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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Those who are on a spiritual path use a lot of different words to get at something that really can't be fully and adequately described with words. But these words can be helpful, and many are used interchangeably within different contexts, essentially pointing to the same thing.
For instance the Tao, the Universe, Grace, these seemingly quite different words can be used to talk about the same thing, but within different contexts.
The Universe. When identification with the thought patterns that constitute separate self is broken, one begins to experience all perceived phenomena and all thoughts as arising together within the same space; and one begins to experience an interconnectivity. We begin to see others not separate from ourselves, but as ourselves; there grows a deep compassion for other people because we see their suffering as our own, and a great love for others as we see them as divine manifestations of the universe. We also feel interconnected with this Earth, the sun, moon, the night sky; the universe. When the veil of separateness falls away, there is oneness; the universe.
The Tao. There is a balance and harmony in the unfolding of the universe. Separate self desires to control events, there is attachment to desired outcomes; and where there is attachment and aversion, there will be suffering as a result. When separate self acts to control events, harmony and balance are lost; there is conflict, struggle, mistakes, disappointments, aggression. But when separate self falls away, we begin to see the unfolding of events in a new light. We don't have to control; we can find the harmony and balance in the unfolding. We begin moving through our day with a lightness of being, doing what needs to be done, seeing our path with more clarity and understanding. Our way forward become more balanced, more in harmony with the unfolding of the universe; more in harmony with the way of the Tao.
Grace. Conditioning, egoic patterns of thought, woven by separate self, deeply ingrained within us, are the cause of so much suffering. Before we awaken from the illusion of separateness, we buy into these stories, these recurring themes, as if they were real, as if they were who, and all, we really are. We identify with, and are focused on, the suffering that consumes so much of each and every waking day. But when we awaken from the illusion of separateness, when there is no longer identification with the conditioning, then the conditioning, the reactive patterns, are seen as phenomena arising within our awareness. The conditioning begins to lose its power over us; it's energy and momentum begin to dissipate, especially as the heart begins to open, and we begin to learn how to have compassion for ourselves. As this happens, we begin to see that when reactive conditioning arises in response to other phenomena, events, things read, conversations, when our buttons are pushed, this becomes an opportunity to meet our conditioning, to open our hearts to it, to touch it with compassion and tenderness, enabling it to begin dissipating. Thus, when conditioning arises, we welcome it, for this is when the work can be done; this is where the meeting takes place, where our suffering is transformed by the love of an open heart. It is as if the Universe were giving us these opportunities to open to what within us is still unmet; it is as if the flow of the Tao was unfolding in such a way that we are given these opportunities to meet what is still unresolved just when we need to open to them; it can be seen then as Grace.
These are just three examples of how we use words to talk about our experience, to share that experience with each other. The words themselves are not the point, but they can be helpful in our practice, in our day to day, moment to moment lives, as we move deeper into the truth, deeper into the experience, of who we really are as human 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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