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**StarsWorld** · 04-19-2011, 01:48 PM

The point I was trying to make was that a lot of people get so used to having a teacher or a tradition that they can't imagine being in a state in which they no longer have to follow, trust or believe. They identify themselves with the teacher or tradition. That's self-limiting, it seems. It's like enjoying the ride on the raft so much that you refuse to get off it even when you're at the far bank. Of course, I could be wrong, as always.

This was true for myself for many years until I began to have strong feelings that I needed to move on, and that I was no longer learning anything new or beneficial.

One can also get attached to what one's told about the teachers credentials too. Then of course, if one criticises anything, one is likely to be told that one hasn't got "pure view".

Letting all that go and investigating for myself, reading some of the suttas in the Pali Canon and then eventually listening to and talking to a teacher from a completely different tradition felt almost liberating !

I'm grateful for what I did learn originally though, and for some insights gained through practice.

04-19-2011, 01:48 PM	#19
StarsWorld Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 425 Senior Member	The point I was trying to make was that a lot of people get so used to having a teacher or a tradition that they can't imagine being in a state in which they no longer have to follow, trust or believe. They identify themselves with the teacher or tradition. That's self-limiting, it seems. It's like enjoying the ride on the raft so much that you refuse to get off it even when you're at the far bank. Of course, I could be wrong, as always. This was true for myself for many years until I began to have strong feelings that I needed to move on, and that I was no longer learning anything new or beneficial. One can also get attached to what one's told about the teachers credentials too. Then of course, if one criticises anything, one is likely to be told that one hasn't got "pure view". Letting all that go and investigating for myself, reading some of the suttas in the Pali Canon and then eventually listening to and talking to a teacher from a completely different tradition felt almost liberating ! I'm grateful for what I did learn originally though, and for some insights gained through practice.
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