Printed in the Fall 2021 issue of Quest magazine.
Citation: Hebert, Barbara, "From the Editor’s Desk" Quest 108:4, pg 8-9
Barbara Hebert
National President
Some individuals may see the theme of this issue and think it is about the great teachers, the holy ones whom many believe stand behind the Theosophical Society and its formation. Many of us perceive that at least two of these beings, the Mahatma Morya and the Mahatma Koot Hoomi, are responsible for bringing the Theosophical Society into being, with the aid of H.P. Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, and others.
Those of us who believe that these great ones established the Theosophical Society are forever grateful. Personally, I have no doubt that they continue to stand behind this organization as its members share the Ageless Wisdom in countless ways.
There are other ways of thinking and talking about teachers, however, and the articles in this issue, including this Viewpoint, share some of these ways.
The word teach is typically defined as causing another to know something. A teacher, then, is someone or something that causes another to know. Closely associated, of course, is the definition of learn, which is typically defined as gaining knowledge or awareness. However, when we look at the etymology of the word learn, it takes on a deeper meaning, especially for those of us who are attempting to walk the spiritual path. From the website etymonline (https://www.etymonline.com/word/learn), we read that the word comes from the following:
Old English leornian “to get knowledge, be cultivated; study, read, think about,” from Proto-Germanic *lisnojanan (cognates: Old Frisian lernia, Middle Dutch leeren, Dutch leren, Old High German lernen, German lernen “to learn,” Gothic lais “I know”), with a base sense of “to follow or find the track,” from PIE root *lois- “furrow, track.” It is related to German Gleis “track,” and to Old English læst “sole of the foot.”
Læst, by the way, survives in modern English as last: the word for the model of the foot on which shoes are shaped.
Therefore, if we look to its origin, we find that the word learn stems from a sense of walking to find or follow the path, using the soles of our feet.
This is exactly what we are doing: walking to find or follow the path. Our learning is based upon following the path, one step at a time. If our purpose on this physical plane of existence is to become fully human through learning and growing, through the expansion of our consciousness, then, if we are open to it, everything and everyone is our teacher, and we can learn from everything and everyone. We learn so that we may find or follow the track to become fully human, to move forward in our spiritual evolutionary process.
A teacher is anyone or anything that helps us to know or become aware of something, especially about finding and following a path that has been chosen. If one has chosen to become a welder, the path may be knowledge of the process of welding. The same is true for someone who has chosen a path to become an accountant and has gained knowledge of accounting.
Many of us, in addition to our mundane career paths, have chosen a spiritual path. We focus on increasing our knowledge and awareness about spirituality and spiritual evolution for all beings.
How many people do you know who go through their lives rarely learning from the circumstances that surround them and from the people with whom they come into contact? Often these individuals look externally for solutions to problems and difficulties. They blame the world, their jobs, their families, or any number of other things for what is wrong in their lives. Sadly, these individuals don’t even seem to realize that there is a track to find, much less follow.
This track is the spiritual path, and it compels us to learn. Once we become aware of it, we can never lose that awareness. We may ignore it or pretend that it is unimportant, but the knowledge never leaves us. Once we know that there is a spiritual path to follow, we can’t unknow it. At some point on our journey, whether in this lifetime or a future one, it manifests as “divine discontent.” It will niggle at our consciousness until we finally pay attention to it.
I’m reminded of the fairy tale about the princess and the pea. Written by Hans Christian Andersen, it is a Danish fairy tale about a prince who wanted to marry a princess. It was important that she be a “real” princess, and he had great difficulty determining who could qualify.
Then, one dark stormy night, a young woman came to the town gate and knocked on it. Wet and bedraggled, she insisted she was a princess. The queen, questioning whether this was true, set about creating a test to determine if the girl was truly a princess by heaping twenty mattresses and twenty pillows upon a bed. Under these, the queen placed one raw pea. The young woman slept on this bed and in the morning was questioned about her night’s sleep. She reported that she hadn’t slept at all and that she was bruised from something hard that had been in her bed.
The young woman’s words proved that she was indeed a real princess to the satisfaction of the queen and the prince. They believed that only a real princess could be so sensitive and delicate. So the prince and princess were married and lived happily ever after, and the pea was kept in a special cabinet.
While there are many morals to this story, the one that jumps out at me is that regardless of how many soft things were placed between the princess and the pea, she knew there was something there—something deep within that she could not ignore. She was unable to sleep, remaining awake through the night.
We are all aware of the idea that many people are asleep to the reality of the spiritual self, believing that the temporary physical self is the only reality. Andersen’s fairy tale points out that we cannot remain asleep when there is something deep within that pushes us toward awakening.
Everything and everyone we encounter gives us the opportunity of learning, of following the path we have chosen. As we go about our daily lives, we encounter people and situations that can be our teachers if we open ourselves to this possibility. The “pea” may take the form of a difficult family member or coworker or long lines in the grocery store. As we respond or react to them, we can use the opportunity to learn more about ourselves, to increase our self-awareness. The more we learn about ourselves, the more likely we are to move forward on the spiritual path.
We can ask ourselves questions such as: Why am I so frustrated with this long line? What is going on inside of me? What is it about this person that pushes my buttons? What is this button, and how can I get rid of it?
Self-observation and self-awareness are key to walking the spiritual path. Difficult though they are, especially when they have to do with being honest with ourselves, they are an essential component of becoming fully human. Lifetimes upon lifetimes, it requires vigilance and determination to remain open to any situation or individual that can help us learn more about ourselves.
I firmly believe there are great teachers “out there,” who may inspire and motivate us to continue walking this difficult path. Yet the most important teachers seem to be the ones that are placed in our lives every single day: the situations and fellow human beings who provide us with the learning that is essential on our spiritual journey. May we have gratitude for all that teaches us and propels us on our way.