I have been reflecting a lot on how in the West, we are mostly encouraged to learn and be students only to quickly become teachers. It seems to me like this drive is fueled by the need to prove ourselves worthy. How fast you become a teacher, the master of it all reflects your intelligence, ability and value, which then you can monetize!

When I turn to see spiritual practices in the West, especially "imported" traditions from the East, I see this applies equally in the way we Westerners approach spiritual life. Perhaps this is related to the vast spritual marketplace i.e. how after 200 hours you become a yoga teacher (sometimes without having stepped a foot on a yoga mat prior to the course) and suddenly you are expected to teach meditation, philosophy and even liberative practices.

–"I just want to be a good student, a good practitioner."

Lately, this thought reverberates constantly in my mind. I just want to practice, I just want to learn, I just want to experience more and more intimacy and love with life. I want to enjoy the road, the discovery, the inquiry, the listening, the wonder at this beautiful tradition that has been transmitted with care, detail and devotion. I don't want to think about the finish line, I don't want to worry about how quick I arrive. I am convinced the road has awe embedded in it.

नशिवम् विद्यते क्वचित्

I'll leave here this video from Acharyaji, which really spoke to me today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0CG1MNKoYs