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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Enthusiasm for a Teacher

Generating enthusiasm for relying on and serving a spiritual teacher

With the guidance and blessings of a spiritual guide, we will reach the ultimate goal of Yoga faster - the state of Zung jug - a tantric term for Ultimate Union.  How quickly we move towards this goal depends on our ability to rely on a spiritual teacher.

The great philosopher-yogi Nagarjuna said:

Someone who falls from a high mountain peak
May not wish to, but he'll drop nonetheless.
Someone who receives a guru's kind teachings
May not wish freedom, yet he will be freed.

Just like a person falling off a cliff cannot reverse the motion of his body, so too, someone serving a spiritual teacher cannot help but experience freedom. If we fail to rely on a teacher, we may not make progress. 


Our nearness to Zung jug also depends on how quickly we are able to accumulate merit. Offering help to our teacher is the most powerful way to accumulate merit. 

Yesterday, we realized that we will be closer to our ultimate goals if we serve our teacher, honor them, follow their instructions.  Today, we continue to contemplate the advantages of properly serving a spiritual guide, and, thus, generate enthusiasm for serving such a teacher.   


Today's meditation:

Preliminaries (If you are not familiar with the classic and necessary preliminaries of lamrim meditations, see the blog post from this summer that explains them: http://reemayoga.blogspot.com/2010/07/day-1-preliminaries.html

1. Review the benefits of how serving a teacher will get you closer to the goal fast. (receiving teachings and blessings, accumulating merit)

2. Analyze/debate this in your mind (if you don't need a teacher, why are you not at the state of Union now? why can you not see beyond your senses now? why can't you create a bliss that lasts now?  Sure, everything is within, but, perhaps we need guidance to bring these abilities to the surface and use them)

3. Hold your attention one pointedly in your determination to and enthusiasm for relying on and serving a teacher.

***

Subsequent practice - Not as part of the above meditation, but, later - If you have a teacher(s), thank them, make a commitment to spend more time with them, to serve them more (there are countless, creative ways in how you can serve).  If you don't have a spiritual guide that you feel you can rely on in this way to help you reach the highest goals of yoga, then go deep into your heart and pray; ask for them to come into your life. 


Find a teacher. Stay close to them. Serve them.  Help them in any way - whether it is running their errands, cleaning their home, cooking them meals, helping them with their research, writing and organization of teachings, help them.  Ask them to teach you.  Let your ego go.  They will teach you and you will be open to receive.  


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