Online teachers

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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lucky-2012
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:48 pm

Online teachers

Post by lucky-2012 »

Hi

Can anyone recommend a teacher who accepts students for an online relationship, or is this not a good idea (ie should it be face to face)? I feel I am at a point in my practice where I would like (need?) to have a good teacher. Also how would one go about asking to be a teacher's student? I have had various teacher-student relationships previously, but feel I am looking for something different this time, ie. someone both advanced and with a strong theravadan background.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

With metta

:anjali:
"Make it your sport — watching the defilements and making them starve, like a person giving up an addiction"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai ... ensed.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Cittasanto
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Re: Online teachers

Post by Cittasanto »

lucky-2012 wrote:Hi

Can anyone recommend a teacher who accepts students for an online relationship, or is this not a good idea (ie should it be face to face)? I feel I am at a point in my practice where I would like (need?) to have a good teacher. Also how would one go about asking to be a teacher's student? I have had various teacher-student relationships previously, but feel I am looking for something different this time, ie. someone both advanced and with a strong theravadan background.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

With metta

:anjali:
Best to get to know the teacher first!
it is important so you see their keeping of the precepts, and if they act and speak in accordance with eachother, i.e., they walk their talk. and they can get to know you, a online relationship is not the same as a one on one relationship.
If they charge for their time I personally wonder if the teaching isn't just general, something they give to everyone and not specific to the needs of the person!
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
lucky-2012
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Online teachers

Post by lucky-2012 »

Thanks Cittasanto

My main motivation for wanting a teacher is that I am finding it more difficult to maintain harmlessness (e.g. wrong speech), and I am wishing for some guidance on finding my life's "mission" (for want of a better word). However I am open to the idea that maybe just meditation is the best way forward. For now that seems like the only option so I will try and develop my patience.

With metta

:anjali:
"Make it your sport — watching the defilements and making them starve, like a person giving up an addiction"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai ... ensed.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Ben
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Re: Online teachers

Post by Ben »

Greetings,

If you have the time and inclination, a residential meditation retreat maybe very beneficial for you at this time.
kind regards,

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

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rowyourboat
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Re: Online teachers

Post by rowyourboat »

Hi Lucky-2012,

What's stopping you from developing harmless speech?

With metta
lucky-2012
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Online teachers

Post by lucky-2012 »

Hi Rowyourboat,

To answer your question - just bad habits I think. In particular when online (so maybe that is a sign that an 'online' teacher wouldn't be the way to go). Maybe because I work with computers, I have a tendency to let my fingers take over. This has landed me in 'trouble' on facebook, twitter, online forums, etc etc.

With metta
"Make it your sport — watching the defilements and making them starve, like a person giving up an addiction"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai ... ensed.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
lucky-2012
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Online teachers

Post by lucky-2012 »

Ben wrote:Greetings,

If you have the time and inclination, a residential meditation retreat maybe very beneficial for you at this time.
kind regards,

Ben
Thank you Ben, I have started looking into this.

:thanks:
"Make it your sport — watching the defilements and making them starve, like a person giving up an addiction"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai ... ensed.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
rowyourboat
Posts: 1952
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Location: London, UK

Re: Online teachers

Post by rowyourboat »

Hi Lucky,

As long as you think that handing responsibility over to a teacher is going to get you to nibbana, I don't feel you will get there. What you type is your responsibility - your online or otherwise teacher cannot (and will not) police your thinking for you.

With metta

Matheesha
With Metta

Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
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Cittasanto
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Re: Online teachers

Post by Cittasanto »

lucky-2012 wrote:Thanks Cittasanto

My main motivation for wanting a teacher is that I am finding it more difficult to maintain harmlessness (e.g. wrong speech), and I am wishing for some guidance on finding my life's "mission" (for want of a better word). However I am open to the idea that maybe just meditation is the best way forward. For now that seems like the only option so I will try and develop my patience.

With metta

:anjali:
Hi Lucky,
Have you thought about doing a non-Violent Communication course, or Insight dialogue retreat?
these focus on right speech and have useful tools to use in everyday life.

Although Insight Dialogue is based in Buddhism, NVC isn't, although I believe one would be hard pushed to not see any comparison.
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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mirco
Posts: 450
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:12 pm

Re: Online teachers

Post by mirco »

lucky-2012 wrote:Can anyone recommend a teacher who accepts students for an online relationship, or is this not a good idea (ie should it be face to face)? I feel I am at a point in my practice where I would like (need?) to have a good teacher. Also how would one go about asking to be a teacher's student? I have had various teacher-student relationships previously, but feel I am looking for something different this time, ie. someone both advanced and with a strong theravadan background.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Bhante Vimalaramsi Mahathera (& Sister Khema) are teaching online via yahoo-group, email and videos since years.
Many lucky students at any level from around the world.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dhammasukha" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Yahoo-Group
http://www.dhammasukha.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Site

Metta&Smiles,
Mirco
lucky-2012
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Online teachers

Post by lucky-2012 »

Thank you all for your comments.

With metta

:anjali:
"Make it your sport — watching the defilements and making them starve, like a person giving up an addiction"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai ... ensed.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Jack
Posts: 95
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:54 pm

Re: Online teachers

Post by Jack »

Lucky, there are quite a few very good teachers that use Skype. It has worked for me and I know lots of people who have had success with this method. Try http://alohadharma.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or http://www.pragmaticdharma.com/forum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. They have both very advanced practitioners and beginners as students.

I have more info it you need it. My email is [email protected].

Jack
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