This moment

[Karmoh]

Originally Posted by olmate

Hi Karmoh,

I think I see to what you are pointing. Does this little poem capture the truth to which you point?

Our life in this world -
to what shall I compare it?
Its like an echo
resounding through the mountains
and off into the empty sky.

Monk Ryokan .

Hi Olmate,

I'm not sure, I see the poem more as a lament of man’s suffering.
--
In this moment, you realize what does not need to be practiced to exist. This is the easiest, simplest, and most obvious truth. What has kept it a secret throughout the ages is its absolute simplicity and its immediate availability
– Gangaji

Or as your fellow Aussie, eloquently puts it.

What’s wrong with right now—unless you think about it?
– ‘Sailor’ Bob Adamson


Peace

[olmate]

Hi Karmoh,

Words and perspectives... we all see and interpret them differently. Thank goodness for experience separate from mind ...

Olmate

[olmate]

Karmoh and Michael and anyone else...

I am curious. Do you see your practice as a "journey"?

Perhaps if I describe this Soul's practice, to try to put he question into context...

The meditative journey is one. Therefore that has to involve the total being. Every part on the personaility, every aspect of life are bought into the exercise and then every part of the personality and life has to be transcended as I journey from the periphery to the centre. The family life, relationships, work, recreation - everything in life - is bought into harmony, because in the process of meditation everything in life is aligned on the centre.

The way to the centre is the way of the daily meditation, the time I set aside every morning and night of my life. On this path, there is a belief that the source of all energy, all of harmony is to be found in our hearts. The practice of meditation is simply the way to be open to this presence, to this energy, to this harmony, and to be open to it as ever more profoundly.

The word "journey" tries to capture the essence of this unfolding in my life, the journey to now.

Sorry to be long winded, but words.... hmmm

Nothing but the best...

Olmate

[Michael David]

Hi Olmate

Yes a journey is an apt description. And your journey to the center and carrying what you can back into life is a beautiful word/picture.

One of the aspects of this journey of meditation for me is to become more mindful which allows for a deper meditation. In addition this same concentration on mindfulness also allows me to be more settled down for longer periods of time in all sorts of situations. And this allows for more and more of an ability to notice all experience from a place of stillness.

Michael

[Karmoh]

Originally Posted by olmate

Karmoh and Michael and anyone else...

I am curious. Do you see your practice as a "journey"?

Perhaps if I describe this Soul's practice, to try to put he question into context...

The meditative journey is one. Therefore that has to involve the total being. Every part on the personaility, every aspect of life are bought into the exercise and then every part of the personality and life has to be transcended as I journey from the periphery to the centre. The family life, relationships, work, recreation - everything in life - is bought into harmony, because in the process of meditation everything in life is aligned on the centre.

The way to the centre is the way of the daily meditation, the time I set aside every morning and night of my life. On this path, there is a belief that the source of all energy, all of harmony is to be found in our hearts. The practice of meditation is simply the way to be open to this presence, to this energy, to this harmony, and to be open to it as ever more profoundly.

The word "journey" tries to capture the essence of this unfolding in my life, the journey to now.

Sorry to be long winded, but words.... hmmm

Nothing but the best...

Olmate

Hi Olmate (nice to meet you)

This simple question has opened up something deep, what started as simple reply set off an inquiry, so please forgive if it seems disjointed.

I do think “journey” is an apt description, although I do see a fork in the path or maybe a fence to jump over. I have yet to fully understand it. You see when it began, I just meditated, similarly, I just went for a run or picked up a piece of pie, there wasn’t an agenda, but somewhere along the path, my ego jumped in and created a spiritual ego, which is strong and vibrant, the "I" that is writing this...

...But one day in a shopping mall car park, something else popped up a realisation that the watcher hadn’t aged, body and mind had but the watcher hadn’t

I then began to jump off the path. In moments of clarity I realised that I was fixated on finding, or maintaining an experience or understanding a set of thoughts about my life, I was stuck. I was fighting the law of impermanence. Life is changing and moving constantly. I realised that I was trying to stop or capture some aspect of this moving and changing life, rather than simply being open to it.

Like an alcoholic, I jump back on the path, but every now and again a force pushes the “I” off the path suddenly and completely into the truth of who “I” really am, and then as if by magic I’m back on the path again. Although now I realise that I’m not at the center of life. And yet, paradoxically, the truth of life cannot be realized without me realising it. Alas my spiritual ego is strong; it does diminish, but re-emerges just as strong with another plan.

Maybe this truth will only be fully seen when my preoccupation with myself are out of the way.

While this journey continues and I kept the focus on me, including where I came from and where I’m going, how much knowledge I have or how close to the truth I am. Is my search better today than yesterday, and whether it will be better tomorrow than it is today? As long as I’m thinking these thoughts, I’m keeping “I” at the center of life, the path, or the journey.

I need to step off but I don’t know how to finally jump the fence... Is it fear or does “nothing” really scare me.



Peace

[olmate]

Hi Karmoh,

You describe familiar territory.

This is hard to describe because I am not sure I completely understand it myself but I will try to point to some contexts which are helping me walk through this terrain.

Context 1 - the "I" (or old man as I like to call him) is always there. I decided to allow the old man to hang around even when I visit the sanctuary. As resistence dropped "he" seemed to lose interest. I found Ken Wilbur's integral model helped me have a level of understanding to let go of individual positions and allow these different states of awareness to co-exist simultaneously.

Context 2 - allow the inside out and the outside in. By this I mean, the inside work is largely led by meditative practice of centering, stripping away the wall paper, etc, etc. The outside in context though includes not resisting life. The pressures of work, relationships, health, politics, and stuff is still there. I am allowing it more and resisting it less. But also and very importantly I am also noticing and (I think the best word is) engaging with my natural environment. I watch the sun rise each morning down by the water and feel the energy of the earth and water and air and sun course through me. I bow to the universe and express deep gratitude. I like to bring to front of mind the phase uttered by the Buddha as he reached and touched the ground on which he sat - "the earth as my witness"...

I don't know if any of this makes sense.

Maybe Jimmy Hendrix was right... the stars up above are just playing with laughing Sam's dice...

Don

[Karmoh]

Hi Olmate,

Yes, different book, page and words, but the core is the same. Which in itself is getting close, strip away all the bumf and we are left with a simple to follow footprint.

Context 1 - the "I" (or old man as I like to call him) is always there. I decided to allow the old man to hang around even when I visit the sanctuary. As resistence dropped "he" seemed to lose interest. I found Ken Wilbur's integral model helped me have a level of understanding to let go of individual positions and allow these different states of awareness to co-exist simultaneously.

You are completely right if the “old man” is not allowed in to the party, he will bang on the door until you open it, when he sees that the party wasn't anything special (ego wise), he may cause trouble, but if ignored will skulk off to a corner and be quiet.

Context 2 - allow the inside out and the outside in. By this I mean, the inside work is largely led by meditative practice of centering, stripping away the wall paper, etc, etc. The outside in context though includes not resisting life. The pressures of work, relationships, health, politics, and stuff is still there. I am allowing it more and resisting it less. But also and very importantly I am also noticing and (I think the best word is) engaging with my natural environment. I watch the sun rise each morning down by the water and feel the energy of the earth and water and air and sun course through me. I bow to the universe and express deep gratitude. I like to bring to front of mind the phase uttered by the Buddha as he reached and touched the ground on which he sat - "the earth as my witness"...

I see this too. The noticing is particularly important.

Peace