It has been more than 2,500 years since The Buddha passed into parinirvana (final nirvana), yet his teachings remain embodied and upheld in today’s dharma teachers. Modern teachers are often role models in action, and share their teachings and lessons for the betterment of all. They give without cause or expectation.
In my life, my role models have been my teachers, Both formal (college instructors and teachers) and informal (everyday life and the lessons to be learned). Both types of teachers and their lessons have been invaluable in my life. My hungry mind was fed through teachers who understood and appreciated my appetite for knowledge. My heart learned from those moments provided by life where I needed to understand and apply my learning in way that could not be found in any book or classroom. So you likewise need to seek and utilize such teachers. Someone to help you shine your light on your path and someone to aid you with what you see and encounter moving forward on that path.
It’s all about our balancing of the two.
This is particularly important for dharma practitioners, since as practitioners we need to unravel the true intent and meaning of what we learn: the innate, natural state. We need to understand this and know how to train in it. As with all things in life and Buddhism we need to seek and balance these sources in our life and apply them with a sense of understanding.
Balance in life is no easy feat and for many they never realize its importance until they are forced to seek it. When we begin to understand its power (balance) we will find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be. In the interim we simply have to be appreciative of our teachers, our efforts and who we are at this moment on our journey.
Peace and Love, Jim
