Words of an imperfect "teacher"

My teacher recently asked me if people with me during the trip were my students. I hesitate to say yes.. and just told him that some have learned meditation from me, and may be they could be my "students", others had only attended one or two of my meditation class, and thus cannot be classified as my students. After the explanation, he looked at me and said :" Whatever, but u better know what you are doing"

I can understand that, on one hand, I can teach my teachings and help the "so-called students" to reduce suffering through teaching them to reduce their greed and desire, hatred and anger, ignorance and stupidity, on the other hand, it saddens me to see people continuously never learn and make the same mistakes, increasing their karma of suffering again and again, and not even mindful of it at all.

I looked back and realised that my teaching too is a waste of time as people will never learn when their karmic time is not right. They did not listen, they did not know how.

I am thus always mindful that I am not their "teacher" since there is nothing they can learn from me.

Just like watching the lily bulbs growing everyday, I cannot pull them higher to help them grow faster, or else the green shoots will be de-rooted. I am learning that EACH individual will have their own speed of reducing their suffering and if they need 100 more lives to reach enlightenment, it is not my problem and they can choose to do it themselves... thus the Theravada approach is so correct.

Which is why in Lam Rim (in Words of the perfect teacher), some teachers have to pick up their students karma if they have not teach them well. But luckily, even these are impermanence or else no one will want to be a teacher.

haha.

--
May you be well, happy, peaceful.

With Gratitude,
ROBIN