The man who is eager and seeks to be your teacher, is not worthy of that position.
The greatest teachers do nothing more than have a discussion of ideas, and are careful not to force or lead you to any conclusions. They respect your individuality, intelligence and ability to discern truth. They show many sides of the issue refraining from moral judgments and allow you to evaluate them. They do not pretend to be gurus, they do not pretend to know all mysteries. It is evident that they are also on a journey of learning and discovery.
A false teacher will make you believe you need their authority, or some external authority or organization or building. A true teacher may use an organization or building for a time, but only until you understand what true authority is, and where it resides.
False teachers enslave to glorify themselves. True teachers want you to be free and give you everything necessary to be independent under heaven.
Truth may be discovered anywhere, including from false teachers who don’t comprehend what they have.
Every now and then, the sleeping need to be smacked to help them out of their stupor, to give them an opportunity to save themselves from ignorance.
If you’re seeking, studying or searching out of need, from a belief of something you lack, from fear of future punishment or losing out on some future reward or pressure from some other looming event or other form of haste, you’re still at the beginning.
If you fear to learn, explore and discover new ideas because you’re protecting the truth you have, then you don’t have what you think you do.
The truth is, most people are terrified of truth, and what it takes to obtain it.
Breathings 