Monday, May 18, 2009
Chi Gong Continued and poem by Mahmoud Darwish
(The above picture of the poet Mahmoud Darwish is from Wikipedia)
Yesterday, I attended a chi gong workshop with a marvelous teacher, and, to my surprise, he spoke on the same topic I wrote about yesterday (the importance of the inner process rather than the outer appearance in chi gong and other energy practices.) I was interested in what he said, and happy to discover yet another teacher who felt that inner was more important than outer, even in traditional energy work.
At this workshop, I also met a woman who has been undergoing intense Kundalini awakening for many years, including many bliss experiences as well as various physical symptoms. In her case, she had been told by doctors many years ago that she would never walk again, but with the help of chi gong and (I think) acupuncture and perhaps other non-traditional approaches, she regained her health. She says that she now feels the energies running continuously in her body, and, like many others with active Kundalini, has had problems with crashed computers, stopped watches and the like. So, for her, as for most of us, Kundalini has brought healting and distress, ecstasy and pain--but ultimately it has brought a major "cure". It was I felt a rare gift to meet another "voyager on the path" and I was grateful for our exchange.
At the workshop, we also talked about the need for compassion. I look on compassion as the other side of bliss, and feel they should go hand in hand. I think we must never let our focus on
our own sequence of unfolding obscure our awareness of the world's needs and current challenges.
This poem by Mahmoud Darwish (l941-2008) expresses this thought very clearly: Darwish was known as the national poet of Palestine. He was celebrated world wide. When he died, Palestine declared three days of national mourning.
Think of Others
As you prepare your breakfast -think of others.
Don't forget to feed the pigeons.
As you conduct your wars - think of others.
Don't forget those who want peace.
As you pay your water bill - think of others.
Think of those who only have clouds to drink from.
As you go home, your own home - think of others -
don’t forget those who live in tents.
As you sleep and count the planets, think of others –
there are people who have no place to sleep.
As you liberate yourself with metaphors think of others -
those who have lost their right to speak.
And as you think of distant others -
think of yourself and say
"I wish I were a candle in the darkness."
