Do You Need a Meditation Teacher?

May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!

Today, through our spiritual teachings, I hope to offer some clarity on a question many of you who are on a practical spiritual path may have: Do you really need a meditation teacher?

The answer is, unequivocally, yes. A meditation teacher is absolutely necessary, especially in the initial stages. To build a strong foundation and take those first few steps forward, we need a guide.

Think of it like learning to drive. When you enroll in a driving school, you need an instructor to teach you the basics until you are competent enough to handle the vehicle. After your training, you face an exam to get your driver’s license. Once you have that license, from that day forward, you gain the ability to travel the journey on your own.

Your Unique Path: How Long Do You Need a Guide?

The way each individual grasps this wisdom,a quality known in Buddhism as Prajna,varies. For some, this ability seems almost innate, a gift from birth. When I say ‘from birth,’ I mean that due to their inclinations from past lives, they may only need a meditation teacher for a short period. Others might require guidance for much longer.

If a person has a habit of meditation carried over from previous lives in the cycle of rebirth, known as Samsara, then a brief period with a meditation teacher can be more than enough.

From that point, they may be able to continue their practice independently. However, there are also those who cannot proceed alone and need the support of a meditation teacher for a longer time to help them develop this understanding. A genuine meditation teacher is crucial for them.

Are Online Teachings Safe? A Reassurance

Because we offer these teachings and meditation instructions generally online, a doubt might arise in your mind. You might worry, ‘Could this be harmful? Could this cause some trouble?’ From my own experience, I can assure you that providing these instructions in a general way does not cause any harm, trouble, mental discomfort, or pressure. I know with certainty that it does not lead to states of mental obsession or physical ailments. It is because of this certainty that I share these things with you.

There are times when the forces of Mara,the embodiment of temptation and hindrances on the spiritual path,will try to prevent this work. Mara’s representatives exist in this human world, and they do not like it when people meditate.

We have seen them use various tactics and smear campaigns to try and stop these meditation practices. But we are not shaken by such things. We will not let our efforts fail. We offer these teachings for your benefit, sharing them openly and with compassion.

A Path for Everyone, Everywhere

The reason we share these teachings so openly is that people from all walks of life are leading a spiritual life. They come from different nationalities and religions. Some do not even go to temples.

We have Muslim individuals who follow our articles and practice meditation. I have spoken with people of Tamil heritage, and a great number of Catholics also connect with us. Among all these people, there are also many youths. Some young people, both male and female, feel shy about going to temples or associating with monks.

Regardless, we offer these teachings to you all with loving-kindness, or Metta, and compassion, so that everyone can develop their spiritual life from wherever they are. That is our aim because this is something that can be done from anywhere.

You may know this from your own experience. If you attend a meditation program, there are courses of 10 or 20 days. The practice is good for those 10 days, and I am not saying there is anything wrong with that.

You certainly gain merit, or Kusala, and you develop some understanding. However, of those who attend, only a very small percentage, perhaps one or two percent, continue the practice when they return home to their own environments. The vast majority do not. This is one side of the issue that we observe.

A Warning: The Dangers of an Unqualified Teacher

This is why we provide these teachings openly, let those who want to practice, practice; let those who do not, not; and let those who just want to listen and learn, gain knowledge. We give these teachings without discrimination. Whether you are from any religion, any race, any age group; whether you are black or white, tall or short; rich or poor, these distinctions do not matter here. There is no bias based on education or skin color.

Now, returning to the point I made at the beginning: a meditation teacher is essential. I have seen lay teachers, we call them gihi guruvaru,who teach practices like concentration meditation (Samatha Bhavana), Kundalini energy, and cosmic energy. I have met many people who have been left helpless and lost after going to these lay teachers. I hope to give a separate teaching on how to recognize a true meditation teacher.

However, I will give you some understanding here. Imagine a student goes to such a teacher. We have explained the states of deep meditative absorption known as the Jhanas. Let’s say the teacher has only reached the second Jhana. But the student, in their practice, begins to experience the fourth Jhana. The teacher has no understanding or knowledge of this higher state. Sometimes, jealousy arises in the teacher, fearing the student will surpass them.

Because of this jealousy, the teacher might say, ‘We don’t know of such a thing. That is the wrong method. You don’t experience things like that in meditation.’ They belittle the student, make them feel ashamed in front of a group, and imply they have lost the way. I have met so many students who have been made to feel helpless like this and have come to me, some even brought by people I know personally. While I do not accuse everyone, please understand that such teachers exist in Sri Lanka.

Knowledge as Your Shield Against Misguidance

By providing these teachings openly about what happens in meditation, the feelings that arise, and the workings of the mind, we can help prevent this kind of helplessness. You might not be practicing according to our specific guidance. You may just be a person who listens to our talks to gain knowledge. But because we share our experiences and what you can expect, you gain a framework.

Now, imagine you are meditating under another meditation teacher. Let’s take the same example: you begin to experience the fourth Jhana. Your teacher, as in the previous example, tells you it’s wrong and that such states don’t exist. They might shame you in front of their other students.

That teacher has not attained full liberation; they may only be a concentration meditation teacher who has not even reached a sage-like state. A true sage-like teacher would never put a student in such an uncomfortable position. But I have seen many teachers in Sri Lanka today who do.

In that moment, because you have this knowledge, you can prevent yourself from feeling helpless. A thought will immediately come to your mind: ‘No, what I felt was not a mental illness. It was a real experience. The monk from the spiritual teachings also spoke of this.’

You will instantly remember. This memory allows you to come to your own conclusion: ‘Was my meditation teacher lying to me? Was it deceit? Did they trick me, or do they simply not have the knowledge or experience of this state?’ Because we share these things, you have the power to make a full assessment for yourself.

Gaining Your ‘Spiritual License’ to Practice Alone

This is precisely why we share these teachings openly. It’s about empowering you. Eventually, for the one who is fearless, a meditation teacher is not really needed. This brings us back to the analogy I used at the very beginning of this talk: the driving license.

After you get your license, after you have earned the right to drive on the road, you drive for a while and your fear disappears. You drive as you need to, following the laws of the road, but your instructor isn’t there next to you saying, ‘Turn here, signal now.’ A day comes in meditation when you become fearless in the same way.

To help you get to that point, to give you that ‘spiritual license,’ we have provided teachings specifically about fear. There is a whole collection of them, and we will provide more to eliminate that fear. When that fear is gone, it means you are ready to receive your license. You can then continue your meditation journey alone, using these teachings as your guide, or even completely on your own.

Think of the Buddha. As Prince Siddhartha, he had no meditation teacher for his ultimate enlightenment. After becoming the Buddha, he declared that he took the Dhamma, the teaching itself, as his teacher. This shows that you too can move forward with the teachings as your guide.

Trusting Your Inner Wisdom and Becoming Your Own Guide

You may never have seen the monk from these spiritual articles; perhaps you have only encountered the voice through the words. But you have something called wisdom, Prajna. You have intelligence. By engaging in the practice fearlessly, you can see for yourself: ‘Is what this monk says true or false? Do I also feel and understand these things he describes? Do I understand my mind? Do I understand concentration meditation? Do I understand insight meditation (Vipassana)? Does it all happen in this way?’ Your own wisdom and intelligence will understand.

Whether you are someone meditating under another meditation teacher, someone practicing independently while listening to our teachings, or someone who has taken these articles as their meditation teacher, no matter the case, you will be able to understand these things for yourself as you progress. If you feel that you are not yet suitable, not yet mature enough to walk this path alone, then continue on, using these teachings as your support.

A Universal Practice for a Modern World

These are the things you need to understand. I state with one hundred percent, even one thousand percent certainty, that you will not get lost in your meditation. I know for a fact that if you practice these things, there will be results. It is because I know this that I teach fearlessly, as a help to all of you.

These teachings have already become a meditation teacher for many people, without any discrimination of age, race, caste, or religion; without any distinction between rich and poor, black or white. Some of these people live in foreign countries, some in Sri Lanka. Some are at universities, while others attend temples. This has been a great help to all of them.

There are those who cannot attend programs even if they are available. Some young people, even school children, meditate in secret from their parents because their parents lack understanding or a correct view of meditation. Because of this, they practice in secret. But even though they practice in secret, they do so fearlessly because of the teachings we provide. Therefore, all that is required of you is the practical application.

The Journey to True Spiritual Freedom

So, to return to our topic: a meditation teacher is definitely necessary to begin meditation. But after a while, you will understand for yourself. Your own wisdom and intelligence will realize, ‘Now I can travel freely on my own.’ A time will come when you no longer need to read the teachings of this monk. After a considerable time, this realization will dawn on you. Then you can go and meditate on your own.

We teach these things so that you can meditate anywhere you wish, even alone. You can go to a forest monastery, a temple you like, a sacred religious site like our holy places in Sri Lanka, the Atamasthana (the eight sacred sites), Ruwanwelisaya, the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, to natural places like mountain tops and forests. There are already people who can do this. But you yourself will know if you are ready to meditate alone or not. You will know if you still need to listen to the teachings, if you still need to balance your practical efforts with guidance. This discernment will come in the future, as your wisdom and intelligence mature more and more.

If you do not have this kind of discernment yet, it simply means your wisdom is not yet mature. In that case, you can continue practicing under a meditation teacher while listening to our articles, or practice independently while listening, or use these teachings as your guide. However you do it, you will be able to understand this path as you move forward. As we conclude this teaching, may the power and influence of the Triple Gem, the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, bring you success in these efforts.

We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.

Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.

May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!