The stories we hold about ourselves or others will determine our actions, through fear or inspire us to act with courage and commitment. This talk includes Andrew Harvey's brilliant reading and thoughts on Rumi's poem "Passion"
How can we avoid the pitfalls that Mara sets for us on the path? Develop Sati (mindfulness) to act as a gatekeeper that can recognize the earliest signs of delusion, ill will, and greed. At the same time, cultivate paññā, wisdom and sharp discernment to protect against unskillful speech, conduct, and intention or thought. These foundational practices will be both refuge and rescue from the snares of Mara!
The beginning of insight is knowing what’s helpful and not, recognizing causes and conditions. We learn to meet difficult thoughts and feelings in skillful ways. Calming the body, using gentle and receptive gestures, we learn to listen to and soothe the crazy mind. One starts to see that negative experiences are not the problem but the sense of self that identifies with all of it.
We’re conditioned to make a self out of sense consciousness, but everything simply arises out of causes and conditions. We practice with right view and deep attention to meet what arises directly, see it as phenomena arising and changing.
To harvest the real riches of the journey, seek refuge and protection in wisdom; and gain profound peace and happiness through the practice of loving-kindness, compassion and forgiveness. These qualities of reconciliation uphold virtue, concord, care and respect so that we can befriend what is noble and realize the truth for ourselves. Even in the darkest hour, remember what you love, awaken the highest from within you, and light the path to freedom.
We use a meditation theme like mindfulness of breathing to bring about the factors of awakening. These factors are not things we can do, they come about under the right conditions. Tend to the heart and body energies, bringing them together to hold your ground against the hinderances and make way for the factors of awakening.
As we begin our meditation, establish a reference that helps us to be with rather than be in. Be the ‘knower of the worlds’, aware of the danger and getting stuck. Body can be that reference, it gives a sense of here-ness. Widen awareness and be choosy with attention.
