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?
Celestial Creation & Destruction Dances hand in hand in Energetic, enigmatic endless flow. Formless blending into The Form. Gift to Cosmos. Unfathomed Happiness undermines the In-depth, concealed caring of Justice to prevail, in the Knowing of the Unknown all. Lasya ( dance of creation) and thandava (dance of destruction) both Merging in and emerging from Nataraja,The Cosmic Dancer. Oneness personified in essence. Purity and Power as its source. Quietude emerging in the motion. Rare culmination of creative Subtlety of concealed infinity.
‘Thathwamasi,’ , that’s the Truth. Unknown, Unsaid n Unseen Visions of Ultimate Reality. Worlds far and beyond knowledge Xceeds the human excellence. Yearning _’To be with IT ‘ is all one can wish with the Zeal of unwavering Faith .
This is a poem penned by my dear mother Anjana. I share it with a lot of joy as found it spiritually and creatively appealing.
I simply loved its amalgamation and the interplay of life and living just as much as the interplay of verses in alphabetical order.
Naṭarājameaning“the lord of dance”) is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic ecstatic dancer. … TheNataraja reliefs have been represented in metal or stone in many temples, particularly in South India as well as identified in historic artwork from many parts of South Asia, in southeast Asia such as in Bali, Cambodia, and in central Asia.(Source Wiki)
Artwork by Savvy
The ultimate truth is we are one and interconnected with every thing in this dance in sublimity.
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.
Writing is an expressive experience. The one that has many benefits in itself. From the psychological point of view where it makes you think and communicate better to the emotional aspects of bettering your ability to deal with your own emotions. It helps you work with your pain and process the thoughts in a rethink. It helps you stay motivated as you can record your progression as well. It helps sort out your own thoughts.
A significant aspect worth considering is when you focus on the positive and write with an attitude of gratitude for life itself there are much more health benefits than writing with grudges.
Most importantly as you write you are able to let go of worries and stresses that you may accumulate in the course of time through the physical act of writing.
Personally speaking, having studied a bit of Graphology, I have always felt that the very act of writing your thoughts on paper is healing through the movement itself An act fast disappearing in today’s changing times. Children today write much lesser physically with a pen on paper.
The truth is writing is a greater healer in itself.
And to share your writing is to learn some more.
Every writer has many or no reasons about what, when and why they write …what is yours? Care to share?
Souls transform
Itself in the voyages of time.
Discovering its identity
It’s potential purpose as an entity.
Travelling across eons
Shaped and shaping
To new forms of being
The soul lives on in spirit.
As the being, moves in its tuning.
Every soul emits the energy
Of the wisdom of times
Lived living and in between
Myriad reflections of mind
Consciousness of the heart
And in character of the being
Embodiment of the ego in its essence
Humbled by life time and time again
Until the ancient soul find its own path
Of balancing witness and action.
Sensing the truth of its own being.
Some believe the Soul carves its shape in every craving.
While fulfilling its desires unfulfilled.
Moving beyond reason and all morality.
Spirit of the soul lives on inherent transience
Of infinite awakenings in sublime consciousness.
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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