Assignmnent: Indian Meditation Paper
Gurus and Spiritual Friends
Task: Spiritual teachers of different sorts have long been considered important for meditation practice in South Asia. Their significance varies, however, in different traditions. In Buddhist traditions we have seen Thich Nhat Hanh offering basic Theravada teachings and Kathleen McDonald (an ordained nun) presenting Tibetan Mahayana meditations; in the film The Lion's Roar, we saw the Karmapa, his four spiritual sons (called Rinpoches), and the U.S.-based teacher Chogyam Trungpa. In Hindu-oriented traditions we have seen Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, Kabir and Paltu (see O'Flaherty reading pages 139-142), and Osho/Rajneesh. Making reference to at least two of these teachers, write an essay that examines some possible roles that teachers can play in contemplative practice. You might consider questions such as the following: In what ways do the teachers invoke authority from scripture (or not)? If the teacher is thought to have achieved perfection or enlightenment, to what extent is that perfection or enlightenment important for the role he or she plays for disciples? How, further, might disciples see their teacher as a being with access to higher realities: does the teacher have some extraordinary cosmic status? To what extent do any differences among the teachers stem from the teachers' roles in a particular society at a particular time, the type of practices they offer, and the doctrines of the religious traditions from which they come?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.