"Teachers:" Mirror, mirror, on the wall -- whose mirror is it after all?

Question

I believe that all people cross our paths with purpose, that there are no chance meetings and that we have something to learn from everyone who touches our lives, as they can learn from us.

Essentially, I am asking the oldest question ever: which came first, the chicken or the egg? When someone comes into your life, how do you know who is supposed to learn what from whom? How do you reduce your ego so that you might ensure you learn what needs to be learned from someone when they came to you specifically to study what you know?

What steps do you take to not waste that moment?

Answer 1

"What steps do you take to not waste that moment?"

Spontaneity rules, baby!
Paint the mirror black.

Answer 2

I learned a long time ago that I never really know a subject until the third time I learn it and have taught it to someone else.This seems partly due to a quirk of the way my memory functions, as I have trouble with short term memory recall and recalling long term memories requires that I be in essentially the same psychological mood that I was in when I first learned it to access the memory.This and my own failability keeps me a little more humble than most.
I am a union hand and the least experienced of the journeymen in our shop. When training apprentices I seem to be the most approachable of the journeymen. This is because I don't act like a know it all, both because I don't and the other journeymen would cut me down pretty quickly if I did. I also deliberately act a less competant than I am and let the apprentices think that they can help me figure things out in a conspiracy against the old hands. We talk our way through the problems and I try to give just enough leading hints that they find the answers and why. I also suffer from allergies and there are days when my mind is so fogged, usually early in the morning that I can't think straight. When that happens there are certain of our more complicated and dangerous tasks that I will not even attempt until the fog lifts. I let the apprentices know this and ask their help in doing the work and staying safe. Their input is valuable in this way as is staying involved and alert. They do teach me as we work. One of our apprentices was a journeyman lineman for 3 decades before taking our apprenticeship. He has taught me more about actually working high voltage safely than any of my instructors did. Hopefully now his knowledge is spreading through the shop to the other journeymen.

Answer 3

Wow shihan, TWO questions in one. I'll answer the question that you intended first.

You are supposed to learn from each other. Having taught High School for a number of years before I gave that up, I realized that I, as the teacher, seemed to learn an awful LOT from my students. Over ALL the years of my life, I have learned that; There is No such thing as "one way learnin/teaching". The teacher learns at LEAST as much knowledge from the student is the knowledge that is being imparted. When a person thinks that he/she is teaching, and teaching ONLY, then that person is NOT doing a very good job of BEING a teacher because he/she is NOT opening his/her self up to the incoming knowledge that naturally comes with teaching.

Second Question, "which came first, the chicken or the egg?". Genetically speaking, the EGG came first. Changes in genetic makeup have to come FROM the mutation of the germ plasm of the offspring's genetic makeup. Therefore, we don't KNOW what laid the first chicken egg, but it was NOT a chicken. It was some other closely related species of foul that somehow produced a autosomal defect that proved to be superior to that original species.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 4

There is no time, no chicken, no egg, no birth, no death. We are the light shining on a screen that form images, we mistake ourselves for the images and not the light, for the light is very strong, actually we are right before the light bursts forth from the unmanifested, are the unmanifested. But here we are seemingly in a universe of creation and destruction, amazing isn't it? This is so strange to the way I was taught that it had to come suddenly upon me, for really it is stranger than can be thought. We are enlightened by all things that are no things, wondrous! I was a tragedy that fell into the mystery and became an enigma. {I just like saying that part} Hey, I'm a coyote. *sip*

Answer 5

One of my 'teachers' once said the reason many traditions bow to one another upon meeting is symbolic of emptying the mind of all preconceived notions, beliefs and opinions. You bow down and let everything fall out :-)))

My experience has shown that there is not a single being in existence that doesn't have something we can learn. Conversations have a life of their own and draw from each what the other needs.

The best suggestions I have are simply to be open and trust that the universe will provide. Once you've established that trust, the results will bloom all around you.

((((( Cosmic Moments )))))

Answer 6

In my opinion the posed question is related with Religion and Spirituality provided that I have not mistaken to follow the mind of the questioner. There are certain persons took birth who had spiritual insight with reference to Hindu religion and spirituality. Rest get it through a grace of a teacher(or one can name spiritual teacher). The role of a teacher is to show the way,but the function of the aspirant is to complete the journey of life or path to obtain peace& happiness in the actual sense through his(teacher) efforts. For example, Swami Vivekanand has stated:All teachers have saw God;they saw their own souls,they saw their eternity,and what they saw they preached. After a great devotation of your teacher in terms of mirror,you have achieved eternity as your teacher has saw and you have obtained all peace & happiness as stated above by Swami Vivekanand. I thank to the questioner to ask question which may be interested for religious & spiritual readers.

Answer 7

It took reading the answers to understand the question. Long ago I looked and saw that I did not like the me that was - so I killed him. The new me I like much better. My relations with the world are for the large part benign. I try not to kill or injure or destroy. I nurture new life and growth when and where I can. While the actions of others frustrate me I try to ensure that they never change me. I will try to be your 'devils advocate' if you wish, or simply agree with you if you prefer. If you want need or desire just ask and it will be given. Knock and it shall be opened to you. Seek and you will find.
Bless you my child.

Answer 8

You teach in the process of learning. Formal teachers teach what they know in order to transcend it, and in many cases what they are learning is how to be a student. Let the teaching take care of itself. You never need to focus on that. If you forget that you are always a student the 'lessons' may become difficult and painful.

Answer 9

Ahh my friend, we must have a common thought this morning. I awoke with that thought on my mind also. I posted a similar question just minutes ago. For me, we are All One. The Teacher and the Student. Cosmic Kiss said it pretty darn good. Pass it on. Keep open minded in All Things!!

Namaste

Peace and Love

Answer 10

Open your heart.
Be watchful, be mindful, listen to yourself and watch what you choose to speak about.
Step back, be the observer of yourself. Ego can be a useful tool, and in Tantric Buddhism, we use everything. Take the time to notice where you feel you have the most to say, and say nothing.
Watch yourself squirm. Laugh. Shake it off, and open your heart.

At least, that's what I try to go for....lol
Namaste...

Answer 11

A long time ago I went through a very difficult time in my life and talked to a psychologist, who helped me a lot...one day I greeted him with 'Are you ready for our session?' He replied "who is the patient today?' It was the first time I realized I was teaching him as well as he teaching me...we all learn from each other, we are all teachers and we are all students...