From the dawn of history men and women in every culture have devoted their lives to the search for wisdom. This is particularly evident in Asia where monks traveled from place to place enduring extreme hardship and acute suffering in their quest for the jewel of enlightenment. Frequently their search reached a climax when they met a wise teacher, a profoundly enlightened guide. Yet the teacher did not give them wisdom as a ready-made product. He or she developed a deep relationship with the disciple, teaching ways to enlightenment through meditation, chanting and reading the sutras.
— William Johnston, Mystical Theology