prana
12-20-2001, 04:57 PM
Perhaps this thread could become a waste of space. I do apologise.
This thread could apply to the Qi thread, or maybe, perhaps the way one should seek knowledge by questioning a guru. All the heated conversations are helping me understand a few things myself, about my own faults.
Anyway, a teacher usually goes through much training and wisdom to understand the mentality of a student, traditionally, teachings (martials arts or not) are not taught simply to students, but the teacher usually weighs up the students interests, sincerity, discipline, style, ethics, potential and I am sure so many more aspects before a style (teaching) is transmitted towards the student. This is none more evident than in the world of (pardon my personal feelings in this) Buddhism, when one seeks a teaching from a guru. I am sure it applies in so many other places too.
So may I just say, if you seek to understand a subject (at the moment it seems Qi is in flavour), put an effort into understanding it, not an effort into misunderstanding it. That way, if effort does not boil come to fruition and results are thus far, then you have the right authority to dismiss the results.
As I am doing now, perhaps what I have to say may be against the thoughts and believes of so many on this board, I apologise, but I can see so much misery has been caused to my cyber-friends on this board, because conclusions have been made without correct effort. In fact, in my wrong doing, that is how I came to this board too...
I would like to use an example to illustrate my point. Being very strongly a follower of physics, chemistry and mathematics when I younger, I strongly discounted any possibility of Chi, and and laffed at the prayers to the Buddhas. In fact, I remember having heated verbal arguments with people regarding this subject. But I have great thanks to one of my great teachers who transmitted a teaching to me in the form of a great experiential force, although I may not be outwardly humiliated (the great wisdom of Sifu) I learnt a great lesson of not closing the door to which one does not understand.
As mentioned elsewhere, just as a tadpole is incapable of understanding a tree, until it has developed eyes, we are not able to develop 'inner' senses until we start paying attention to the internals of the body. We are all too used to the sounds, taste, touch, vision, that our consciousness is built entirely on these very foundations, to find that during death, all these foundations are sudddenly destroyed. But perhaps, one might spend even one moment to think, how a dolphin is able to perceive the ocean floor for fish without their eyes, and their consciousness have atuuned to this, and it is second nature, and yet we rely on semi reliable sonar equipment.
And now, beginning to understand the teachings of Buddhism (or in fact any religion I am sure) if one prostrates to the Buddha ( or whomever), one is really destroying ones ego, practising humility, seeking the perfection of body, speech and mind, and most of all, opening the doors that have been shut to cause misery. One, in thought, drops the 5 poisonous thoughts, and picks up the 4 great thoughts of selflessness with every prostration. The only benefit is for all beings of this world, and not the Buddha. Yet to the outsider this becomes an act of worship...
I hope this message comes without stepping on anyones toes, and I mean no disrespect....
Please feel free to comment, flame, hatred.....
This thread could apply to the Qi thread, or maybe, perhaps the way one should seek knowledge by questioning a guru. All the heated conversations are helping me understand a few things myself, about my own faults.
Anyway, a teacher usually goes through much training and wisdom to understand the mentality of a student, traditionally, teachings (martials arts or not) are not taught simply to students, but the teacher usually weighs up the students interests, sincerity, discipline, style, ethics, potential and I am sure so many more aspects before a style (teaching) is transmitted towards the student. This is none more evident than in the world of (pardon my personal feelings in this) Buddhism, when one seeks a teaching from a guru. I am sure it applies in so many other places too.
So may I just say, if you seek to understand a subject (at the moment it seems Qi is in flavour), put an effort into understanding it, not an effort into misunderstanding it. That way, if effort does not boil come to fruition and results are thus far, then you have the right authority to dismiss the results.
As I am doing now, perhaps what I have to say may be against the thoughts and believes of so many on this board, I apologise, but I can see so much misery has been caused to my cyber-friends on this board, because conclusions have been made without correct effort. In fact, in my wrong doing, that is how I came to this board too...
I would like to use an example to illustrate my point. Being very strongly a follower of physics, chemistry and mathematics when I younger, I strongly discounted any possibility of Chi, and and laffed at the prayers to the Buddhas. In fact, I remember having heated verbal arguments with people regarding this subject. But I have great thanks to one of my great teachers who transmitted a teaching to me in the form of a great experiential force, although I may not be outwardly humiliated (the great wisdom of Sifu) I learnt a great lesson of not closing the door to which one does not understand.
As mentioned elsewhere, just as a tadpole is incapable of understanding a tree, until it has developed eyes, we are not able to develop 'inner' senses until we start paying attention to the internals of the body. We are all too used to the sounds, taste, touch, vision, that our consciousness is built entirely on these very foundations, to find that during death, all these foundations are sudddenly destroyed. But perhaps, one might spend even one moment to think, how a dolphin is able to perceive the ocean floor for fish without their eyes, and their consciousness have atuuned to this, and it is second nature, and yet we rely on semi reliable sonar equipment.
And now, beginning to understand the teachings of Buddhism (or in fact any religion I am sure) if one prostrates to the Buddha ( or whomever), one is really destroying ones ego, practising humility, seeking the perfection of body, speech and mind, and most of all, opening the doors that have been shut to cause misery. One, in thought, drops the 5 poisonous thoughts, and picks up the 4 great thoughts of selflessness with every prostration. The only benefit is for all beings of this world, and not the Buddha. Yet to the outsider this becomes an act of worship...
I hope this message comes without stepping on anyones toes, and I mean no disrespect....
Please feel free to comment, flame, hatred.....