The Deeper Absorption :

As we go through this incarnation and have a wide range of experiences, both wondrous and difficult moments have their impact and subsequent influence. These experiences inform our beliefs and tend to start the development of coping mechanisms to deal with the things that felt unpleasant but they also can offer us opportunities to develop kindness, understanding and compassion.

It is the identification and understanding of these difficulties that gives us the ability to commiserate and be supportive of other beings going through similar struggles.

The challenge is often to navigate between the preservation of one’s own emotional “safety and comfort” in the middle of difficulty, and the ability to have compassion, understanding and patience with someone else going through the same thing at the same time with us.

The Key is the deeper absorption into Loving-kindness.

The lens of mutual tenderness, vulnerability and consideration is the filter in which this experience should be viewed through.

Sometimes we have to let go of the small “self” and step back to observe the greater whole and acknowledge our common need.

We all want to feel safe, valued and loved.

So... when things get difficult can we have the same understanding and compassion for others that we want for ourselves?

That is the moment when we have to go deeper into our own direct experience and understanding of those feelings and experiences and allow it to inform our response.

That is when wisdom and kindness arise out of suffering.

That is the most potent medicine.

That is the path of deeper absorption.

The Uncut Stone...

Chan Buddhism / Direct Experience:

Neither ceremony, education nor social background has any bearing on the experience of enlightenment.

As a matter of fact, often beings with highly engaged intelligence have a hard time returning to simple perception without thinking and analyzing the experience.

There is NO analyzing pure awareness.

The teachings are characterized by their simple striking immediacy and by their concern with direct insight into the essential nature of awareness.

The term "sudden enlightenment" refers to the moment when all falls away in an instant and there is no more confusion.

Often it is the pure, profound and simple letting go of attachment and judgment and residing in the present and the unadorned clarity of Mind.

                                The Uncut Stone.

        This the natural radiance of our true nature.

 

 

The Choice of Attachment:

Any moment can provide us with a positive or negative experience. Yet so often we cling to the negative experience and then attach to a story that supports it.    In actuality, what we really desire is a positive experience and to feel appreciated and loved but when we don't have that experience we fall into negative self-judgment and it only reinforces the story and the cycle of suffering.

So Unfortunate..

It breaks my heart when I see beings focus on their suffering and get stuck in the cycle of disbelief and lose hope. On my own journey and in my own years of practice, I have found that it is the intensity of experience that has deep impact that often wants to be felt and honored......

But what I have also learned is...

You don't have to hold yourself in suffering to honor the experience...

That just reinforces the story around the wound, is not kind, and does not support the transformation into strength and wisdom.

What has crystallized for me is...I can attach to whatever I want to.

The story, the so-called lacking, the discontent, the impatience....or....The LOVE , the mystery, the wonder, or the gratitude for the experience itself.

It's only when we attach to a negative experience that translates into a negative judgment of self that we continue to perpetuate that cycle of suffering.

Our amazing and tender selves are impeccable and eternal.

Even harsh judgment can not change that.

Self-criticism, anger, and self abuse require energy to sustain them.

Love is naturally self-generated and is self-perpetuating.

It's the constant judging of self that is the most painful, unproductive and ultimately, spiritually exhausting.

As we view both negative and positive in any given moment, we have a choice on what we attach to.           Hold on to the dissatisfaction or nurture the potential sweetness.

In truth, It's all an illusion and all-wondrous at the same time.                                                                                                     We choose the movie.

The Opening :

Right Now, the present is offering us an opportunity.

A new view is emerging.

We will not be returning to the same so-called "normal"..

That was a past that wasn't working anyway.

You are not the same person you were even a minute ago...

Every now and then the universe sends us messages but are we in a fixed mindset or a growth mindset ?

Are we able to receive the download ?

Are we willing to entertain change and the mystery of new-ness?

THAT is what makes the difference.

The courage to release control is the doorway to transformation.

Freedom does not arise out of control.

Freedom is the child of courage.

 

The Potency of Clarity and Conviction:

When in the right state of mind and frequency and applied for the benefit of all, NO opposition can sabotage your efforts because they alone are the example of personal power, right effort, and healthy conviction.   

At that point, it is no longer about you.

Do not lose faith in Integrity. One can be focused, potent and unwavering and still be kind and considerate.

Virtue and proper action can never be negated...

 

 Elemental Awareness and Development:

One's outer world is a creation of their own inner work and the lens that has been developed.

The achievement of potency, balance and harmony is also an internal process..

So is stabilization and grounding.

If we look at our body and mind as the vehicle and the lens we experience everything through then we can see that we can use and practice different methods to develop skills and strengths to make ourselves flexible, adaptable and graceful while living in the world.

And so, the Mind must be attentive and aware but relaxed

The Heart, open yet calm and the Spirit, vital yet light.

This is the way of the Tao .

Living with intention and yet staying easeful, natural and without  constant agenda.

This is the Transformative Way.

Return to the Elements and nature for wisdom.

 

Understanding Medicine:

With all the things going on in the world, both political and biological, uncertainty and impermanence are no longer conceptual.

The more vulnerable we are, the more scared we get and the more we realize how precious our relationships and connections are to the people and the planet around us.

Why wouldn't we go out of our way to be extra loving, as this is the medicine we all want.

If you have resentments, let them go.

If you have anger about your past, just release it. It doesn't serve you anymore.

Clinging to the wounds of the past just holds you in bondage in the present

If you're holding grudges, drop 'em.

If you want to tell somebody you love them, do it.

Attention, appreciation and love has always been the most potent medicine and especially during times of stress and uncertainty.

Tomorrow is a potent illusion.

Today is where the medicine is created

Understanding:

In this life, there is much to experience.

Whether it be in the inner world or the world around us, there is much to observe and take in.

Not all of it is pleasant yet it is part of the reality that we experience and are affected by.

Some of it we can have agency over, much of it not so much.

So how do we manage to stay balanced, healthy, and engaged even when the conditions around us are challenging and dont feel safe?

How can we maintain a semblance of calm and reason when beings around us are scared, angry and reactive?

What I have been taught is to PAUSE ...and return to a place of perspective that serves all beings ....Understanding.

We all want respect. We all want to be appreciated. We all want to be loved...

But what is really emerging in this present-day reality and confusion is beings REALLY want to be heard.

They want to have rights and they want their opinions to have value.

They want to feel like their lives matter and that they and their families are important.

THIS IS NOT STRANGE. It is normal and reasonable.

The Important element to focus on though is:

How do we go about getting our needs met and also allow others to have the same benefits...even if our goals and needs are different?

THAT  IS  THE  ISSUE.

It is this simple yet profound understanding that allows us to be more kind, reasonable, and flexible when in the middle of fear and challenge.

It is Understanding that allows compassion and forgiveness to arise.

This is NOT a checkout or disengagement, and no one's rights should be disrespected but..

It is a conscious choice on how to deal with the difficult and interact with the reactionary.

Then with this wisdom, we can have more space, bandwidth, and skillfulness in dealing with the chaos that impacts us all.

And always return to the LOVE.

                          Inner Freedom

This incarnation can be both beautiful and challenging.  So many things outside ourselves vie for our attention and energy. Family, jobs, relationships, and society itself, can tax our emotions and deplete our resources, mentally, energetically, and spiritually. If we do not have methods for self-regulation, healing, and release we will be exhausted, miserable, and eventually, be imprisoned in our own suffering. Even if our outer world seems fine, external sources of validation and success will ultimately never bring us happiness and peace of mind. 

So, sometimes we have to look deeper at what it is that fulfills us and brings us joy or what it is that is hindering us from living our best lives. This work is an inner job. 

Not always pleasant, not always immediate but if there are things that are uncomfortable within us, we have to go inside to address them. It’s the inner world where our wounds and seeds of imbalance live and so we have to return to the roots to identify, examine, and heal them.                                        Most importantly, all of this work has to be done with a mindset of understanding, compassion, and patience.   All beings want to feel safe, respected, and loved so the process should always be non-judgmental and kind in this process of uncovering truths.

Two elements that are essential in supporting this work are meditation and mentorship. This process is always beneficial when done with support from others who have experience in this work and have our best interest at heart but ultimately it needs to be done by ourselves for ourselves. 

 Then we can be inside a prison or outside in the world and still have a sense of peace and Inner Freedom

Recognizing Mind:

Recognizing Mind:

It is essential for people who practice contemplation to be able to recognize their mental environment.

If we are able to recognize the conditions of our mind, as well as, the external environment and how this affects our mental health, then we are also able to navigate these conditions more gracefully and with kind awareness.

It is the awareness of the continuous inevitable fluctuating of conditions that allows us to be free of taking everything personally.

Awareness does not judge, It just perceives.

It is the hungry and insatiable mind that always needs to be fed with stories, answers, and solutions to the un-fixable that creates the suffering.

A difficult neighborhood to live in.

Sometimes it is the surprise awareness that we are not responsible for everything that happens there that frees us.

When we soften ourselves and take a vacation from judgment, we get the space to actually see clearly in a relaxed state of mind.

Ahhh........ Relief.

When we are able to recognize conditions, we are also able to recognize potential freedom.

This is the medicine of Dharma practice...and self-kindness.

Honoring Impermanence:

Ultimately, there is NO avoidance.....Ever.

So, embracing impermanence is one of the most freeing things we can do.

If we remember that the past is over and the future does not exist and both good and bad will rise and fall continually, we can finally let go of trying to control things...and just RELAX.

Then we can get down to business and live and love in the present.

NOW... is what is precious.

Relinquishing Self:

If there was something that we could do that would make things just a little bit easier for someone or a situation why would we be resistant?

Whether it be sitting with someone who is passing, or going out of our way and setting aside some time to support an elder, or being a little more loving, kind and patient with a partner, or wearing a mask whenever we go out in public to be mindful and show concern to make other people feel safe.

Why wouldn't we do something like that?

Does it threaten our ego?

Does it make us less safe?

Or does is it just irritate our self centered attitude?

When I think about all the times I could have just honored someone else's needs and given a little extra to make things easier, I'm just amazed that I did NOT have the willingness or the awareness to do it.

Sometimes, it’s just paying respect to the needs of the moment and relinquishing the attachment to self that is the greatest offering

Engaged Rage :

When the universe is in chaos and we're in pain,

Even in our Rage, can we stay engaged and respond skillfully with our spiritual practice to dismantle what isn't working?

Spiritual Bypass is unacceptable

Clarity in Communication:

When one is appropriately confident and in their power , communication is clear and decisive.

When one is uncertain, hesitant and doubtful, communication tends to be nebulous and vague.

THIS is not beneficial.

Better to be decisive and succinct than open-ended and vague.

Even if the decision is to disagree or reject something, at least it is clear and true.

At that point, others can be clear about what is conveyed and can respond accordingly.

It is NOT about the content or the information but the way it is communicated.

It is about the willingness a being has to be bold, transparent and truthful.

THIS is beneficial.

When we are hesitant and vague it gives birth to confusion, disbelief, and mistrust.

When we are clear and decisive it fortifies reliability, confidence and respect.

One always has a choice

Inner Skills:

The Darkside has always tried to pull us off the path of clarity and balance. 

Fear, sadness, selfishness, greed, resentment and anger have tested all of us and they are all part of the cause and the effect that has existed for millennia.

Do NOT be swayed by external conditions.

Hold Your  Power in a High Vibrational  State.

 This is Jedi Skill

The Necessary  Alchemy:

The extreme yin and YANG are separate and distinct, yet when intentionally and energetically integrated, they are partners in the healthy power exchange that creates the ultimate alchemy.

This is healthy energy cultivation and expression.

Both elements are equally necessary.

Both need to be fully potent in their individual flavor and essence

The yin essence is female, soft and the highest level of receptivity and storage.

It is the healing container to hold the power of the Yang.

The YANG energy is male and the discharging and active energy which creates change and moves the energy within the container.

Yet they both need each other in order to be fully potent.

One can not have YANG if they can not embrace the yin.

The resting and quiet yin is the healing storehouse for the active and powerful Yang.

And the active and energetic YANG cleanses, penetrates, and energizes the soft still yin, purifying its essence.

Like Heaven's YANG and Earth's yin, they elementally need each other.

Do Not misunderstand the importance of each of their individual nature and potency.

Male and female are just that.......

Each should be celebrated for their unique difference.

And then...Be celebrated for their union.

Taoists call this the sacred alchemy of yin and Yang