Written by Jane Hu
2023-11-26 20:10 Yunnan

Claudine Merer, also known as Teacher Claudine Merer, usually resides in the French countryside in an ancient manor built around the 14th century. The manor is called La Mur, which translates to “The Wall” in English. Having been a fan of “Game of Thrones,” I have recently found myself repeating this phrase often, feeling a deep connection to it.

We arranged to visit The Wall again this October, marking my third visit since I met her. This time, I expected to spend some quality time alone with the teacher, starting our mornings with coffee, having breakfast, recording interviews, shopping for groceries, cooking, washing dishes, having afternoon tea, and taking walks. Our conversations usually took place at a versatile table that was always cluttered with books, fruits, computers, tea, coffee, and cheese. We handled our daily meals and work there, and whenever we felt peckish, we could grab a grape or a fig from the basket on the table.

Interestingly, in the very place where we had our conversations, a group of alchemists from the 14th century once conducted their life elixirs. Such images often come to mind, and then the first Tarot card from the book “Tarot Meditation,” “The Magician,” pops up. The card’s meaning regarding the art of learning includes “effortless focus” and “turning work into play,” which perfectly describes my time spent with Teacher Merer at the magician’s manor. It was filled with effortless focus, open-hearted communication, and listening, making it a wonderful time of experiencing and internalizing wisdom for me.

I promised my friends that upon my return, I would slowly organize and share the wisdom Teacher Merer imparted, especially regarding women’s strength. This is something I have always wanted to do. Additionally, I hope to facilitate an opportunity for Teacher Merer to visit China again so that everyone can meet her in person and experience her teachings, which are both grounded in daily life and flow like a great Zen master’s guidance.

Teacher Merer is an emotionally rich person. Being with her is always filled with various interesting and lively moments, embodying warmth and inclusiveness, often seen as feminine traits. What is more remarkable is her clear rationality and logic, often considered masculine traits. Living in a state of relaxed balance, combining both yin and yang, she explained to me, “Just like the cross of Christ, if we temporarily set aside the religious meaning, we can try to understand it this way: the horizontal line represents the expression of the feminine principle (earth, inclusiveness, and extending infinitely outward), while the vertical line represents the expression of the masculine principle (upward and downward, penetrating, and implementing norms). When the horizontal and vertical lines meet at the center, a magical force is created.” I really like this interpretation. Although I specifically sought to learn about women’s strength from her this time, Teacher Merer took me to a broader and more balanced perspective, helping me to feel more deeply.

We discussed eight topics in total:

Parent-child relationships
Gender relations
Women’s issues
Love
Plants
Death
Diseases
Meditation and standing exercises
It has been five years since I first met her in the early summer of 2018. As a friend of my TCM mentor, Dr. Li Xin, Teacher Merer (her Chinese name translates to Meher) has been doing volunteer medical training and assistance in some of the world’s poorest countries. As the main responsible person and training doctor of the Acupuncture Without Borders LCC organization, she flew to Ethiopia the day after I left The Wall to teach classical acupuncture courses to local African doctors, continuing her necessary work.

During the few days I spent with her, two long-term patients came to her for treatment. Since Teacher Merer does not charge for consultations, patients often bring delicious food or beautiful books as gifts. I once joked with her, “It seems you also believe in the saying that heaven rewards those who are diligent.” She gave me a big “Oh Oui! Oh, of course!”

Interesting souls are always unforgettable. From the sudden urge to visit Teacher Merer in the summer to fulfilling this wish in October, looking back, it has indeed been another wonderful life journey.

Here, I want to thank my mentor, Dr. Li Xin, for giving me the opportunity to meet Teacher Claudine Meher. I am also grateful to heaven for allowing me to closely follow and listen to her wisdom. I appreciate my family for letting me fly freely with peace of mind, and I am especially thankful to my close friends for their strong support, enabling me, a tech novice, to successfully record my conversations with Teacher Merer for easier study and organization to share with everyone later. Thank you, thank you 🙏

Written in early winter 2023
Dali, Yunnan