Teachings

Heal the Self on your cushion.

A healed ‘Self’ is a non- attached ‘self’.
A non-attached Self can easily step aside so as to reveal your True Nature.

That is my teaching.

In the teachings of Zen it is not unusual to say:
“Kill the Self on the cushion”.
The purpose of which is to drop the Self and to awaken in your True Nature.

We live in a time full of turmoil and voilence.
I believe that especially now there is need for tenderness.
A loving kindness.
For ourselves and for the world.
Female, rather than male energy.
The more we embrace, heal and love ourself and our body, the more we can do the same to the world.
I believe it is time to heal the Self and sustain our body with care.
Hence: “Heal the Self on your cushion”.
We can provide our body with healthy exercise such as sports or yoga.
And through a healthy (vegetarian) diet, each part of our body is constructed, maintained and repaired.
A healthy vehicle to live in.

The Self is a collection of characteristics that defines us.
The more drama attached to it, the more we are identified with it.
The more the Self feels it is real, that is has a self-image, the more it becomes attached to itself.
In this way, we lose touch with our True Nature.

When we heal the Self, free it from for example its pain, sadness, fears, rejections and everything it attaches to a manifestation, it no longer has anything to hold on to.
We then transcend cognitions, conditionings, expectations, opinions and everything that prevents us from being a freely-functioning, unconditioned, non-grasping human being.
When the self is no longer addicted to its solid manifestation there is no necessity anymore to grasp and hold on to anything.
Additionally, a transcended self is the perfect expression, reflection of your True Nature.
When we do this, we make space for freedom with harmony, respect and love for the Self which can then flourish.
Liberation and peace.
Then the Self will help us reach the stage of full enlightment because that is its True Nature too.
We then need not to fight the Self and kill it – we rather, if the time is right, ask it to step aside and share together the happiness of coming Home.

In order to get that far, we use the technique of The Great Embrace Process to heal the Self, to liberate it.This technique is a loving, transcending method that relies on our own potency to heal.

Besides Courage, this requires a great amount of Faith.
We need to trust every step to bring us closer to Home.

What is the advantage of this technique?
When you reach the stage of enlightment, the self is still a part of your existence here.
An unhealthy self can cause major problems after your awakening.
When you have healed yourself beforehand, you can use it directly once you attained enlightment.
You already prepared the vehicle ‘bodymind’ for reflecting the awakened Buddha-Dharma in a balanced manner, as it were.
“The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water”.
Even if you do not reach the stage of enlightment in this life, then healing the Self in this life will already provide you with liberation and a lot of peace.
In both cases you will develop more a loving, compassionate, merciful attitude towards the world around you.

I would like to share with you this methode. It helps me on my path and it can possibly also mean something for yours.

With a Great Embrace,
Martin Craanen.