practice

[Guest guest]

Hi Good Friends,

 

I bought several books in Santa Fe (and I'm trying to justify my

spending spree by posting them all... hee, hee, hee.)

 

Well, there is obviously a lot of talk about ultimate freedom on these

lists, as is certainly reasonable, and there is also talk about

practices. I hear several folks suggesting that practices and ultimate

freedom are less strongly linked than those of us who are advocating

practices like to think, and I think that makes sense. As I was reading

the introduction to a book of stories (Soul Food: Stories to Nourish the

Soul edited by Jack Kornfield and Cristina Feldman - see Jerry and

Harsha, even the cool guys are getting into the populist lit... I see

it as Jack's version of Chicken Soup for the Soul, a popular series...

well anyway, that's not the point I want to make here...). As I was

reading the intro, I came across this passage:

 

"We have all experienced moments of revelation, of profound opening.

These moments seem to touch us in an unexpected fashion, yet they can

make a transformative impression upon us. It may be a moment of walking

in nature when the chatter of our mind suddenly stills, and in the

silence we experience deep sensitivity and harmony. It may be a moment

when, conversing with a troubled friend, we feel our judgements drop

away and our hearts open. We know ourselves to be totally present, the

barriers between self and other melt, and the natural radiance of our

own compassion emerges. It may be a moment alone, when our need for

busyness and the clamoring of our thoughts cease. In that stillness we

experience an aloneness that knows no loneliness or alienation but that

speaks of a rich completeness and oneness with the rhythms of the entire

universe. These moments offer us a glimpse of our own possibilities."

 

Well, I ask you if you recognize what Jack is talking about, and I say

if you do, then you KNOW IT. (I like the fact that Jack doesn't

capitalize his key words, but hey...) I also am realizing that I don't

much care about the label that is put on the experience. I have it and

then later on I get caught up in my monkey mind, so is it

"enlightenment"? Am I experienced as Jimi Hendrix used to ask? Will it

last next time? If not, can I get it back again? Who fucking cares?

The point is that I like feeling that heart opening, so I intend to

allow it as often as I can. I call this practice because I am

practicing this feeling. It's like practicing the piano. Does hitting

the same notes over and over make you a good piano player? I suggest the

answer is no. I think real practicing of piano playing is noticing once

or twice during a practice session that it "feels right" and then going

after that feeling until it becomes natural. So I suggest just paying

attention and noticing when you feel the way that Jack describes (it

happens all the time, but we rush around so much, we don't usually

notice it) and then when you really can feel it and know it, you can see

what actions bring it back, and you practice those actions, so that

other people's advice becomes irrelevant after awhile because you

recognize it yourself. We have endless arguments about what makes it

happen because what makes it happen for each of us is different, so

learn to trust your own experience of it, and you can practice it

however you like.

 

Love, Mark

ps Ivan, "who am I?" I am the question "Who am I?" asking itself

endlessly, joyously, creatively, with love. Yum. Yes, I know this. Yes,

I am still seeking. Yes, it's fun.