
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