As we make our way through this world, it can be a challenge\nto navigate through all the tests and obstacles that we find in our daily\nlives. When we examine the lives of the Great Ones who came before us, such as\nJesus or Buddha or Moses, as well as many others, we are in awe. In perfecting\ntheir lives, they were able to do incredible things, and offer teachings that influence\nour lives to this day. Their journeys were shaped by situations that the\nmajority of us would find unfathomable. These beings were true examples of love\nand compassion. Their lives were not selfishly lived; rather, they gave up\nmaterial wealth in pursuit of the spiritual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our current age, in the absence of such Great Ones, we\nare left with spiritual teachers who are generally flawed. We hear of yogis who\nhave affairs, gurus who put much emphasis on money, religious leaders who live\nin mansions while those they administer to, live in poverty. How do we\nreconcile the choices of these individuals from their teachings? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can help to remember that we are all on a path of\nevolution. On these journeys, some may make choices that others find\nquestionable. It can be very disillusioning to learn that someone we admire has\nmade life choices that we don\u2019t agree with. What do we do in these instances?\nIt is all too easy to judge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, I would suggest a more measured approach. We all\nmust choose our own path, and some choices are very difficult. We could never\nfully understand another person\u2019s reasons for making their choices. With this\nin mind, it helps to let go of our tendency to judge the choices that another\nhas made. For any choice that anyone makes, there are reasons that are beyond\nour comprehension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we follow a teacher who talks about charity and giving,\nbut then learn that they live in luxury, our reaction might be to shirk from\nthat teacher. However, if we can embrace this person for their weaknesses as\nwell as strengths, and learn from their choices, perhaps we can grow from this\nexperience. So, even though this teacher may have made some choices which we\ndon\u2019t understand, if we are able to separate their choices from their teachings,\nwe can continue to learn. We can embrace these teachers in their entirety, just\nas God loves us all, regardless of any imperfections. We can let the strengths\nbe an inspiration to us, and we can be compassionate about the weaknesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we think back to our youth, we will likely remember a\nteacher or mentor who stood out because they saw our potential and they\nencouraged us. Because they saw the best in us, this made us better, as we\nstrived to be what these people saw in us. Is it possible that if we were to\nfocus on the best qualities of our teachers, we could help them to become\nbetter also?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We live in an ever changing world where the things that were\nacceptable last year, are no longer acceptable today. For the last couple\nhundred years, George Washington, the first president of the United States, was\nrevered. Recently however, there have been news reports about statues of George\nWashington being removed because he owned slaves. Did George Washington change,\nor did the public decide to judge him by new standards? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this idea in mind, perhaps we can try to let go of our\njudgements. Our ideas of what is acceptable, change with the times. Perhaps we\ncan embrace people as they are, acknowledging that no one is perfect. The bible\nreminds us not to judge. The verse in Matthew 7:1 says, \u201cDo not judge, or you\nwill be judged.\u201d In John 8:7, when a crowd gathered to stone a woman for\nadultery, Jesus said, \u201cLet him who is without sin among you be the first to\ncast a stone at her.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I once had a spiritual teacher with a very colourful past\nthat included having multiple children with several different men. Through her\nown efforts, she was able to grow and blossom and become an incredible\nspiritual teacher. Her guidance was always filled with great love and\ncompassion that was born of her own experiences. Perhaps she would not have\nbeen as good a teacher if she had not made certain choices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just as we are all human and we all make mistakes, the\nteachers among us today are also human and have also made mistakes. We can learn\nfrom the Great Ones, like Jesus, who taught us to love everyone. Jesus even had\nlove for those who would nail him to a cross, and asked God to forgive them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Does this mean that we need to keep someone in our lives as\na teacher if we disagree with their current choices? The answer lies in\ndiscernment. How does the teacher live their life? Are they kind and respectful\nto all others? Are they humble? When they make mistakes, how do they make\namends? Is the teacher able to answer our questions? Do the answers seem\nlogical, or do they create doubt? A good teacher will always welcome questions\nand will tell you when they don\u2019t know the answer. In following a teacher, it\nis for each of us to determine whether the teachings are helping us to advance.\nThe right teacher for one person may not be the right teacher for another. We\nall have the right to leave a teacher if we find that their path no longer\ncoincides with our own and\/or we disagree with their teachings. When this\nhappens, we can still be grateful for the lessons we have learned and remember\nthat everyone comes into our life for a reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can help us to remember to love all our teachers, past and present. This includes those teachers we have parted ways with. No teacher is perfect, but the sincere teachers have a desire to share their knowledge and help us grow. Perhaps we are also growing when we can put aside our judgments and find unity with all who have taught us. In the divine plan, we are all one; we are all united. So, if we can see the best in others, maybe we can help them become better, and that would in some way, help us to also become better. In this little way, by treating everyone with love and compassion, regardless of whether we still keep them as teachers, perhaps we could all help to make the world a better place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By L. Stein
Pilipinas <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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