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question about teachers

Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:02 pm
by DanaRichards
I was just wondering how you found your teacher. Also what mode of communication you use to communicate with your teacher.

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 8:23 am
by ClearblueSky
I met him at an event in my town, where he was doing a sand mandala. I already had an interest in Buddhism at the time. I either communicate in person or by phone, as he's in town about 50% of the time.

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:04 am
by muni
DanaRichards wrote:I was just wondering how you found your teacher. Also what mode of communication you use to communicate with your teacher.
Teacher-Master-Guru-Lama...: *Devotion*.
If not, (for me), I sell cleverness :smile: , by that....... there is actually no meeting or communication.

(** Not to mistake with clinging deluded phantasies please, from which we always can throw few examples on the table)

:namaste:

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:18 am
by lobster
DanaRichards wrote:I was just wondering how you found your teacher. Also what mode of communication you use to communicate with your teacher.
Once I learned to discern what a teacher is, it was easy.
Communication - presence, speech, letter, phone. :smile:

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:29 am
by Simon E.
Who IS your teacher 'lobster ' just out of interest ?
I'll go first if you like, mine is Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.
And I found him by reading one of his books.
My first teacher gave a talk at our University Buddhist Group.

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 10:00 am
by KonchokZoepa
my first teacher is Rabsang Tulku Rinpoche, ive met him only once and dont write him emails even if i could. he teaches me compassion, bodhicitta and the activity and enlightened presence of Chenrezig.

then all the teachers and masters from the books that i have read have taught me about everything necessary.

my newest teacher is Chogyal Namkhai Norbu from whom i just received direct introduction, and will continue to work with this teacher through the webcast actively.

i have also met some other lamas who inspire me on the path and are set as a good examples.

also my teacher is the Guru who is ever present everywhere and in everything, through the wisdom mind of all buddhas and masters that is received through blessings of the lineages and teachings and through effort and practice.

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 12:39 pm
by DGA
DanaRichards wrote:I was just wondering how you found your teacher. Also what mode of communication you use to communicate with your teacher.
I was introduced to my teacher (Monshin Paul Naamon of Tendai Buddhist Institute) by one of his students. I participated in a weekend retreat, which gave me the opportunity to investigate the community a bit, ask some questions, and size the situation up. I chose to stick around because it was obvious to me that this was a community I could learn a great deal from, and a teacher I could communicate with (he "got me" right away). How do we communicate? Often by email, sometimes by telephone, in person at least twice annually.

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 1:02 pm
by Seishin
I moved house to a completely different area and wanted to find a local sangha, and ended up finding "home" (what I call our sangha and teacher) :twothumbsup: Besides our weekly meetings and the odd weekends, we also email and phone each other.

Gassho,
Seishin

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 10:46 pm
by DanaRichards
Thank you all for taking time to answer my question.

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:17 am
by Schrödinger’s Yidam
Currently my teacher is Lama Norlha in New York. I met him because someone suggested his place was a good place to do serious practice. I needed to get away and wanted to go somewhere to practice where nobody knew me. So I went to his place, not because of him, but because of the facility, which really is a good place for serious practice. Turned out once i got there I got more than I bargained for!

The only way I communicate with him is when I actually fly across the country to go there. He travels a lot too, so I've got to time it right. Usually my "interviews" take only a few minutes. My other teachers have already sorted out the normal crippling western insanity for him. He's got it easy!

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:33 am
by Johnny Dangerous
I found my teacher(s) just by by looking for local places online, after years of being a solitary Buddhist. Spent some time in a kind of breakaway Soto tradition. I wasn't interested in Vajrayana initially, (even sutra level) previously, and truth be told i'd say I had a bit of a prejudice against it. This place seemed so inviting though, and I felt more comfortable than usual there. In addition, I got a vibe of WAY less posturing than other sangha I've checked out, partially I think due to being an older group. Something clicked with the practices and the teachers that I never quite got at the Zen place I spent some time at, for whatever reason. Both the teachers the place I am at now really give off a genuine kind of vibe, I feel a bit of..relief or lightness maybe, I don't know what it is talking to them. I really enjoyed my Zen practice as well and think very highly of the teacher there as well.

I vastly prefer in person interaction for these things, not that I wouldn't or don't take advantage of other forms, but there are things that there is no way I would have "gotten" through any form than in person contact. For me so far, in-person interaction with people who on whatever level "get it" better than me is actually part of what i'm learning, it's part of the teaching i'm looking for..I think.

Re: question about teachers

Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 8:25 am
by Simon E.
Simon E. wrote:Who IS your teacher 'lobster ' just out of interest ?
I'll go first if you like, mine is Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.
And I found him by reading one of his books.
My first teacher gave a talk at our University Buddhist Group.
Bump.

Obviously you missed this ' lobster '. :smile: