Being the teacher.

More than thirty five years ago, at the end of another long and intensive meditation retreat with my teacher, I went to his room with my usual end of retreat question. I knelt before him with my hands in anjali, the attitude of respect and gratitude and asked ‘Bhante, how can I improve my practice?’

He looked at me for a moment before replying, “Ah, Michael, now you must teach.”

This was a shock and certainly not the response I had expected.

The idea of teaching others was something that had never entered my mind and I considered myself only to be a disciple of a teacher, never the teacher himself.

It occurred to me that I had misheard the answer, and so I repeated my question.

The response was the same, “Ah, Michael, now you must teach.”

With all the humility I could gather, I explained clearly and precisely, exactly why I could not be the teacher.

He listened for a moment and then replied, “I do not ask you for you. I ask you for the people who live on your Island,* so that they too might hear the Dhamma”

With such a response how could I refuse?

As with all things from my teacher it was in the service of others.

Thus, slowly and carefully, I began my new life as a Dhamma teacher, although I still insist that I have nothing to teach, and in fact, Dhamma itself cannot be taught. At best we can only share our joy of life, our liberation from fear and our freedom from suffering, but the person called the teacher is nobody.

We can only be the finger that points to the moon but never the moon itself. In the process of the realisation of pure Dhamma each must make their own effort.

I began to travel, responding to the many generous invitations offered and sharing this beautiful Dhamma as best I could.

The Buddha reminds us that both the teacher and the Dhamma talk should rouse and inspire the heart of the disciple. If I have ever achieved this with my words and my presence, I am happy, if not I ask for your pardon.

My intention is only ever to share the profound joy and beauty of Dhamma in every moment, so that others may be happy and then share that happiness with all beings.

May all beings be happy.

*Isle of Man. U.K.