#165 Concepts, State of being, and Teaching

     In egalitarian societies, if one thinks s/he understands a concept, such as mindfulness, and has perhaps read a book on the subject or has sat in meditation a few times, then s/he assumes that s/he should be able to teach mindfulness. Perhaps it's the "see one, do one, teach one" idea from medicine.

     In reality, there are qualitative changes that occur in the state of being of a person who's spent quality time in meditation retreats and decades of continuous mindfulness practice, on and off the cushion. The guidance such an individual can provide should be significantly more grounded than from one who really only has a beginner's enthusiasm.

Photo: TClair   www.dpreview.com