6/7 sept.

2008

Time, change and Resistance.

Notes from yesterday's journey.

Just coming back to the simple interaction with attitudes

and thoughts, in the present. There needs to be a foundation
of basic awareness energy- like a reserve in order to have the
patience to interact with one's own negative thoughts.

Keeping present awareness on the resistance to suffering.

Especially the magnifying quality of thought and imagination.
I.E: Anticipation of suffering, based on assumptions made
from painful past experiences. This is the nature of Maya-
illusion.

This pain is in fact what spiritual growth is, and feels like.
Resentment often arises out of any situation, I.e: work, where
we are forced by necessity to confront these aspects in
ourself.

We immediately blame this pain on outside factors who

provide us with this situation.

Enlightenment is not a final, lasting big deal concept

at all, but is a natural result, very transitory, of overcoming
our own negativity, resistance and resentment of the
present.

yatharbutta-things as they are-sukha-joy arises

naturally and spontaneously when the work of re-
focussing our mind from the constant preoccupation
with avoiding pain, ceases to drain our basic foundation
of awareness.

This energy wasting routine- Maya is constantly reinforced

by our fellow sufferers and society in general.
But is unrecognised. However, it's heavy quality (energetically)
is actually quite easy to identify. If one can maintain the reserve
of perky awareness which allows mindfulness.

So Emptiness of resentment and resistance,coupled with a willing-

ness to allow increasing continuity of practice using the awareness
energy liberated from negative habits is key.

The Lightness of being

This somewhat airy-fairy sounding phrase,is a useful way of describing
perky awareness. It has a playful quality. In the sense that
We are unfettered by the burden of critcism,or judgement-self-imposed, or
external.
So before progress can be made it is important to create this state.
Or rather gain access to it. Initially this can be done by assciation with
previous examples from our own or (even others), experience.
Chogyam Trungpa, in his book Shambhala, the sacred path of the
warrior, describes it as the dignities of meek and perky. Like a tiger in the
jungle simply enjoying the bouncyness of it's own body, (for meekness!)
and like two snow lions playing in the snow, (for perkiness).
Two good archetypal images, which, with imagination can form a
blueprint for our intended use of energy.
The question is what works for each person is different, so in the
beginning if joy seems a faraway experience, energy has to be invested in
recalling to mind, that which makes us happy.
In terms of the eight noble truths, this could come under the heading of
right intention.

What is a human being? every action we do expresses what we are.

(At that particular moment). Shamanically speaking, one is a shaman
when we take responsibility for our own state of mind. It's that simple.
Now, enjoyment comes when we discover the workablity and even
playful aspects of reality. These are hidden behind habitual attitudes and
patterns which are in truth unconsciously absorbed, and played out when
we do not have a positive intention but allow a kind of cloudy vagueness to
prevail!
It's rather like be a passenger in a sophisticated space-craft, when
no-one is at the controls. Isn't it worth the trouble of plotting a course
when that may be an option?

My father once said to me, that when we allow ourselves to shine, the
world responds with great gifts. Its a question of being willing to
experience the true mystery of reality, which is always present, no matter
how hard our habitual mind, or cocoon tries to hide it.

This is not to say that our natural state of mind is "bad", it's more a
question of being awake to the subtle processes that take place constantly.
This awakeness, needs to be energised somehow, which brings me back to
the idea of lightness. Another insight my father came out with was about
enlightenment, being a result of letting go of heaviness. But, before this is
possible it is necessary to be willing to admit or ay least be aware of that
which obstructs it.

Being willing to aknowledge that pain is there, suffering is there, yet not
to identify with it, but in actually experiencing it, let it go.
techniques and teachings are all very useful, but in the practice actually
we must be present to the fact that we are creating our own "martial Art" or
"style of yoga" or whatever.

The practice or whatever discipline we may be involved in, is a useful

way to produce this basic fund of perky energy, from where
the space of openness can be generated. It takes courage to lie on your
back and open yourself to the possiblity of limitless space, there is always
some part of ourselves that wants to curl up and hide under the comforting
duvet of familiarity.