--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> On Behalf Of Richard J. Williams > > > > I don't think that love and critical faculties are > > > mutually exclusive. One should never abdicate one's > > > critical faculties. If a spiritual teacher tells you > > > to do so, head for the door. > > > TurquoiseB wrote: > > I couldn't agree more, and find the assertion to > > the opposite -- that one "should" believe that one's > > spiritual teacher is "perfect" -- very curious indeed. > > > This seems to me to be a contradiction in terms - if someone > has a "spiritiul teacher" it would seem that they would have > to leave their critical faculties at the door. Otherwise, > why would anyone want to have a "spiritual teacher" in the > first place - they could just have a "critical faculties" > teacher, or take a course in logic at a secular college. > > So you're suggesting that critical thinking and spiritual development are > mutually exclusive? >
In a qualified sense of "in the moment" and "for the (short) time being", in terms of interacting, being around a teacher, I suggest that it is -- with more qualifications to come. One comes to a teacher to have ones boundaries broken. They may use all sorts of methods to break those boundaries. Methods that may seem irrational to us. If they all were rational and deducible, one would figure them out on their own. I suggest that to take full advantage of a teacher, come with an open mind and heart. Willing to give it a try for some perioid. Without second guessing and critally thinking and evaluating each instruction or teachers action. After some time, or at regular intervals, it IS good to step back and evaluate how things are going. Are there benefits? Is there a down side? Are there ethical issues? Is more time spent with this teacher of value? If so, then go back to total open mindedness for a while. Then re-evaluate. A further qualification is that one can and should use one's critical facilties, during this "openness period", to better understand the fine distinctions the teacher may be making. In most love/surrender relation, critical faculties need to take a rest at times. When ones spouse is stressed out, venting, worried, frustrated, etc, saying "you are just being irrational ahd here is why" may be a true evaluation of the situation. But it often is highly unproductive at that moment.
