Every learning is a two-way process. There is the imparter of knowledge, skill & wisdom of truth who could be called a guru, teacher or a facilitator. Then there is the one who receives, assimilates, processes synthesizes & is then convinced about his or her interpretation of assimilation of truth enough to be called the student, shishya or disciple.
Now as learning is a never-ending process of growth and realization all the seekers of knowledge should have the channels of thoughts, words & deeds open for correction, improvement to be able to retain & sustain the available information to the best of their abilities.
The interpretation of knowledge may happen with respect to the personal state of mind and matter of the receiver, no matter whether he is the student or a teacher. Both are only human and are bound to the vagaries of human nature.
Poise & Composure
The sheer physical or mental magnetism a teacher or student exudes or otherwise must not undermine the purpose. So certain restraint in conduct, both in the physical emotional & mental sense must be in place for a mutually symbiotic relationship to take place. It’s very important for this realization to be clear and apparent enough between both of them before they can begin a journey of refinement that knowledge brings forth. In a situation of misplaced judgement, it is important for the other to coach and coax the unwilling and astray mule in the mind of the erring person, back on to the road, whoever they are, student or teacher. As learning is a two-way street. The learning will at times make the student a teacher and the teacher a student in the journey of realization.
Channelling the learning
Many times the temptation of thoughts will bring even the most dedicated of students or teachers to testing the real purpose of their efforts and practice. At this juncture, the control of mind and body actions must be exercised. This, if left unchecked could leave room for unnecessary situations which could harm the beautiful synthesis and symbiotic nature of the student-teacher relationship. The boundaries of mind are easily even more difficult to fathom and clarify.
It is simple and wise to let the mind be grounded, focused and steadfast in its purpose enough to be clear about the distinction and discernment while the learning relationship is taking place. As a single stray thought, or action could cause confusion enough to completely toss the relationship boundaries to levels which may be difficult to tilt back to states of equilibrium that needs to be maintained.
Steering the learning
The teacher must make it clear to himself or herself and to the students that he is there for the purpose of teaching and sharing the knowledge that he has been privy to, probably because of his own levels of ability, understanding, karma, dedication or steadfastness and discipline in acquiring the related skill. This act itself clears the ground for proper acceptance of a teacher’s education.
The thought and senses need to be checked before every movement such that there is respect enough for the student towards the teachers’ knowledge and in doing so the teacher manages to gain the required acceptance from the student and learning resumes.
Respect
But this is only one side of the coin the student too, has certain modes of conduct which needs to be observed and never crossed.
It is very important to understand first of all that neither a teachers time must not be taken for granted nor his teachings. They will be there for you as you need it and thus trust enough to understand that you cannot learn more or less of anything than what is required for you at that time.
Secondly, it is important that both accept and follow the principles of conduct in which learning is taking place which is ideally laid down by the form or subject to ensure that both do not stray beyond the boundaries and go off track.
The purpose of learning is absolutely free flowing & spills over to life and its situations and circumstances so this association of thought must not be confused with favoritism and partiality of any kind between both of them.
In some learning, the personal space both physical and mental greatly narrows down between the teacher and student putting them in a quandary especially if both are seeing a reflection of thoughts and actions in each other. This is definitely a situation to exercise caution enough to circumvent the spillover of knowledge beyond the cup of the mind.
Finally, there is the need to assimilate and interpret an information and only then act upon it, not get taken by impulse so much that you don’t give the other side the benefit of doubt.
The realization that experiences necessary for your learning and growth come to you will be clear but at the same time, you must keep in mind that no student or teacher can exercise and influence you to the degree that you do not want to be.
You learn what you can imbibe.. Not more not less!
Savvy
I wrote this article years ago but I was reminded of it today as in India it is Guru Poornima a day dedicated to the Teacher or Guru in and around us.
It is a day of celebration in respect & reverence for the exchange of knowledge and wisdom.
I addressed here the interplay of that which needs a mutual definition in understanding between both the students and the teacher as learnings begin to happen. It is always a work in progress for I believe learning is never ending and a continuous path of life and living.
Yet it is beautiful to pause & be grateful for the understanding that comes our way. Thus through the trials & tribulations of being a student & a teacher, life abounds in deep gratitude.
The question is are we strengthened or divided in time spent in togetherness. Nations that are close in proximity hardly are together like people who may live together seemingly close knitted but hardly feel united in spirit.
The picture above intrigues me…
Entwined hands in a show of unity
Three different shades of skin
Starkly different in tones and hues
Blood beneath it all is the colour red
Alive in this now and together
They seem bonded by life
Yet this show of togetherness is a far cry
And belies the truth and reeks of racial struggles of times bygone.
Light medium and dark
These three sheaths of skin
Speak volumes of the unspoken rift
They tell tales of discrimination
Of slavery and class differentiation
Of power struggles and domination
Of the oppressed and the oppressors
Of distances in between
Of privileged and underprivileged
Is this show of strength in unity … Is it
An illusion of togetherness
A kiss and tell in feigned innocence
Or a facade put forth
In the very bliss of ignorance
One doesn’t know
Like we know not how souls choose the body to live to enjoy or endure it through a lifetime.
In the blissful togetherness!
Our world today may have woken up in bits and pieces.
In awareness of equality of the sexes
With respect for beings alike
With value for human dignity by far
Yet there is ongoing war and terror everywhere
Women are not safe anywhere
As predators lurk,
Children have to be watched over carefully
None feel safe any place anywhere
And peace is the need of this planet …in this now
If there is anything that may help bridge the gap
It is the awareness of the humanity in each other
And the strength of the interconnects in the interbeing
True togetherness is a trustful knowing in interdependence
In acceptance of one another in spite of their unique differences.
Savvy
These reflections in verse format are my hearts cry that poured through the verses addressing many ills and evils of society.
Namely lack of tolerance, inequality, indignity, racial discrimination, body shaming, gender bias, atrocities on women ,child safety issues as much the forest fires and global warming and not to forget the threats of terror,war and more.
We are simply making it more difficult to live in this planet with each other by our egoplays, taking one another and our world for granted and need for domination without a consideration of the consequences of our actions.
Why can’t we coexist in peace and in strength of unity in this beautiful ball of blue?
Everything we do , everything we think we own, all returns back to the source some day. In knowing this truth we need to sense gratitude for what is … and that is one of the secrets to living life lovingly!
Do you even know how blessed you are? Your being there is enough!
Feeling so grateful for all I have! I believe all is well…
Just with these few words above
You have forayed rightaway
Into the vibration of resonance
A shift towards positive mindsets
Into the dimensions of healing awareness
Through the sound of these spoken words.
So take stock of your potential within
You have so much going for you
Remember to believe
In the power of your own words
There is much you can do for this world
to transform for the better.
And it can start with you… Good thoughts good words Can be a start… Think well, Choose well Speak well!
Someone asked me why I dance… and I said I dance to create myself.
I like to dance in my thoughts, words and deeds. By that I mean I enjoy the harmony of movements whether in thoughts or action.
Personally, I respect and value all forms of creativity and believe in the immense value of it in our daily lives.
We are all creative beings but some have to find their path themselves while perhaps for others the path is laid out for them.
We need to honour our creativity we need to find avenues to let go express and share what comes naturally to us. In that is a healing and restoring beyond compare. Have seen a single dance light up a dancers eyes or a single song or a painting stroke change the mood not only for the viewer but for the artist themselves.
Creativity is who we are and lets never forget it. The challenge though is to understand techniques of channelising creativity in a form that is valued and shared by many and that comes from practice. It is a path of immense possibilities each having the potential for soulful connects with self as much as others.
Dancers: An Artwork by Savvy Raj
What we create is meant to be and hence we learn to channelize the flow in more meaningful ways. Just the other day standing before a painting of just two vertical lines symbolised many possibilities… a bridge, to a tube, to a scale, to a road and more… infinite mind, infinite imagination, a fodder for thought in the letting go.
Yet to channelize the thoughts is a task for many demanding ardours and disciplined approach in thinking and streamlining strategically to enhance the end product be it any art form in life and living
Creativity must never be suppressed or repressed as then it manifests in disease of the body and mind. Immense is the power of creative movements to balance the body mind and spirit.
yesterday on my post Creativity: A matter of approach https://wp.me/p6a0yZ-2Em
Watch these amazing and spirited performers daring to dance like so…
<a href=”http://
“>Waltzing On the Walls
Waltzing beyond the Walls Art lives in betwixt and beyond the walls of assumption A dance happens in the letting go and in the gumption Take away the fear of falling down and failure. Take away the fear of doubts and see what the spirit can endure…
Soul dances leading through the spirit and the body follows Unshackling conventions and freeing of limitations that hollows Defying the elements and daring to dance Shaping new frontiers without losing form or stance
Spirit of life I bow to thee🙏 You are beyond all decree.🤲
What makes a job well done?
What makes excellence a standard?
What makes one stand out a cut above the rest?
What is aesthetics after all?
What differentiates the good better and the best?
All is a matter of approach in every field of life. A shift in the perspectives brings home, amazing solutions. An approach that is creatively expansive than confounding, opens a box of possibilities. We are all equipped to reach out into our own creative potential by just empowering ourselves with techniques of approaching a situation at hand.
Every one of us is endowed with the potential to develop our artistic abilities and approach with a creative eye. It’s a matter of putting the principles into practice and taking that giant leap of faith.
Artist and Creativity:
Creativity blooms in every acknowledgement of interconnectedness. To profess any creative reflection as just mine alone is too limiting in the larger picture. As any exercise to envision beyond, needs to step beyond time frames, to flow along in the subtlety of the eternal wisdom. In fact, our creative enrichments are a reminder of the beauty within that is as unique as every one of us in its similarities as much as the differences and yet deeply aligned to learnings in the consciousness of the interdependence.
Although as an artist we may give a shape to thoughts, its destiny is the result of the bubbles of thoughts in the connected flow. As soon as the clarity of the interdependence reigns in the hearts, all thoughts transform creatively as per the seeing beyond looking, in the gratefulness of both the subtlety and starkness of the interdependence.
Creativity is a tool and treasure for the taking in your hands. Do something with it that only u can.
As no one possess your uniqueness.
And do that which calls out from your being.
Trust creativity for its latent powers that can be unleashed in the acknowledgement.
Explorations in creativity at play or work by chance or in a structure boosts the chances of emerging into patterns of successful design.
Classic learning by trial and error, doing and undoing in a repetitive way also offers a lot of scope for creative breakthroughs
Whether it is the movement of our bodies and our thoughts that get stirred creating new correlations and understandings on a simple nod, a tug, a tap, a touch has immense potential to create waves of energy.
And thus in thinking with our movements, we can bring out nuances of many complex relationship patterns to notice.
Ingrained points of reference can be a hard thing to let go once you have them in you as trained dancers musicians or artists. To allow things to settle in without internal or external interference can be quite a disconcerting task for most of us. As we are often used to creating a connected flow of thought …thought tend to arrange themselves in the pattern by habit.
To find your own sense of flow and then create needs more than a receptive mind which is open to possibilities. Creativity flourishes in moving beyond the box stepping out of the emerging visages in the interpretation, time and time again.
Every creative endeavour is rooted in a dance of the energy within and around us … the dynamics of integration embodies the creative output. A movement that is influenced in the tidal wave of both gravitational and centrifugal force of thoughts.
When in friendships two is company and three a crowd…
A small story.
Recently my young cousin shifted to my city to work. She had found a suitable job and her first step into settling herself was to find a place to stay on her own.
Although she stayed with us initially, being independent by nature we knew soon that she would be keen on finding her own place.
Understanding her need for an independent living we helped her scout one hostel which seemed all fine except the time and cost of a commute as it was a little distant from her place of work.
Soon she realised she was wasting money and time. She started networking with her colleagues and she landed an offer from one.
The girl in question was staying in a tiny non-descript place barely enough for two but pretty much close to her office. She asked her to move in with her and share her rent and other expenses. Realising the convenience of proximity to her place of work as she could simply walk to the office and the fact that the rent was truly affordable my cousin agreed to shift in.
Being a very careful spender my cousin was all excited. Moreover, she was elated in fact that she happily shared how good it would be, to not have to spend so much time travelling as well.
We too were glad she found a place near her workplace and decided to help her shift on a suitable day which happened to be yesterday.
Now life is known to be unpredictable.
Between the then and now many things can change. Such is the nature of life and living.
But a young girl coming away from home and hearth with a suitcase full of dreams in her heart would hardly be the one to realise the vagaries of life and living.
It so happened, that after all the eagerness of finally making it to the new home, a rude shock awaited her. The girl who had offered her to share the flat brought in one more colleague to stay. But it wasn’t never discussed mutually between. This gave rise to a lot of tension between them. My cousin felt cheated that there was no transparency in the dealing. Moreover, there was no space for the third person in an already cramped room.
Now my cousin was braving tears trying to tell me the whole incident this morning. Although I don’t suspect her tenacity to tackle the situation one bit and find a solution to her problem I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. My heart reaches out to her as I write this. I wish her God speed in finding the right home for herself in this city.
A few reflections on Life and living
So much about trust issues here
To trust another is about believing
But a belief that must be valued by the one you place your trust one.
Think twice to read the signs and place your trust in people carefully.
(My cousin decided to vacate her hostel even before the actual date of vacating to save her travel expenses).Sometimes not doing things on an impulse but waiting it out by observing the developing situation and then taking move helps.
Life can be challenging moment to moment. So much for erratic development and behaviour changes in a person. But people are different by default and sooner one acknowledge this the better it is.
A great lesson in being careful. So before taking things and people for granted no matter how close it makes sense to set certain things straight on record.
Living independently at a young age can certainly be challenging but the wisdom is to sense the challenges as they come and be strengthened by it.
When I shared this story, there were three new perspectives.
Firstly the introduction as the centre line becomes a connecting line that gives shape to the 2 semicircles.
Secondly, while 2 dots can only make a line the 3rd one can give it varied forms.
Thirdly any duel cannot be judged without a 3rd referee.
The entry of a 3rd person ( child) makes the family complete.
All is truly in a shift of perspectives. The 3rd is a PowerPoint. It can balance or tilt the whole to one side.
As for my cousin, it is a valuable lesson learnt for a lifetime in hindsight. And I believe she is only stronger by it. Wishing her the best of luck!
Have you had any experience where the third person has changed the course of your friendship?
You get up and you do things mechanically without a trace of being alive to it.
Do you feel life is boring and just another day to rise and do your duties as a chore?
Do you sometimes wish for the day to end before it even begins?
Do you feel life is too complicated and desperately want a change of scene…
Perhaps then you are passing through the path of nowhere.
Life often hands you wisdom at the time you are in the path of least resistance because it wants you to listen keenly.
It wants you to understand you are your own path maker and path breaker, you are your own teacher and tutor.
You are your best friend and guide.
It wants you to sense the futility of living so that you can finally bridge over and honour the living you. And perhaps then strive to nourish the moments of life left with you willingly.
Going berserk in helplessness, sensing pain or loss and loneliness are part of phases we may all move through…. at some point in our life. The choice is with us how to find ourselves than lose ourselves. Some find solace and comfort in others along the path when the going gets too tough. Some are givers and some takers in the interbeing of life and living And travellers we all already are.
Here are 5 steps you can take to shake free from the rut of routine.
1: Work on Self-observation:
Observe more of your environment. Develop healthy interests in the world you are living. Care to understand more. Be open to learning.
2 Value & acknowledge one another:
Many times life feels like a standstill and as if its caught in a rut of routine and mundane because it is truly how one is living. When moments are given value over things, when people around start to matter, life starts to change and evolve for the better. Make an effort to greet people extend polite courtesies without expectation and acknowledge another as they are. Life starts to transform vividly as you start showing interest.
3 Love your self & cultivate gratitude:
Balance the relationship with yourself and others. Show self-respect and care to love the person you truly are. Cultivate the habit of being grateful for the blessings of life …. it holds you in good stead.
4 Trust yourself more:
Develop your sense of self-worth and self-esteem as you value your thoughts you will learn to trust yourself more in your deeds.
5 Share more. Reflect the positive:
As you learn and engage with the world you will come across much that inspires and intrigues you. Share the positive messages from the universe and send the world your goodwill in care.
Someday when you truly need, the world returns it back to you manifold…such is the way of this circle of life and living as we are strengthened simply is raising of our positive interconnects as travellers in the interbeing.
Icy crystal crags turn to crimson hues. Burning bright and fiery red Lava river gushing forth Peaked only by the crackling sounds of Ice on Fire
While the blazing river of molten snow Flows on until it’s time to freeze its own flame. The final countdown is just the same Elements behave true to their form And all is well back to base.
And time and life moves on beyond remorse For Nature too is in no hurry to race It takes its own shape and course To begin to flow again at its own pace.
Savvy Raj 
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