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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So, what is happening? Where are you? When we read these questions, the mind immediately starts in on a story in response. But letting go of the story, what is happening?
Letting go of the story, notice the space within which the story was arising; the awareness within which everything arises. When you turn your attention to look at, rather than get caught up in, the story, notice the words, the sentence structure, the letters; then notice the space within which they appear. Turn your attention to that space. Rest there for a moment.
So, apart from the story, from within this still space of awareness, what is happening?
Within this space everything is arising, everything is experienced. There is the beauty of fall colors. There is a chill in the air as a faint breeze touches the face. There is the hum of the laptop. There is the smell of coffee and the taste of blueberry preserves on toast.
When you meet a friend for dinner, what is happening? Again, letting go of any story that mind might weave about the friend, about the food, about the restaurant, about the other people in the restaurant. In the same way you experience the fall colors and the smell of coffee without any story, experience this meeting in the restaurant; just be fully present with what is in this moment.
When you leave the restaurant and walk back to your car, experience that; notice the other cars, notice the sky, notice folks arriving and departing.
When we get caught up in the stories running within mind, we tend to miss the richness of what is actually happening now.
And when a story arises in response to what we perceive, the story tends to create separation. When we let go of the story, we can just experience what is happening fully. There doesn't need to be a story about our experience when we can just experience what is happening directly and fully. Getting caught up in our thoughts creates a layer of separation that keeps us from fully experiencing now.
And it is this layer of separation, this getting caught up in the story, this attachment to the stream of thoughts that mind creates, that causes much of our dissatisfaction with life; the dis-ease, the suffering.
And while we're caught up in the story, we're missing now. While we're experiencing the dissatisfaction and dis-ease that the story is causing, we're missing the direct experience of what is actually happening now; the fall colors, the chill in a gentle breeze, the people in the restaurant, the taste of blueberry preserves on toast.
This is why it is said that we cause much of our own suffering needlessly. Most of the thoughts that mind generates aren't really all that useful. Some are of course quite useful; but when you start paying attention you'll find that most aren't.
And as you let go of the stories and just rest in this present awareness, life becomes a lot less stressful, and one's moment to moment experience becomes much richer.
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Sit comfortably, with your back fairly straight so that your breathing is full and easy.
Close your eyes.
Establish yourself in the breath. Bring your attention to the breath; notice it's movement, each in-breath and out-breath. Just breathing. Naturally; easily.
Established in the breath, notice any thoughts that arise. Without getting caught up in the story, just notice that there are thoughts arising.
Notice the space within which the thoughts are arising.
Notice that it is the same space within which sounds are arising.
Let go of any story about the thoughts, about the sounds, about the space.
Just be with this space.
When thoughts arise, just gently let your attention move to the space within which the thoughts are arising.
Rest in this space.
Rest within awareness.
Rest here for as long as you wish. The more you rest here, the more established you will become in present awareness. This spacious present awareness is always here, whether you are sitting in meditation or sitting in a restaurant with a friend. Being present isn't just something you do in meditation; present awareness is your natural state of being.
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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