I like my job

One of my clients shared two "a-ha" moments with me today. One of these said moments has made me have my own sort of moment of deep reflection. This is what she said (condensed): She has always felt herself to be a teacher of sorts. With that, at times she can come off a little strong or opinionated (in her opinion). She was reading a book on Buddhist teachings (she herself a Christian) and found a passage about a NY Buddhist monastery and how they integrate new people. What they do is after a new person comes into the monastery, she or he sits in meditation for some period of time and decides whether or not she or he truly wants to be there. Once the person decides that yes, they want to do this, nothing happens. The monks do not come in to start teaching them at any specific point in time. The teachers do not do anything until the students (the newbies) come to ask a question. She was very struck by this concept, that the students get the teaching they need when they ask and in the order they ask. She is struck, and so am I. What it says to her, and also to me, is profound. For her, it means that she can exercise discernment and discretion in sharing information. For her, it means she may do more listening and less talking. She sees that perhaps people are not always ready for whatever information they may seem to be asking for. She also went further, in the way for example the Zen koan works, and saw the benefit in asking questions for more effective teaching. She can ask instead of tell. She, as teacher, can help illicit someone else's a-ha by asking the right questions. For me, I see it much the way she does. It raises the question of what teaching really means and how it is done most effectively. I think immediately of the Socratic method as a prime example. I also see that the line of teacher and student is always flipping itself on itself. I am grateful for opportunities (like this blogspace, for example) to keep reflecting and hopefully learning.