It is very important to always hold the thought of an enlightened teacher in your mind in a very positive way. When you direct negative energy towards someone who is powerful, it has a terrible bounce-back effect.
If you can't think of an enlightened person positively, don't think of them at all.
We must control the tendencies within our being that are destructive, when we want to slam somebody else, hurt them, injure them, or push them out of the way. A reverence for life needs to be developed, in which all things are sacred.
If one thinks of an enlightened person in a negative way, as it hits their aura, it returns very strongly.
Don't judge others. Always be open to them. Avoid the cult mentality, you know, the super-slick, "I'm superior because I meditate, because I'm on the pathway to enlightenment," the subtle ego nonsense, terrible trap.
Studying with a teacher doesn't simply mean going to an occasional seminar or Zen retreat. It means fully applying yourself to what the teacher says, most of which is not verbal.
It takes tremendous self-restraint on the part of the student not to want to monopolize the teacher's attention, to live a very controlled life and a happy life, and of course, be dedicated to the cause.
Without humility, all spiritual progress stops.
The more moral you pretend to be, the less moral you are; the less moral you try to be, the more moral you are.
Some people like a harsh teacher. They feel the demands make them learn more quickly. Some like a gentle teacher because they feel that makes them learn more quickly.
If you have humility, you are willing to undertake anything to spread the dharma.
How do you become enlightened? Have fun, meditate, don't take yourself too seriously, brush between incarnations and have a good teacher.
Do not envy others. If someone gets a larger piece of cake, be happy for them. They'll get fat and you'll stay thin.
The teacher has nothing to do with people who use their mental powers to block the enlightenment of others. These people lack control. What can you teach someone who lacks control?
Do not be selfish and feel new people will take more of the teacher's attention and you won't get it. That's nonsense. With that attitude, you won't get it. The teacher sees that attitude and will have very little to do with you.
There is no such thing as spiritual achievement; it is simply an awareness intrinsic to all of life.
The hallmark of a person who is following the pathway to enlightenment is that they bring excellence into everything, no matter how crappy they feel.
Once in a while, you will see someone really drippy. The person has to stare at the teacher all the time with that devoted and disgusting and sick look. It's boring, misplaced devotionalism.
One should never become devoted to a teacher, any more than one should become devoted to a statue of a god. There is only one thing to be devoted to, and that is your mind.
Get your emotions under control and your life under control. Work really hard and don't make a big deal out of yourself. Have humility. Believe in yourself. Don't get a fanatical fixation on a teacher.
Don't preach about meditation.
If you respect it in others, you respect it in yourself.
What's important is to be supportive of all who practice. Anyone on any level, even if they don't call it self-discovery, who is seeking to awaken to their own potentials and possibilities, to the inner freedom, deserves your respect and support.
Just because it doesn't work out for you, doesn't mean that it's not wonderful for someone else.
It's necessary to respect all other ways and other teachings on the subject because even though they may not make a lot of sense to us, they might to someone else. Who are we to say?
