Fundamentals of Student/Teacher Relationship

This is Aloka’s last filmed talk. Its a challenging piece, as it talks about what it means to give oneself in service, especially in service to your teacher. What he covers can sometimes be hard to open up to, especially for us westerners in the DharmaMind group. This talk prompted a lot of discussion in the group afterwards, so is well worth watching

Comments:

Heleni Lindsell: A lot of powerful reminders here. Sometimes it can be hard to hear what Aloka says, but that in itself is a lesson about the ego. I am very glad I watched this.

Rob Grant: In his last talk, Akoka has made me examine the relationship I’ve had with him over the years and recognize how difficult it has been for me to “just surrender”. The feelings of resentment I have often felt towards Aloka are indeed a reflection of the vulnerability of my own ego. It is beginning to dawn on me what Aloka means by a “dharmic relationship” and how different it is from our usual human relationships. As Aloka explains, the normal rules of rationality and reciprocity simply do not apply. Yep, I’ve got a long way to go with this training!