There is a process that my late mentor describes as the plastic tea service process. If the plastic plates are dropped, then no harm is done. This applies to the wisdom possessed by those who first start out in the field. This can be anywhere between a year and ten years depending on the learning ability of the acolyte.
The plastic tea service eventually progresses to cheap China to expensive Ming for the most accomplished true teacher. Sadly, through foolhardy books and teachings there are countless thousands with plastic tea services!! But, the travesty is, they FIRMLY believe they are ready to teach; are more advanced than they are when they have had as little as only 1 years experience dealing with real life issues. Some of these self professed teachers are barely 25 years old! How can they give sound and correct insights for people, when they've barely started experiencing life themselves?
It's a big problem when its so easy to advertise as a spiritual teacher; get clients and then start giving out wrong advice, and basically screwing up people's lives due to inexperience and also egocentric opinion making. Their claim that they've remembered all their teaching skills from past lives; as some of them claim, doesn't cut! it's bullshit ... as is the spiritual teacher who goes on workshops and training courses then start up as teachers ... its a travesty and a real concern.
