Three Thursday evenings, July 9, 16 and 23 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM PT
The student-teacher relationship is a sacred engagement between an aspiring dharma practitioner and a teacher. In this 3 session evening course on Zoom, we’ll explore
- The many roles and contexts of teachers in Buddhism
- Different kinds of student-teacher relationships in the three paths of Buddhism
- The function of the student-teacher relationship – Is it needed here and now and if so, why?
- The evolution of a student-teacher relationship across years of practice
- How we approach student-teacher relationship at Dekeling
- One teacher or many teachers?
- The give-and-take of a teacher and the communities they service
- How to make the most of teachings, advice, and guidance you receive
- How to ask questions, have a one-on-one meeting and get advice or prayers, etc. with western and eastern teachers
- Proper discernment when choosing teachers and other dharma guides
- The student’s role and responsibility in the relationship
- Balancing risk and gain in practice in general
Understanding the reasons one might want to consider a relationship with a spiritual friend or guru helps us decide on whether to engage with a teacher as something more than a living source of teachings. Since Tibetan Buddhism is relatively new to our culture, it’s easy to conflate our experiences and ideas about guides in general in communities and our relationships to dharma teachers. This can create confusion and put both students and teachers at risk.