Quotes:
Plini: "Experience is the most efficient teacher of all things"
Julio Caesar: "Experience
is the teacher of all things"
Tacitus: "Experience
teaches"
BeiYin:
The BEST teacher is the conscious observing and relating to daily circumstances,
then responding to it out of one's own experience, being aware that this
comes out of an old programming, which happened in one's past. So also
observing these reactions, one is able to decide to follow this track or
to try a new way, what might guide to a new experience and triggering new
unknown reactions to be observed and so allowing to get to know oneself.
With other words: Life is the best teacher - if one opens up to it!
'Experience'
not necessarily is a teacher and for sure not the most efficient, because
experience mostly serves to confirm old experiences as being part of the
self image.
The best and most
efficient teacher without doubt is one's own awareness. But to be such,
one has to step beyond one's personality, only then there is a true 'learning'
otherwise every thing experienced only serves to confirm one's programmed
personality, to survive with one's narrow and limited self image and world
view.
To be able to go beyond one's personality one must be so much stuffed with
experience - in a very long evolutionary process - that there is nothing
left to gain more satisfaction. And after being cooked in one's own juice
long enough, what might happen through a lot of suffering like personal
tragedies, loss of family, bankrupt or long incurable disease, then the
personality breaks down and gives space to do the first step beyond one's
self centered existence.
This is a long way to go, although there is a short cut available... But
humanity is so much stuck in their self preserving existence so that hardly
anybody wants to know about it, when it has to do with self responsibility,
being engaged in a challenge. Hardly anybody is questioning oneself when
engaged into the happenings around one. There are no questions. The need
to defend oneself, one's property - in which one's 'experiences' are an
important part - is so strong that there is no opening for something *new*.
'Life is the best teacher'. *Teachers* are not wanted. People prefer a
'second hand life'. The saying: 'Experience is the BEST teacher' shows
clearly how tricky the personal mind works. Pretending something and believing
it out of ignorance! What a naivety! The BEST teacher from the view of
one's personality is the one who just confirms the existing structure.
A real teacher who might provoke and trigger questions will be avoided
and rejected. Or not??? What is your reaction NOW?
Update:
I wrote this article about three years ago. There was no comment about
it. Reading now this after that long time, it answers my question I had
the last few days: People coming to FalconBlanco because they were attrackted
by the Web site and they write to me that they want to come because they
are looking for a different life style, where they can experience themselves
in a new way and explore unknown aspects of themselves. They seem to be
very excited about the possibilities and show their enthusiasm to help
and be part of the indention and the projects of FalconBlanco. They all
ensure me that they have no expectations and they would do what is necessary.
What I wrote here
came out of the experience of more than twenty five years living and working
with people in this set up of 'Intentional Community'. Now I have the experience
of three years more and it confirmes totally what I wrote here. Many times
during the last few years I was wondering why people don't talk, why they
don't ask any essential question? It is still the same, they mainly talk
about food, even when they are eating during the meal. When I talk about
something more profound, like 'human nature' and what could be done to
help to get out of suffering, then people listen for a while and then part
of them leave the room. The remainding might make some comments, but mostly
in a defensive manner, as if I had offended them personally. Later they
avoid to talk with me at all or the most will be: "What will be the weather
tomorrow?"
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