Why do so many teachers and gurus die at a young age and/or do not look great?

[Leif]

Yes I have been thinking about this often too.

Everything is relative.

Someone looks hot because they use decades old pr photos or a hair dye. Others might have it in their genes.

 

As for Chunyi Lin, healing is not a one way operation where someone pours chi over pacient and they are healed. He commented on that himself, if you are interested in more detail. IIRC it was a matter of choice.

 

It's not quite fair to put functional medicine and kundalini practitioners together, IMHO kundalini people are not quite into health aspect.

 

This has been mentioned in one reply above, and is quite common: many Chinese masters and advanced practitioners got to their practice because serious health problems. Some in early childhood, some fairly late even their fifties and sixties. Others practiced arts but smoked, drunk, etc. 
So it's often fairly hard to make general comments, there were different starting points. More important to look more deeply on particular invidual you are intending to learn from. 

Edited July 4, 2018 by Leif

[CityHermit!]

Sometimes I see news articles about centenarians and they are asked about their secrets to longevity, some cite seemingly unhealthy habits like potato chips, cigars and whiskey let alone practice of methods as discussed here. I think life is very complicated, its difficult to gauge all the factors and some things are not accounted for. Misfortunes and accidents too are a thing, and not everyone sees those coming. Even if achieving longevity a lot of things decline, retaining memory and alertness is worthwhile as it is.

[Aetherous]

40 minutes ago, CityHermit! said:

Even if achieving longevity a lot of things decline, retaining memory and alertness is worthwhile as it is.

 

So...we should all really be cultivating our Sudoku.

[Lost in Translation]

31 minutes ago, Aetherous said:

So...we should all really be cultivating our Sudoku.

 

That is an excellent idea. 👍

[CityHermit!]

1 hour ago, Aetherous said:

 

So...we should all really be cultivating our Sudoku.

 

57 minutes ago, Lost in Translation said:

 

That is an excellent idea. 👍

https://vgarmada.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/a-moment-of-gaming-reflection-–-a-99-year-old-japanese-lady-plays-bomberman-every-day/

 

I wonder if she is still around and how she is

[CityHermit!]

I had a thought, that the perhaps the stress and pressure that comes with a title or experiences of guru or other can itself be a detriment to lifespan. Maybe it in part cancels out benefits from practice. Maybe there are times when having achieved a status that others come around to challenge or poke at it whether out of jealousy, disdain, greed, or some other ill will and that also can be taxing to defend from and withstand.

[CityHermit!]

Also, people die eventually, so it's good to be mindful of posterity. Similar to how people have families and carry on things that way, teachers and gurus have to come to terms with how they pass on things too. If for instance one dies young but is successful in passing on their lineage and/or tradition then in a sense they achieve a sort of longevity that way whereas someone who lives an incredibly long period but doesn't pass on anything results in a kind of extinction.

[CityHermit!]

On ‎7‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 3:00 AM, Leif said:

Yes I have been thinking about this often too.

Everything is relative.

Someone looks hot because they use decades old pr photos or a hair dye. Others might have it in their genes.

 

As for Chunyi Lin, healing is not a one way operation where someone pours chi over pacient and they are healed. He commented on that himself, if you are interested in more detail. IIRC it was a matter of choice.

 

It's not quite fair to put functional medicine and kundalini practitioners together, IMHO kundalini people are not quite into health aspect.

 

This has been mentioned in one reply above, and is quite common: many Chinese masters and advanced practitioners got to their practice because serious health problems. Some in early childhood, some fairly late even their fifties and sixties. Others practiced arts but smoked, drunk, etc. 
So it's often fairly hard to make general comments, there were different starting points. More important to look more deeply on particular invidual you are intending to learn from. 

I'm not a master and I don't think I'm advanced but I used to be a horrible chain smoker, 2.5 packs a day or more. I was going to die. I ended up quitting cold turkey one day and didn't look back. My friends were smokers too, I think only a couple of them ended up quitting too and only after a much longer period. Tobacco is rough.

[Spotless]

If you seek a self improvement teacher - then they should generally "look" well improved.

 

If you seek a diet and exercise teacher one would expect fitness to exude.

 

If you seek a teacher of the Way - an Awakened Abiding guiding light - then you may find a beaten man or woman that has been ripped to shreds again and again - that tired of life and endless dissatisfaction. 

 

An then Awoke - at which time the great work has only just begun - generally several years just to settle - several more to find words - there is no intention - no search - grace finds its way.

 

From Abidance one is Awake 7/24 

 

Great energies may unfold - massive relentless stillness - unending gratitude - never ending acceptance - all the while in a body that in many cases is not conditioned for these radical changes  Great bulges of energy - residual patterns of deflection - a burn rate of pain in simply seeing that has no hold but must pass through.

 

You may be speaking with one while their metal is being reforged - while whole universes are expanding in them - and yet their is not one atom of essence that does not wish to converse on truth and way. And non of this is in Suffering- but it is not a cakewalk - one abides through the unfolding and the dissipation in stillness - willfulness falling ever away.

 

The great work begins - and even then it is not guaranteed to go far - even true abidance is a somewhat initial stage - the great stages cannot begin without constant Light - an endless essence that must uncover nakedness - a raw life that is unbound in a purity that is not one of elevation - but in that which knows nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2018 by Spotless

[Starjumper]

32 minutes ago, Spotless said:

If you seek a self improvement teacher - then they should generally "look" well improved.

 

If you seek a diet and exercise teacher one would expect fitness to exude.

 

If you seek a teacher of the Way - an Awakened Abiding guiding light - then you may find a beaten man or woman that has been ripped to shreds again and again - that tired of life and endless dissatisfaction. 

 

An then Awoke - at which time the great work has only just begun - generally several years just to settle - several more to find words - there is no intention - no search - grace finds its way.

 

From Abidance one is Awake 7/24 

 

Great energies may unfold - massive relentless stillness - unending gratitude - never ending acceptance - all the while in a body that in many cases is not conditioned for these radical changes  Great bulges of energy - residual patterns of deflection - a burn rate of pain in simply seeing that has no hold but must pass through.

 

You may be speaking with one while their metal is being reforged - while whole universes are expanding in them - and yet their is not one atom of essence that does not wish to converse on truth and way. And non of this is in Suffering- but it is not a cakewalk - one abides through the unfolding and the dissipation in stillness - willfulness falling ever away.

 

The great work begins - and even then it is not guaranteed to go far - even true abidance is a somewhat initial stage - the great stages cannot begin without constant Light - an endless essence that must uncover nakedness - a raw life that is unbound in a purity that is not one of elevation - but in that which knows nothing.

 

Very good, it sounds like you've been around the block a couple of times.  There are indeed some systems which lead to all of the above, health, longevity, enlightenment, the whole enchilada; but no one is interested in those.

[rideforever]

If a guy dies young or gets injured of course it is very meaningful and one should consider what it is inside this person that has lead to that result.

 

They might have deep knowledge though, if you really seek knowledge you will take it from anyone at all, anyone.   But that doesn't mean you should justify or explain-away the fact that this teacher doesn't look after himself or gets into horrible accidents.  Clearly there is something he needs to learn and maybe his whole attitude is bad.

 

Many fake teachers going nowhere look great.   
Many teachers with power, look like shit but have a glint in the eye.   
There are teachers who have reached peace and sit calmly, but there are few students.