zoofence.com

Greetings to ALL,
I am (Diane) a new member to The Zoo fence forum & still fumbling at working out how the system works, it is set up very different to other forums I have visited & I'm not not real proficent with technology! & I will inevitably work it out!:) However, I have enjoyed reading many of the posts & look forward to interactive sharing.
A little about Diane, Firstly & foremost, my focus & passion is ongoing expansion of self awareness, hence, I am a seeker: and feel that All are both Teacher & Student! I also practise meditation daily.

I also have three adult children, two grand children, three step grandchildren. I'm a practising clinical counsellor, with a major in abuse/trauma. Most of my life & work is vouluntary (and no not wealthy if based on monetry valuefar from it) based on principals & focuss that Self- empowerment is only attained through One's Self awareness! or discovering who one authentically is!
Thankyou for having me on board, I look forward to sharing the adventure with you all!
I believe that knowledge is naught but knowledge, until it is lived & experienced, then & only then shall knowledge be-come wisdom!
namaste
iamDiane

Welcome aboard, Diana, nice to see your post. I enjoyed your clarity and sense of certainty - so pleasant to hear such no-nonsense statement of purpose and understanding.

I particularly relate to your statment about the teacher and student being the same. Nicely put, and I agree completely. I think that we are each here to learn and help one another get through life as best and as easily as possible. I think the trouble inevitably starts when one assumes that one "knows better" and thus can "help" the other who "knows less". That's when authoritarianism begins, and love ceases. I can't remember who it was that said this, but some great sage, no doubt, who stated that with the proper attitude, one can learn all the secrets of the universe from anything one focuses on. The key word, of course, is attitude.

Peace and love.

Anna

Hello Anna,
"Thankyou" for your reply & warm welcome, much appreciated!
I totally agree with the words of the wise sage, in regard to attitude!
After all, for me, it is all in the way one looks at it! just as beauty Being in the eye of the beholder!
Another great quote I had sent to me, I think from inspirational Peak, was > A good teacher, teaches what they have been taught!
A wise teacher, teaches what they have learned!
I would like to add to that,
A wise teacher shares what they have learned through experience!

Have a wonderful day!
namaste
Diane
Love * Light!

An interesting topic, teaching.

I would differentiate between teachers "teaching" and teachers "being" - the latter of course, teaches, in that observing or listening to an individual that actually "is" the teaching, teaches. Most teachers, however, are of the "teaching" kind, and if so, I would like to suggest that one could add to the description of teaching, that "a teacher teaches what he or she is trying to become". Once they become whatever it is that they are teaching, they cease teaching, but simply live as that teaching.

Greetings Anna,
"Thankyou" for your reply & insight. so true!
I neglected to clarify & finish what I wrote: a wise teacher, teaches what they have learned through experience through "Being" that!

I would appreciate your insight also on another topic, such as: the experience of what I can only refer to as an energy influx that
appears to surge or flood down through the crown chakra, which has occured over a 12 month period. It is almost as though there was a fire hydrant hose above the head. This happens frequently, in particular when the content of interacting with others is based on spiritual focus & always when meditating! Maybe, you can shed some light on this!
Diane
namaste

Diane:

The only similar sensation that I can attest to occurs in the opposite direction for me: and always, as you indicate, it occurs when interacting with another. It is a rising up the spine out through the top of the head, which is an exquisite sensation, similar to goose-bumps, but internally felt. I would assume that you sense it as coming down probably because of your own particular background or past experience. I have always simply assumed that it is due to a sense of appropriateness or a sense of connectedness and "rightness" of the event, a kind of internal physical signal that I am out of the way, and whatever is happening is "correct" and appropriate for the circumstances. At least that is how I have explained it; of course, my explanation is personal, and may actually be way off base, but it is the best I can do. Perhaps that is where "sent shivers up my spine" came from? In your case, "sent shivers down your spine?" If you want to put a spiritual spin to it, then, it might be what feeling "the holy spirit" feels like, or in another culture, what "kundalini" feels like, or a kind of "rapture"that the dervishes attest to, but only a dribblet of that sense, perhaps?

Heartfelt Gratitude Anna,
Yes, certainly an inspirational experience!
I very much relate to what you shared, as in the Holy Spirit: I also felt that it is a little like a confirmation of universal "truth" content. However, I tend to value & like to also acquire insight, interpretaton & input from others.

When Diane gets in the way, she trys to make cognitive understanding of it! I actually mentioned this experience (among others) once to a Buddhist teacher, two years ago, upon which he replied that, he had not experienced it, so it would be best to just forget about it! & all I needed to do was study the path to enlightnment for two years.

Which, at the time, had an adverse impact on trusting my experiences!
To the point whereby, I tried to convince myself that I was making it up!
or asking myself what was wrong with me!
Oh, the journey, what an adventure!

namaste
Diane

As a spiritual questor, I also sometimes have the feelings you talk about. I always read it like this: The spiritual quest is the search for the "Ultimate Truth", However, as anyone knows in any search there are small achievements that will lead you there. These steps are exciting because we realize we are on a path that is taking us somewhere and in the direction we want to go. For example, if we want to learn Advanced Linear Algebra we will be excited when we have discovered differential equations in Calc 101. (Sorry I was a math major). For another example I do a lot of Camping with Boy Scouts and Venture Crews. There are time outdoors when I sit back and watch the youth discover nature and themselves that I have this same feeling. From a Christian point of view where God is infinite, in everything, this is called taking God into yourself. (I was a Catholic as a youth). I am currently a Buddhist, I think the Monk telling you to ignore the feeling was a warning that he did not want you to get "stuck" at that point. Keep moving forward.

As for your teaching experience, I do training classes for youth and adults in the Boy Scouts. We usually team teach a training subject. This makes all of us teachers and students at the same time. I sort of think of it as putting a large Jig-Saw Puzzle together. Some days I will contribute more pieces to the final puzzle, but other days someone else does. But in the end we all get to marvel at the final picture.

Enjoy
Steven

Diana: You realize, of course, that the Buddhist teacher actually approached your question wisely - it was just your reaction to the instruction that was unfortunate!

There is an old Sufi saying that says: "If you don't stop there"......you will find in the next hill gold, and if you don't stop there, you will find in the subsequent hill, pearls, and in the subsequent hill, diamonds, etc., until you find you continue to discover greater and greater treasures, but only by not "stopping" along the way with fascination by whatever treasure you have presently experienced. Your teacher realized the obstruction that fascination with experience can be to the progress of consciousness, and thus, attempted to put your experience in its proper perspective.

It is therefore unfortunate, but obviously not detrimental, that your reaction was to distrust your experiences, therefore.

Of course, a Buddhist teacher might respond that experiences are only experiences, and thus transient, which, of course, is true. Still, it doesn't make the experiences "untrue" or "insignificant", it just puts them in their proper place, as experiences.

There is no doubt in my mind that the sensation of rightness, or ecstacy, or any other experience for that matter is legitimate and worthwhile, and that experiencing these kinds of things are wonderful and supportive and reinforcing. It only becomes a "problem" - if it can be called even that - when it becomes a point of focus in and of itself and we then start seeking to replicate it. Even so, all that does is spin our wheels for a while in the same track, but who cares?, so what? Living is experience, afterall, and the happier it can be, the happier we are. And certainly our state of consciousness determines our state of happiness, and to the extent that we "feel good", both physically, emotionally, and mentally, to that extent we will "live good" and in a whole and "spiritual" manner. The signposts along the way are these kinds of experiences, and without those signposts, we might easily become discouraged.

Steven:

Well, it looks like you and I were on the same "page", not to mention the same "state of mind", at the same time - I wish I had simply waited a moment, because you made the point more succinctly than I!

I have never heard the phrase "taking God into yourself", but it is superb! But of course, the Catholics are no slouches when it comes to spiritual terminology.eh?

Greetings Steven,
“Thankyou” for taking the time to respond & your enlightening sharing Steven! Yes, I totally agree, there are many exciting small achievements that tend to lighten the way, however I feel sharing those experiences with others often produces a wonderful masterpiece of the interconnected tapestry of life!

Your jig saw approach within the training classes for youth/adults in Boy Scouts is a great & fruitful practise & your experience whilst sitting back & watching the youth’s discovery of nature /self sounds a little like witnessing source in action!

Maths major, advanced Linear Algebra, differential equations in calc 101, hey, Steven, I’m lost already! J You most certainly would be the teacher in that instant with me! I was flat out learning my tables!

Yes, there are many paths, upon the inward treasure hunt, all leading to one interconnected destination! Nowhere to go, nothing to do, just experiencing the process of awakening to what one already is and ultimately “Being” That realized!

Namaste
Diane

Hello Anna:
“Thankyou” for your valued sharing.

Yes Anna, I did inevitably, realize the wisdom within the Buddhist teacher’s, comment & also became aware of other relevancies: I don’t feel I was fascinated or stuck on the experience as such, it originated basically through a general discussion, whereby, 10 like minded people within a Satsang circle, were sharing & hopeing to gain insight in regard to what their experiences were about & mine happen to be just one of them.

What I have found has worked for me over the years, is my endeavour to be consistent in self- observation & my ability to respond or react to any experience, which tends to highlight the real source of motivation from my internal frame of reference and thus, enables me to identify a supportive or unsupportive perception for what it is!
Hence, I choose to take responsibility for either, response or reaction! I have discovered, blame is never outside of me. I don’t believe there are victims. Consequently I feel that all experiences are blessings in disguise, serving only as a mirror of potential opportunities, whereby one can raise one’s present level of self-awareness through weeding the garden of the mind!

No matter what experience we are presented with in life, the inevitable effect it has on one, can often be realized as being motivated from within the heart or the eyes of the beholder. I apply this to my life to the best of my conscious ability; no one can hurt or upset me/you, all interaction is based on one’s own uniqueness and aware or unaware interpretation of the experience!

I also realized that my reaction at that time & the effect of questioning, self doubt & not trusting my experiences , served to highlight, the program of inadequacy or not good enough buttons at the time. Which, on a more personal note, had been elicited through past contradictive influences & experiences of abuse & trauma as a child. Being reared in a very strict catholic environment & experiencing abuse & trauma from both my father & a catholic priest. All of which were also to be fruitful experiential blessings in disguise!

And so be it, Trust has been a big part of the learning/awakening process for me.
Not in trusting others, but in self- trust, being true to my-self, with self - acceptance and Being Who I AM warts & all, which I feel, enables me to authentically walk my talk to the best of my ability.

The Sufi saying is so very, very true! Thankyou!
I have often made reference to using the diamond as an example, when working or sharing with people, suggesting they begin to see themselves as being a precious diamond of many facets, realizing that some facets may still appear to be in the rough, some are cut & polished and some require a little further buffing and in due course the innate beauty of one’s innate presence is divinely revealed!

Namaste
Diane[/quote]