For each of us, in our life, we have people that we have learned from. In some cases, this is a direct student/teacher relationship. In other cases, it is more learning what to do and/or what not to do via observation. Once we learn from this person, it is then up to us what we do with that knowledge. For some, they move forward and chart their own path. Perhaps people then learn from them. For others, they do nothing with the knowledge they have absorbed. In either case, what was gained, and what was done, is based upon what we: you and I, have learned.
 
Throughout my years of existence, I have watched what people have done with what they have learned. For example, in the martial arts, which is based upon a direct student/teacher relationship, I have witnessed some people who have moved through the ranks and have become an advanced partitioner in their own right. For some of these people, they forever hold respect, and pay tribute to, those who have taught them. In other cases, I have watched as the student learned, then decide to believe that they were better, and knew more, than their instructor. With this, they turned their back on that individual, and, in some cases, even bad mouthed them.

The martial arts are a discipline that is entirely based upon interactive respect. Thus, people who walk this path have completely missed the entire point of what they have been taught. What did they actually learn?
 
From a personal perspective, there have been those that I have worked with and guided through the filmmaking process. I allowed certain people to work hand-in-hand with me. Thereby, learning the inner secrets of the process. I did this so that they could have gone on and made their own movies. This is what they have all claimed was their desire. In a couple of cases, the person did do that. In most cases, however, they learned the knowledge, they acquired the skillset, but did nothing with it. Again, what did they actually learn?
 
I believe that this process, and what the, “Learner,” does with the knowledge they acquire, provides us with deep insight into the human condition. Many can learn, but few can DO. Many want to DO, but few can actually bring the knowledge they have acquired into the physical realm of reality, because that takes intense personal dedication, hard work, and the focused desire to take something from the mind and manifest it into reality.
 
How about you? Where do you exist in this equation?
 
If we look to the spiritual traditions, Buddhism for example, we can understand that the teacher, or the guru, plays a vital role in the spiritual development of disciples. The teacher is understood to be the guide who has already walked the path towards enlightenment and can help others navigate their own journeys. This relationship is built on mutual respect and trust, with the teacher providing the necessary tools for spiritual growth. The Buddha, himself, served as the first teacher on this path, sharing his insights and knowledge with his followers and, thereby, setting a precedent for future generations.
 
In Buddhism, being a student comes with certain accepted responsibilities. These include a commitment to ethical conduct, the practice of meditation, and the study of the Dharma. Disciples are encouraged to develop qualities such as mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom, which are essential tools for spiritual growth. They are guided away, by the teacher, from focusing on material gains and/or the desire for praise or accolades.
 
This is a far cry from the reality that most people live, however. Most who learn, want to use what they have learned to generate a trajectory base upon material and egotistical goals. From this, many of the problems of the world arise.
 
So few people are truly spiritual inclined. And, from this, the sense of morality and truth and rightness is commonly lost.
 
So, here’s the facts… Most people learn motivated by a basis of wanting to GAIN. They want to GET via what they have learned. Few wish to pay respect to whom they learned from; as by assigning credit to that person they believe that their own personal accomplished will be diminished and underscored. But, the fact of the fact is, no matter how high you climb, you will always owe something to the individual who first guided you on that path. You will always be in their shadow. If you cannot acknowledge that fact, it you cannot profess that fact, what does that make you?