May the Truth be Revealed

1999-5-3 06:54:00

There must be something in the air during this Wesak period. I've had several confrontations come out of the woodwork in my personal life and now several on this list. I do not mind them as it is part of the principle of Harmony through Conflict, but it is interesting that I personally see this energy intensified in my outer world during this period. Personally, I have felt a tremendous inner peace the past couple of days, especially on the Wesak day. I sense that some of you on the list have felt it also. Nevertheless, the energies that bring peace to some bring turmoil to others.

Angela seems disgusted with me for reasons unknown or imagined. Let us examine her comments.

JJ Quote: "I thought I'd make a few comments on this answer, since this outlook on the student teacher relationship is quite popular in the new age community. That is, many feel that if there is a student teacher relationship, it means that the student must experience the humiliation of being at a 'lower level'. Since this seems disgusting to many, they instead teach that there are no teachers and no leaders, but all are teachers and leaders and all are students and followers."

Angela Quote: "So, now you're addressing the New Age Community, not what I wrote. I do not find being a student to be humiliating."

JJ Comment: I was addressing what you wrote to the best of my ability, and pointing out that many (but not all) in the new age community follow the same trend of thought. I don't see that this is a point worthy of criticism.

I am glad that you do not find being a student to be humiliating. We are in agreement on this point.

JJ Quote: "Since this seems disgusting to many, they instead teach that there are no teachers and no leaders, but all are teachers and leaders and all are students and followers."

To this Angela asks: "Is it necessarily true that the 'teacher' will be more advanced than the 'student' in ALL areas of knowledge?"

JJ Comment: No. I have never taught or thought such a thing. Why are you assuming that I have???

Angela again asks: "Cannot each teach the other something? Cannot the Spanish speaker teach Spanish and the English speaker teach English and each be the others' student and each the others' teacher?"

JJ Comment: Of course. For instance, Xavier can teach French about a thousand times better than I can. Again I ask, where do you get the idea I would think otherwise????

You need to reread what I said to you. Let me quote again the sentence that seems to be a problem to you: "Since this seems disgusting to many, they instead teach that there are no teachers and no leaders, but all are teachers and leaders and all are students and followers."

Note that I was pointing out the belief of many that THERE ARE NO TEACHERS and NO LEADERS. But even you agree with me here that there are teachers so your argument here is based on a misunderstanding of my words.

JJ Quote: "In addition to that, let us reexamine a true teaching situation: The Spanish teacher knows the language, teaching those who do not know. Does this have anything to do with belief systems?

"None.

"Either the teacher knows Spanish (algebra or whatever) or he does not. To attain a position of a true teacher has to do with the acquisition of knowledge, not belief.

"Who wants to learn from a teacher who just has some nebulous belief system? A student willing to do so gets what he deserves."

To this Angela answers: "Here is where the issue of humiliation enters the picture. And it is not a matter of the student 'feeling' humiliated, but a matter of the teacher actually humiliating the student by insisting on being seen as an absolute authority."

Are you insinuating that I am presenting myself as an absolute authority? Are you just trying to pick a fight here, or do you have some basis for this accusation??? Most who has been on the list for a while would tell you the opposite about me.

Samu has my teachings posted at:
http://www.dlc.fi/~samu3/JJArchives.html

I spent about a book's worth of writings on the wrong use of authority. I think that if you go to Samu's site and read my posts for the first couple of months, you will come away with a different opinion of me. I challenge you or anyone else to find even one statement that I have made where I am trying to set myself up as an absolute authority.

Angela writes: "It is disempowering of the individual to give away their power to a teacher by choosing to believe that the teacher has absolute truths of knowledge."

JJ Comment: It is not disempowering to find absolute truth in the writings of a teacher, a personal experience, or a book. If I teach that 2+2 = 4 and you find out that is absolutely true, that gives you power to do math. It does not take away your power. Such a thought is illusion. You teach many absolutes on your web page. If you think this disempowers people, why do you do that which is against your belief???

Where many students do give away their power, is by accepting a teacher as an authority and his statements as true, without first testing them to make sure the teacher knows what he is talking about.

Angela continues: "By the student approaching the teacher with the concept that the teacher has beliefs, i.e. relative truths, and using discernment of the information presented by the teacher, the student may decide what of the teachings are true for her/him, testing the information, rather than blindly accepting as absolute truth, and becoming susceptible to being led astray by a false teaching."

JJ Comment: As I told you I wrote almost a book's worth of information against blind acceptance of a teacher. I wanted to make this point very strongly at the beginning of the course so we would not have to cover this ground again and again. If you read my first 50 posts, you should realize that this concern you possess is unfounded.

JJ Quote: "In addition to there being true teachers, there are true students. The true student desires to acquire true knowledge, not a belief system. The true student realizes that knowledge is useful and belief is illusionary. The true student tests the teacher and makes sure that the teacher is one who is capable of leading him or her to greater knowledge.

"The true student (or one who is really learning) does not see himself as on a 'lower level'. Instead, he sees himself as one who is progressing to a 'higher level'."

To this Angela writes: "And when the teacher loses that perspective for him/her self, their teaching will become stale. By the teacher thinking that they have arrived at absolute truth and knowledge and wisdom, and setting themself up as an absolute authority in everything they speak, and suggesting that the student either accept in totality every word as truth or reject the teacher as a whole..."

JJ Comment: Are you suggesting I am setting myself up as an absolute authority? Again, find even one statement that suggests such a thing. The truth is the opposite. I have taught that no one outside of the Holy Spirit can be relied upon for unprovable spiritual truths.

Angela continues: "By your definitions, I am not a true student, for I refuse to accept a 'true teacher' as an absolute authority, or their teachings as absolute truth."

JJ Comment: There's no point in me refuting this because you must have been reading statements from some teacher on some other list on this one. I have always taught that I am not an absolute authority.

Angela Quote: "By your definitions of the teacher - student relationship, you are seeking blind followers."

JJ Comment: I think most of the people on this list would be interested in knowing where you get this idea. I teach by using the intuitive principle which depends on asking questions and stimulating the student to reflect on his own soul for the answer. This method does not draw blind followers, but draws people who desire inner contact.

Angela Quote: "...and I hereby reject you as a 'true teacher', for to me a true teacher would advise their students to always question all teachings AND all teachers."

JJ Comment: Again. You must be talking about another teacher here. I have taught the idea of questioning many times. On the other hand, I did not see you advising your students to question you about your teachings on your web page. You state that no one has all the truth, but I couldn't find you advising readers to question you. In fact, you had no questions and answers as we have here, as far as I read anyway.

Angela Quote: "It is a standard practice of the forces of darkness to use covert manipulation to lead those of the light astray into the darkness, by presenting just enough truth to get the innocent to follow them as authorities, and then mix their deceptive teachings of darkness with the teachings of light. A true teacher would warn the student of this possibility, and that the student should never fully trust a teacher."

JJ Comment: On this point I agree and I have warned of this in numerous ways. The most potent warning was in my book, The Immortal, through the character of Philo. This presentation probably demonstrates the subtleties of deception better than just teaching it directly. I have received many positive letters commenting on this section of the book.

"If you meet the Buddha upon the road, kill him."

People think this is a cool statement, but when you think about it, it is stupid. Suppose the first student of the Buddha killed him? The world would have missed a great light and the mission of Christ would not have been as successful as it was.

I believe the point of the original writer was that we should avoid any absolute authority outside of inner soul contact, but I would call this a bad choice of words.

When another great teacher incarnated after the Buddha, who was Jesus, they did crucify him. So do you think those who sentenced Jesus to death achieved greater enlightenment than those who sat at his feet and listened?

I don't think so.

Angela accuses: "You claim to be the Buddha..."

JJ in the Present: Where did I make this claim? And even if I did or even if you do, that is within our freedom to do so. A teacher should be prepared to back up any claim he makes, however.

Angela quote: "...so I now kill you in my perception as Buddha, oh deceiver and leader astray and disempowerer of discernment."

JJ in the Present: The difference between you and me is that you seek to kill. I seek to give life.

Angela Quote: "The highest teaching is of discernment. You put students' acceptance of the teacher over teaching them to use their own discernment."

Discernment is indeed a high teaching. On this point we agree but why do you throw out a mindless accusation that I "put students' acceptance of the teacher over teaching them to use their own discernment"?

Did you just wake up angry and decide to attack someone today even if they did nothing to deserve such attack? I am sorry you feel negative here. Perhaps I was thoughtless and said something offensive. If this was the case I do give my heartfelt apologies and invite you to stay on the list and interrogate me all you wish.

By the way, I notice that you are using the Song of the 144,000 on your web page. I am happy to see the Song posted everywhere possible, but several things concern me. I have given permission to change the word "Father" to "God" or "Father/Mother God", but you have made additional changes to it that I have not authorized, particularly in the last verse.

I would even allow this if you posted the original and then yours as a revised copy, so readers could "choose" to say the Song in its original state if desired.

Also, where the Song is posted, you must post a copyright notice. You can choose (c) 1997 by J J Dewey or
From The Immortal Book I, (c) 1997 by J J Dewey
Also those postings can add:
"The Song of the 144,000 may be posted or duplicated if the above copyright notice is included."