9-5-15 Post: Death

Commentary: 

Many of you probably know that Dr. Wayne Dyer died a week ago. So many people world wide are expressing feelings of loss and at the same time celebrating his freedom and the grace of exiting earthly life during sleep. I never had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Dyer; I am greatly appreciative of his work and contributions to humanity.

What happens to the work of an influential teacher when the teacher dies?

I think that in a way the original work becomes fixed in time and place; the original teacher cannot make any further changes to the body of work from an earthly vantage point. 

The work itself continues to change and evolve from the work of the teacher’s students. In this sense the teacher’s legacy will affect eternity. Each teacher will live on in the students that live on. I have no doubt that great teachers continue to influence those who live on and in this sense continue to bring enlightenment to the body of work s/he left behind.

Some teachers are known world wide and some teachers work in obscurity. Every one of them deserves gratitude and love for their effort. There is no way to know the number of people influenced by a teacher. In a way, we are all teachers. One word, one event, one sentence can influence another person for life. That influence can spread from that one person to many others ad infinitum.

If we allow Dr. Dyer’s and other great teacher’s bodies of work to influence us, we will be better teachers for ourselves and others. As we move ourselves toward enlightenment, love, generosity, clear seeing and gentleness, we influence others to do the same.