What do you Create?
In a discussion group, a new member said they had just watched the What the Bleep film and are looking forward to “consciously create my day“. She asked “What are your experiences with this? Have …
Category: Mind
The Group
Sangha, some call it. Community. The group following a common path. On the second day of the retreat, Thich Nhat Hanh speaks of the importance of this on establishing the path. Indeed, people are far …
Seeing the Story
One of the key steps in getting out from under the story of the ego is seeing it. If we cannot see that we are living in a story, it will continue to hold us. …
The End of the Person
Earlier, I spoke of “What Remains“, the qualities of person that may appear to continue after one is fully awake. You have probably heard talk about the process of the dissolution of the ego concept …
What Remains?
If you meet an enlightened person, you may notice they have a powerful presence. Perhaps charisma too, but not always. You will also notice they clearly still have a distinct character or personality. Whatever else …
Knowledge – Chains or Ladder?
There is an interesting debate that shows up in spiritual circles around teachings. Is knowledge and concepts useful or a barrier to being? As I’ve noted prior, there is a spectrum on this subject around …
The Present of Life
Recently, a group of us have been watching Thich Nhat Hanh [roughly pronounced Tik N’yat Hawn] on YouTube. He is a Zen Buddhist monk originally from Vietnam. Rather than taking a passive approach to the …
Forms of Samadhi
First, let’s define what Samadhi means. It is an experience of yoga or union with the Absolute. Oneness. Some definitions use it in terms of practice, but as that is a mental exercise, it cannot …
Getting Clear
Recently, in a correspondence with a friend of mine, they expressed their struggle with emotion. I shared some ideas they found useful. I drafted them into this post and expanded on it. It’s not that …
No Control
In the post Desire and Control, I spoke of the idea that we have to let go of our drive to hold and resist, let go of control. Does no control mean out of control? …
Desire and Control
Desire is a natural quality of being human. It is our drive to act and give attention, our most precious resource. However, desire can come to us in a number of ways. There are basic …
Ego, Emotions, and Identity: the Person
In a number of posts here, I talk about the process of awakening. The gradual clearing and increasing refinement of perception that eventually allows us to see through the layers of illusion of mind and …