Since the Greeks, Heraclitus-flow and change but Parmenides' view won out: THINGS, matter, stuff, leads to power OVER.
But systems view more modern-energy/mind flows, information flows more important view.
Only by opening our hearts to change and loss can we live and love fully. Yet much of our life is organized around finding ground-- avoiding the insecurity of change, loss and death. This talk explores how our ways of grasping and resisting remove us from the spontaneity and aliveness, the love and wisdom, that is our human potential.
The Buddha took effort to its far point, bringing himself close to death in the pursuit of awakening. Then he had a change of understanding, let go of self-punishment and awoke. We too need to discern when our effort is skillful, and when we are out of balance in striving. How to recognize and let go of unskillful striving.
The flag of trance is identifying as a separate, deficient self. This talk explores how developmentally we can get fixated on fears and unmet needs and cut off from the wholeness of Being that is our true nature. We explore the power of mindfulness --seeking not to change but to understand--and the expression of that understanding as love. The talk includes guided reflections that can help us recognize and awaken from the confines of trance.
There is more to desire than suffering. Can we make a gradual change in how we relate to desire, without rejecting our vitality but with a capacity to tolerate the inevitable failure of all grasping?
Patience and Persistence (Determination) are the paramis that can bring change to our practices and to our lives. They are the perfect twins-they support and empower one another. Each is to be developed separately but needs the other for fruition. Together they create possibility unto-fore unimagined.
