Working with an Enlightened Teacher

What is it like to work with an enlightened teacher, someone who has stepped outside of the endless circle of duality, stepped into timelesness and eternity, and still offered to stick around to teach?  This zen koan is described in numerous ways in American Buddhist Rebel, quoting from the experiences of many people.  There isn't one way to interact with a fully enlightened teacher.  An enlightened teacher, as any good teacher, works with everyone differently. 

Rama - Dr. Frederick Lenz wrote a poem about the koan of enlightnment: 

Enlightened Masters -- Insights, Tantric Buddhist Reflections on Life (1994)

 Enlightened Buddhist Masters are hard to work with

Because they are:

Touchy,

Critical,

Changeable,

Aloof,

Overly friendly,

Too optimistic,

Too pessimistic,

Too realistic,

Never tell you what you want to hear,

Never appreciate your efforts,

Always point out your weak spots,

Are unattached to everyone and everything,

Don’t grant you your every wish,

Make fun of you on a regular basis,

Are always on time even when they are late,

Have power but are controlled,

Are infinitely more happy than you are,

Are empty,

Are able to do things you can’t,

Are above desire and aversion,

Always do what is spiritually correct,

Pay no attention to your preconceived

Notions of what they should be like or

How they should act,

Turn gold when they meditate,

Don’t care about morality or immorality,

Will do anything to alleviate the spiritual

Suffering of another,

Love God beyond comprehension,

Have passed beyond the boundaries of human reason,

And are always able to find a parking space

Quickly and without apparent effort.

Blog update: August 2020. If you liked this poem, check out the Insights poetry audio book.