The "Presence" of the "Living Teacher"
The "Presence of the Living Teacher"
and the Emanation of Energy
by Samuel Ben-Or Avital
The Master-Teacher emanates a certain quality of presence whether the student is aware of this energy or not. This awareness can be experienced as a genuine energetic frequency, and is very balanced and accelerated.
The Teacher serves as a tuning fork, a “conscious sending-station”, and has a definite influential vibration on all that is in its environment and in its immediate proximity. The student or anyone orbiting around in his or her presence is like a “receiving-station”, a l’écoute, always at the state of listening and ready to receive that “presence” energy and its communication.
This experience is available at every moment now, and in full range of the human benevolent presence of the Master-Teacher.
This is a very important key to understand the phenomenon of the Master-Teacher encounter. This exchange of between the Teacher-giver and the Student-receiver, happens in everyday relations flowing harmoniously by the simple presence of the Teacher in teaching situations, meditating, talking, walking, sharing food, explaining great concepts of life with simple words, or by simply being silent and communicating without words, sensing the ordinary reality as an extraordinary experience. It is like sensing a merging with the universe, a union with all that is, a sense that “one is one and not two”.
This giving-receiving energy functions on many levels, and it is like a circle of flow of practical wisdom, both silently and with other means of communication. A teacher is also one who knows how to receive and a student is also one who knows how to give.
This exchange of energy is based on no conditions or reward basis. It is, and there is no ”because” between the beings. This is a very subtle form of relationship that is built with care, kindness and love, and a purposeful and conscious direction.
This energy is always in relation to anyone who is consciously aware of this “Presence”. By simply spending a valuable time in presence of the Master, as the source of knowing and being, one experiences a sense of balance and spontaneously expands one’s awareness. One learns by osmosis many subtle aspects of knowledge.
This experience is known as "Transmission", a state where the Master-Teacher pours the “knowledge” “Light of understanding” to the physical proximity, the student, as the vessel awakes and is ready to receive, practice and embody that “knowledge”.
This Transmission is also like a 1000-volt light bulb pouring more light into a 100-volt light bulb. The awareness and readiness of the 100-volt to receive from the 1000-volt bulb without being shattered to pieces requires a very definite state of being, a certain attitude of “conscious innocence,” in order to be able to receive more “light” gradually without breaking to pieces, and staying whole, expanding both the moment and making the space for more light, until it will be able to contain the 1000-volt degree of light.
So, meeting with the Master-Teacher is an momentous occasion to embrace, experience, expand and use the “teaching situation” with the learning ability to evolve in one’s honest efforts to move another step in the ladder of being and becoming. Thus activating the restoration of one’s self and the “others”.
* Addendum to the article “Finding Your True Living Master Teacher” by Samuel Ben-Or Avital.
** See the “Conscious Innocence” definition in the “Defintuitions” in The BodySpeak™ Manual.
Samuel Ben-Or Avital, in one of his first teaching situations in a 1972 workshop in Boulder, Colorado, USA
MORE ABOUT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS:
Here are some nuggets of practical wisdom to ponder and practice.
T H R E E W A Y S O F L E A R N I N G
When my grandfather and I sat on a small smooth rock in his yard, after stamping the grapes rhythmically with my bare young feet, learning how to make wine, he told me that there are three basic ways of living and learning:
1. The first priority and purpose of life is live to learn, absorbing like a sponge, sharpening and using your intelligence to learn as much as you can, with increased curiosity.
2. The second priority and purpose of life is living your learning, mastering the practicality of your learning.
3. The third priority and purpose if life is to tell a passionate story of your experience, so others can also learn and benefit from your brief existence on this earth.
Over the years I reflected on this profound wisdom many times. I adapted these three processes of learning to most of my activities. (See the “What is BodySpeak™? Article about the three phases of learning I use in my workshops and seminars).
From the first International Summer Mime Workspace, 1975, Boulder, Colorado
T E A C H E R / T R I C K S T E R
True teachers not only live the truth, they love the truth they live. But in fact, that truth, for the students, is a lie until they investigate it for themselves. So the teacher plays out his or her own role — being simple, stupid, outrageous, a trickster, whatever, luring the students on, sometimes satisfying their expectations, sometimes frustrating them, always testing, measuring, so that the students will measure their own something-ness. Even false teachers, with their half-truths, can unwittingly aid in the quest if the students learn to relax and not force the issue, if they learn that in all their struggles what they are looking for is already looking for them.
STUDENT-TEACHER- MENTOR RELATIONSHIP
Both teacher and student know; one remembers, and one has forgotten.
When they get together, they remind one another.
From “The BodySpeak™ Manual”
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M O R E T H A N W H A T Y O U T H I N K
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It is said by our revered sages:
“The more you think you should not think about teachers, the less you may learn”.
One must learn how to learn. Your focus must be LEARNING and not the teacher or the book or that or that, one can learn from everything, Life is our great teacher if we learn HOW TO READ IT. So do not think of yourself when learning, focus on that which you learn and practice.
This teaching/learning situation environment can be manifested and offered to you by a guide, a genuine teacher, someone WHO KNOWS HOW TO KNOW, and one who have a natural wisdom to impart, and willing to transmit knowledge to you, when you are “ready” and know HOW to be a receptive vessel, willing to learn how to shape new ways and new forms for your life and yourself, by yourself and with yourself.
Some people who do not know how to be a student, are mostly lazy and pretentious, their attitude of learning is superficial and a pastime. Learning must be playful and deep at the same time, learning from someone who know is really rare, unless you prepared yourself enough to be able to be called a student, and attract the “teacher” you deserve.
Here are some more nuggets of practical wisdom to ponder and practice:
”Provide yourself with a teacher;
be quit of doubt; and accustom not yourself
to give tithes by a conjectural estimate.”
Rabban Gamliel - Sayings of the Fathers 1.16
“He who learns in order to teach, Heaven will grant him the opportunity to both learn and to teach.
But he who learns in order to practice, Heaven will grant him the opportunity to learn and to teach, to observe and to practice.”
Rabbi Yishmael - Sayings of the Fathers 4.6
Make a regular period for your study;
Say little and do much;
And receive every human being with a cheerful countenance.”
Shammai - Sayings of the Fathers 1.15
Ben Zoma said: Who is Wise? The one who learns from everyone;
As it is said, “From all my teachers I have gotten understanding”
Pirkei Avot 4.1
And this last one, can begin to convey to you the gentle urgency of becoming a good student of life to explore the “mysteries” of yourself, become the “mystery,”and learn the art of BEING and BECOMING.
