![]() ![]() As a matter of fact, almost every culture that we know has elaborated them into several more stages. Using these three stages-raw, cooked, and burnt-is a simple way to begin the process of self assessment. As the Tao Te Ching puts it: "No Self interest? Self fulfilled" (Poem 2). They walk through a room and do not leave a "trail of smoke"-a trail of self concern, hunger for approval, or discord. Sufi masters say that those who are burnt leave no trace of egotism. Then, when you have mastered that, use the word "I" when necessary. Next, avoid using the word "I" in your thought. A time-honored exercise to "turn up the heat" is to avoid using the word "I" in your conversation, first, for a day, then for several days. ![]() However, the ego, which expresses our individuality and our unique perspective, remains. Being burnt means that all traces of egotism are consumed in the fire of service and love. The heat must be turned up and held there, against all the rules of ordinary cooking, until the student (disciple) is burnt. Cooking eliminates excessive ego-called egotism. ![]() The final stage, according to Sufi masters, appears only after prolonged cooking. And whatever the virtues of each of the cooks, it makes no difference in the end, for it is the fire that does the transforming work. No one person can take credit for this achievement, for there are many cooks at work at one time or another. The result? Sufi masters say that the result is a modest, caring, responsible human being, whose awareness, common sense, and poise produce knowledge, responsibility, and happiness. It usually takes two parents, several brothers and sisters, many school mates, dozens of teachers, a good and patient spouse, several mishaps, and about five decades of trial and error, before the cooking really begins. What is required is the spark of knowledge, which initiates the long process of cooking. Skillful at monopolizing, they are the guests whom every host dreads.Ĭan this raw state be transformed? Sufi masters say that it can. Attempting to raise themselves up by bringing other people down, raw people dominate the conversation, constantly update their image on Facebook, bore you with their stories, their pets, their woes, their hurts, their grades, their awards, their jobs, their spouses, their children, and their fears. They gossip, exaggerate, spread rumors, and sow conflict, destroying the peace of families and society. If it is true that small people talk about others, mediocre people talk about themselves, and big people talk about ideas, then raw people are small and mediocre. When people are raw, they are undeveloped and unrefined, lacking skill and grace. Sufi masters claim that people can be classified into three categories: raw, cooked, and burnt. We will begin with the Sufis, a group of Islamic teachers who are well known for their aphorisms and stories. Following the work of Carolyn Myss (1997), we will use the image of the Tree of Life to integrate these insights. In this article we will examine several methods of self assessment that have been used in the Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian traditions. Various cultures have created tools to facilitate this process. What at first might appear to be successful or important might turn out to be limited or trivial, and vice versa.Įducation is driven by this dynamic of self assessment. Since the values that come into play during this kind of reflection are usually deeper than the ones used in academic settings, we often find unexpected insights and compensations during this process. Often a simple incident will cause us to reassess our lives in a careful manner. The minute we begin to question ourselves in this way, we are engaged in the fundamental process of education: self assessment. The question takes on even more importance when we ask the question of ourselves. "So how did you do?" This is a familiar question that we are frequently asked by friends when we complete a project. Sefirot - The Tree of Life (Copyright Lars Charles Mazzaola, 2001) ![]()
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