Francis Bennett's new book

Francis Bennett's new book I Am That I Am has been released this week by Nonduality Press. The link below will take you to the publisher's website:
http://non-dualitypress.org/products/i-am-that-i-am

See the description of Francis in another post on this blog.

“This Sense World too is Enlightenment” Hakuin Zenji’s Chant in Praise of Zazen



Attachment to Emptiness

In his 4/10/2013 webcast, Adyashanti addresses in a beautiful, clear, and direct manner the allure of emptiness and the need to move through this stage of enlightenment. Adyashanti speaks of the attachment to emptiness. The spiritual path is limitless, and every single step along the way has potential pitfalls. These difficulties arise in the form of attachments or aversions. I have spoken of the attachment to emptiness as dwelling in the ‘cave of nonduality’. Once the silence and peace of this absolute emptiness is experienced, it can be enticing, particularly to those who have experienced enormous suffering and trauma in this life. In emptiness there is no separation and hence no suffering. If the goal is the end of suffering, then emptiness is your ticket. Without the sense of self-identity, there can be no suffering as there is no separation. No separation means there is no comparison of what is with what isn’t. Without this comparing process, nothing is seen as lacking. There is neither joy nor the absence of joy. There is no passion, no desire, no fear, no pain of loss, no excitement, and no despair. Obviously meaningful relationships of all kinds are avoided or diminished, as relationships have typically been a source of suffering. The same can be said for all other forms of engagement in the world. Responsibility is avoided like the plague. The internal experience of emptiness is of a quiet contentment. People who have arrived at this deep, internally focused peacefulness appear emotionally flat to those not in the cave. There is often very little externally focused activity of any kind. Very little productive work is accomplished. Effort of all kinds is strenuously avoided as a sign of ego-based striving. A telltale sign of the depth of attachment to this stillness and emotional numbing is the ferocious response that occurs when an attempt is made to arouse them from their slumbers. The cave of nonduality is a deeply restful way station for the weary spiritual traveler, and abiding there a while is understandable and beneficial. The problem is mistaking a stage of the journey for the end of the journey.

After a deep spiritual realization, it is normal, even predictable to land hard in the cave of nonduality. Many years can pass quietly as the seeker rests, mistakenly assuming that the journey has ended. From my observations and experiences, it is almost impossible for the person (who no longer believes themselves to be a person) to recognize how stuck they are without some external assistance. This is where a trusted teacher who has successfully exited the cave and reengaged with the messy, unpredictable ordinary world is not only invaluable, but usually absolutely necessary. The discontent that drove the seeker to pursue self-realization with the passion required to awaken to an aspect of their true nature has ceased. Extinction is the nature of nonduality. There is no internal dissatisfaction left to motivate movement and action. What then is the motivation to leave the cave and reengage with the world of suffering and chaos, of desire and lack?

The only motivation I can find is a deep sense of compassion born of the experiential realization of both unity and separateness. Although my personal suffering may have ended in the cave of emptiness, a quick peek outside reveals an entire world of hurt. The instant that we wade into this morass of suffering, previously hidden attachments and aversions are activated and available for attention and release. As long as we stay safely within the cave, we can fool our self into thinking that we are ‘done’. As long as meaningful engagement with life and real responsibility are carefully avoided, we can maintain our carefully cultivated inner state of peace and contentment. The avoidance of engagement becomes the spiritually rationalized default setting. How can reengagement with the messy world be a good idea when it activates so many unresolved conflicts? This can be an especially delicate time for the spiritual aspirant who, having finally found peace, is asked to surrender it.

Many are called but few are chosen. If there is a willingness and access to accurate teaching, the rested seeker may gather up their few remaining possessions and begin the longest and most arduous portion of the path. The ordinary world of duality is engaged, but now it is intuitively understood from the aspect of emptiness, making all experience radically different. One of the last and most difficult attachments that must be released is the attachment to emptiness. The full engagement with ordinary life that is ultimately realized is beautifully depicted in the tenth ox-herding picture, where our fully liberated sage is completely at home in the world, demonstrating absolute freedom embodied as an individual and unique human being. 

Francis Bennett workshops in May

Francis Bennett will be coming to Binghamton the first weekend in May (May 3-5). Francis was a Roman Catholic, Trappist monk for over 20 years, only leaving monastic life about 6 months ago. His teaching plans so far include a day-long (10am-5pm) workshop Saturday May 4 on Contemplative Prayer and a Sunday afternoon joint satsang with me at the usual 2-3:30 time. There may well be another teaching event scheduled for Sunday morning. While plans are still being finalized, I want to give everyone plenty of time to plan to attend one or more of these events. This will be a rare opportunity to spend time with an awakened teacher who is thoroughly steeped in the Christian tradition, and can speak of this realized truth from his own direct experience. All teaching events will be at the First Congregational Church in Binghamton on the corner of Front and Main St. Parking is in the Church lot on Front St., and the entrance is on the Front St. side of the building. Come in the side door and look for the Meditation Room, which is upstairs on the second floor. The Rev. Dr. Arthur Suggs has been the pastor for several years and has led an ongoing transformation of the church into a welcoming and hospitable location for people of different faiths, beliefs, and lifestyles. The church website is:http://www.uccbinghamton.org/ .

 Francis is very active on Facebook, and I encourage those who are interested to check out his numerous, daily posts. He has a new website: 

 http://findinggraceatthecenter.com/ 

Below is a description of Francis as well as a link to a Buddha at the Gas Pump interview with him.

"Francis Bennett entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemane in 1981 and in the 90′s subsequently lived at a “daughter house” of Gethsemane in Monks Corner, South Carolina. Until recently, he was living in a small urban monastery in Montreal Quebec. He has been a “spiritual seeker” during all those years, practicing in the Christian mystical/contemplative Tradition and working deeply with teachers in both the Vipassana and Zen Traditions as well. In 2010 he experienced a profound perceptual “shift” in which he realized the ever-present presence of pure Awareness, which some would call, the Presence of God."

http://batgap.com/francis-bennett/      

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to me. The suggested donation for the Saturday teaching is $50-80 sliding scale, depending on ability to pay. The suggested donation for Sunday is $25. All donations beyond the cost of the room will go to Francis. All who are interested are welcome. For the Saturday workshop, please arrive by 9:50. We are required to keep the side door to the church locked, so if you arrive later than 10:05, you will be locked out and unable to attend.  For the Sunday satsang, please arrive by 1:50-the doors will be locked after 2:05. Until that time someone will be posted at the door to let you in and show you where the meeting room is located.

A  very tentative schedule for Saturday is 10-12 teaching, with lunch on your own. There are many local restaurants nearby. The afternoon session will be from 2-5. Further details will follow. For those unfamiliar with Contemplative Prayer, it is an ancient form of Christian meditation revived and updated by Fathers Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington in the 1970s and 80s. See the link below for background information on Father Keating.

http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/fr-thomas-keating

Video of Self Inquiry Group talk October, 2012

Below is a link to a talk I gave in October to the Self Inquiry Group in Raleigh, North Carolina:

http://vimeo.com/album/2259053/video/59321081

Infamous Stringdusters Review in New York Times

Many of you are aware that my older son Andy is a bluegrass musician. Below is a link to a recent review of a show he and his band performed at New York's Bowery Ballroom.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/arts/music/the-infamous-stringdusters-at-the-bowery-ballroom.html?_r=3&

Try a Little Tenderness

Michael,

This afternoon with you and Ping was wonderful; thank you! The discussion was helpful in moving along my inquiry around this current question (or dilemma): Do subconscious and deeply patterned behaviors and beliefs need to be worked on; and if they do, can they be approached in a way that doesn't invite a struggle. It's clear that familiar motivators (such as fear of humiliation, desire for praise, etc.) don't really operate much anymore and pure use of the will is temporary and exhausting. Still, I find some old patterns to be a nuisance!

It's a great question. As you know, my take is that these largely unconscious, automatic, and compulsive patterns of thought, feeling and behavior do need to be brought into awareness. Some people assert that without a self identity, there is no ‘one’ to be aware or to 'work' on these deeply ingrained patterns (usually called vasanas in Indian/Vedanta teachings). In our more ordinary Western psychological language, we may call these patterns unconscious defenses against feeling overwhelmed. They are often the residual effects of earlier trauma. These patterns can be also culturally programmed beliefs and assumptions that may be essentially universal in a given cultural context. Some unconscious, deeply ingrained patterns may transcend particular cultures, and be virtually universal to all men, women, or even all human beings. From one perspective, any automatic thoughts, beliefs, emotional reactions, or behaviors that have not been brought into impersonal awareness are to some extent blocking the free movement of emptiness or no self. Everyone I have met who has truly had some degree of self realization still has fairly obvious blind spots from this perspective. I know I do. To me it is important to be both realistic and humble about this fact. 

Admittedly the dilemma is rooted in a spiritual restlessness that has been far more a blessing than a source of anguish; where things stand now is so much better but not enough. So, while some of the biggest trouble-makers in terms of beliefs and patterns are largely gone (far less suffering); it seems like there are still patterns and tendencies that are blocking in some way. Maybe if I were able to see the truth clearly these tendencies, and the spin they put on the way I live this life, wouldn't block anything at all. The tendency is to want to escape or numb out, to seek that which is pleasant and easy, or the wish that something could be different - these would simply be non-personal affective states, arising and passing with no more importance than a burp after lunch. But that isn't how I experience them; they do cause some pain.  And doing nothing doesn't seem quite right.

I agree. Doing nothing could be denial or avoidance, although in different circumstances doing absolutely nothing might be perfect.

So that leaves the approach. Perhaps one of the best moments today was when Ping said something like: “... and if you're going to work on it be sure to do it with smiling.” How cool. I understood in that instant that the stand point of, 'fix something wrong' has for a long time been a source of veiled aggression towards myself. I've read a bunch of times (including in your essay The Practice Before and After Awakening) that it's important to avoid self criticism and judgment; but maybe something more subtle is missing in that:  Kindness. I confess I've never approached spiritual practice with much kindness (or joy for that matter). In this moment I suspect that cultivating kindness and joy will allow some patterns to evaporate as so many others have done – without any struggle.

Yes-very well expressed. It doesn't need to feel like effort, struggle, or work. For over a year in my blog description of ‘me’ I suggested we would all be better off to follow Otis Redding’s' advice to "try a little tenderness". I then had a link to a You Tube video of Otis performing this wonderful song in Europe in 1967.

Those are the thoughts on the subject tonight. I thank you sincerely for reading and for making it possible to meet Ping and to benefit from his teaching and his kindness.

Thanks for your sharing at the group and in this email.

Embracing the Heart - Enlightening the Mind Integrated Meditation

 Facilitator: Dr. Michael Hall & Ping Zhen Cheng, adviser & founder for "Enlightenment Living"&Taichizen International.

Joining me for a joint presentation will be Ping Zhen Cheng. Ping joined Margot Ridler and I in a joint presentation earlier this fall, and I am looking forward to hearing from him again before his return to China. We are fortunate to have this unusual opportunity to learn from a teacher who is very highly regarded in China and by his many students in the US. As noted below, Ping is also making himself available for individual holistic health consultations in Binghamton next Friday through the following Monday. 

Engaging the world around us with courage and wisdom during an age of turmoil is the core component of healthy and enlightened living.  The need to balance the intuition and intellect in order to walk our blessed journey can only be accomplished through the unification of the heart and mind.

In this practical workshop, Ping will be guiding participants through a step by step meridian-chakra-energy alignment to achieve inner harmony.  This practice is a synthesis of traditional Eastern meditation healing work & transpersonal hypnotherapy. 

Dr. Hall & Ping will also lead a comparative discussion between Zen, Tibetan, Yogic, Taoist paths, & psychotherapy. Beginners and advanced meditation practitioners are welcome.  Please bring a pillow and blanket to use during the various meditation practices.

Ping Zhen Cheng will also be available for Holistic health consultations which combine traditional Chinese & Tibetan energy work and guided meditation.  Available by appointment at:  pingeastwest@yahoo.com in Binghamton between 12/14-17.

Ping Zhen Cheng

Director of Enlightenment Studies
Taichizen International
Buddhist Transpersonal Hypnotherapy

www.taichizen.com pingeastwest@yahoo.com

Below is a reader response to the Curse of Awakening post. My responses to her comments are in italics.

Hi Michael!

When I first met you approximately 6 years ago, I was beginning my study of ACIM (Course in Miracles). I have stayed primarily on this spiritual path, although have also studied the writings of various Eastern and contemporary Western non-dualists as well. For the most part, their experiences have complemented my learning from the Course, but interestingly, it is the omissions or areas of discrepancy that I perceive between them, that underlie the questions you pose in your essay. Thus, I felt motivated this morning to share some thoughts with you. Please keep in mind, although many truths that I have "grokked" through my spiritual practice over these recent years influence my perception of what you shared, I in no way consider myself even close to awakening (but then again, what do I know?) A major shift has occurred, but has yet to be embodied in any consistent way. In other words, my ego is alive and well and is in fact fighting back with ferocity at this juncture on the path. The petty fears and nagging problems that have heightened for me is more than likely the same problem that you allude to in your article. This is not to mean that you are writing about petty problems. Rather, the content underlying them is the same, in my current understanding. Yes, that's right. I'm trying to point out that there is no such thing as being "done", which amazingly, many current neoadvaita teachers allege. As long as we are alive, we have a body and mind, both of which have deeply embedded patterns that intrude into and obscure the reality of this moment.

The dilemma is trying to reconcile two totally opposite thought systems that CANNOT be reconciled because they contradict each other. In fact, one was made to deny the other. I am of course referring to the Absolute Truth of What We Are and the delusional egoic thought system that defines us as separate entities living in a changing temporal world that presents us with one problem after the next that needs to be solved in the world. As long as the ego exists, and you pointed this out very well, we have to keep going "further," the term our friend Jed uses. Yes, and the ego will always exist, as will the absolute. Eventually these are seen to be not two. The Course discusses the fact that if only "one small spot of darkness" (other traditions would probably refer this as some ego identification or attachment), the ego remains in play. To use an analogy once shared with me, If the lens of our perception were likened to looking through a clear glass of water( (no ego), or through a red-dyed glass of water (ego), then the glass that turns light pink because only one tiny drop of red dye remains is still occluded. My teacher Roshi Philip Kapleau used a similar analogy. He described awakening as similar to lighting a single candle in a pitch black cave. It is all the difference in the world-yet all the darkness is not illuminated. This is not to say that tremendous gains have not been made to undo the ego, but believing it is finished is another form of self-delusion, and the ego loves it. Yes- very well put. Thus, can it now hide and operate under the "holy" guise of spiritual attainment. Yes This is where the temptation comes in to bring the truth to ignorance, or the light to darkness, versus the other way around. This is our attempt to maintain the ego, or what remains of it, by "enlightening" it. Not sure you enlighten the ego. Seems to be the process is to become aware of it and gradually lose interest. Then its influence diminishes on its own. Thus, the perceived purpose of our life remains ambivalent, and we continue to avoid our remaining fear, standing in the way of truth, striving to eat our ego's cake and keep it too. We keep the dream real only insofar that it becomes a "happier" and "more peaceful" one.

The Course has helped me realize that truth and illusion cannot co-exist, that our frame of reference can only be from one or the other.......absolutely. It is our attempting such that delays our progress to the ultimate end of the ego, and perpetuates our suffering, even if it has diminished significantly. We may be perceiving from truth sometimes, and from the ego at other times, but there are no gray areas in between. Interesting point. I hadn't thought of it that way.....we are looking through one lens or the other. An illusion is an illusion is an illusion. Nevertheless, it is the Awareness of the ego's modus operandi, as well as our increasing experiences camping out in the truth of our Being, that helps us to navigate this maize with all its' detours and booby traps. The ultimate goal is always to go further. It further points out that while we are camping out on the mountain of truth, we are healing, and it is then that we are the greatest teachers and healers of others. And essentially, we are not the doers in this case. The truth of God is extending through us when our mind is aligned. Our acts, or non-acts, will flow through us effortlessly, and we will be an instrument of healing, regardless of our destined profession, role, relationship, etc. Albeit small, I have my own healing practice as well, and I find it would not be very compassionate nor helpful most of the time, to tell someone who is suffering from a perceived problem in this world to forget about it, because it really doesn't exist. This is equally as true for client's who are students of a non-dual path. Delving into our trained and socialized intellectual minds and thus coming up with diagnoses, treatment goals and the means/tools for achievement are merely the Forms in which we communicate and relate. Thus various forms of psychotherapy, spiritual counseling, acupuncture, energy work, herbal formulas, psychotropic medications, etc etc etc are communication lines we use in the dream, to extend what is hidden behind the illusion. Right…beautiful. The Content (Truth of Our Being), which is beyond time and space and form is what influences the true healing. This is a mind to mind (not egoic or intellectual definition of mind) communication and can only happen when we are not in the egoic/intellectual mind. Thus our healing is our client's healing. Yes-in the fundamental sense there aren’t two. If something is to be said or acted upon within the temporal realm it will arise from that place of Presence. Therefore, we can't control it. As long as the dream is believed to be real to Any degree, healing is needed.......healer and client/student. Truth, the Love and Peace of God, is taught through demonstration, Yes-words are so limited its' natural extension from the place of our truth to that place of truth in others. As difficult as it is for me at this juncture, I know that the only true healing that can take place in my personal life and professional practice is when the truth in me sees the truth in the other, despite appearances. I have so much practice to do. Don’t we all!

There is one point of disagreement I experienced when reading your piece, which actually may be more semantics than anything else. You stated that truth realization is "not deserved or earned." I can understand not earned, but why not deserved? If it is our truth, why are we not deserving of it? I may be misinterpreting your intention, which may be that we do not have to "do" or "not do" anything in particular to experience it......other than "undo." Grace is neither earned nor deserved. It just is, freely given. It is said that Jesus knows his own. Why me? What did I ever do to either earn or deserve such grace? We cannot force the hand of God. The wind (Holy Spirit) blows where it will. I am struck dumb.

I hope what I have written doesn't come across as pontificating. It is very helpful for me to write down my thoughts these days. I don't really have to send this, but I think I will. I hope to cross your path sometime again. Binghamton is so far. I hope you are well.  Thanks for writing. I agree-writing is a very beneficial practice. It helps to clarify and bring into conscious awareness what is known at a deeper level. Best wishes, Michael

The Curse of Awakening

       The great Japanese Zen master Hakuin once noted that he had 17 great awakenings and thousands of minor ones. He was continuing to practice assiduously as he made the comment. Hakuin was practicing in a culture and a spiritual tradition in which there was a profound respect for the infinite varieties and degrees of awakening and its embodiment by a human being. In the West we love to simplify, ignore nuance, and cut to the chase. What are we to make of Hakuin’s statement, when so many current teachers claim that they woke up at a particular moment in time, and then are done? What would Hakuin think if he wandered into today’s spiritual marketplace free for all?

Even so, how could spiritual awakening be a curse? Isn’t awakening to your true nature the most important experience available to a human being? Well, yes and no. Much has been written about the obvious importance of self-realization, and does not need to be repeated here. What are the downsides? We will only address one potential downside here, and that is the tendency to believe the erroneous assumption that in a genuine awakening you wake up once and for all, and you are finished. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There are two major aspects to spiritual awakening. The first aspect is the nondual realization itself. All major spiritual traditions (Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, traditional Advaita Vedanta) which have incorporated awakening as a central aspect of their teaching recognize that there are many “levels” of awakening. Direct awareness itself does not have levels, or any other qualities that can be described. However, the manifestation and embodiment of this awareness by a human being living at a particular time, in a particular culture, and in a particular bodymind with its own unique history and lineage is subject to infinite degrees of realization. This distinction between pure awareness and its embodied manifestation, which seems so obvious and elementary, has eluded many current commentators, especially those from the neoadvaita perspective. From the perspective of the absolute (nondual) there are no levels or degrees of anything. Simultaneously and equally true is the perspective of the relative (dual), in which discrimination and progressive development are real and important. Ordinary ways of thinking and perceiving deny the truth of the absolute, which is without degrees and is unchanging-the birthless and deathless. Much current teaching on awakening only acknowledges the absolute while completely ignoring the equal value and importance of the relative. Of course the ultimate realization completely transcends the dual and the nondual while denying neither. This unfettered, fully embodied awareness moves freely in the world without concern for such matters. This freedom in motion knows neither before nor after, yet shows up for appointments on time.

Our concern here is with the denial of the relative once the absolute is realized. The enduring, experiential realization of the absolute is not the end of the path. In many ways, it is the beginning. This realization must be embodied and manifest in this body and mind in this time and in this place. The embodiment of nondual awareness can be seen as having three major components or aspects, representing the mind, the body, and the emotions. There could also be other major aspects, such as the energetic, but these three are our focus now. What does someone look like who has truly embodied this awareness fully? How do they feel, act, talk, and think? We may have fixed ideas about how we believe they should act, think, and feel, but how do they, in fact?

Even with a deep and enduring nondual realization, which is still quite rare, it is mistaken to assume that all psychological and biological problems disappear. Deeply realized beings do not become omniscient. Nor do they suddenly become skilled and knowledgeable psychologists who can ably assist with any personal problem. Yet, the questions asked of almost any teacher in any context are nearly exclusively psychological in nature. Why do we assume that a deeply realized spiritual teacher would be able to comment on profound personal problems in a helpful manner? A few years ago I attended two 5-day silent retreats with a well-known spiritual teacher for whom I have enormous respect. Virtually every single question asked was psychological in nature. The questions were about loss, addictions, codependency, grieving, anger, dysfunctional relationships with lovers, children, or parents, terror of intimacy, chronic physical or emotional pain, and so forth. I do not remember a single question about awakening or spiritual practice, but I assume there must have been a few. Doesn’t that seem somehow odd?

While some conditioned and automatic programming may weaken or largely disappear in the flash of deep self-realization, plenty is left over. How do we understand and address these ‘leftover’ issues? It is true that many of these leftover issues may gradually dissipate somewhat over time through the normal processes of living. That is one reason why major spiritual traditions caution against purporting to teach or even discusses self-realization until it has been thoroughly embodied. This process is open-ended but can easily take 5-10 years or more for it to thoroughly marinate and stabilize in a given individual. It is understood that during this ‘deepening’ process an active effort is being made to see through remaining blocks that obstruct direct awareness from operating freely through the bodymind.

From a pure nondual perspective, there are no blocks to awareness, nor is there a person to imagine that they have such blocks. Therefore it is not necessary or even possible to pay attention to these imaginary blocks which never existed except in the mind and its misunderstanding of reality. Who would pay attention except the character, which is imaginary and of no importance anyway? All psychological problems, bad habits, addictions and so forth are dismissed as the province of an imaginary character that is not real and does not require attention. At the level of the nondual, this perspective is absolutely accurate. Nothing is real, including who and what we think we are. From the equally valid perspective of duality, such notions are transparent nonsense.

From the perspective of the absolute, what is the role of compassion? How and why would we assist those who still suffer and do not know that nothing is real and that their suffering is imaginary? What do we do about obvious psychological problems that persist even after a deep realization? Does self-realization end the need for psychotherapy or psychiatric medication? Real awakening is liberation. Unfortunately it has become saddled with unrealistic, egoic expectations. Can we develop a realistic and informed understanding about what awakening is, and what it does and doesn’t do in the context of a particular individual human being? What is the path after a deep and continuous self-realization? Is there more, or is more just a figment of the dualistic mind?

Sorrowful Joy

This Sunday November 4 we will meet at the same 2 pm time but at a new location: the First Congregational Church at the corner of Front and Main St. in Binghamton. Parking is in the Church lot off of Front St., and the entrance is on the Front St. side of the building. Come in the side door and look for the Meditation Room. This room has a wonderful feeling and is perfect for our work. It is larger than the space available in my office building, and at least for now we should have less concern about overcrowding. The Rev. Dr. Arthur Suggs has been the pastor for several years and has led an ongoing transformation of the church into a welcoming and hospitable location for people of different faiths, beliefs, and lifestyles. The church website is: http://www.uccbinghamton.org/index.html. 

The teaching /discussion this Sunday will be focused on the idea of sorrowful joy. This teaching is inspired by the passage in the Gospel of Matthew, 8:20: Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." What did Jesus mean by this statement? What was his inner experience at the moment he uttered these words? Was he sorrowful? Joyous? How can we understand this and how does it apply in our life? Spiritual awakening is often portrayed as a doorway to bliss, which is partially true. Another way to understand self realization is that it opens us to the great mystery of our true nature which is limitless and without boundaries. In the direct realization of this true nature we become real human beings, with nothing separate or outside. No one is left out of the Kingdom of Heaven. The direct realization of this Kingdom right here, right now is neither deserved nor earned. It is given freely, through grace. What is the inner experience of one who sees clearly, seeking nothing, avoiding nothing? 

Stringdusters in Ithaca

Below is a link to a recording of the Infamous Stringdusters show in Ithaca. This recording gives a sense of the energy of the live show.

http://soundcloud.com/thestringdusters/10-20-12-the-haunt-ithaca-ny

Form is Only Emptiness, Emptiness Only Form

We will meet next Sunday October 2 pm for 15 minutes of silent meditation followed immediately by a talk/discussion lasting until approximately 3:30. In this meeting I will discuss my talk this past week-end in Raleigh, North Carolina at the Self Inquiry Group, as well as share my observations about the week-end and the other speakers. To summarize briefly, I began my talk with a reference to the famous lines from The Heart Sutra "Form is only emptiness, emptiness only form". The meaning of these lines cannot be understood through reason or logical thinking. They can only be understood through an experiential realization or awakening. In recent years a lot has been written about awakening, some of it by people who actually do intuitively understand at least some aspects of awakened awareness.  Many people who write or talk about awakening have had at least a solid glimpse of the reality described in The Heart Sutra, yet it is very rare to read or hear about the embodiment of this awareness and its manifestation in daily life. It is possible though not always easy to live a life that appears ordinary on the surface yet continuously demonstrates the free movement of this direct and unpremeditated awareness in daily life. In this talk we will consider what this embodied manifestation of no mind looks and feels like, and how it is both similar to and different from ordinary, self-centered functioning.  The free thought and action that emerges from direct awareness is equally and immediately available to everyone, all the time. What prevents us from recognizing and 'surrendering' to it? We have all had experiences where this unhindered awareness occurred in our life. What was it like?

SIG 2012 Spiritual Retreat

			Friday, October 5th - Sunday, October 7th, 2012 Durant Nature Park - Raleigh, North Carolina
	The Self Inquiry Discussion Group of Raleigh (SIG) will be hosting its fourth weekend retreat in October of 2012. The dates of the retreat are Friday, October 5th through Sunday, October 7th. (For information on the newly announced Post-SIG Retreat Intensive with Bart Marshall and Deborah Westmoreland, Monday October 8 through lunch Wednesday October 10, click here.) We have finalized our list of speakers and are honored to announce that we have confirmed Jan Frazier, Michael Hall, Bob Harwood, Paul Hedderman, Bart Marshall, Bruce Joel Rubin, Mike Snider, and Deborah Westmoreland, plus a special SIG panel. Some information on each speaker is provided below. The cost of the retreat this year is $250, which includes lodging (with caveats) and food. For our first retreat (2009), all of the speakers paid their own travel costs. In subsequent years, we increased the fee in order to pay the speakers' travel expenses. This year, we want to cover their travel and offer each an honorarium. We want to emphasize, however, that, as with every past year, we do not want someone to miss the retreat for reasons of cost. If cost is a serious issue that will make or break your attendance, please let us know! We will do our absolute best to work with you to make sure you get here. To register for the event ($250), please send payment via PayPal to events@selfinquiry.org (as a "Personal" > "Other" payment). PayPal is very much preferred, as it decreases paperwork. However, you are also more than welcome to send a check. Instructions for each are below: PayPal (preferred): Click the "Send Money" tab at the top of your account. Put "events@selfinquiry.org" in the "To" field - and $250 in the "Amount" field. Below these fields, you'll see two tabs: "Purchase" and "Personal". Click the "Personal" tab. It'll read "This money is being sent as a:" — check the "Other" circle. Hit "Continue" and follow to completion. If that won't work for you, mail a check payable to Luke Roberts: Luke Roberts 79 Cedar Terrace Rd. Apt. B Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Be sure to include your name and contact information with the payment. On PayPal, use the optional "Email to recipient" for this purpose. We will be at the same facility as last year: Durant Nature Park, Raleigh, NC. This means that, in addition to the 60-person attendance cap, we are limited in terms of lodging resources. There are 22 bunks, which are first-come-first-served. There are 16 army cots, which, judging from last year, do not provide the most luxurious sleeping experience - please bear this in mind. There will be plenty of camping space. We encourage those who live locally or have friends and relatives in Raleigh to stay with them in order to free up space at the lodge. Finally, this event will be "advertised" primarily by word-of-mouth and so we encourage you to pass along this and all subsequent emails to those who you feel may be interested in attending. You are also always more than welcome to email events@selfinquiry.org with questions. The Speakers Jan Frazier Until the summer of her fiftieth year, Jan Frazier lived a life typical for a well-educated, middle-class American woman. A divorced mother of two teenagers, she was making a modest living writing and teaching writing. Following a Catholic childhood in Miami in the 1960s, she had studied English in college and graduate school. In her late twenties, longing for hills and snow, she moved to New England, where she was active in the peace movement. But the inner peace she sought always eluded her. Then, in August 2003, she experienced a radical transformation of consciousness. Fear fell away from her, and she was immersed in a state of causeless joy that has never left her. While she has continued her life as writer, teacher, and mother, she has discovered it is possible to live a richly human life free of suffering. Her wish now is to communicate the truth that within every person is a pool of calm well-being that waits patiently to be stirred to life. When Fear Falls Away: The Story of a Sudden Awakening (Weiser Books, 2007) is Jan's day-by-day account of the shift in consciousness and its alteration of her life. Her poetry and prose have appeared widely in literary journals and anthologies. Her poetry collection, Greatest Hits, was published by Pudding House, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has been inspired by Gurumayi, Krishnamurti, and Eckhart Tolle, but the joy she lives in belongs to no particular tradition, and is available to all. Jan lives in southern Vermont. Check out her website here: www.janfrazierteachings.com Michael Hall, PhD A clinical psychologist in private practice in Binghamton, NY, Michael Hall practiced Zen Buddhism for 25 years before his sudden Awakening in 2002. In addition to traditional psychotherapy, he now teaches the direct path to spiritual awakening to a growing number of students, as well as to his clients. His first book, Awake and Alive: Spiritual Awakening in Daily Life is due out soon. For samples of Michael's writing, plus MP3s and videos, please go to: www.waybeyondpsychotherapy.com and www.awakentotruth.blogspot.com. Bob Harwood Bob Harwood, 68, owns two businesses, and currently moderates the spiritualteachers.org website. He has written two books about non-dual spirituality: A Path to Christ-Consciousness, Non-Conceptual Awareness Practice as a Doorway to the Infinite, and Pouring Concrete, A Zen Path to the Kingdom of God. He has a wide range of interests that include ballroom dancing, mountain climbing, architectural design, construction, and personal finance, among others. He is currently writing a book titled Financial Enlightenment. Bob began trying to understand reality at the age of 19, and spent the next twenty years reading and thinking about numerous existential issues. At the age of forty he began meditating and shortly thereafter had a life-changing experience of cosmic consciousness. Afterwards, he began going on silent retreats, and joined a Zen group. He started an ecumenical church, The Very Center, to encourage meditation, and began writing a newspaper column about non-duality. After spending many years as a Buddhist dharma teacher, he eventually left that tradition in order to teach non-denominationally. Today he gives satsang at Unity Churches and elsewhere. Check out an essay he wrote in the TAT Forum here: http://tatfoundation.org/forum2004-10.htm#3 Paul Hedderman Paul Hedderman has been involved with the recovery community since 1988, and has been leading workshops and holding talks on recovery and non-dual realization for 18 years. Many of his talks are available on his website at: www.ZenBitchSlap.com. Bart Marshall After a long journey that took him from the jungles of Vietnam to Richard Rose's backwoods farm in West Virginia, Bart came to the end of seeking in 2004. For samples of Bart's writing, please visit www.selfinquiry.org, or these sites: www.searchwithin.org/download.htm and www.tatfoundation.org/forum_index.htm. He also appears in the spiritual documentary, Closer than Close. Bruce Joel Rubin Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Bruce Joel Rubin (Jacob's Ladder, Ghost, Deep Impact, My Life, Time Traveler's Wife) has been a spiritual practitioner and teacher since the late '60s, and has taught popular Kundalini yoga and meditation classes in New York and Los Angeles for many years. In October 2010 he had a sudden Awakening during a SIG retreat weekend. To listen to MP3s of some of his talks, please go to www.brucerubin-class.com/2010.aspx. Deborah Westmoreland Deborah's spiritual curiosity began in tenth grade when she read Siddhartha and Franny and Zooey, and became obsessed with understanding their underlying Buddhist teachings. What followed was a decades-long journey that took her deeply into Buddhism and Christianity, and finally culminated in a sudden Awakening in 2010. She appears in the spiritual documentary Meetings with Remarkable Women, and is currently working on a book of spiritual essays. Read one of these essays, Hacking Back to The Wild: A Testimonial, on the TAT Forum. Mike Snider A country boy who found the truth without a teacher and in spite of being raised in the bible belt. No matter what I seem to think, I have never thought. To think that I could ever think Is something that I've been taught. No matter where I seem to be, I have never been. Believing that I ever was.... Is my own original sin. Sometimes tragic, sometimes funny That I could have been fooled for so long, How could this simple, obvious truth Been taken so completely wrong? So weary I am of late, Toting this old burdensome load. No need in pointing fingers For something I've bestowed. I know the way of freedom now, The way that can't be taught: Abidance as dynamic constancy Beyond any school of thought. MORE on the SELF INQUIRY DISCUSSION GROUP of RALEIGH, NC The Self Inquiry Discussion Group provides an opportunity to meet with others involved in the search for Truth and Self-definition via Self-inquiry. Our meetings consist of an informal and open discussion of paths, teachers, techniques, philosophical and spiritual systems, and possible ways and means for expediting the search. The discussions are not academic or theoretical, but rather focus on our own personal experiences as seekers. There is usually also a period of silent meditation at some point during the evening. Most people who continue to come to our meetings are not concerned with "Why should I seek Self-realization?" but rather, "What is the best way to go about it?" There is a paradox in that we use words to talk about that which is beyond words, and although there is often talk of paths and things to do, there is also general agreement that the best approach is subtractive: that is, rather than try to accumulate more spiritual and worldly knowledge, doubt the truth of all you think you already know. If you find yourself drawn to teachers like Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Richard Rose, Ramana Maharshi, Douglas Harding, Tony Parsons, Franklin Merrell-Wolff, Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti, and the ancient masters of Zen, Advaita Vedanta, and Christian Mysticism, you may find the retreat and our meetings very worthwhile. For more information on the Raleigh SIG group, please check out our Web site: www.selfinquiry.org.

Binghamton Buddhists Meditation Group

I will be speaking at the Binghamton Buddhists Meditation Group on Wednesday August 1 at 7:30.  All are welcome to attend. Their web address is:

http://www.meetup.com/binghamton-buddhist-meditation/

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

7:30 PM

Endicott, NY

Dr. Michael Hall, psychologist and spiritual teacher, will answer questions about meditation and your own spiritual journey.
The group is non-sectarian and open to people from all traditions and lineages of Buddhism. Those who are not Buddhists but wish to learn how Buddhist teachings and practices might enrich their own lives are also welcome to attend.
All levels of practitioners are welcome. We start with 20 minutes of meditation. Beginning meditation instruction is provided for anyone who needs it; if you would like to learn the basics of meditation, please arrive a few minutes early.  For more information, please feel free to contact us at bbmg.sangha@gmail.com

Ghost Opens on Broadway

Congratulations to Bruce Rubin, who wrote the screenplay for Ghost and now has the joy of seeing his vision brought to Broadway beginning today. The link below is to a talk Bruce gave about two months after his realization.

http://blip.tv/talks-by-bruce-rubin/episode-4498170