"Every true teacher knows that all those who follow them must seek enlightenment through their own personal efforts, in their own individual way. The teacher can give advice, prescribe methodology, and steer the student away from unproductive paths, but in the end — everyone is on their own.
"This is the limitation of organized religion as well. Once the teacher is gone, all bets are off. Religious devotees have a tendency to codify their teachers' wisdom, but in doing so they turn living truth into a pale transparency of itself. The moment anyone's teachings become packaged for mass consumption, the essence of those teachings are lost to one degree or another.
"Official canons, while important, can often short circuit the effectiveness of a spiritual path, and even create deception. Certainly this happens when the teacher is elevated to divine status and worshiped as Truth itself. This is why Buddhists say such things as, 'Do not seek the Buddha, seek what the Buddha sought,' or, 'If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.'
"Jesus told his followers that the answer was within themselves: 'If those who lead you say the Kingdom of heaven is in the sky, then the birds of the sky will get there before you do. If they say it is in the sea, then the fish will beat you there. Rather, the kingdom is within you . . .' Every teaching, every word — no matter how profound — is only a guidepost along the way. Every seeker is a pilgrim, and every pilgrim travels alone."
