From Carp To Dragon
From Carp To Dragon is my foundational work on personal development and transformation.
The title comes from the metaphor in Zen practice, where they compare Zen students to the Carp who leapt over the waterfall to become a dragon.
It is about total transformation where one goes from one state to another mentally, emotionally, and even physically in how one carries one’s self.
The Carp in Chinese culture is a symbol of aspiration. It is not satisfied with its status or the status quo and changes one or both.
Characteristics of the Carp
The Carp is:
- Determined
- Committed
- Resilient. Willing to fail or fall forward
- Swims against the tide to achieve its goals
The Dragon is a symbol of the state of Realization/Actualization. It works to be the best it can be, and this shapes how it behaves and connects with others.
Characteristics of the Dragon
- Enlightened - It is not burdened by self-doubt, confident, stepping with a certain lightness of being
- It is a creature of heaven, living on a higher plane and vibrating at a higher frequency
- Unlimited and unbounded—free to explore and realize its natural gifts and talents. As it develops its natural gifts, more possibilities arise, which motivates it throughout its life to realize its inner potential
- It expresses its power by controlling its environment, in this case, the weather. It brings lightning, thunder, and rain, which nourishes and sustains the growth of crops and prospers the people.
The Big Questions
In my teens, the Big Questions consumed me, and I needed to resolve them as they would determine the path of my life. They were:
- Who Am I?
- Why Am I here?
- What should I do with my life?
Question one was about identity; question two was about meaning, and question 3 was about purpose.
The questions came out of childhood experiences which threatened my mental health and well-being. I was born in Jamaica, considered by tourists to be paradise because of its extraordinary beauty, but it was hell for me.
The death of relatives punctuated the first 15 years of my life, including my father, resulting in the disintegration of the family.
My father, who died from complications caused by alcoholism, was an angry man. He fixated on pummeling me into submission, because I could not hide my disapproval of his behavior. He left me with a legacy of emotional and physical abuse that generated the questions I referred to.
Teachers also administered frequent corporal punishment for breaking strict rules. And bullies picked fights in the schoolyard and on the streets because of a difference in skin tone.
I felt as if I was carrying the world on my shoulders and was angry and resentful.
I began a journey to explore the works and ideas of writers, philosophers, psychologists, and other faiths to find answers to my questions.
And then I found The Three Pillars of Zen in the bottom of a barrel of books brought home by a cousin who had studied abroad.
The book blew my mind.
During a mid-life crisis, Roshi Philip Kapleau traveled to Japan, where he spent 13 years studying with some of the most renowned masters. He found what he was looking for and compiled his experiences into this book.
The book was a practical guide and manual for those who didn’t have a teacher but wanted some guidance on Zen practice.
The Benefits of Zazen
I followed the instructions on how to do zazen, the form of meditation Zen practitioners do, and had immediate results.
I slept better, had more energy, and better focus; became a better student, gained in confidence and self-esteem, and developed more balance and calm.
My nervous system, stretched almost to the breaking point, came back to a neutral or zero state.
Then I had the great good fortune to meet Roshi Kapleau, who was then a teacher, when he came to Jamaica on vacation. The transformation I saw in him amazed me, based on how he described himself before going to Japan. He seemed ageless, deathless, and so serene, that I knew I had found my teacher and the Path I would embrace.
Zazen from then on became my secret weapon and continues to be the staff that I lean upon to give me stability and emotional resilience.
Leveraging the stability and emotional resilience I gained from practicing Zen meditation, I took advantage of opportunities to go to university and completed a master’s degree in Communication Studies at Windsor University in Canada.
While there, I connected with the Toronto Zen Center, an affiliate group of Rochester Zen Center in New York, and re-connected with him.
When he retired, I became a student of his Dharma heir, Roshi Sunyana Graef, who continues to guide my practice. Thanks to her guidance, I’ve continued to scrub myself clean of the conditioning of the past.
Achievements
Today I’m a Corporate Trainer on Leadership, Communication, Personal Development, and Mastering Breath Awareness, a course on mindfulness meditation, based on my Zen training.
I’ve created and led seminars in Australia, Britain, Canada, and the US.
But perhaps my most important achievement is that I’ve developed enough emotional maturity, stability, and flexibility to become a husband, married for 30 years; a parent, and doting grandpa of two magnificent granddaughters, who have introduced me to their world of childlike joy and spontaneity.
Perhaps the most meaningful symbol of me leaping over the waterfall, like the carp, is me standing here on the Great Wall of China.
I leapt from the gritty streets of Kingston and landed first in the University of the West Indies. Made another leap to complete my Masters; then leapt from Jamaica to live in Canada, and on to become a corporate trainer and facilitator, traveling and teaching around the world, and eventually landing on the Great Wall of China.
My Mission Now
My mission now is to become a beacon of light and joy to everyone I meet, especially young people, and to encourage them to become caring, compassionate, productive citizens of the world.
That is why I wrote the book and created the course. So, who is this course for?
It is for students who have just graduated from high school and going into university who want to know exactly what they want to study, how it relates to their gifts and talents, and how to monetize their degree.
It is also for college and university graduates surveying the possibilities ahead of them and contemplating their next best move; or for someone who is at a crossroads in their career and needs some motivation and direction.
It could also be a great resource for mentors and parents of young adults who want to coach and mentor them through the various stages outlined in the book.
Mentors themselves could learn a great deal because no one has systematized and codified the path the way I’ve done it here.
It is a logical step-by-step sequence of steps and processes that will carry anyone who follows it to the mount Everest of their dreams.
What is the ONE prerequisite for success here?
It is to ACT which entails awakening to the vast potential you possess; cultivating the character, mindset, and skills you need, and bringing about the transformation you desire.
Here are the strategies:
#1 Lay a Foundation of Right Character
#2 Cultivate the Dragon’s Mindset
#3 Find Your Mission and Purpose
#4 Manage and Invest Your Time Wisely
#5 Breathe Your Stress Away
#6 Develop Effective Communication Skills
#7 Develop Entrepreneurial Skills
It is a process that is comprehensive, complete, and correct. All you need to do is take the first leap and trust me as your mentor!
How do you know there’s a Dragon in you? The Dragon in you is part of your DNA. You couldn’t realize it if it wasn’t there as pure potential.
It’s your drive for growth like my 11-month granddaughter, who had the inherent drive to walk. She would lie on her belly and push and would cry when she went backward until she could stand and walk. Then she took her first tentative steps.
Another 11 months and she is running and jumping with coordination and confidence, calling out to me she can now run.
That’s the exhilaration of realizing the Dragon in you!