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  »Thus Spake Zebeen

Great teachers are still only human

Recently, I visited Wayne Dyer’s website and downloaded an interview he had with Mark Victor Hansen. During the interview, there was talk about yoga, Bikram yoga or hot yoga as many call it. And unexpectedly, Mark Victor Hansen takes on an Indian accent whilst making a comment. After 45 minutes or so into the interview, Mark Victor Hansen assumed an African-American accent. Both times, there was no reason to. I had enough. I sat and stewed about why this behavior bothered me and then set out to draft a note, which I fired off into cyberspace. However, I was still not satisfied and at 2:00 in the morning and fired off a note to Wayne Dyer. I do not expect a response but I felt like I did something.

What bothered me so much about this whole exchange was the fact that they have taken what they could from Eastern philosophy, from other religions, wrapped it up in Western clothing and made millions of dollars telling the whole world about the act of kindness, love, forgiveness, and then behaving in a way that is not God-like. At that moment, a light bulb when off in my head and a deeper understanding overcame me; I realized that that they were after all, mere mortals like you and me.

Though we are all created in the likeness of Allah, God, the Universe, we are human beings trying to behave divinely, but never managing to be God. There have been immortal beings like Mother Teresa and Einstein who both captured the essence of God while living on the material plane but not quite transforming into this invisible force.

For years before this experience, I sought to find answers to fill the gaping hole in my soul and for years, I have, listened to the gospel and have read the words that have been written between the pages of many books and have absorbed the wisdom and felt fulfilled. However, after listening to this interview, and contemplating why it has bothered me so much, I realize that the real teacher is within me. This teacher has come to me and has awoken me at 4 am in the morning-which is the time when you are closest to Allah- and has nudged me to go within and seek the wisdom he whispers in my ears to my soul.

Will I give up reading these inspirational books? I don’t think so because I do believe they have a purpose and I believe the authors of these books have channeled the teachings for the lay person. But what I will do differently is look at these people as human beings first and forgive them.