Is it our job to teach others?

Question

It's said, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear". This implies nobody needs to position themselves as a teacher, but rather to prepare oneself as a student. As a student, one inevitably teaches. Concepts are discussed, various behaviors are tried out on others, boundaries of awareness are explored. It all happens in relationship with other.

It's also said, "What you resist, persists", which implies we draw situations to us for our learning. There's also the concept of "lessons" being given to us, which is another way of looking at the same process. Could it be that this is how "the teacher appears"? Are we not simply mirrors for each other, teaching as an inevitable consequence of our learning? When we forget that we are students first, do the lessons perhaps become more difficult?

I mean teaching in a spiritual context, not computers and basket weaving and such. :)

Answer 1

Confucius said similar thing too, "if three people are passing by, among them should be my teacher." Your span is just wider ^.^ Good job.
Just noticed... even when I remember I'm a student, even when teachers are right next to me, I need to be ready to learn something completely new - if I stuck with my old ideas and concepts, cannot really learn...

Answer 2

Teachers are most abundant.
There are just not enough real students, such as this one, to go around!
So says the teacher.

It is necessary to keep cleaning the mirror
We just keep polishing!

"The Teacher always finds the student, the student never finds the teacher."
It's quite an amazing relationship indeed!

When a flower opens its petals, the bee knows when this happens and goes inward to get a glimpse of that which is within!

A Teacher points out the potholes in the road that may lay in waiting for the student. Much like a traffic cop at an intersection, always giving directions, yet not forcibly.

Since the question deals with Teachers, I will share my Teacher, "The Qutbiyyat". A Sufi Saint. The web site is below.
http://www.bmf.org/

Answer 3

Thanks for such a nice and relevent question. I am pleased to reply to this.

Spiritual subject is so much beyond our comprehension, that we will always remain confused about it, unless we are trained by a theoretical and practical saint. By the Vedas, this personality is known as ' Shrotriya (theoretical) Brahmanishtha (practical) Mahapurush (saint).

We, on yahoo R&S can deliberate on the subject, but none of the messages should be taken on the face value. You may like some answers sometimes and not so much othertimes. And you may hate an answer by the same person at other times. It is only when you have full trust in the answers provided by a particular person, that you like them under all the situations , that you can start learning theory part from him.

But until this man has come face to face with God (to me Krishn), he too is of no use really.

But he is better than passing time elsewhere.

Answer 4

That which we resist, persists....and that which we see through, disappears.

When the student is ready the teacher will appear, when the lesson is learned...the teacher can move on to another place of teaching or return to being a student of something new.

The mirror is the reflection....the teacher is always learning...never forgetting that there are two roles being lived simultaneously.

We all teach...and we all learn.
Change is constant my friend.

The lessons only get harder if resistance returns....otherwise the lessons are different....but not necessarily more difficult.

Answer 5

Wow, that is so true.

Your first quote also works the other way around:

"When the teacher is ready, the student will appear."

We do need to keep our number one priority as learning... It helps to keep us humble.

I once did a class at church called "Teaching - No Greater Call". It pointed out that a proud teacher, who lacked humility, would incite feelings of great resistance within the students. Respectfulness and willingness to listen and learn is an essential trait of an effective teacher.

Answer 6

I completely agree that there is a disparity between male/female primary school teachers. Whether this is due to the concerns you raise?.....hmmmmm.....I'd say probably not. I think there is still a vast difference between the careers that females and males consider, certainly at school. Whether this is just a natural inclination or a failure of careers education in schools is open to debate. I suppose one possible ramification of this though is that it does make it difficult for a young female or male trying to cross the gender gap. In my experience males are far less likely to consider choosing a non-gender-stereotypical career than females, so maybe this leads to people unfairly questioning men's motives for wanting to work with young children? I don't know, although Nealo D's answer above is interesting. There is plenty of evidence that the education is failing males and the crucial point is often at primary school. Boys often start to fall behind at a very early stage in their educational careers so that by the time they get to secondary level they are already disaffected and often disengaged from the educational system. A lack of gender balance amongst teachers at primary level is only going to reinforce this.

Answer 7

It's my job. I teach my son about all things in life that I can, I teach my husband how to use a computer, and I teach my adult students ESL. I am a teacher by profession, but I agree with you that people should always be open for a learning experience. So...

My son teaches me how to be a good mother, my husband teaches me about his political philosophies and baseball, and my ESL students teach me how to say "I love you" in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and any other language that is in the room, along with other words and phrases. AND they help to teach each other English!!

When everyone is open to take on the role of either teacher or student, we can all help each other AND ourselves in such remarkable ways!!!

Fantastic Question!
Blessings,
Lady Morgana )0(

Answer 8

learning and living happens at the same time.its not like first we learn some 'leasons' and then we are going to apply it into our life-this is not the way it works. ultimately there is no student,teacher,teaching.Look within,
There is no difference between yourself, Self and Guru.
You are always Free. There is no teacher, there is no student, there is no teaching.Truth is not knowable, it transcends knowing. It is beyond the ability of mind to analyze, to figure out, to dissect or to comprehend.
there is nothing to 'learn' from life.life is as it is- just live it.
life and 'you' are not two different 'things'. life is living itself.
there no 'you' to live it. be as you are.
lots of love,
joson

Answer 9

We are to be like the teacher, a preacher, to grow and be more Christ like.

To gain knowledge, and understanding, from life experiences, to seek truths and pass them on so we can learn more to pass on to build up our spirits for the journey:)

Answer 10

It IS my job. I've been a teacher for 26 years.