Morning,
Afternoon,
Evening.
I'm going to begin by reading a short extract from Pema Chodron.
About something called the wisdom of no escape.
The wisdom of no escape means learning to stay present with life as it is.
Rather than continually trying to avoid discomfort,
Uncertainty.
Or painful emotions.
Instead of distracting ourselves,
Blaming others or searching for something better,
We turn towards our experience with openness and curiosity.
We discover that our habitual attempts to escape suffering often reinforce the very patterns that keep us trapped.
By staying present with discomfort,
Without immediately trying to fix it or make it go away,
We begin to loosen our grip on the familiar stories and reactions of the ego.
Ultimately,
The wisdom of no escape is this discovering that freedom comes not from getting away from life as it is,
But from meeting it fully just as it is.
And that's exactly our practice here.
See there's no attempt to achieve anything.
And I keep repeating that because it's to get somewhere,
To achieve something,
It's hardwired.
You know,
Try harder.
Be a bit,
Be better.
The Cult of Maw A nut doesn't work in this.
Because one thing is endless.
There's no end to it.
And when we've got our focus on something in the future,
Some Experience some stillness.
We miss what's here.
We deny what's here.
And what here is life.
Life exactly as it is.
So we don't look for some blissful state.
Bliss is not a very good word.
To live a life of ease.
And joy and wonder I think are better terms actually.
We have to be willing to stay here.
To see what obscures that natural state of wonder,
Of ease.
So it's not about trying.
The harder you try,
The harder it will be.
So give up trying.
Right now,
Just to be here.
Is not effortless.
Try not to be.
Let's check back.
But the man gets holed up in the well,
You know,
Is that it?
Is that it?
Become intimate with what's here right now.
Just experience what's here right now.
Be discomfort or pleasure.
And at some point we begin to discover something.
That this is the wonder.
Will keep conceptualizing it.
With forever thinking about it.
How can I get it?
And it just goes on and on and on.
The mind just offers you.
Plastic carrots.
If you ever get the carrot,
There's no nourishment there because it's plastic.
Okay,
So let's take a couple of deep breaths.
And begin to feel the breath.
Just be curious about what's already here.
Not intellectually curious.
Not listing it.
Thinking about it.
Just feel what's here.
So we sit fairly still.
Not rigid,
Just still.
Shooting all the escape hatches and we attend to ourselves.
Is feeling the breath.
Not changing the breath.
Don't breathe in a special way.
What's going on?
Just checking that you're not chasing something.
Take a deep breath.
And relax.
And chase and relax at the same time.
Where is the attention?
What's going on?
Just feel what is here.
Okay,
We can bring this session to a close.
A little stretch.
Thank you,
Guys.
Bye.
