At work, many people kept e-mailing back & forth while sitting three seats away from each other. When stuck in your habits, you do not realize how seperate you feel.
Sign on a liqour store billboard "The weather changes, so will your mind".
Underlying all thoughts lie a thought seed which when given attention starts to whirl awareness like stars around a galaxy - this is fantasy. We are drawn to different thought-seeds by our likes and dislikes. What we mainly consider our identity is just our awareness being pulled in many directions by all these thought vortices. By recognizing that attention is caught up in these vortices based on seed thoughts, you can free awareness from fantasy and from getting stuck in polarity.
Meditation brings us to the state where we are a complete clean slate, without prejudgements.
A relative passing causes sorrow, feeling many unsaid things left, sorrow
related to feeling of "Why did I not behave like the right me
around that person? Why did I wait to say things?"
You can be distinct while still feeling interconnected -
like hands on a finger or waves on an ocean.
Grew up in cold weather and hated it, but realizing it
was due to prejudgements about how weather was bad. Now
in-the-moment, just appreciating the value that the snowstorm
brings.
Story of Black Elk chanting on a blue sky day, clouds
appeared and rain poured just on him and the observers.
When flying in a jet, whilest in the clouds the plane
shakes and vibrates, but above them everything is clear and
sunny.
At school discussing ethnicity & race in the United
States, every week featuring a seperate ethnicity. Each
different background would remind of own personal history, though
seemingly seperate, we have much in common.
Life is just a collection of thoughts. Maybe thoughts &
dreams change so that life doesn't get boring.
Really liked relating weather to change. Just observing
change in life as natural as the weather changing is very
relieving.
Recently took a Kayaking trip in Hawaii, had to walk
through mud and rain - there was not much else to think about,
time flew by.
Malu is expecting a baby!!
Osho used to jump in whirlpools and see himself caught up
in them. He would swirl until he reached the center and
then he would be pulled out of the whirlpool completely.
The more aware we are of this reality that everything
changes, the better prepared we are. Question to the group -
How prepared are we for the inevitable changes in life?
There are a number of interesting techniques in loosening
the bond that language holds over "I", "Me" .. one of them
is to stop using the words all-together. For example,
instead of "I think" use "There is a thought" - very freeing
because not owned by thoughts.
If you give up all labels, you will also have to give up
thinking itself.
Response to how to prepare to change: Looking at a photo
album of 10 years back, experiencing sadness, lost sense of
youth, sense of innocence, sense of openness.
Three Zen students were sitting with their Master. Two
of them had been arguing all day. The first one laid down
his case and after listening closely the Master said "Yes,
you are right." Then the second one took offense and
explained his point of view, "Yes, you are right" said the
Master. The third one then spoke out and said "Master, I'm
confused, first you tell him he is right, then you tell the
other he is right, this does not make sense" .. "Yes," The
Master replied, "You are right too!"
What will you do if you win the lottery? I will retire.
What will you do when you retire?
Question posed to a Zen Monk, what would you do if you
had 15 minutes left to live? Reply: What's wrong with this?
On Jun 12, 2006 Nipun wrote :