"Grandmother's Admonitions", number 163 of 188 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.


The measure of a teacher is not on-line or IRL, in a book or in person, virtual or tangible or even live or dead. The measure of a teacher is shown in the student.

I'm not so good a judge of the quality of a Zen teacher. We sometimes see some with real social problems with so called Zen teachers. Some are eloquent some are artistic. Some not so much so. Some are techno-geeks some are technophob's. Some times we like the teacher some we don't. All this matters not as it is the minds game of picking and choosing.

Look at the students to measure the depth of the teacher. Gather trusted friends and listen to their advice.

Everywhere I look I see that I can take a more active responsibility for my Zen practice. This is my part of the Student/Teacher equation. As I up my game, I'm met with more expansive teachers. On-line or in real life does not matter.

Hands together in peace.

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