 Commentary on the Dhammapada–by Swami Nirmalananda Giri
 The Worthy Teacher
Buddha has given us a portrait of the foolish man, and now he begins to speak of the wise man.
We all begin foolish, but after a while we aspire to become wise. If we are fortunate, the first step in this process will be to meet with a wise man who will point out to us the way to wisdom. If we cannot meet such a person–and they are rare, especially in the West–then we should search for the written wisdom of a wise teacher. It is glibly said that spirituality cannot be gotten from books. But the truth is, spiritual awakening or spiritual recognition has resulted from books far more than from meeting with a living teacher. That is because over the centuries the teachings of many wise men have been preserved, whereas the living teachers are always few in comparison. As the Venerable Master Chin Kung, a contemporary Chinese Buddhist teacher, has said, by studying and applying the teachings of any great teacher, no matter how long ago he lived, you can become his student.
So now let us look at Buddha’s teaching on the matter of a teacher, keeping in mind that his words apply equally to living teachers and books of teachings.
“Like one pointing out hidden treasure, if one finds a man of intelligence who can recognize one’s faults and take one to task for them, one should cultivate the company of such a wise man. He who cultivates a man like that is the better for it, not worse.” Like one pointing out hidden treasure
Obviously Buddha’s idea of a worthy teacher is not the one popularly held today. Buddha is not at all interested in a teacher who is totally accepting–just the opposite. He extols a teacher who is not at all accepting of our faults or our sore-ego sensitivity to having them revealed or prodded at.
In the twelfth chapter of Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda tells of his experience as a disciple of Swami Sriyukteswar Giri. Here are some bits that give a general idea. We will begin with the sweet, and go directly to the bitter.
“Lifelong shadow lifted from my heart; the vague search, hither and yon, was over. I had found eternal shelter in a true guru.…Discipline had not been unknown to me: at home Father was strict, Ananta often severe. But Sri Yukteswar’s training cannot be described as other than drastic. A perfectionist, my guru was hypercritical of his disciples, whether in matters of moment or in the subtle nuances of behavior. …my ears were no strangers to reproof. My chief offenses were absentmindedness, intermittent indulgence in sad moods, non-observance of certain rules of etiquette, and occasional unmethodical ways.…Under Master’s unsparing rod, however, I soon recovered from the agreeable delusions of irresponsibility.
“My guru could never be bribed, even by love. He showed no leniency to anyone who, like myself, willingly offered to be his disciple. Whether Master and I were surrounded by his students or by strangers, or were alone together, he always spoke plainly and upbraided sharply. No trifling lapse into shallowness or inconsistency escaped his rebuke. This flattening treatment was hard to endure, but my resolve was to allow Sri Yukteswar to iron out each of my psychological kinks. As he labored at this titanic transformation, I shook many times under the weight of his disciplinary hammer.
“‘If you don’t like my words, you are at liberty to leave at any time,’ Master assured me. ‘I want nothing from you but your own improvement. Stay only if you feel benefited.’
Please read the entire chapter to see the characteristics of a worthy teacher. It is so perfect, that I will say no more except to point out that Buddha evidently thinks that having our faults exposed to us and undergoing reprimand for them is the finding of treasure. Yogananda agrees, for he further says:
“For every humbling blow he dealt my vanity, for every tooth in my metaphorical jaw he knocked loose with stunning aim, I am grateful beyond any facility of expression. The hard core of human egotism is hardly to be dislodged except rudely. With its departure, the Divine finds at last an unobstructed channel.” What a treasure indeed!
There are many kinds of intelligence, but spiritual intelligence is the highest, for it alone frees us from our age-long bondages. A teacher possessing such intelligence has only their freedom in mind when dealing with students. “He who cultivates a man like that is the better for it, not worse.” Two reactions
In our egotism we think that our opinions are discernments of truth regarding things. But usually they are only revelations of our own worth or lack of it. I read of a woman who remarked aloud that a painting in an art museum was worthless. A guard standing by said, “Madam, the merit of this painting was established long ago. What is on trial here is the worth of your perceptions.” Krishna, too, indicates in the Gita that our reactions are according to the quality of our inner makeup. So by analyzing our opinions we can discern the true quality of our intellect.
Much less philosophical was part of the theme music for a favorite television program of my (much) younger years. Every week before Richard Greene swung across the screen as Robin Hood, the words boomed out: “Feared by the bad; loved by the good….”
Buddha had the same conviction, for he further said: “If a man disciplines, instructs and restrains them from what is not right, he will be dear to the good, and disliked by the bad.” The students’ declarations that the worthy teacher is good or bad is a revelation of their own inner condition. Here, too, Yogananda helps us to understand.
“But divine insight is painful to worldly ears; Master was not popular with superficial students. The wise, always few in number, deeply revered him. I daresay Sri Yukteswar would have been the most sought-after guru in India had his words not been so candid and so censorious.
“‘I am hard on those who come for my training,” he admitted to me. “That is my way; take it or leave it. I will never compromise.…Tender inner weaknesses, revolting at mild touches of censure, are like diseased parts of the body, recoiling before even delicate handling.’ This was Sri Yukteswar’s amused comment on the flighty ones. There are disciples who seek a guru made in their own image.…
“Students came, and generally went. Those who craved a path of oily sympathy and comfortable recognitions did not find it at the hermitage. Master offered shelter and shepherding for the aeons, but many disciples miserly demanded ego-balm as well. They departed, preferring life’s countless humiliations before any humility. Master’s blazing rays, the open penetrating sunshine of his wisdom, were too powerful for their spiritual sickness. They sought some lesser teacher who, shading them with flattery, permitted the fitful sleep of ignorance.
“…But toward students who sought his counsel, Sri Yukteswar felt a serious responsibility. Brave indeed is the guru who undertakes to transform the crude ore of ego-permeated humanity! A saint’s courage roots in his compassion for the stumbling eyeless of this world.
“When I had abandoned underlying resentment, I found a marked decrease in my chastisement. In a very subtle way, Master melted into comparative clemency. In time I demolished every wall of rationalization and subconscious reservation behind which the human personality generally shields itself. The reward was an effortless harmony with my guru. I discovered him then to be trusting, considerate, and silently loving.”
The love of such a one is the only love worth seeking and finding. Actually, it is the only love there is. “Unconditional love” is only given by those who have themselves transcended all conditions and conditionings.
1) Dhammapada 76 [Go back]
2) Yogananda’s elder brother [Go back]
3) “Even a wise man acts according to the tendencies of his own nature. All living creatures follow their tendencies. What use is any external restraint?” (Bhagavad Gita 3:33) [Go back]
4) Dhammapada 77 [Go back]
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