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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A friend of mine this week shared an article written by Michael Erlewine called The Wisdom of Age (I don't have a link, but she found it on facebook). I found the article interesting, thought about it for a while, and then wrote the following to my friend. I thought I would share it here as well, even though it's out of context.
I think that for most people who awaken to their true nature, the real work begins at that point; and the deepening of that experience can take quite a long time. I think it can be said that for many, their experience after awakening is always continually deepening. Thus, his theme, "the wisdom of age", is somewhat coincidental; your body continues to age, and your experience, after awakening, continues to deepen.
But yes; the deeper one moves into the truth of one's being, the more in harmony one moves with the unfolding of things. So yes, there is over time less and less of a someone who is doing, and there is more and more the experience of being a part of the manifestation of unfolding. It is a dance where the two dancers, this form and the universe, dance together in such unity that there is no separation one from the other; they create the dance together as one.
However, I don't think it completely coincidental. As this body ages, the teaching of impermanence becomes more and more experiential; and this experience is combined with the deepening into true nature into what can indeed by called a "wisdom of age".
This body/mind is not only a manifestation of the divine through which the universe experiences itself, but is also an instrument through which grace moves and touches others. And after this body/mind ceases to be, that divine mystery will continue to be.
Sometimes it seems as if the universe is waiting before it teaches us something until we are ready for the teaching. Sometimes the lessens take many courses through many years; you visit family members, get upset, drive home, and sit with the experience, sit with the teaching.
Opening the heart, uncovering the layers of shielding that have built up around it, can take a long time; but the universe is a wise and patient teacher. The universe uses all kinds of things to pry into our conditioning, to bring it out into the open where we then have the opportunity to meet it, to open to it, to bring it into the heart. And as this conditioning dissipates, we move ever deeper into the truth of our being; we move ever deeper into a harmony with the unfolding of the universe.
I was watching an interview with the Vipassana teacher Joseph Goldstein where he mentioned the mantra/prayer "may this practice be of benefit to all beings". His point in mentioning it was that while our initial reasons for entering upon a spiritual path may be personal, relief from our own suffering, answers to questions on who we really are, etc, our spiritual practice, our path, is benefited when it is seen as being for the benefit of all beings. It is through the compassionate heart that deepening into our true nature must move; and it is with the opening of the compassionate heart that we move more in harmony, day to day, moment to moment, with those whom we meet, with events that occur, with needs that must be met, with the unfolding of the universe, the flow of the Tao.
No matter where you are on your journey, and no matter what your age, where you are now is exactly where you need to be; for it is in this place that the universe, grace, will show you the next teaching. It may be in the form of a telephone call, or a sunset, or something read in a book or on the web. When you notice reactive conditioning arising in response to externally perceived stimuli, therein lies the opportunity for opening the heart; therein lies the doorway to further opening into your true nature.
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Breathe. Find the stillness within. Rest in the stillness.
Breathe into the heart. Be the warmth of the heart as it expands out into the universe.
Breathe into the body. Feel this connectedness, body and earth, this living manifestation of the earth, this that we share, through which we share, with all beings.
Breathe. And just be.
May this practice be of benefit to all beings.
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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