2 Questions. . .sparrow synthesis. . - Craig

[Guest guest]

Hey Craig,

 

how you doing today? Well, you have had a lot of great advice and suggestions

from everyone, and its all sound advice. First, its okay to be feeling blocked

and to have the mind spinning around and around... I bet you can see it but you

cant stop it..

 

When that happened for me, there was usually some underlying shadow material

(that Ihad been unconsciously avoiding for a long time) beginning to enter

consciousness. I know its tough, but if you can stay present to the 'circling

mind' and see it as a process, a phenomena, impersonally at this point, then the

underlying shadow block will eventually surface. I would experience this process

by feeling sadness, depression, a willingness to avoid the present, and a deep

belief based on anxiety that something in my life HAD to change, or that

something in my environment was the cause of my suffering (instead of my inner

avoidance). For me, this would also sometimes manifest as a sense of

disempowerment, wanting God to respond to me and thinking that my life was not

okay until She responded and that I was really doing my bit. In reality, I was

projecting my personal power onto an imagined God, and arguing for my

disempowerment by waiting and not acting. This was a tough habit for me to get

out of, and there is a fine line between acting and being surrendered to the

outcome, as compared to not being able to act. Now, I act, surrender to God, and

trust that I will be guided if I have made the wrong choice.

 

So, just a quick suggestion for reflection, which may or may not ring true..

'Have you projected your personal power onto Sprit?'

 

The fruits of the spirit are peace, ease, joy and a sense of wellbeing,

unconditionally. I know its easy to talk about this stuff and its a pain in the

ass when someone tells you this, and your experience is one of difficulty and

dryness. Still, try and have faith that on the other side of the difficulty you

will start to realize that, without condition, things are exaactly perfect

always as they are.

 

I found it useful to have a tool that lets me work with this, that lets me

engage activly in the transformation process without it being my ego getting in

the way. I think you have done Big Mind, havnt you? Well, in the ILP kit is

another practice called Compassionate Exchange, based on the buddhist practice

of Tonglen. It follows here. You practice embodying the transformational power

of BIg Heart, and even if you cannot feel the heart yet, or cant release on the

outbreath, dont worry, as the intention to engage the Universal Heart, and to

use the Heart (of awarness and love, which is your innermost nature) to

transform suffering, is what matters. I did this many times, and yes, sometimes

there were dark days and dark weeks, yet it worked in the end... If its a moment

by moment practice in the day, simply do steps 1, 9 and 10 for yourself. You

could just imagine the mind gerbil going into your heart and coming out a

relaxed sleeping hamster.. lol..

 

by the way, if you would like more info on Shadow work and how it facilitates

forgiveness, just let me know.

 

love

Bruce

 

 

Tonglen Practice

 

1. Imagine someone you love and place attention on your heart. Generate a

feeling of love and compassion.

2. Visualize someone you care about who is suffering. Imagine their pain coming

into your heart, and feel their pain on the in-breath.

3. On the out-breath, release their pain and send a wave of healing and loving

energy to them from the heart center.

4. Do this for a few breaths.

5. Repeat steps 2 – 5 for you family.

6. Repeat steps 2-5 for the people in your city

7. Repeat steps 2-5 for the people in the world

8. Repeat steps 2-5 for all life forms.

9. Now visualize yourself in front of all the people. Imagine your own

particular brand of pain, breathe in that, imagine it being released, and

breathe out compassion and energy to yourself.

10. Notice that everything is happening within the context of your awareness.

Both you and the imagined other are arising within the awareness. You are that

primary awareness, not whatever experience is arising.