How much teaching

The Spirit of the Tree.

Meditation is creation not imitation. Meditators who imitate their instructors do not go far and that goes for Guru devotion too. Yes it is important to have some knowledge of The Dharma if interested in Buddhism. Yes if just taking up meditation for the first time it is useful to be shown how. However instructors must remain careful to warn that there is a real risk of getting stuck in one method or relying on a Guru to do all the work. Everybody is an individual and we all find our own way, our own path.  Just as the finger pointing at the moon is not the moon so too is instruction not to be confused with meditation.  Instruction is merely the invitation to connect with spirit in whatever way is appropriate for each individual.