Mar
25
It seems like we’re breathing in fear from around us every day, doesn’t it? I know I’ve grown wary – and weary – of turning on the news, it’s too depressing. Knowing that we’re at last on a course correction after years of insane pursuit of wealth is hardly cause for joy. The reality of the magnitude of devastation left in its wake is bewildering. Even though we may personally be protected, the future is uncertain. Making the hard choice to bail out irresponsible behavior is galling. And it’s simply shocking how rapidly our assumptions about tomorrow can disintegrate.
So what is a conscious response to this moment? What’s the key to finding and maintaining balance? I found an answer from Spirit Rock Zen teacher, Norm Fischer, one of the many Zen teachers whose talks I found at Dharmaseed Talks.
Sit in this “museum of negativity” that is, this swirl of thought and feeling in the mind, he said. In fear and discouragement, people often don’t have the heart to do spiritual practice, but it’s the best time. The motivation is clear; simple survival. At times when you really are powerless to do anything – these problems are enormous – all you can really do is just sit anyway. Empty out swirling mind and become the curator of your exhibition of negativity. Actually, he suggests it can be quite entertaining.
The practice is simply to sit quietly with intention, breathing, watching the thoughts and feelings. Not trying to make it better. The initial response is to not want to surrender to them, but it gradually dawns on you that these thoughts and feelings are … just thoughts and feelings. Gradually, you notice the feeling of just being, and of simply being alive, of life itself. And you feel grateful. It’s having more, and more options, that brings less rather than more joy. There is joy, and appreciation in simply being.
It’s perfectly normal to feel sorrow, fear, despair, anxiety, discouragement and confusion. We’re human. You feel what you feel, and so do others, and these feelings connect us. Chogyam Trunpga Rinpoche called these difficult feelings the raw spot, and said that it has the capacity to wake us up to love and compassionate action towards each other.
Norm Fischer words are simple, human and real, a model of the balance and perspective gained from this practice. He has other suggestions. He describes a group practice, of people coming together to be silent together, to talk to each other and to listen, as a spiritual discipline.
The tendency is to want to comfort, to give advice, but that’s not allowed in this practice. You can only give this feedback: “Here’s what I heard you say…” Just to listen to what you just said repeated back in someone’s voice can be a liberating experience. It changes your heart. And if you’re listening and forgetting your own troubles to hear what’s someone else is saying it’s a great relief to stop thinking about what’s bothering you and simply feel sympathy for the other person.
Just being present to listen to this man speak opened my heart and lifted my spirit. It is well worth a listen.dinotopia quest for the ruby sunstone divx care bears journey to joke a lot divx download
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