Brahmacharya: The Power to Be a Great Teacher

by Dylan Niall Haddock written between 3:10am and 5:10am March 15th, 2009

"Brahmacharya......" she said with obvious reverence in her voice. At first I thought she was talking to me, and then I realized she was speaking with the Thai Buddhist monk inside of the sanctum. I was out front beside the Shiva statue, and heard her and the monk conversing in Thai about some special ceremony for which they were busy making preparations. Actually the word she used, though etymologically the same word as 'brahmacharya', is pronounced a little differently in Thai. In Thailand it sounds more like 'bramajarn', and in its written form the Thai y is still there, though silent. The word 'ajarn' is used much the same as the Thai word for guru - 'kroo' to specify a teacher in any formal teaching role. 'Bramajarn' is used like Supreme Teacher, to show reverence to teachers with great power. Her use of it in speaking with a monk was new to me. Here all the pre-school through university teachers are known as gurus and acharyas, or 'kroo' and 'ajarn' in Thai, as are any teachers. So it was more out of habitually hearing Thais refer to me as guru and acharya for my Yoga and Language teaching, than out of a sense of being somehow special as a Yoga Guru visiting a temple dedicated to the Supreme Lord of Yoga, Shiva-Shakti, that I had thought she was talking with me at first. Though to be honest, I felt very inspired and like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. It was only weeks before that I had been on the same hill, though at the temple at the top, regularly meditating in the pre-dawn hours with a friend who goes by the name Maitreya. During that time in the still early morning hours I'd envisioned, among other things, having a center for doing and teaching yoga on the hill. So when I discovered the Shiva-Shakti Temple, I was very enthusiastic, as if my prayers had been heard, and felt compelled to make merit by doing some yoga asanas there before going on to another appointment I had later that evening. The funny thing about the whole situation was how Maitreya and I actually came to be at the ShivaShakti Temple that day without having planned it and having nearly missed it, passing by on an unfamiliar road, not once, but twice, without having seen it. It was my idea to go straight from South Pattaya Road to try to find a new way up the hill. I knew of two ways, one to the north and one to the south, but felt there must be another way, a middle way. There was a way and in searching it out we saw a wonderful rainbow in the sky at our first dead-end, when we realized that wed need a bridge to cross Sukhumwit Highway. That same rainbow was there when we found our crossing, and it heralded the beginning of something truly special. We made our way up a road which turned into a sandy road bed, washed out with yet a small stream flowing down through the sand, and trees alongside. We had to, at times, get off and walk alongside our motorcycles, more designed for taking whole families to school and to market, than for going offroad riding. We even had to lift them up a two foot ledge at one point. Yet it was good fun and before long we made our way out to increasingly good roads towards our destination at the top of the hill with a great view overlooking Greater Pattaya, and the Gulf of Thailand beyond.

It was as we got out to the main road that a couple of friends from Rayong I hadnt seen in about two years called out, Hey, Dylan, from their black pick-up truck as they passed by and stopped. It was a joy to see them and have a chat about Yoga and life before they had to rush off, and then Maitreya realized hed left his helmet and t-shirt back at that two-foot ledge. I was upset that wed have to go back down to the washed-out road wed struggled to come up only just before, as I was on a schedule and hadnt time to lose. So with some indignation I left back down the hill with my friend to find his helmet and shirt. Yet it was a short-lived emotion as when we parked our bikes at the start of the bad road, we were met by a family of dogs including very cute puppies. I was still in a hurry though, so I didnt see Shiva through the trees, until after running down through the sand and grass on the road to retrieve the helmet for Maitreya and back up to the bikes. Then I saw a Shiva image sitting ever graceful and poised in meditation, and felt a great surge of joy well up within me joy at finding yet another example of the beautiful melding of Buddhism within the framework of the more ancient Hindu Dharma from which the Buddha was educated in his youth, and Buddhism draws much wisdom, which is very commonplace here in Thailand, though it still surprises me at times as Buddha images are still much more common than ones of Shiva. Brahmacharya, she said, calling upon some deep place within me from which the eternal knowing springs forth. She was talking to me. Yet as many great teachers do, she was talking to me in a more subtle way, bypassing my egoism, going to the core of my being, where intuition is very clear. Next came dedication and demonstration of asana for Shiva and his family in the sanctum, along with the caretakers of the temple and their children. With my asanas, I sang through the Hanuman Chalisa, from beginning to end, relishing verse 39 for its invoking of Shiva as witness. During my ceremony, she blessed me with a fire offering and prayer to Shiva, warming me with the flame and entering my dance with her own. Wow! is what I was experiencing at the time and then all through the night and into the next day, when I, schedule destroyed by Shiva, had a great adventure adventure. I slept for an hour, and mostly wrote, so you can read more later if you like. Shiva is known as the Lord of Yoga. He is the divine destroyer of obstacles, and a great teacher for all on the path of Yoga. Om Namaha Shivaya was one of my first mantras and remains a dear one still to this day. In fact Bhramacharya has many meanings and uses, and this meaning of Great Supreme Teacher, on which I propound here, is one that beckons further reckoning in understanding the ancient texts when one considers the derivation of the word: The word brahmacharya stems literally from two components: 1. Brahma, the deity representing the creative force (as part of the trinity of Hindu deities of Brahama as creation, Vishnu as preservation and Shiva as destruction). The word Brahma needs to be distinguished from Brahman, the absolute, eternal, never-born god-head. 2. Acharya composed of char - "to go" and 'a' - "toward". Together this makes the word 'charya', which is often translated as activity, mode of behaviour, a 'virtuous' way of life. Acharya has meant in practice a teacher, spiritual guide, or master So the word brahmacharya indicates a life lived in conformance with the creative aspects of ultimate reality or 'god' Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmacharya

Though in the quote above Shiva is recognized as destruction, he is also to his devotees known as the sublimation of the trinity and the completeness of the divine, the three parts of AUM, creation, preservation, and destruction. That night a week or so ago I met Shiva as my great teacher on a hill, through following my intuition, that there must be a middle way. Following intuition is indeed living in conformance with the creative aspects of ultimate reality where one knows that one is on the right path and goes with that knowing, with no need to reason. I recognize that not all will share my reverence for Shiva, and would love to suggest that the path of Yoga and guidance by intuition, is a path that can be trod upon by all, and guarantee that when followed with the spirit of following a great teacher one respects and loves, admires and cherishes, it will lead to a life full of great vigor and riches. The rishis of past and present assure us of this, for example check out verse 38 of Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras of Master Patanjali, Adherence to Bhramacharya brings abundant virility. I am grateful to God that you are here with me to enjoy this life with passion. Om Namaha Shivaya Gurave. Please learn from my lesson, and remember to watch out where synchronicities abound, they may be trying to tell you to pay attention. Wait awhile before letting indignation rear its ugly head, as there is much joy ahead. You have the greatest teachers inside of you. As you learn to listen and follow their advice you can like God, like Shiva, create a life of bliss abundant, and destroy with vigour any obstacles on your way. Live long and prosper with the Brahmacharya within you.