Written by Mathew Naismith
A spiritual teacher is asked to do a
presentation on what the teacher is about to a small group of people, they
accept. When the time comes, they greet everyone who comes through the door and
once this is done, they then place themselves in front of the people and
immediately queries, "What are you
all doing here?" There is no answer because the people are perplexed
by the teachers query.
The spiritual teacher then states,
"You are here because you did not listen to your eastern mind, a mind of
non-materialism, thought, wisdom and non-controlling ways. You are here because
of your western minds material imperfections, distractions and controlling
ways."
To the spiritual teacher, there is no
question of the eastern mind being positive, right, good, etc, and the western
mind being negative, wrong, bad, etc. As of always, and quite naturally too to
the western mind, there is an obvious positive and negative in relation to the
western and eastern mind. Now, why were the people sitting in front of the
spiritual teacher to start with, expecting guidance and answers to life?
A predominant western minded person goes into
a jungle alive with carnivorous beasties (beasts). Fear will either save this
person or cause the death of the person. Now, an enlightened person of the
absence of material imperfections, distractions and controlling ways enters the
jungle. The carnivorous beasties react in a totally different way. Instead of
being ferocious towards the enlightened person, they react playfully and
acceptingly. This is actually occurring with certain people at present, where
there interactions with wild carnivorous animals are at the point of being playful.
You don't have to be enlightened to experience this, just of the absence of
material imperfections, distractions and controlling ways.
The spiritual teacher then poses a question," Am I positive because I am the
teacher and you are negative because you are the students fixated to material
imperfections, distractions and controlling ways? I am not separate from you as
I am not separate from creation as a whole. Whatever is of creation, we are of
no matter what the western ego mind desires to only be of. The different being,
no matter how much we are connected to all of creation, I am also the teacher
as well as the student only because I have also learnt to listen to the eastern
mind as well as the western mind."
You will notice that certain spiritual
teachers will make note to taking control, especially of the mind. If the
teacher mentions to the western mind to tame the mind instead of controlling
the mind, what is going to occur, especially when the western mind is known to
be all about taking control rather than releasing oneself of control?
It is wise when approaching the western
mind, to be expressive of what the western mind comprehends to then understand.
However, there are teachers who only approach a mind not dominated by the
western mind. The mind approached doesn't have to be predominantly eastern but
certainly not predominately controlled by the westernised mind. You will never
sway a predominant western mind all about control rather than releasing control
to comprehend taming the mind to start with, for only the eastern mind in all
of us relates to taming the mind rather than controlling the mind. In saying
this, at times while trying to influence the western mind to tame the mind, the
eastern mind becomes more dominant, this is because the eastern mind, while not
being of control but of releasing control, becomes more influential on the mind
itself through recognition of taming the mind.
I actually approach the western mind by
pointing out the difference between the eastern and western mind, one is of
control, the other of taming. The problem with this to the western mind is,
honesty is often not the best policy, this is why many teachers will mention
taking control of the mind instead of taming the mind. I should point out here that I am not a spiritual teacher.
The spiritual teacher then goes on to
express, "As you are different to
all else, doesn't mean you are separate to all else. This also means all else
not of your positive is negative, just a different expression of yourself. You
can deny that the environment around you is not of you but all this proves is
that your western mind is in control. Tame the western mind with eastern minded
influences, within this, all that seemed to be negative to your own positive
dissipates. The western mind loves perceptions of negatives and positives for this
gives the western mind more power and control over our mind and our
environment, or so is deceptively perceived by the western mind in control over
our minds."
Note: At no time did I read or listen to what is mentioned above in
relation to a spiritual teachers presentation, this is wholly my own thoughts
of a spiritual teachers starting presentation.