A
very poignant metaphor describes danger and risk in the teacher and students
within the Taoist tradition.
It
is as if the teacher and student shot arrows at each other, only when their
arrows meet in mid-air will both be saved.
If their arrows miss, then both will be wounded.
A
student hits a resistance along the way and started to project and transfers
his own past trauma onto the relationship.This
kind of transference is extremely difficult to deal with even if one is
trained in psychotherapy.Thus, after
three to five years, this kind of students will tend to leave with bitterness.The
pattern is extremely common.
First
year—great enthusiasm in the teacher and teaching.Willing
to do anything to spread the art.
The teacher, if he is not careful, is swept away by the student’s energy
and started to create intimate bonding.
Second
and third year—having really taste the sweetness of the Taoist art, the
students now want to learn more and even try to emulate the teacher in
enrolling in teacher training courses.
Fourth
and Fifth year—hitting resistance, having transfer the authority figure
to the teacher, now, the student starts to challenge and fight and question
the teacher.This is the falling
out of love phase and since most Taiji and Qigong teacher lack the proper
understanding of how to deal with projection and transference.The
teacher got trap and embroiled in the student neurosis.After
a huge crisis, the student leaves and tries to find other teacher who are
more conductive to his sense of what a teacher should be.But
the same pattern will occurs again with the new teacher.
The
above pattern could also apply to a teacher who is not completely healed
as a human being. My master
called such teacher a cracked pot—though he carries the teaching within
but he will gradually leaks out and become messy.
Hence, a teacher who carries within unresolved traumas will most likely
project his insecurity onto the students.
And in the cross cultural interaction between a native born Chinese teacher
and western student much pain and conflict arises out of cultural misunderstanding
of loyalty, responsibility and romantic projection.
The
pitfalls are as old as time.
In the classical tradition there are safeguard that help the teacher and
student relationships.
A
teacher will test a student’s character and nature before accepting him.
The
classical situation of a novice having to stand at the temple gate for
a week before being accepted is a very good test.
For if a novice can withstand this treatment, that shows a level of maturity
and patience in dealing with adversity and conflict that will arises during
his training. However, in
most commercial school, due to survival, a teacher will accept anyone who
can afford to pay. And that
is why in many Taiji adult education classes in the YMCA, the drop out
rate in a six week course is 85%.
A
student should test the teacher before becoming studying with him.
Within
the Chinese tradition, the student will usually bring along an elder who
is a friend or colleague of the teacher.This
elder will vouch for the quality of the teacher.But
now a day, the only qualification of a teacher is in his ability to fight
in Taiji, and in Qigong, in their fleshy performance of their healing power.None
of these two traits will guarantee the qualities of a teacher.A
great piano player or artist may not be necessary a good teacher.Picasso
is so meant and nasty to his students that no one wants to study art with
him.
This
is one of the biggest pitfalls.To
judge a teacher by his powers and fighting skill blinds the students.Certainly,
a great Taiji and Qigong masters should able to manifest the power of the
training.But they usually don’t.
A
better way to judge a teacher is to get to know his students.Is
the student arrogant and show too much pride in their fighting skill.Ask
a few questions in the history of Taiji Quan and Qigong.Study
the subject ahead of time.
If
you are a student and find yourself trapped in this pattern—falling in
love, falling out of love, leaving in bitterness—then changing teachers
will not improve your life and your spiritual cultivation.
These are the students who have amassed a large repertory of different
styles and form. Stop looking
for the external teacher, look within yourself for the solution and sickness.
If
you are a teacher constantly find yourself trapped in this pattern—falling
in love, falling out of love, blaming the students as disloyal—then most
likely you have to mend your crack, your insecurity.Do
not use teaching as a way to boast your ego.
Limit the claim of what you teach.
Do not pretend to be a guru, a life guide.
Just be simple, be an instructor that just teaches the physical practice
of Taiji and Qigong.
In
the Tibetan tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism, to find a master is indeed
great good fortune. Without
a living master, to practice the way is like swimming in shark infested
water. It is a dangerous walk,
treading on a razor’s edge.
Any wavering will split one’s body in halves.
And living masters do not advertise in your local yellow pages.One
of my friends had prayed for ten years before a real master showed up.