seventh world of chan buddhism - Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun

pride, anger, security, jealousy, and so on that these memories engender, will fill out the tree.
The contents will depend not only on the quality of the events themselves but on the quality
of his perceptions of them and on his ability to understand, relate, integrate and respond to
them. If there are congenital flaws in his brain or if he is otherwise impaired by injury or
malnutrition, spring may never come to his mother tree.
The enfoliating process, then, constitutes a complex of ideas, memories and
associations which adhere to each archetypal structure, giving it its peculiar characteristics.
Through its many interfacings with consciousness, the complex transfers its data, thus
influencing the ego to comply with the instinctive function.
All archetypal projections or bonds produce in the projector a desire to be within
communicating range of the recipient. Whether an individual projects upon a best-friend, a
lover or a hero, or even upon an enemy, he will find this person fascinating and he will be
motivated to observe him or her closely. Each of his encounters supplies him with
information and impressions that fill out the respective archetypal tree.
Mother, however, will be the dominant tree former. Not only are all Baby's
experiences in some way related to her, but during the formative first year or so of his life,
Baby's ego is insufficiently developed to categorize or to evaluate consciously the data
mother supplies. Where others write and are read, mothers cryptically carve.
As the complex of maternal associations continues to grow, our Child simultaneously
develops his own ego. As he gains command of his thoughts, he learns how to manipulate
mother into providing that which he considers pleasurable and into eliminating that which he
considers unpleasurable. He gains a repertoire of signals which prompt her to act. Smiles
may be rewarded with cuddling. Tears may deliver candy. Mother may reward neatness,
cleverness, politeness, or quiet submissiveness. He tries out many strategies and soon learns
which one produces the greatest return of toys, attention and status. Problems
A person's ability to enter into successful relationships can be severely compromised
whenever complexes contaminate each other or when one becomes so huge that it invades the
domain of consciousness.
A mother who intrudes too much and too long into a child's life may cause so many
associations to constellate about the Mother complex that its increasing volume forces it to
penetrate the child's consciousness, obliterating the child's sense of self. The child affects
strangely maternal attitudes and becomes a mental reflection of his mother.
More serious problems may arise. Should persistent abuse or neglect cause the
Enemy Shadow to infiltrate the Mother Complex, the child may become, at the very least, a
candidate for misogyny.
CHAPTER 8 BUDDHA NATURE AND ARCHETYPAL DYNAMICS
S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM
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