Rev. Danny Fisher offered this Barbara O’Brien piece up on his blog. Despite its brevity I agree that it is a very valuable bit of writing for those looking for a teacher.
How do you know which teachers are for real and which are phonies? Many schools of Buddhism place great importance on lineage — the teacher’s teacher, the teacher’s teacher’s teacher, and so on, going back generations. Most schools of Buddhism only recognize teachers who have been authorized to teach either by that school’s institutions or by another authorized teacher.
I especially like:
A few tips: Only the phonies claim to be “fully enlightened.” Beware of teachers who ooze charisma and are worshiped by their students. The best teachers are the most ordinary ones. The true teachers are those who say they have nothing to give you.
