Why is it important to have a teacher?
Well, firstly the teacher is a kind of short cut. They've been there, done that and express what they've experienced when they speak, which might continuously keep pushing us in the right direction.
Another reason is because when I say blue, how do you know I don't mean green? When I say fear, maybe you mean frustration. You see, teachers are there to point us in the right direction. Let's say you are a really hardcore perfectionist and always worry about this and that. Then saying something like "try hard stick to the precepts", might just enhance your worry and fear. General statements are great, but are no substitute for one on one.
Anyway, Sangha is important. Keeping up practice is important. Honest inquiry is important, and all that. If one keeps inquiring honestly for how ever long, they're bound to come across some truth, and perhaps don't even recognize when it does come around.
When Dogen wrote the Shobogenzo, it was a great effort. The Shobogenzo can't be read only once. It must be continuously studied with honest effort or honest reference, not intellectual acquirement. Mostly, it should be dropped. That was Dogen's goal. Zazen, Buddha mind, Dropping.
Alright. That's enough from me this morning. Time for breakfast.