So,
You may be familiar with Rodney Smith,
He's a teacher of mine and someone who inspires a lot of the practices that we do here.
He asks this question,
And it's one of those rhetorical questions,
He knows the answer before he asks it,
But do we have a mind or does the mind have us?
The way he answers that question is,
Well,
How do you know you exist?
It's only the mind that tells you,
Right?
So,
Many of us go through life really thinking that we have a mind and we're trying to have domain over this mind,
When really the mind is what makes us what we are.
Mind is what makes us all seem real.
Seeing the mind in that perspective,
We can then recognize that everything that's going on is kind of a subset of mind.
All of our experiences,
Emotions,
Thoughts,
They're just a subset of mind.
And so,
When we're trying to tame the mind or any of these things that you often hear in meditation,
It's really mind versus mind.
It's mind trying to do something to mind.
And that's kind of counterproductive.
It's just creating division within mind.
So today,
I thought maybe we could see if we could look at that and see if we can unify mind somewhat by allowing everything in.
It's what we do all the time in these practices,
Is we're just allowing.
But allowing all of it to be present,
Whatever arises,
Whatever's here.
Another way to look at it perhaps is,
If it can be seen,
It's kind of a subset of everything.
And so,
If we can move into the space or towards the space that sees,
Then we're getting a more unified perspective.
So,
Moving into a space that cannot be seen,
That only sees.
So that's the direction in which we'll be heading today.
And let's see where that goes.
So I invite you to find a nice upright,
Awake posture.
Upright if possible,
Awake.
It's definitely advisable.
And perhaps a deep breath or two as you settle in.
Just then to relax.
Not a forced relaxation,
Not a doing even,
Just a letting be.
Notice where the doing is happening.
Just see if it's possible to loosen the grip on the doing in those spaces,
Mental or physical,
Emotional.
Just release the tension.
Let go.
See there's tension if you can visualize that as a kind of a grasping,
A clamping.
It's holding that,
It's a tension,
It's a holding on,
Right?
So wherever you notice that,
Just to unclench a little.
The tension is the doing,
The relaxing is the not doing.
And at the same time,
No expectation that the tension will release.
So if it doesn't,
That's okay.
Just be in a space to see that,
That it's there.
So relaxing where relaxation is possible and available.
Allowing whatever arises to arise,
Not resisting.
Noticing that resisting is another form of tension.
Just seeing where that all goes,
Observing.
Seeing the entire dynamic without interfering.
Noticing the elements of your internal and external environment that in some way you're attempting to exclude,
That in some way don't seem to belong in a meditation practice.
And seeing if it's possible to include them too.
To exclude nothing.
The pleasantly,
Unpleasantly,
Neutral.
Welcome it all.
Invited in.
Noticing the elements of our experience that we might consider to be a distraction.
And recognizing that they're just part of the experience too.
Invite the distractions in as well.
Welcome them.
So that instead of an array of separate experiences,
Different sensations coming from different directions,
From inside and outside,
It begins to all merge into one unified experience.
Nothing out of place.
So that even the parts of you that are resisting certain experiences,
Even the parts of you that are believing that certain things shouldn't or shouldn't be happening,
That they be included as well.
Nothing out of place.
Noticing where there is grasping,
Wanting a certain experience or a certain way of thing,
Or more of something.
Noticing where there is aversion,
Pushing away,
Not wanting a certain experience or a certain thing.
And including the clinging and the aversion as well.
So there is nothing out of place.
So not trying to stop the clinging,
Not trying to stop the aversion.
Just seeing it.
As thoughts arise and carry part of you away to some when or somewhere else,
Don't attempt to stop the thoughts.
Just include them.
Allow them and see them.
They arise,
They pass away like everything.
Can they arise and pass away in this one unified experience?
Noticing any desire or expectation or otherwise that is trying to get somewhere,
Trying to achieve a certain experience or state or anything like that.
And just recognizing that as another form of clinging that can be observed,
Can be seen.
Another temporary phenomena that will arise and pass away.
Noticing the steadiness of that which sees.
That there can be all this movement,
This hustle,
This bustle.
And that which sees it all doesn't move,
Doesn't change.
Nothing out of place.
Movement everywhere.
It all being held by a stillness.
Being seen by this stillness.
All being contained by this stillness.
Nothing out of place.
As you go through your day and experience the inevitable disturbances,
See if it's possible in time to come back to a space where you can see that each disturbance,
Each aggravation,
Each troubling moment is not out of place.
It all belongs within this ultimate stillness.
It may not be an immediate realization,
It rarely is.
And see if it's possible to come back to that in time as you're ready.
Thank you for your practice.
