To Seek a Master

[Neophyte]

[Sloppy Zhang]

I'm going to say something radical here and tell you that loooooooong before you get a master you should work on cultivating certain qualities within yourself, namely, the ability to "listen". Learn from everything, watch everything, watch how it behaves, how things interact. Observe the flow, see what lessons you can take from one area and use them in another.

 

Masters (and other high level teachers) can be found in strange places, and you won't even be able to find them unless you have the ability to listen, and many of these people are willing to divulge secrets to you if you are willing to listen. But there are many people who say that there are no such things as "secrets", there are only those willing to work at it and those unwilling to work at it.

 

They say that when the student is ready the master will appear, but the student must be ready. You can have the greatest "master" on the planet and not get anything out of it, but taking a long walk in the woods listening to the trees can really get you into a learning mood.

 

You'd be surprised how many things you can intuitively come to grasp if you only take the time out of your day to seriously sit down (or take a walk), question, examine yourself or something else, kick it around, relax, reflect, and do it again.

 

And read. A lot. The amount of material available in print these days is ridiculous, not to mention stuff that's for free on the internet, especially compared to the old days where you had to hike halfway across a country and all the way up a mountain to even get the basics of the basics.

 

Again, listen listen listen.

Edited April 14, 2010 by Sloppy Zhang

[Ya Mu]

I'm going to say something radical here and tell you that loooooooong before you get a master you should work on cultivating certain qualities within yourself, namely, the ability to "listen". Learn from everything, watch everything, watch how it behaves, how things interact. Observe the flow, see what lessons you can take from one area and use them in another.

 

Masters (and other high level teachers) can be found in strange places, and you won't even be able to find them unless you have the ability to listen, and many of these people are willing to divulge secrets to you if you are willing to listen. But there are many people who say that there are no such things as "secrets", there are only those willing to work at it and those unwilling to work at it.

 

They say that when the student is ready the master will appear, but the student must be ready. You can have the greatest "master" on the planet and not get anything out of it, but taking a long walk in the woods listening to the trees can really get you into a learning mood.

 

You'd be surprised how many things you can intuitively come to grasp if you only take the time out of your day to seriously sit down (or take a walk), question, examine yourself or something else, kick it around, relax, reflect, and do it again.

 

And read. A lot. The amount of material available in print these days is ridiculous, not to mention stuff that's for free on the internet, especially compared to the old days where you had to hike halfway across a country and all the way up a mountain to even get the basics of the basics.

 

Again, listen listen listen.

Listening - very good Sloppy!

 

OP If you want to learn qigong you may find looking through www.nqa.org helpful. Lists of certified teachers.

[Cloudhand]

Another thing to remember is to slow down and see, you might miss your master if he's in front of you. Cloudhand

[thelerner]

I'm going to say something radical here and tell you that loooooooong before you get a master you should work on cultivating certain qualities within yourself, namely, the ability to "listen". Learn from everything, watch everything, watch how it behaves, how things interact. Observe the flow, see what lessons you can take from one area and use them in another.

 

Masters (and other high level teachers) can be found in strange places, and you won't even be able to find them unless you have the ability to listen, and many of these people are willing to divulge secrets to you if you are willing to listen. But there are many people who say that there are no such things as "secrets", there are only those willing to work at it and those unwilling to work at it.

 

They say that when the student is ready the master will appear, but the student must be ready. You can have the greatest "master" on the planet and not get anything out of it, but taking a long walk in the woods listening to the trees can really get you into a learning mood.

 

You'd be surprised how many things you can intuitively come to grasp if you only take the time out of your day to seriously sit down (or take a walk), question, examine yourself or something else, kick it around, relax, reflect, and do it again.

 

And read. A lot. The amount of material available in print these days is ridiculous, not to mention stuff that's for free on the internet, especially compared to the old days where you had to hike halfway across a country and all the way up a mountain to even get the basics of the basics.

 

Again, listen listen listen.

 

Bingo, can't add to such a wise reply.

 

 

Michael

[Eric23]

[~jK~]

Bingo, can't add to such a wise reply.

Michael

 

I tend to follow Michael's observation but would like to add that 'A farmer clears his field before planting so that old growth does not intefere with the new.'

 

This translates into: Learn some basic exercises and meditation such as given in "The Five Tibetans" which will align your body and begin to empty the mind for new growth.

If you can master the simple exercises in the 85 page booklet - you will have an excellent beginning.

 

I've known masters with many years of training - they would only give simple step by step methods for meditation first - and then hang around to answer questions about what was happening. Much like what is happening from your first post on this topic...

 

In my opinion, the Key to the Tao is in my signature - at the bottom of this post:

Edited April 21, 2010 by ~jK~

[Cloudhand]

Practice Practice Practice

[sifusufi]

Beware the.....

 

Profit

Politics

Personality(cult of)

 

These are words with a "P" this time

 

Call me stubborn but I never could submit to the "12 easy payments" of martial arts schools.

 

I have to bend over on the job and wear a UNIFORM.

 

My wife and I were checking out the garden variety of yoga gurus online yesterday, loved how yuppified and submissive all the sheep were.

 

anyway my true colours and coming out

may you find all you dream of

Robert

[Old Man Contradiction]

If all he teaches is how to relax and move, you haven't found a master.

[Sloppy Zhang]

If all he teaches is how to relax and move, you haven't found a master.

 

Some people only want to learn how to relax and move.

[Old Man Contradiction]

[Tao99]

Edited July 10, 2010 by Tao99

[sifusufi]

They will be dancin in the moonlight.

 

 

Touche'