Student & Teacher Affinity Key for Getting Ahead

A interesting truth in the Traditional Ways of East Asia is the prerequisite of "affinity". A teacher and Student affinity, sharing an innate karmic link; a sense of "togetherness" was a first step in deciding whom would study and learn and those who would not. Often times teachers donot accept everyone who approaches them for instruction. Many cannot understand this; commonly most unknowing novices treat teachers and classes like a item they buy at a store. They feel I cut you a check you will be able to make me a Master level student/practitioner in due time. This is treating the tradition like a commodity and will turn off almost any credible teacher. So be aware that just cause you show up at someones school or practice center, it might be the only visit.

 Many years ago a World  famous Hong Kong Sifu interviewed me three times and then auditioned me for his group before he let me into his Kung Fu School. I knew the deal but I was not sure if I made the cut. I passed good enough to begin the hazing process of being the newbie. Then after all that he made me pledge my allegiance to him and his Master, and vow I would do whatever they asked. To this day I still feel obligated to my oath and promises I made. So this was a typical process even here in America. It was intense, but I totally understood.

There has been many students who have came along despite their personal motivations and kindness toward myself or the tradition, just never make it through; or its very short lived. What happens is a overwhelming "non likeness", the student not possessing the correct attitude of respect, the appropriate levels of knowledge, the right experience, or not sharing an innate karmic link with the myself or the teachings. It's not the norm but does happen; and its good both for myself and the student.

The "sense of togetherness" must be there or one will not want to study and practice and advance. This is important for the mentor; for they will be encourage to teach you truly. We live in a world of money, advertisements and business, but this innate quality still exist in the teachings regardless of what the popular cliques would tell you. I can tell usually in a short time who will do well and who won't. Those ones who don't are all wrong for myself and myself for them.

For seekers on the path keep this in mind not only to be prepared for what one might ask you to do. Also to remind yourself that, if its not feeling right bow out humbly and move on. It's a large world with many roads to travel! I appreciate the questions Thank You...

GWA  
     

Question: Erupting Emotions on Ones Healing Path

 Received a email where a person whom has recently been experiencing alot of emotions surfacing from practicing Insight Meditation. The person wanted to how practicing something so serene at times can be so hurtful. They also explained they want fast results now. This is a good question because it deals with an important topics that almost never gets answered in any classes for the most part. It really relates understanding how to proceed to heal. 

Generally when one embarks on a healing journey to better oneself, there are two types of people I find often. The first type is one that does multiple therapy's and is going to kinda "kill" the problems they are dealing with over excessive therapy, medicinal them-self to no end. They do in a weeks time from primary health, acupuncture, massage to different types of herbal treatments and Qigong classes. There is no shortage of appointments in their schedule. This is for a certain setup to fail; and really illustrates a multitude of personal problems within themselves. They have a lack in faith in one system per say.

The second type of person is one whom is focused, with like "Qigong" but they have very impatient expectations and want fast results within a short time. This is also one whom bounces from healer to healer system to system and really gets nowhere really quick. They don't understand that as many years it took for the downward spiral; it will take some time to bounce back as well. The following will give a snipit of what actually happens based on a possible scenario. It is based on consistent daily engagement to a process!

A Loose Timeline for Basic Stabilization

In ones personal life practice especially if dealing with anger, grief, fear and traumatic emotions, here is a loose timeline. It does not cover special meditations and spiritual healing practices. One really needs to be engaged in a process with a mentor teacher, healer or therapist that understands the depths of Healing practices. Practices like formless meditation found within Hindu, Taoist and Buddhist traditions give a framework to follow. Light standing Meditation to accent the long sitting sessions will help open up energy as well. You will need a mentor, don't kid yourself; you cannot do it alone. The mentor should be able to provide the special meditations and empowerment's with your commitment to the path, as you move along.

Stage I: The first Phase 1-60 Days:

This is a time period that will establish the beginning foundation for healing emotions. What typically happens is that one will experience alot of physical, emotional & spiritual detoxification, the body/mind will be "Seething & Simmering" out a state of turmoil and personal torment. One will have to guard against becoming overcome with boredom, isolation and loneliness anger, stress situations and exhausting themselves with too much to do. Its very typical to overkill with practice; "Less is always more" beware of the body trigger explained above.

Stage II: The second phase roughly 60-120 Days:

 At this point the body/mind should be done "Seething & Simmering"; although it might come and go. This is what's known as the "reset phase"; one feels like they are finally moving forward slowly. One will feel like "I am going to be ok"; I am moving forward. That is the short prompt good news, the truth is that the feelings that may have been suppressed through bad choices in life, are about to hit. One will have a tsunami of emotions come at you grief, anger, fear etc. They will need to be dealt with. This is where special enhancement meditations and deep healing practices comes to play. The reason is most of these problems and unbalanced emotions have been either medicated or suppressed for years. I call this "One most walk through Hell to get back to Heaven". Deep healing is never easy and will take a unshakable spirit to take hold. Personal faith will be your compass. Our habit attachments in life to our things, are a way for you to hide and mask what really is going on.

Many will have challenges of getting pass stage I or II; body/mind withdrawal likened to that of a substance abuser will be present. Immune suppression, psychical pain can hit hard. Many cannot negotiate it on the first try. It could take several attempts; you really need to simplify yourself especially if you are serious about succeeding. Community and mentorship is a must have.

 Stage III: The third phase roughly 120 - 180 Days: At this stage one is well on the path of a balance life most likely. You can begin restructuring a more positive life and all the earlier trials and tribulations seem like so long ago. Remember this is only the first 6 months. Beware of old patterns and habits could come back to haunt you like a hungry ghost! Much at this stage will be catered to where you fall and what is unique to your situation. It needs to be tailored for that from this point forward.

 Stage IV: The fourth phase and beyond the next 180 Days:

Many should take it slow with their healing process. Begin to develop structure, and create a healing model for you to follow. Remember not to immerse yourself with a never ending system of therapies. The Healing Meditations give you a firm foundation, but really is more than just meditating, or practicing Qigong.

Serious healing is like dying and being reborn once again. I can tell you from personal experience; it will challenge everything you believe and know. Heed good advice find a mentor you can connect with, as well as stay in touch with primary care. Your support network is very important as well. Although the question was about meditating and emotions, as we see in this article it really is just the portal to learning how to detox, heal and reemerge renewed and changed for the better. I hope this helps you in your healing path and journey's.

GWA 


     
           

           


 

   
       

The Wonderful Meditation on Compassion

 The Blooming Lotus Flower Mudra

(Lian Hua Shou Yin)

View Teaching/Information: This simple adaptation is from a larger practice, here for the web. It is one I learned from my teacher Wen Lei Chen of Emei Mountain Lotus Tradition. Emei Lotus Tradition is a hybrid system that has Buddhist and Taoist practice in a tradition.They are seated meditations that have many movement sequences to nourish life force and periods of formless meditation. In my classes most of the people whom follow it use it for personal healing and balance. Some follow the spiritual tradition, but not a mandatory aspect for the daily health benefits.  

 The blooming Lotus Flower Mudra as depicted above  is the Mudra of Compassion. In Buddhist Traditions and Taoism it connects to the Spiritual power of Kuanyin Buddha, deity of compassion.There is not enough space here although to go into depth conversation although. In Chinese Lian Hua ( 莲花) "Lotus Flower" the lotus hold special significance in many East Asian practice systems. Commonly taught as though rooted in the mud, the lotus blossom rises above to blossom in the sun. Although it grows in pools of water the leaves of the lotus always remain dry. The symbolism of the lotus points to the purity of consciousness and the journey of transformation from ignorance to awakening. Some give the analogy before we learned practices we existed in the emotional mud of life! 

Meditation practice for "Compassion" is a wonderful practice for anyone. The purpose of Meditation of Compassion is to help us eliminate anger and arouse the desire to alleviate discontent and suffering in others. We practice Meditation of Compassion with aspiring mindset of a enlightened adept to help family, friends, and coworkers free themselves from bodily and mental anguish, and if causes and conditions are right, to help them derive happiness from the teachings of Healing Meditation, and ultimately to reach personal enlightenment. Here are some ways to practice Meditations of Compassion:

(1) Generally first step is always connect to entering in tranquility, essentially formless meditation. Just be yourself and get comfortable with coming into harmony of the session. Utilize a position that is conducive to your body type and adopt a mudra/hand position that you like. The common meditation mudra of left hand resting on top of right and thumbs touching is traditional. The left represents formlessness and right represents skillful means of practice. The mudras are important for shaping the consciousness of practice.   

(2) Then after a certain amount of time, you shift into focused insight practice; - activate insight on how you tend to see people as either beneficial or harmful to you, or as neither beneficial nor harmful. Therefore, we should contemplate our relationships to others to better understand how you can help them.

(3) Next, we could use insight to see how we respond to others with like or dislike.We see that our feelings are often based upon the perceived benefit or harm we receive from others. If we understand that the mind is an ever-changing succession of sense impressions and illusory thoughts, we would see there is no reason to like or dislike our interactions with others.

 (4) Next we could investigate what really happens when we interact with others. We see that praise and blame are only sounds or vibrations entering our ears; a smile or a frown is only light rays perceived by our eyes. Just as the body is illusory, so are these external stimuli illusory. Once we realize this, we no longer need to give rise to feelings of like or dislike and we will treat all family, friends and coworkers as equal.

(5) Next we could, contemplate why people we know suffer from discontent, which is that they are ignorant of the true nature of the self. So up to now, there is still no true compassion in our meditation. How can we feel compassion towards people that possess an illusory self?..lol, so not knowing why they act in certain ways, our family members, friends or coworker don’t know why they feel happiness or anger. They are attached to emotions and possessions and are fearful of loss. This causes personal discontent or just plain personal suffering. They are not as free in body and mind as they think; they know they shouldn’t do certain things but do them anyway, and this also causes a endless circle of reoccurring discontent/suffering.  Kinda like never ending personal Chaos.

Sometimes it seems we have two selves, each struggling towards different ends. Kinda like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde persona with many we know. All of us are born, grow old, get sick, and eventually die. In the very short life span, each of us endures all kinds of afflictions of body and mind. Because of the discontent of life sometimes our loved ones undergo this and everyone should have compassion for them. I know this sounds like a lofty goal in  world of "Me-ism"...:)

(6) Finally, next we could contemplate people not as beneficial, harmful, or neutral, but as equals. We realize that our relationships with them are not fixed or unchanging. We cannot say that those with whom we now share affinity with, were not once our enemy or vice versa. There is no definite, unchanging relationship of closeness or adversity. Seen from the perspective of the infinite past, present, and future, all family, friends and coworkers beings have had some interaction with each other in the past, and probably will have in the future. From this point of view we can see all people as equal to ourselves, and can feel compassion for them.

(7) You can close the practice with returning to formlessness meditation as in number (1). In the beginning it could make you feel tired especially if meditation skill is new.

Closing Thoughts: I hope you find this practice inspiring and useful as I did when I first learned it. Give yourself a few months to work with it. Could be a perfect meditation for fall and holiday season. East Asian Traditions aim to liberate anyone not just the devout or special in crowd participants. Even the many who don't believe in good sense of the traditions message; or who engage in bad deeds. Are worthy of personal healing and salvation from darkness. Likewise, other practice systems and spiritual practices that are dedicated to compassion and awakening of the self, are accepted as welcome participants on the path. No matter how different traditions may be anyone that shares the healing ways of these indigenous world traditions is considered to be worthy and of value. With that being said we can say that all spiritual people lives a life that contains all other lives and practices a path that contains all the other paths...GWA