Finding a Teacher
Finding an authentic Daoist teacher is foundational for gaining a deeper entry into
Daoist practice and community. In addition to personal affinity, there are certain
qualities that are common and noteworthy. A teacher should embody what he or she
is teaching. A teacher should be cultivating what you want to cultivate. Generally
speaking, teachers should not demand that their students practice something that
they do not or that their students not practice something that they do. Teachers
should also evidence a depth of understanding of the Daoist tradition. Teachers should
embody humility, honesty, and self-cultivation. Teachers should embody clarity, stillness
and insight, and maintain an orientation towards the sacred. A teacher should recognize
each and every student as a manifestation of the Dao and as containing the potential
for spiritual realization. The ordinary and habituated human tendency toward egoistic
concern is tempered by awareness of the Dao as the innate nature of each being. A
teacher should not be overly self-referential or consider himself infallible. A teacher
should not base his or her identity on opposition, negation, or the denial of other
people's experience. A teacher's personality, including personal opinions, motivations,
and desires, should not override the subtle foundations and parameters of personal
cultivation and communal flourishing. An authentic Daoist teacher has an expansive
vision, deep concern, and enduring commitment to his or her students' process of
realization. In short, an authentic Daoist teacher is an embodiment of the Dao and
a model for Daoist practice-realization.
Both teacher and student should embrace and remain committed to mutual respect and
mutual flourishing. There should be a natural affinity and resonance between teacher
and student.
One should also keep in mind that in the Daoist tradition teachers may be gods, immortals,
or physically-embodied humans. Such teachers are only distinguished by a matter of
degrees (substantiality, physicality, mortality, and so forth). Subtle experiences
within Daoism have different levels of depth and different degrees of relevance to
Daoist practice. It is also important for students not to actively pursue "remarkable"
experiences or to become attached to such experiences.
Ultimately, one should trust oneself and listen to one's own aspirations and innate
discernment.
