---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Flaky devotionalism, bowing and scraping…"
description: "\"Flaky devotionalism, bowing and scraping and sucking up to the teacher is very phony. It is counterproductive to enlightenment and spiritual developmen..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping_2403016.jpg"
---

#  Flaky devotionalism, bowing and scraping and sucking up to…

![“Flaky devotionalism, bowing and scraping and sucking up to the teacher is very phony. It is counterproductive to enlightenment and spiritual development. What is necessary is mutual respect.” quote by Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping_2403016.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping_2403016.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping_2403016.jpg)

> “Flaky devotionalism, bowing and scraping and sucking up to the teacher is very phony. It is counterproductive to enlightenment and spiritual development. What is necessary is mutual respect.”

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Criticizes superficial devotion to teachers, urging mutual respect for genuine spiritual growth.

**In simple terms:** Respect, not flattery, fosters enlightenment.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate reciprocal respect in spiritual practice.

Themes

spirituality authenticity respect

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical advisory

When to use this quote

- meditation groups
- spiritual retreats
- personal development
- coaching

Key Concepts

teacher‑student dynamics ego mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you practice respectful dialogue?
- What boundaries support authentic learning?

A Different Perspective

Blind reverence can hinder personal insight.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Etiquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/etiquette/) [Mutual respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual-respect/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Scraping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scraping/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spiritual development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-development/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/)

## Related quotes

> [When people complain of the decay of manners they have in mind not the impudent abbreviations of the crowd, but the decline in bowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson-lynd/when-people-complain-of-the-decay-of-manners-they-have-in-mind-not/)

[Robert Wilson Lynd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson-lynd/)

> [“Do me the kindness of at least scraping me from the bottom of your shoes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kels-adeline-sapp/do-me-the-kindness-of-at-least-scraping-me-from-the-bottom-of-your/)

Kels Adeline Sapp

> [I thought how utterly we have forsaken the Earth, in the sense of excluding it from our thoughts. There are but few who consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/i-thought-how-utterly-we-have-forsaken-the-earth-in-the-sense-of/)

[Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/)

> [...when a reporter is quoting Sid Blumenthal on president Bush, you know he's scraping the barrel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/when-a-reporter-is-quoting-sid-blumenthal-on-president-bush-you-know/)

[Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/)

> [We strain to hear. But instead of hearing an answer we catch sight of God himself scraped and torn. Through our tears we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-wolterstorff/we-strain-to-hear-but-instead-of-hearing-an-answer-we-catch-sight-of/)

[Nicholas Wolterstorff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-wolterstorff/)

> [Of myself I must say this, I never was any greedy, scraping grasper, nor a strait fast-holding prince, nor yet a master; my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/of-myself-i-must-say-this-i-never-was-any-greedy-scraping-grasper-nor/)

[Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/)

> [ The intelligent and efficient politician is a species virtually unknown in the galaxy. Perhaps I might secure a scraping \[for my\] cell library. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/the-intelligent-and-efficient-politician-is-a-species-virtually/)

[George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/)

> [Who cares what a man's style is, so it is intelligible,--as intelligible as his thought. Literally and really, the style is no more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/who-cares-what-a-man-s-style-is-so-it-is-intelligible-as-intelligible/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I wanted to do a set of love songs for Valentine's Day so I went through my old material. I found myself scraping around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rush/i-wanted-to-do-a-set-of-love-songs-for-valentine-s-day-so-i-went/)

[Tom Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rush/)

> [Percussion music is revolution. Sound and rhythm have too long been submissive to the restrictions of nineteenth century music. Today we are fighting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/percussion-music-is-revolution-sound-and-rhythm-have-too-long-been/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [It is a bad thing to perform menial duties even for the sake of freedom; to fight with pinpricks, instead of with clubs. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/it-is-a-bad-thing-to-perform-menial-duties-even-for-the-sake-of/)

[Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/)

> [The more you walk with God, the harder it is to scrape your knee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-k-r-i-t/the-more-you-walk-with-god-the-harder-it-is-to-scrape-your-knee/)

[Big K.R.I.T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-k-r-i-t/)

> [Fear of success is one of the new fears I've heard about lately. And I think its definitely a sign that we're running out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/fear-of-success-is-one-of-the-new-fears-i-ve-heard-about-lately-and-i/)

[Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/)

> [I was happy, I wasnt beaten, and I lacked nothing. But it wasnt what people expect - it was very much sort of pinching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-scott-thomas/i-was-happy-i-wasnt-beaten-and-i-lacked-nothing-but-it-wasnt-what/)

[Kristin Scott Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-scott-thomas/)

> [I liked school and was a bit of an all-rounder academically, I struggled with music. I can't hold a note when singing and abandoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-curry/i-liked-school-and-was-a-bit-of-an-all-rounder-academically-i/)

[Stephen Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-curry/)

## More by Frederick Lenz

> [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [You can draw power from everything in your life. In order to do that, everything has to be set up in a proper way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-draw-power-from-everything-in-your-life-in-order-to-do-that/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [The sound man, immune as to a sacrifice of straw dogs, faces the passing human generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-sound-man-immune-as-to-a-sacrifice-of-straw-dogs-faces-the/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Karma means changing planes of reality or changing fields of attention. There will be perhaps a resulting physical action stemming from the change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/karma-means-changing-planes-of-reality-or-changing-fields-of/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Why waste your time being around people who drag you down? You don't live forever, at least in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/why-waste-your-time-being-around-people-who-drag-you-down-you-don-t/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Everybody here is so caught up in the game of life they don't see death. They don't see beyond their deaths. They are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everybody-here-is-so-caught-up-in-the-game-of-life-they-don-t-see/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

[Explore all 4,399 Frederick Lenz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

## More Buddhism quotes

> [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/)

[Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/)

> [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/)

[Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/)

> [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/)

[Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/)

> [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/)

[Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/)

> [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/)

[Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sorensen/the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d-teachings-from-their-broader/)

[Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sorensen/)

> [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“That's all there is, enlightenment on the end of a cock. It doesn't get any more Zen than that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-wilkes/that-s-all-there-is-enlightenment-on-the-end-of-a-cock-it-doesn-t-get/)

[Jaden Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-wilkes/)

> [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/)

[Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/)

[Browse all 6,100 Buddhism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Flaky devotionalism, bowing and scraping and sucking up to the teacher is very phony. It is counterproductive to enlightenment and spiritual development. What is necessary is mutual respect.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Frederick Lenz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping-and-sucking-up-to-the-teacher/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Buddhism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping-and-sucking-up-to-the-teacher/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping_2403016.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping_2403016.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/frederick-lenz-8_buddhism_flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping_2403016.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Flaky devotionalism, bowing and scraping and sucking up to the teacher is very phony. It is…” — Frederick Lenz",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Frederick Lenz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Flaky devotionalism, bowing and scraping and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping-and-sucking-up-to-the-teacher/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/flaky-devotionalism-bowing-and-scraping-and-sucking-up-to-the-teacher/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```