Good morning! Welcome to the DKos Sangha weekly open thread.
This is an open thread for members of the DKos Sangha and others who are interested in discussions concerning how we integrate our progressive political activism into our spiritual practice. If you have observations about the political discourse of the week, or about practice, or about anything else related to walking a spiritual path through the political world, if you wish to share, or if you seek support, or if you simply want to say hello, please do; this space is for you.
If you would like to write a diary for the DKos Sangha, please let me know.
If you care nothing for spiritual practice and only wish to denigrate and disparage, please do so elsewhere, and respect that this is a community diary for the DKos Sangha.
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Progress along the spiritual path is not linear. It is something of a misnomer to speak of progress, or even a path, since our true nature is and always has been pure awareness; but since our true nature has been veiled by the illusion of separateness and the moment to moment dis-ease that results, it can be helpful to speak of progress along the path.
As we move along the path, we may notice times when we are making progress, when our meditation practice is getting quieter, when we are becoming more integrated with the body, when we are more present with our daily activities, when our resting in stillness become deeper and more pervasive. But we may also notice times when we seem to backslide, when our meditation is far from quiet, when conditioning seems to fill the space of our experience, when reactive patterns seem to take control.
There may be a sense of having lost ground on the path and a longing to get back to where we were. But I think it can be helpful to let go of the idea of getting "back". Where we are now is always the starting point; we always move forward from here. And what we may perceive as lost ground is actually what needed to be experienced in order to move forward from here.
All of the conditioning that is embedded within us will have to be fully met and released. It will continue to arise until it has been fully met and released. We cannot know how long that will take.
So, while it may seem like lost ground, when conditioning arises and fills the space it is an opportunity, an invitation, to make progress; the conditioning that is arising will have to be met and released at some point, and grace is giving us an opportunity, extending the invitation, to open now. It is humbling; it is a gift.
Right when we think we are getting somewhere, grace will come calling. And progress along the path will be made as we meet the conditioning that arises with an open heart. Humbleness, patience, gratitude; compassionate, tender, welcoming.
It is only in opening fully and deeply to whatever your experience is in this present moment that progress is made along the path. Wishing to be back where we were two weeks ago, or hoping to be somewhere else two weeks from now, takes us away from being fully present with what is.
Return to the breath, open the heart, feel into the body, fully experience this present moment, this precious gift of now.
Namaste
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You are welcome to join us each week in our Monday night group meditation here at DKos Sangha. This online group meditation is hosted by Ooooh, and the diary is posted at 7:00 Eastern. So that we are able to be together for as many here at Daily Kos as wish to participate, the meditation period runs from 7:30 to 10:00 Eastern. This group sitting is open to beginners and advanced, and is not restricted to any particular traditions or practices. It is not expected that you sit for the entire period; sit for as long as you like, when you like. The idea is that we are here together; supporting each other, holding space for each other.
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Enjoy your day!
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