Advice to Students

2009-4-5 05:50:00

Susan Carter made this thoughtful post over at David's Outcast. I thought I would place part of it here and make a few comments:

Susan:

"I have heard JJ say that he hopes that the group forming attracts those who have gifts, knowledge, insight from their current and past lives. The greatest hope is that we may find a Master in our midst to teach us even further light and knowledge AND that we will recognize them when they show up.

"JJ openly admits he shares what he has so that he may get more. If one sits on their knowledge they most certainly won't get more. Their cup of knowledge has to be emptied before it will be refilled. So I think that the very opposite is occurring with him as you are trying to point out John. He is not looking to be the one and only, but is looking to gather a group that will bring down an overshadowing such as the apostles experienced at the Pentecost and throughout their ministries. I worry sometimes that enthusiasm for principles taught will overshadow the message with the man, not by his choice, but by others. History proves that it is likely to happen, especially after he crosses over.

"I think if someone came along and had as much to offer and JJ would start learning from them HE would suggest Keysters belong to both classrooms and they would start working together. So far IMO that person hasn't shown up. There are many who have a piece of the puzzle and provide additional insight, but I haven't met anyone yet with as much to teach as him. Do I think I might? Well, I hope so because that means we are progressing and deserve more.

"Still I like to read other authors and try to keep my perspective fresh so that I don't become myopic and can only say things and think things in the way JJ would say or think them. He certainly doesn't claim to have all the truth and I like the chance to see things from different perspectives. On the other hand, my threshold is higher because of what I have learned at Keysters. I expect a lot more and look for principles rather than a lot of fanciful facts that may or may not be true/provable/of worth, etc."

JJ:

Reading this made my mind focus on the subject of teachers and the approach to them the disciple must take. As I have said before, it takes as much ability to be a good student as it does to be a good teacher.

There are two extremes the student must avoid:

The extreme where an admired teacher is his whole world, where nothing is true unless the teacher or guru endorses it. This is the extreme promoted by cult leaders where the students are not allowed or encouraged to think for themselves. Instead, they are to learn from the cult teacher and no one else.
The extreme where the student has no base teachings that ring with his soul, but moves from one to another using little discrimination to place a value of one over another. In this extreme the student will often claim to believe several different teachers, even though they may teach conflicting doctrines that oppose one another. For instance, some may accept the "Urantia Book" which says there is no reincarnation, and also accept Edgar Cayce who definitely taught it.

It is a simple fact that if two teachings oppose each other they cannot both be true.

The student who follows the Middle Way goes not on the path of either extreme. He is not a black-and-white follower of an infallible prophet or guru, but neither does he flit from teacher to teacher in a never ending quest for truth, but not finding it.

The wise student will seek until he finds teachings that square with his soul. These teachings will then be his base from which he can judge other teachings when the light of his soul alone may not be enough for a full revelation.

Instead of replacing these teachings every few months with the latest "channeling," he uses them as a standard for which to judge others. He will only replace this base with another if his soul confirms that a new set of teachings has a higher percentage or quality of truth. Now even if he does make this replacement he will not leave the truth behind he has gathered from his first base. Truth is truth, and the true seeker will always incorporate true principles he has embraced in his journey.

A higher teacher may correct some errors and fill in some gaps from a lesser teacher, but he will not contradict that which is true.

It is interesting that many teachers in the east demand that their students learn only from them for a period of time. The good ones do this not to establish infallible authority but to avoid confusion. Two teachers of equal quality will often teach the same thing quite differently. If the student is learning the same course from two teachers who teach from a different perspective he will often wind up getting confused and waste both teacher's time in getting them to explain and clarify.

Now I make no such demands of allegiance, but may if I were to teach some specific course in something like meditation, for instance. Where I teach a wide range of material it is not necessary to make any more demand from students other than to take their learning serious and to be courteous.

If some grow to feel that I am an earned authority and can use my teachings as a base until something better comes along well and good. Having a sound base is a much better position than having no base and being "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Eph 4:14)

"I have the simplest of tastes. I am always satisfied with the best."
-- Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)