What’s distinctive about Zen is that the truth isn’t personal, it’s relational. Although there is a teacher and a student, the true teacher is the clear, open and whole hearted engagement of both of them, together.
My first teacher Nancy Amphoux was dying of cancer in 1992 when she came to Glasgow for the last time to teach.
At that time, the cancer had spread into her bones, particularly her sternum, which was crumbling away. I asked her if she intended to take pain relief and she said that she wouldn’t, because it was more important to be able to teach clearly than to suffer temporary pain.
It took me a long time to realize that the person she was teaching clearly was me.