at the feet of the guru
- idiom
:
a los pies del gurú
- The young monk spent years at the feet of the guru, absorbing his wisdom.
Examples
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She considered herself blessed to study at the feet of the guru during her travels in India.
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Many writers have learned their craft at the feet of the guru before developing their own style.
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She felt enlightened at the feet of the guru.
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Many students gather at the feet of the guru every weekend.
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Many writers have learned their craft at the feet of the guru before developing their own style.
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She considered herself blessed to study at the feet of the guru during her travels in India.
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The young monk spent years at the feet of the guru, absorbing his wisdom.
Synonyms
3
7.9
To show respect and learn from someone seen as a teacher
3
6.1
A person who admires someone and does what they want
Antonyms
How Devoted
Surface Forms
Morphology
at + the + foot + of + the + guru
The words literally describe a physical position ('at' + 'feet' + 'of' + 'guru'), so a learner would grasp a spatial relation, but the conventional meaning 'to be a pupil or to learn from a wise teacher' is a culturally rooted, metaphorical extension that is not fully derivable from the parts. Cross-linguistic equivalents (e.g. Spanish 'a los pies de') make the sense somewhat guessable, but the specific pedagogical/humble role implied requires prior exposure.
Etymology
At the feet of the guru comes from the image of students sitting close to a wise teacher, with learners near the teacher's feet to listen and learn from the guru. So it means 'learning from' or 'being taught by' someone very experienced.