another thumb’s up for
Txwingchun’s opinion.
There are many aspects; Respect exists in a balance. That is pretty much my conclusion.
I don’t consider worship=respect, nor do I think that this promotes healthy psychological balance. Amounts to brainwashing, over time. You might not even know it.
When you cease to be able to question (either because it doesn’t occur to you that you should be permitted to do this, or because of fear of consequences (loss of status in school or physical abuse)) the foundation and techniques of what is being taught, there is a problem. Under ideal circumstances, there might be little or no need to question in certain ways. But, if there is, it should be permitted.
Accepting that one is not ready for the complete answer is important on the part of the student (feeling and showing respect), as is the teacher’s ability to turn a sincerely asked, naive question into a learning experience for the student, and possibly for the whole class, large or small. No embarassment; no ridicule; and No misleading.
Thinking for yourself does not imply lack of respect for the teacher. But, if this process is discouraged, it does point to lack of respect for the student at the very least, and very possibly indifference towards student wellbeing.
The teacher follows a “way” and reaches some degree of mastery. The student, who is being taught via methods often not identical, might be rushed thru basics, and/or has expectations which the teacher knows right up front will not come to fruition. I’ll tell you what gets me. It has been my experience that there is little interest for the development of the best in every serious student, for what is best for the student and for the art as can be expressed by a given student. You’re on this assembly line and if you don’t suit the agenda (which might be no more than public display of good raw talent), well… . This lack of interest amounts to lack of respect for student development in general. It can lead to denial of the situation by the students, which doesn’t matter to the teacher as long as the money keeps rolling in and the show can go on. It can lead to unnecessary injury. It’s almost not safe to be who you are in this arena, but needing to participate differently, even if you show respect and sincerely feel it. Some of what comes up in these discussions deals with that which appears to be under the banner of respect, but isn’t really there in terms of what is being demanded.
Respect! Know what it is? It’s first respecting each other as people. If you have difficulty thinking of someone off a pedestal, imagine them on the porcelain Honda, and it might bring things back into perspective.
Then, there is respect for the knowledge. And, there is respect for the knowledge as embodied in an individual. And the strengths and flaws in this individual teacher which come into balance with the knowledge. The knowledge does not exist in a vacuum, such that if one has a certain level of it, the totality of the person is benefitted to the point of making the jealous tolerant or the lustful more moderate, or any one of a number of things. Not necessarily so. There is balance in respect too. Immense room for error, flaws, vice. And, also for something wonderful, which would not Demand worship.
The teacher in these days is often offering a “product.” Not teaching as was taught to him. I’ve heard this admitted many times. When you have enough experience to look at the teacher and look at what he is teaching, the fruits of the teaching in the more advanced. If it doesn’t add up to anything close to the teacher or even on the way, there is a crossroads. The teacher might be very high level, but what is offered is for the yellow pages in the phone book. Hence, one might respect the training (to the extent that one can perceive it) in the teacher, but feel at a loss. What one might see there is a purely economic operation, a business. The teacher gets some trophy winners and the students feel part of something special, which may or may not be so. I speak from what I 've seen and experienced. I’m not saying it’s this way all over. So, please don’t get your fur up.
The student shows respect by becoming the best he/she can be, by coming to class on time, by consideration for classmates, by regarding the knowledge as serious and the teacher as a trusted guide, who is not to be mistreated, just as the student should not be. If the last point is not honored, we are not speaking of respect, but of domination.
Cody
Thats like saying "I pay my car insurance so I am able to show a police oficcer my ID card when I get pulled over, not so that I am covered if I get into a wreck. Do you think a true Master would eminate the full package including respect, after all, the lack of respect comes from anger and anger stems from fear?