Pearls Of Wisdom

Learn Inward

When we study with someone, we should use his teachings or method to benefit ourselves, and mind not whether the teacher carries out his teachings or not. If we required a teacher to do as he teaches, then it would be very rare to come across one in this world.

Furthermore, why should we want him to do the same as we do? He leads a different life than ours. He only knows a method. We like this method, so we follow what he teaches. It is fine as long as we benefit from it! Why should we mind whether he practices the method or not.

It is just like those who build airplanes. They are not necessarily able to fly them. The workers who manufacture taxis are not necessarily licensed to drive. We can simply buy a car. Why bother to mind whether the people who made the car can drive or not. Is that right? (The audience replied, "Yes!") Pharmaceuticals invents many medicines for people to take, yet they did not necessarily have cancer! He should not have cancer, and he should not take the same kind of medicine.

We all have the same problem. After we have learned from a teacher, we keep watching how the teacher leads his life, and forget our purpose. We should know our purpose clearly. We came to learn how from him. It is fine when we have learned it. It does not matter what that person does. It is the same with anything.

An English teacher of course knows English. However, he does not have to, as we do, find an English speaking person to hold a conversation with everyday. He need not practice. If he does, he does. Whether he uses English or not is his business. It doesn't matter if he speaks Chinese everyday. It has nothing to do with us. As long as we can learn good English from him, then we learn from him. After we have learned it, we too can speak, write, and read English. That is his purpose, which is also ours. We should not mind whether the teacher has written a few books in English, whether he reads English books daily or not, whether he is in contact with English people everyday, or watches English television, etc. If we wanted to, we could do that ourselves. We shouldn't mind him. He can also marry a Chinese woman, talk in Chinese, or eat Chinese meals everyday. That has nothing to do with us at all.