Special book excerpt
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In order to fully understand what it means to be a Water Pianist, one must become acquainted with how the mind of one looks and functions.
A passive knowledge of psychology commonly includes terms such as the conscious mind, the subconscious and the ego.
Typically, it is understood that the conscious mind is from where we make decisions and experience inner dialogue, the subconscious mind is what dictates how we behave without conscious involvement or awareness and the ego is our desires, wants and needs, usually demanded but never truly satisfied.
These things may be so; indeed, further models of the human mind are constantly being proposed in the scientific community but such discussion goes beyond the realms of this text.
For the creative and balanced Water Pianist, however, the structure of the mind is imagined in a very particular way.
In addition to the presence and function of the conscious mind and ego and how they are interpreted, there is also the Inspirational Source.
At the top of the triangle, the Conscious Mind reigns free. It is able to recognise negative input from the Ego and positive input from the Inspirational Source whilst remaining absolutely unaffected by both; it merely observes.
The Water Pianist may also refer to the Conscious Mind as the ‘natural Self’; terms both used throughout this text interchangeably.
One is advised to acknowledge the function of each component and then learn how to master them absolutely. In this way, time spent at and away from the piano, whether thinking about music-related ideas or not, is used as beneficially as possible and gifts the individual only positive effects.
The Ego
Function
To the Water Pianist, this component is what limits natural progress. It is the greatest obstacle to performing naturally and being confident; it runs under its own power and is indestructible, doing anything with its vast, influential resources to outwit or limit the presence of the other two components.
As a purposefully released toxic gas drifting silently under doors, through cracks in walls and gaps in slightly open windows to claim its victim, the Ego will permeate the natural Self and Inspirational Source with such a poison that they may barely function or be aware of the others existence at all.
More worryingly is that the Ego is fully aware of the true potential of the other components and knows very well how to diminish their natural effectiveness.
These are not random attacks; they are carefully planned, fully informed, targeted efforts designed to impede all progress that could be made so effortlessly by the natural Self and to limit all creativity and wisdom fed by the Inspirational Source.
Mastery
Despite the above, the Ego is impossible to destroy but relatively easy to control and the first step is to acknowledge its noise.
By allowing the Ego to fill the natural Self with negativity, impatience, frustration and all other such tricks it uses, one is then in a position to consciously choose to ignore it, as if underwater in a totally transparent cage: from the outside and inside, it looks as if no protective casing is present whereas in reality, there is a very solid barrier separating the individual from the water and any potential attacks, it is just not immediately obvious from the outside.
After a while, the natural Self will come to realise that it can indeed function how it was created to do so before the Ego began to interfere because it is experiencing first-hand how easy it is to protect itself with this transparent-like barrier.
This is a very satisfying and revealing moment on the path to Water Pianism.
Once the Ego comes to realise that it is being blocked out, it will explode in a fire of fury. This is the next step and is the most difficult for the Conscious Mind, as if underwater and a shark believes it has freely available food but when its nose strikes the transparent barrier, it increases its intensity to get at the food, doing what it can to break through the barrier with great force and determination.
The individual inside, however, must trust in this barrier rather than call to be lifted from the water for safety. In this way, the shark can be said to have won. This is not acceptable. Trust and patience is required by the Conscious Mind because, eventually, the Ego will be held at bay and lose the battle. It will not disappear, but it will think twice before attacking again.
The Inspirational Source
Function
To the Water Pianist, this component is understood to work in only one direction: it feeds the Conscious Mind with wisdom, truths and creativity but this depends on two conditions: a still mind and conscious acknowledgement of its existence.
From where the inspiration comes is unknown and any attempt at trying to comprehend its power is time better spent on calming the Conscious Mind or working on the internal piano.
The Inspirational Source is constantly active and may surprise at the most unpredictable of times. A visual or audible cue may trigger an idea so pure and beyond any conscious involvement or control that it is beyond comprehension; do not be disturbed by this.
The ideas, notions, concepts and suggestions provided are always positive. Unlike the Ego, which was like a toxic gas permeating the mind, the Inspirational Source is like a fresh breeze of spring air wanting to be inhaled and enjoyed for it wishes no harm.
The most remarkable thing is that it remains in tune with the natural Self all through life as one matures, gains experience and changes due to new realisations and discoveries.
Regrettably, many individuals are unfamiliar with this magnificent component, first and foremost because the Ego is hiding it away and any glimpse of its great, limitless power is immediately removed through tricks such as self-doubt and mundane excuses.
The Inspirational Source, when the Ego is under control, will feed into the Conscious Mind many beneficial, wise, useful and creative ideas; it just needs to be acknowledged by a still mind.
Mastery
Once the Ego has retreated and diminished in power and influence, the natural Self is then able to observe and receive from the Inspirational Source in a way that was always available but previously clouded out and allow it to reveal its unlimited power and potential to the individual.
One does not master the Inspirational Source in the same way as the other two components because it requires absolute freedom rather than absolute control. It is always good and must be trusted at all times.
One, therefore, would do well to think in terms of detachment; it is most necessary not to expect or demand of it. This is where the mastery must lie.
As a bird, release it to be free and be sure it will return of its own volition. Grasping or forcing it is sure to result in all but positive outcomes.
The Conscious Mind
Function
To the Water Pianist, this component observes the other two from a distance, makes conscious decisions, is represented by the “I” and “You” in speech and, when still, knows all truths minus any Ego or external influence.
The more still water is, the clearer it reveals its depths. Such is the natural Self. By being still, one comes to recognise what truly is; what is of the Ego and what is of the Inspirational Source.
This ability to distinguish negative from positive and to recognise what truly is is a unique trait of the Water Pianist.
Thanks to this perfectly balanced and controlled mind, one is able to select suitable repertoire, compose with ease, improvise without conscious interference and deliver an honest execution of performance at all times.
Mastery
By visualising the Mind Triangle in silence and without distraction, one will quickly discover how easy it is to separate Ego noise from the wisdom of the Inspirational Source.
The natural Self knows very well that it is wrong to self-doubt, compare with others and be impatient yet it is usually silenced by the powerful Ego. The natural Self also knows that what comes from the Inspirational Source is good, true and beneficial yet it too is silenced by the interfering Ego.
At every moment, the natural Self has the choice to either listen to the Ego or wait patiently for wisdom, insight and truth from the Inspirational Source. This will remain an actively conscious decision until the natural Self acquires the beneficial habit of rejecting the Ego and enjoying wisdom, insight and truth at all times.
Daily practice will guarantee absolute mastery of the Conscious Mind over the Ego and Inspirational Source in its own time. As the seasons, do not rush, yet always arrive on time.
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