As the force of identification with our body, mind and feelings gets weaker, the sense of 'me-ness' weakens. Then, the 'I' is not so demanding and we small the perfume of selflessness.
Our greatest suffering is not realizing who we are. Identified with a sense of separate and deficient self, we forget the basic goodness of our heart and awareness. In this two part series we will explore the practices of presence that support us in awakening from the prison of trance, deepening our empathy and embodying the goodness that is our deepest nature.
We continue exploring the nature and methods of inquiry, the freshness, openness, interest and energy it can bring to practice. We explore (1) mindfulness – based inquiry, (2) deep listening, (3) working with teachings (here particularly the Four Noble Truths and Precepts), (4) radical questions and (5) deconstructing fixed beliefs, with more time on numbers 3 – 5.
Sometimes mindfulness of the body is neglected for more exalted meditation experiences. However, the first foundation of mindfulness points to the importance of grounding in the body as a central support for presence and connection to our experience, which allows for a deeper investigation into the nature of things.