Hella Linkmeyer
Parallels between the”True Self” in Zen Philosophy and the “Self” of F.M. Alexander
This presentation points out parallels between the two concepts of the "Self" and to illustrate these, excerpts from my two recent films will be shown.
1. Film: Scenes from my newly finished film "Walter Carrington at Work, Spring Term 2003 at Lansdowne Rd."will show
a. Walter reading and commenting on the common division of body, mind and soul in "Conscious Constructive Control of the Individual". In his usual dry humour Walter then tells an anecdote of a highly intelligent student of his,
in his words " a classical case of separating body, mind and soul".
b. Walter gives a private lesson. He speaks about the indivisible "Self", when confronted with the statement of a teacher who thought that the Technique started with the physical self and he comments on Zen.
2. Film: Parts of the film "Life in a Japanese Zen Monastery" will show the practice of Zen monks in their day to day endeavour to be one with what is:
sweeping the garden, going on the archaic begging tour or being part of the colourful Buddhist ceremonies in Sanskrit of the time of the Lord Buddha. Everything holds a chance to fully manifest their "True Self" in the moment "now", in their attempt to overcome dualism and maybe attain enlightenment.
After the films there will be time left for discussion and comments.
Living in the Present
This presentation starts with a short introduction looking at the way the Bushmen traditionally live.
They migrate in small groups, practising equality of men, women and children, non-vilence and generosity, sharing all resources. Children don't get educated, nor do they get punished. Traditionally they have no policing force and would resolve their conflicts in communication. It is a society of hunters and gatherers, a stage that we left as a form of life long ago, although we don't seem to have stopped hunting about in many other ways.
The film shows a small band of women, men and children of a primeval society who live in close communion with nature and in nature.
For us as Teachers of the Technique, it is simply amazing and wonderful to see how they move and use themselves when they walk, sit, squat, bend, pick up objects, which is still natural to them, subconsciously, whereas we, due to our lifestyle or as F.M. writes in C.C.C due to our stage in evolution, need to learn consciously not to interfere with our natural way of moving. There is no way back for us.
Hella Linkmeyer grew up in Southern Africa, (B.A. in Cape Town, M.A. in Tübingen, Germany). A career of teaching, painting and writing in Berlin, Germany, followed. During an exchange year of teaching literature at the University of Wales she got to know the Technique through Jean Clark and Tony Spawforth and soon afterward decided to train as a teacher in Denmark.
She went back to spend one year in Africa travelling and teaching. First contacts with the Bushmen. Training in Documentary filming and organizing an expedition to visit the Bushmen of the Kalahari a few years later. A film about the Bushmen "Living in the Present" was completed. Two stays in a classical Zen Monastery in Japan followed a few years later on invitation of her long time Zen Master Harada Roshi. The film "Life in a Zen Monastery"was comleted. During a postgraduate term in London at the Constructive Teaching Center in London, she had the opportunity to film Walter at work every day, to be seen in "Walter Carrington at work...". At present she lives and teaches in Berlin, Germany.
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