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Summer 1992

NAMASTE,

“The whole issue of the student/teacher relationship is a very complex and interesting one and certainly requires more space than I have left at the moment. In fact, it would probably require more space than I will ever have. Nonetheless it is an important issue and one about which I have some knowledge, being both a student and teacher, and some opinions. So in the next newsletter we’ll take a look at some of the more significant aspects of that relationship, a relationship which resides at the core of what we do here at Unity Woods.”

With those words I ended my letter in the last newsletter. Perhaps I was a little brash, setting myself up to take on such a weighty topic, especially one about which there are so many different strongly held ideas and opinions. I’m reminded, however, of something B.K.S. Iyengar, my teacher, once wrote in response to a question I had asked him. He said, “Be cautious. Be bold.” Although he unfortunately didn’t tell me when to do which, maybe this is an appropriate time for the latter. We’ll see.

In thinking about the relationship between the teacher and student four primary issues come to mind: trust, respect, personality and power. There may be others that will occur to you, but any serious discussion of these four, as far as I can see, will address most of the questions and problems that arise between student and teacher. I talked some about trust in the last letter, so let’s leave that for the moment and move on to the subject of respect.

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In discussing a term like respect, I like to look in the dictionary to see how the particular word, which we often use so casually, is defined. Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary (1984) says that respect is: “v.1 to feel or show deferential regard for; esteem. 2. To avoid violation of or interference with…-n. …3. Willingness to show consideration or appreciation.”

In order to understand how this issue operates in the teacher/student relationship I’ll use my relationship with Mr. Iyengar as an example.

To begin with, I had a large measure of respect for Mr. Iyengar before I ever met him because of his book, Light on Yoga. It was the best yoga book I had read, and from it I could see that he had been at the practice of yoga a long time, had worked very hard at it, and knew a whole lot more about it than I did, so I felt and was ready to show “deferential regard for” him from the outset.

I also developed respect for him via the results I experienced following the directions in his book and from my experience with the several instructors of his method with whom I studied before going to India to study with him. In fact my decision to go to India was the direct result of taking a two week workshop with Victor van Kooten, who at the time was one of Mr. Iyengar’s senior teachers. So many new vistas opened up to me during those two weeks, my sense of “esteem” for the Iyengar tradition was so enhanced, that afterwards I felt compelled to go to the source and experience firsthand Mr. Iyengar’s teaching.

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Of course not everyone studies with a teacher they know something about ahead of time. You walk into a class, there’s the teacher, and you both go from there. Whatever the situation, respect must ultimately be earned and grow on an ongoing basis.

My respect for Mr. Iyengar grew upon meeting him for the first time. His presence exuded knowledge and authority, and his first instructions indicated he possessed an understanding of the subject which was far beyond anything I had even imagined. For me there was no question as to whether or not to defer to him in class. Everyone, however, does not feel that way. I have seen some people in class try to challenge or resist his teaching. No doubt many teachers have had this experience with students in their own classes. I find it disturbing when people behave in such a way. While there are certainly people around who have practiced and studied long and hard enough to have formulated opinions and had experiences of their own that merit respectful consideration, the classroom of another teacher is not the place to raise challenges. Questions? Yes. Challenges? No.

To my way of thinking, the classroom is the place for the teacher first to give information and for the student to receive that information. Then the student gives information back to the teacher by attempting to put into practice what has been given. The teacher receives that information in order to refine the process of transmitting the teaching most effectively to the student. To interfere with that process by challenging the teacher and/or the instructions is, by the definition, disrespectful, besides being arrogant. It clearly violates one of the bases of the student/teacher relationship.

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I do want to make it clear that I don’t think that a teacher or an instruction should be beyond question, but I do think that the student’s first responsibility is to do his/her best to take in the teachings as openly as possible. Only in this way will the student be able to understand what the teacher is trying to transmit. If the teaching is not clear to the student, then the student certainly has the right, indeed I would say the obligation, to take steps toward understanding the teachings, including asking questions. This is an entirely different process than occurs when the student formulates some opinion of her/his own, however, and then either directly or through adversial questioning challenges the authority of the teacher or the teachings during a class.

There are times when it is appropriate and respectful, i.e., “showing of consideration”, to air differences, either in class or in a private appointment with the teacher. Of course informed differences do arise, and these can be such that they may threaten or even terminate the teacher/student relationship, but that is still no reason for the student to be disrespectful.

The student can also be respectful by exhibiting “willingness to show …appreciation” to the teacher. This can be done by simply saying, “Thank You”. I don’t know how many times I’ve said that to Mr. Iyengar. Lots. But the way I feel I can best show my appreciation is by taking in the teachings and putting them into practice. “Thank you’s” are easy. To work hard and present the fruits of that hard work are the deepest and sincerest forms of appreciation and respect.

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It is important to recognize that respect is a two way street. The teacher also has an obligation to respect the student, and there are a number of ways in which the teacher can and should manifest that respect. But once again space limitations are upon me, and I don’t want to give the subject short shrift. So I’ll take up that side of the equation in the next newsletter.

Now I’ve done it again. And what’s more I still have personality and power to discuss. Perhaps boldness has turned madness. So be it.

I hope you have a good summer. Please come join us on August 23 at our annual picnic. We’d love to see you there.