As we go through this process of acquiring knowledge and passing it on, we must remember that knowledge itself is not ours. Once we learn something, we do not own it. It is not ours to hold onto at the expense of others.
We are in service of knowledge. Knowledge is not in service of us.
Our ego doesn’t always like the process of teaching. The ego easily jumps in and says, “Wait! I’m the teacher, I’m in charge. This is my class, my system, my teachings.” While this might not be conscious or obvious, we might notice it as twinges of self doubt, or fear that we will become less valuable if our students advance too far.
This becomes an inner battle for teachers, one that needs to be handled with great care. We must remember our very job is to give to our students. When our students understand what we’ve taught them and hold that same knowledge, we must celebrate this. This is what it means to teach.
