How do spiritual teachers know?

[melody]

Indeed, how all the people who teach spiritual matters know that what they teach? They always state in very uncertain terms that things are the way they are. Sometimes their teachings are similar, but sometimes they differ.

One thing is certain, they all read other spiritual texts to begin with and start forming some point of view in that way.

Then, when a person mediates a lot, he/she might attain a degree of enlightenment. Not all the spiritual teachers are at the same level of enlightenment. Apparently, they acquire guides in the inner planes that guide them through further spiritual journey, and give them answers to their questions.

You can also create your own guides while in a deep meditative state even right now, while not being enlightened at all. The guidance those guides would provide could be very useful and full of pertinent insights. But it is not clear whether this is coming from the Universal mind. In such a case the guide(s) might simply represent a part of one's ego, rather than the Universal knowledge. They might provide answers according to what the person might want to hear, or based on that person's knowledge, believes, and experience. Such answers might be coming from the person's own mind, but from its creative faculty.

How do we know what the spiritual teachers say is indeed so?

I guess it is for us to try to find out by embarking on spiritual training.

[Werp Weg Alles]

I personally find that by reading lots and lots of the different teachings of various teachers I find certain teachings..that "click" or "resonate" with me.  These I take to heart and study by myself and try to reach an even higher degree of enlightenment about.  Life is nothing but a school to learn in.  Might as well take the classes that interest us.

Werp

[JCSuarez]

I agree with you both but my understanding is that instead of this being a learning experience, that this "human" life is more of an experience to achieve the God-like state of unconditional love. From my understanding, in Buddhism, "life" is suffering and only when you detach from ego and transcend your yearning will you find nirvana. In Christianity, you are glorified with eternal life if you follow the doctrines (although some start with the right intention it is not necessarily the path to our higher self.) In any event, these teachings are still an intrepretation of meditations and prayer rather than the voice of God. For fear of sounding like Thomas, I want to believe but must "See" for myself. There is no doubt in my mind the euphoria I feel by just remaining silent in God's presence, but I would like some experiential proof that this is not just a mind job I have given myself searching for the truth.

[melody]

Hello JC Suarez,

Since hardly anybody on this Earth is perpetually, or even some of the time in the state of the God-like unconditional love, we have to learn to achieve that state. We have to learn how to get away from the state of suffering, and we how to no longer experience any negative emotions and thoughts. This is what the word ‘learning’ refers to. When you don’t have something inside you, and you have to find out how to get it, when you have to train for hours even to try to get close to something called ‘unconditional love’, you are actually learning how to experience that highly elevated state of being, and how to no longer experience pain.

It is great that you want to See for yourself. It is also great that you can achieve the state of euphoria when remaining silent in God’s presence. The higher knowledge takes time to be revealed. It is remarkable that you can be so vigilant as not to give in to a temptation to consider yourself having already arrived when starting to experience that state of euphoria. You still have a very long spiritual journey in front of yourself. Just be patient, and continue with your spiritual practices!   

[JCSuarez]

Melody,

I thank you for your kind encouragement. I understand and agree with many of the teachings. I also happen to agree with a lot of the interpretations (I especially enjoy Adrian's recent interpretations of some parables from Jesus.) However, it still does not answer the question that you posed to spark this current string, How do spiritual teachers know? And, how do they know with such precise and specific direction to the questions of our own enlightenment.

Regards,

Juan

[melody]

Hello Juan,

I am not at the spiritual teacher's level of enlightenment, so I don't know how do they know. And they do not really tell us all that often. Some claim that they hear a voice of God, others that an angel appeared and told them, still others might have some other spiritual guides at the higher planes. Many spiritual teachers keep the source of their information private since the spiritual path is quite a private matter.

Two questions can be posed:

-   How do spiritual teachers know that the messages they receive are really coming from beings from the higher planes and not from the creative imagination faculty of their own mind?

-   How can we trust spiritual teacher's claims that things are the way they claim they are? How do we know that what they claim is not actually coming from their previous reading on the subject or a subjective creative faculty of their mind?

The truth is we possess highly effective instrument – our mind. It is capable to most effectively reproduce inside us all sort of physical and emotional states. We can train ourselves to experience those various states, from the ugliest one to the most divine. We are also capable of creating very fantastic stories with all sorts of fantastic characters, and believe in those stories. Just look at the vast literary production - all of the creative fiction of the world.

Children are especially very good at getting into a story and completely believe its reality.
How are we to tell that our channeling of the higher spiritual truth is not just an ability of getting into a state of a free and spontaneous creative outpouring of ideas based on what we already believe while creatively interpreting them and adapting them it to our understanding. Even fiction writers often surprise themselves with where their creative imagination takes them, and how independent their characters become, as if not being created by the author, as if having their own voices with which they speak to authors.

Basically, I don't know.

I hope some higher spiritually developed people in this forum might enlighten us on this subject.

[ProjectYourSoul]

A true teacher will not teach you. A true teacher will guide you to find the answers for yourself.

[melody]

Hello ProjecteYour Soul,

Great statement! But what if a student's Ego leads him to a selfish power orientated direction?

[ProjectYourSoul]

All paths lead to the ultimate realization of the eternal self, ergo there are no right or wrong paths as some would have you believe.

[melody]

All paths lead to the ultimate realization of the eternal self, ergo there are no right or wrong paths as some would have you believe.

In that case there is really no need or use for a spiritual teacher, since it does not really matter what a student does or does not do or what he believes or does not believe.

[marleeblue06]

 hello,

 I just joined  today. I would also like the answer to How do spiritual teachers know?  I've experienced
"the ultimate reality" without searching for it. The experiences were always just a part of my life . No teachers, no Bibles. For me synchronisity, other dimensions , obe's,etc. have just been part of it. I think we all experience it and have no label to put on it. .......So how do they know?

[Werp Weg Alles]

I think this is all based on interpretation. Melody In my opinion you are a very great teacher, maybe not one of the spiritual teachers...but a teacher none the less.  As is just about everyone else............

Anyways, they know what they know and what I've always personally suggested is to find someone who's teachings resonate with you..and follow them.  If you truly believe the teachings...then why question how they came to be??

Werp

[melody]

... a teacher ...  As is just about everyone else............

Hello Werp,

Yes, everybody could be a teacher if they had a pure heart. Unfortunately, our hearts are not pure. We are not even aware to what an extend they are ruled by ego or by the thirst for power, even if that power might appear quite innocent to us...