Through the Eyes of a Teacher
Uranda
1936
No matter where one may find
himself to be in the activity of Life, it is well to pause and meditate upon
what may be called "the other side" of all the manifestations and
activities in which he is interested. Students of Spiritual Truth are prone to
get a Student's viewpoint, and hold to it with such ardor that they never see
things from the viewpoint of the Teacher who points the Way.
After all, the Goal of the
Student should be to reach a point of Inner Understanding and Realized Oneness
where he can act and express in the Assurance of the Father within—a state of
Being where he is conscious of a Positive Radiation to the world at all times
through the Christ Spirit, with every expression controlled through direct
cognition from the One within. Having allowed himself to be uplifted into this
Realized Oneness, the Student becomes a Teacher, not because he sets himself up
as such, but because the Christ Radiance which shines through him attracts
those whom he can serve. No true Teacher sets himself up as such. The true
Teacher knows that a Way is always provided through which he can contact those
who are ready to receive the assistance he has to offer. He knows that when he
is ready to teach, his pupil will appear—just as surely as the Student may know
that when he is truly ready to advance, the Teacher who can best assist him on
the Way will appear. So, also, the Blessed One knows that when a pupil is drawn
to him, he should begin to teach—not from the wisdom of his outer mind, and not
because of any idea that he is better than another, for the True Teacher is
never afflicted with a self-righteous attitude—yet he knows that when the pupil
appears it is the Will of God for him that he should let the Spirit direct in the expression of those things which fill
the Student's need at the moment.
Too often Students imagine
that a Teacher is one who knows a great deal, and who can start out and give a
preconceived series of talks or lectures, so that all the Student has to do is
to listen. Such is not the case. The Student should realize that the true
Teacher can only give as the Student responds.
The Student must be conscious of his need
before the Teacher can give effectively. The Law is: "Ask and ye shall
receive". The Student who does not know himself well enough to know his
needs, and to be able to ask definite and direct questions, does not make rapid
progress on the Path. Those Students who bring up definite points, and ask
direct questions, are the Blessed Ones who make the greatest progress in
Spiritual Attainment—all through the day they are busy making applications of
what they have learned, and every point that is not clear, or that does not
seem to "fit", is noted down at the time it is thought of, and at the
first opportunity they ask the Teacher, if they cannot answer the question themselves
through meditation and analysis.
The Law is: "He that
asketh, receiveth." The true Teacher knows that he must, under the Law,
answer carefully every direct and earnest question which is asked by the
Student. A Teacher can always tell which Students are the most alert and
progressive through the questions that they ask. The Teacher knows that
Students who seldom ask questions will not, as a rule, make much progress. The
type of questions asked is, also, very indicative of the Student's reactions. Again
there is a great difference in the way
in which questions are asked. Asking many questions without earnestness—without
that Inner Vibrancy which makes the question vital and of great importance—is
of no value, for the Student will straightway forget to apply the answer, to
his everyday life. There is shallow curiosity, and there is a deep desire to know. The true Teacher always knows the
difference, and answers accordingly—the Teacher gives that which the Student really wants—if he gives anything at all. In the true Teacher there is a
responsive chord which will assist
the Student in drawing the Truth from
within himself.
The Teacher must be careful not to encourage the
Student to depend on him, and yet he
must help the Student in every way possible. The true Teacher never seeks
followers of himself, but he works that all may become true followers of the
Father, in the Christ. The Blessed One who reaches a
point where he begins to attract Students, is he who truly begins to learn—he
becomes the real student. In fact, no
Student has becomes a real Student until he begins to teach.
He knows that all Truth is within himself therefore,
he knows that no matter what question may be asked, he will be able to answer
that question even though he may never have taken conscious thought of it
before. Thus it is that the Student draws the Truth from within the Teacher,
just as the Teacher draws the Truth from within the Student. When this cycle is
complete and harmonious, they two become one
in Truth, and they are true fellow
students. The true Teacher always rejoices when his Student begins to draw
Students to himself, for he knows that a higher cycle is attained. Too often
the Student who has become the Teacher places too much stress on the mannerisms
of expression in teaching as he has known them in his own Teacher. At this
point the outer mind, too often, interferes, and what appear to be differences,
to the Student, are magnified into undue importance. Sometimes the Student, in
making the change of cognition in polarity, takes a positive attitude toward
his Teacher, and then they both lose what has been so carefully builded—yet the
true Teacher carries on without complaint, with nothing but thoughts of Love
for the one who has failed. The Christ Way is so very easy—but the outer mind makes it appear hard. None of these
disturbing things need to occur, yet they do.
Students seldom understand the
true purpose of teaching until they become Teachers. The Student who tries to
"get" Students, that he may become a Teacher will fail—the Christ way
is the Way of Radiating the Magnetic Power of Light, Love and Life, so that
those who will, may respond and be served. The Teacher is always
the Servant of the Student—but woe to that Student who fails to become the
Servant of his Teacher.
The Art of Teaching is the
greatest Art, for, indeed, the purpose of all Art is to teach.
The only excuse for lessons,
books and lectures is to convince the outer mind that it does not know and need
not know All that is. Truth is simple—so simple that the outer mind finds it
hard to understand. Intellectual dissertations on Inner Plane Truths and States
of Being can never portray the actuality of them—they cannot be known except
they be experienced. To spend much time seeking to describe Masters, and the
Realms of Light, is to waste valuable opportunities that are present in this
instant. Those who have experienced Inner Plane Realities to the full know that
they cannot be described by mortal language, and they never attempt to divulge
that which is unknowable to the outer mind while it remains in world
consciousness. They know that mortal mind in its limited state cannot
comprehend such things even if they could be described. Only those who know but little
of these things attempt to describe them in any detail to such as have not
experienced them.
In many teachings that are
prevalent in the world today much emphasis is placed upon things that are
phenomenal to the outer mind. Sensational attempts are made to describe Inner
Plane Beings, the Masters of the Brotherhood of the Christ Radiance, in order
to attract followers, and to make the teachers therein appear wise in the eyes
of men. Let the Earnest One beware of
all such things, knowing that all these supposed, or part real, experiences can
be of value to no one but the one experiencing them, and that they should never
be spoken of except to such as have attained greater, or at least equal,
understanding.
There are rare occasions when
the true Spiritual Teacher may give illustrations and instruction on Inner
Plane Realities to Students who have allowed themselves to be lifted to a high
state of Spiritual Consciousness, for the Teacher will know when such
expression will be permissible and helpful. Yet the Student who never hears
such things from the lips of his world-manifest Teacher should consider himself
to be blessedly fortunate, for the reason that it proves the Student to be
making excellent progress without stimulus, which at best, is to a degree
artificial. To understand the secrets of
Life on this plane is the truly worthwhile achievement, and he who so
understands will surely be uplifted into a true understanding of that which is
of the Inner Plane States of Being.
The true Teacher always acts in the Realization of the Presence,
through direction of the Spirit. Though he is humble, he is likewise bold. He
speaks and acts with authority—not an authority delegated by men, but in the
authority of his own union with God. In this he knows the Inner Meaning of the words,
“Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your perfect works, and
glorify your Father within you.” Let us let the Spirit teach us
what to say and do under all circumstances, that we may be called Teachers IN
Truth. Let us pray that many Teachers may be prepared and called into the Harvest Field.
A glorious privilege of supreme
Service awaits all who will let the Father have His Way. Let us remember that Truth is,
that Truth is One, and that it cannot
be divided, no matter how many Teachers, or Teachings may appear. Every true
Teacher knows that the time is fast approaching when Truth must be recognized
in its Oneness—that there must be a
manifest blending of the Truth in all Teachings—that the complete Truth may
appear in its glory. All Truth is of God, and is God's, not the Teacher's, and
in this Realization all pettiness and jealousy will vanish away. The Truth will stand.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
john revill art johnrevill.com
