The Basics

It is hard to admit to yourself that you’ve spent sooooo long developing competence, only to realize that these are the basics.

But it is important to accept and get over that and start implementing them, instead of pridefully making the basics seem like a heroic achievement.

This is part of why I advocate for spiritual training with experienced teachers in established lineages, with guidance and documentation for this, and peers around to provide reality checks.

It’s ALSO why I advocate for getting it from whatever lineage feels like a fit for you.

I don’t believe in monopolies on the basics, nor do I believe one size fits all, because even if the skills are quite basic, the habits to be UNlearned can be quite particular, and training should be tailored to that.

But I also don’t believe in much innovation upon the basics.

It’s also important to me that established lineages recognize, accept, and admit when they aren’t the right fit to teach the basics to someone, and to know how to make referrals.

I advocate for this myself both in my native lineage AND the one where I’ve trained in the basics.

Overcoming pridefulness is NOT part of the basics. These kinds of social traps are the HARD stuff. And so established institutions are just as susceptible to pride as individuals.

The cure, at both scales, is recognizing and learning from peers.