Did the Buddha have a Teacher?
I’m not going to teach you anything about gratefulness. I think the internet has that covered.
I’m grateful that you are here and that I am here.
Now, let’s dive in.
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Have you ever felt inadequate for not having studied a certain teacher or approach?
Often we are made to feel that the magic is out there, in a guru, a book, a degree, or an expensive program.
That’s why I love the work of Alan Watts so much.
I regard him as a self-styled self-stylist; An anti-guru who never had an organization you could join. In his words:
“a guru is someone who pick-pockets your watch and sells it back to you. But you may need that if you don’t know you have a watch!… …As long as you can be talked out of yourself, you deserve to be!”
When a guru suggested that Alan study under him, he famously retorted,
“did the Buddha have a teacher?”
Of course, the Buddha did not.
The Buddha simply observed the state of affairs for himself and then encouraged others to do the same.
Everything has to start somewhere.
So where does your journey of inquiry start?
My perspective is that you have everything you need already. You don’t need me or anyone else to point the way.
You have your own somatic guidance system, your own inner wisdom, your own intuition, your own tastemaker, your own inner healer.
As they say, wisdom is the ability to take your own advice.
You just need to:
slow down enough to get your own signal (your body knows the answer if you give it long enough),
slow down enough to face into fear and pain in order do the next hard, right thing, and
continue to build out your life in this way, micro step-by-micro step.
If you follow this formula, your life will start to fit better. Eventually, it will hum with meaning and resonance and nourish your soul.
It all starts right here, in this very moment.
Whatever you are considering, let your inner wisdom guide you.
“If you need a teacher, find a waterfall” - Terrance McKenna
