Selecting A Teacher...

[plwk]

From one of my favourite towering figures in the Ch'an world, the late Ven Master Sheng-yen, Founding Grandmaster of Dharma Drum Mountain International and scholar, in his 'Selecting and Studying under a Master':

Although a master may appear to suffer from the same failings as his disciples, it should be remembered that the mind of the master is ever pure.
Were it impure, there would undoubtedly be defects in his teaching of the Dharma.
Even if the master tells lies, steals, or chases women though knowing perfectly well that such actions are contrary to the Vinaya (the canon of Buddhist precepts) -- indeed, even if he does so in full view of his disciples -- he is still to be considered a true master as long as he scolds his disciples if they too commit transgressions.
Such a master will undoubtedly reap the bad consequences of his transgressions.
But this is his concern and no one else's.

Read on here

Your thoughts please

[Clueless Git]

Well ...

I'm pretty sure that in the dhammpada, if nowhere else, there is record of the buddhas teachings vis-a-vis this kind of thing.

I'm pretty sure it was something along the general lines of "a man is a master of nothing untill he has mastered himself".

[Huifeng]

From one of my favourite towering figures in the Ch'an world, the late Ven Master Sheng-yen, Founding Grandmaster of Dharma Drum Mountain International and scholar, in his 'Selecting and Studying under a Master':

Although a master may appear to suffer from the same failings as his disciples, it should be remembered that the mind of the master is ever pure.
Were it impure, there would undoubtedly be defects in his teaching of the Dharma.
Even if the master tells lies, steals, or chases women though knowing perfectly well that such actions are contrary to the Vinaya (the canon of Buddhist precepts) -- indeed, even if he does so in full view of his disciples -- he is still to be considered a true master as long as he scolds his disciples if they too commit transgressions.
Such a master will undoubtedly reap the bad consequences of his transgressions.
But this is his concern and no one else's.

Read on here

Your thoughts please

This is where I call in my "double standards" line.

The is one standard for how we should look at others,
And another for how we should look at ourselves.

eg. we can still look upon anybody as a teacher of sorts if they point out our faults,
but we should never use such lines as the one cited above to excuse ourselves on the grounds that "I am a master, so it is okay".

If we keep the "this is his concern and no one else's" in mind, it will help. However, if they are hurting others, sometimes we have to step in to save them, so to speak.