Nowadays, this type of relationship can seem far off. It may be that there is so much information available in the world, that you don't even know where you'd settle down if you wanted to. It may be that you would love to work with a Teacher, but just aren't sure that anyone will meet up to the standards of someone you can fully trust in the way that will make your practice mature. Sometimes, there just aren't any Teachers around.
How does a Teacher help you to mature your practice? There are a number of ways. One way is related to the ancient tradition of taking vows. In the Tibetan tradition, it is accepted that you could take a vow in front of an image of the Buddha - or if you were in another tradition, you might think of taking your vows before the eyes of God, but it is considered even more powerful if you can take a vow in front of someone that you respect deeply. Why is this so? Because the ancient Teachers knew that if you were going to break your vow, you'd think of when you knelt in front of that person who you deeply respect, and you'd have to think of how they'd feel if you broke your vow. When you contemplate in this way, you are less likely to disrespect that sacred relationship.
What makes that type of relationship sacred? Is it the person's robes, or station? No. It is the respect you bring to them. It is the holiness that you see in them which makes the relationship work. When you have a relationship with a Teacher, it works the same with your daily practice. It is because you respect them that you will honour the relationship by practicing. If you don't practice, you are being disrespectful to that person who is so hard to find, a true Teacher.
On the other hand, if you DO honour the relationship, you have one of the highest tools to generate good energy in your own life, and the lives of those around you. You can make your practice into an offering to the Teacher - and it is the Highest form of offering that you can give such a person.
But wait a minute.... many of us have not met a teacher who we feel THIS level of respect and devotion toward. Some are probably reading this blog and just thinking of their yoga class at the local yoga center, or the like. What if you don't have a Teacher, what if you just have teachers? Well, then we need to know where Teachers and Teachings actually come from. Why is it that some people have a yoga or qigong practice that feels to them like the most sacred thing they've ever encountered, while others are still looking for something that lives up to what they know is possible. Why are some people able to recognize deep and sacred teachings from the very first go, while others only realize it years after they've left those opportunities to practice behind.
The answer, according to the ancient teachings, is that these things are not coming from where we always thought they were. The sacred arts of yoga, meditation, kung fu, and the like don't just arrive in your world from their own impetus - you create them, you magnetize them to you. You can call it the power of your mind, or like the ancients, you can call it karma. It is the way you treat and think about others that determines the kind of world you see. This is what has given you access to the very Teachings you are working so hard to practice regularly, this is also what can make or break your success in creating a daily habit of cultivation. Finally, this is what determines the shape of the Teachers that manifest in your life.
What does this mean on the practical level? Well, a couple of things. One is that if all you see are teachers, and you'd like to be seeing Teachers, you've got to start planting the seeds with who you have nearby. What does this mean? It means take the instructions given to you by your teachers and put them to the test. First, think them over and find out if they are valid (real Teachers LOVE when you do this). Then, if you find out that they make sense, just give them your all. Make an offering out of it, and dedicate the energy of making that offering to your finding a Path you can devote yourself to wholeheartedly.
The second way to create more Teachers in your world is to be a refuge to others. Do you know someone who would really benefit from some yoga and cannot afford the money or time to go to a class? Teach them what you know - even if it's just a little bit. This gives your mind's creative energy the signal to bring more of that back to you, and you'll start seeing the most amazing teachings all around you.
Finally, the qualities you see in your teachers are merely reflections. I know that I've personally struggled with wanting to find a Teacher that I could establish a deep relationship with, but never really seeing anyone out there that I could trust. The thing is, what your teacher brings is a reflection of your own past actions an thoughts. The way to create a beautiful, trustable, knowledgable Master in your world is to act exactly the way you think they should. Soon you will, like me, start to see more and more people with good and high qualities appearing all around you.
Why else do you need to honour the Teacher? One of the ancient Tibetan qualities listed for a good teacher is that they know the correct order of the Teachings, and what practices to give for each individual's level.
Let's face it, if you are anything like me, when you try to just figure out a practice on your own, it can be very difficult. You are kind of piecing it together a step at a time, but you don't really have a firm vision of what the final goal is, or all the steps to get there. You need to find a master instructor, and follow him or her step by step. A master instructor should have either completed the goal themselves, or know the territory so well that they can give you all the tools and then launch you in the right direction.
When I have this kind of person or lineage in my world, I can settle into my practice. I can look to the living example and know where I'm headed. I can know that the side paths have been purged out of my practice, and all I truly need to do is just keep on progressing - and offering my practice in love.
Action steps:
1. write down a list of what, for you, are the qualities of the ultimate Teacher in your chosen practice path.
2. notice how many of those qualities you consciously, intentionally embody on a daily basis.
3. contemplate what the final goal of your chosen practice is - fitness? enlightenment? a certain skill level? Look to see if the progression from where you are now up to the final goal is well defined.
4. Look at the Teachers in your life and consider how you think of them. Are they people that you've paid and can use as you like? Or, because you've created them through your actions and thoughts, are they precious gifts to be respected for giving you what they can?
5. Decide in what ways you can practice that will honour your own teacher, as well as the lineage that your practice comes from. Even if it's just your personal trainer and you want to hone in your daily weight-lifting regime - consider this person as a master instructor, and offer them your diligent effort, then watch what happens!
No comments:
Post a Comment