Who Am I Without My Story?
To embark upon the journey towards self-discovery is to open the enquiry about „who am I?“ the most basic question in life. This enquiry brings us to become reflective about our attitudes and beliefs about how life is and about our interactions with each other.
A state of innocence is, psychologically speaking, the state in which we enter this world. Human conditioning is "loaded" into this state of innocence from the moment we are born. A state of innocence is, psychologically speaking, the state in which we enter this world.
Human conditioning is "loaded" into this state of innocence from the moment we are born.Our gender, race and personality factors beyond our control take us into getting into conflict.
It was this state of being that brought up my enquiry of “Who am I?” came to me in the form of “What is the difference between me and my conditoning?” That was the year that I ended doing the first of these workshops led by Charles Berner as a participant in 1973. This was the beginning of formally acknowledging my personal search. It was the start of a continuing adventure, an recognition of a deficit of solutions and means of communication in life.
A child’s view of life is simple. We usually only see what we need, at that age, in order to survive. We need caring and attention in order to grow. Our behaviour is spontaneous, which could sometimes cause complications. Thus, we learn about what is appropriate and modify our behaviour acordingly. In doing so, we become governed by the standards and morals of society and religion and lose the connecton with our authenticity. We adapt to ways of expression which are not intrinsically ours.
To reach a state of maturity, it is necessary to review the values that we larned in early life and reflect if these values are still current with our expeience of life as we live it. To look with fresh eyes, is to look without prejudice and fixed beliefs. It is to look with compassion about the pebbles on the path of life, where we keep on stubbing our feet and repeat painful patterns.
This process of personal enquiry is one, which combines Meditation methods of self-reflection, with the structure of an interpersonal workshop. Devised by Americans Charles (1929–2007) and Ava Berner in the 1960s,[ the format combines the self-enquiry meditation method popularised by Ramana Maharshi, with interpersonal communication processes such as the dyad structure of co-counselling in a structure that resembles both a traditional Zen sesshin (meditation retreat) and group psychotherapy. This means that the exchanges are a combination of contemplation and communication. The participants are simply mirrors for each other.
When participants have a direct experience of great clarity they may present an answer to the master/facilitator. The participant then continues, either with another instruction or the same instruction.
The very process of questioning opens up new areas of the brain. It is possible to go beyond personal limitations with the opening up of fresh possibilities. The use of a koan, a question such as "What is the sound of one hand clapping ?" is a technique that is used in the Rizai Tradition of Zen.
To find the answer to such a question must indeed bring much exploration of new brain cells. It can also bring you to the limits of logical thinking and beyond....
Zen is a path of Awareness of the senses. " A true man of understanding lives through all the senses.- his touch is total If a real man of understanding touches you immediately you will feel a tranfer of energy. Suddenly, you will feel like something inside you has been awakened, his energy has touched your sleeping energy. Something arises in you. Here Zen is superb, no other religion ,no other development , has touched so deeply on the right path. Senses should remain alive- not only that they should fall into a deep inner rhythm and harmony, they should become an orchestra.” Says Osho in his lecture series “The Search” wich is Osho’s commenatry on the Ten Bulls Of Zen which is an ancient parable from the east.
The Fifth Parable is called " Taming the Bull " The Sixth is "Riding the Bull Home" I can personally recommend them as a "Seeker`s Guidebook" . Better still, they could become the "User´s Manual" to Life Mastery.
Cat Stevens did me a great favour by introducing me to the Bull, in 1972, with an album with an unusual title. I bought this album “Catch Bull At Four” again, in a flea market, after I had at the same time started to compose this article. This singer and writer of wonderfully inspired Poetic lyrics was recently in the news again. Under his new name of Yusuf Islam, he was refused entry into the United states and deported back to Britain. The American authorities of supporting Islamic terrorism suspect him. I wonder , if the man who wrote and sang the lyrics to "Sitting ", one of the songs featured on the aforementioned album, could now inspired by terrorism,. This, really would be a paradox. Zen is, incidentally also known as the path of paradox.