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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Control
In separation, in the world of separate self, there is developed the idea of "being in control". When we were young kids, growing up in a world that was "controlled" by parents, relatives, school teachers, and other authorities, our developing idea of ourselves as separate individuals needed its own control of situations in order to cope with the confusing and sometimes frightening world around us. And as we matured, we sought to stay in control of our lives.
As a result, there is a fear of "losing control", and things are often "out of control"; and this desire to be "in control", in the midst of what we often perceive as the chaos of our daily lives, causes conflict, stress, suffering.
This need to be in control runs contrary to being in harmony with the world around us. The believing that we are separate and apart from the world around us obscures our ability to see the path forward from here that is most in harmony with the unfolding of things.
With this need to be in control, we are caught up within the story of the self that is constantly running in mind from the moment the alarm goes off in the morning until we finally fall asleep at night. And as we are so caught up in this story running in mind, we miss much of what is happening now right in front of our noses.
But as we awaken from this dream-like story of separate self, our perception of, our relationship with, the world around us changes. When we wake up in the mornings, each day is new. Without the clinging to control there is an allowing, an openness to what is; without the attention focused on the story of "me", there is a seeing of things, an experiencing of things, that were missed when our vision was obscured. Whether it's cooking in the kitchen, walking in the woods, even watching a movie, our experience of the world, our relationship with the world, is much more intimate, much more alive, much more in harmony.
As we move deeper into our true natures, the path forward becomes clearer. The need for control falls away as the conditioning that had developed around that need dissipates.
Because there is so much conditioning buried away in mind that will need to be released, the moving ever deeper into our true natures will be ongoing for the rest of our lives. And that's okay. Each day is new. It is the experience of gradually rediscovering our world; seeing ever more clearly, growing ever more intimate, opening ever more fully.
Where you are now in this moment is where you start. Always. Separate self will make excuses, raise objections, even state that it can't be done, or if it can, well certainly not now. So, open to that. Allow a movement out of the story, out of mind, and down to the area of the heart; allow an opening of the heart, allow a gentle compassion for this self-story, this "me" that has caused itself so much suffering.
And breathe.
Rest here in this moment.
Open to the world as it is in this moment.
No story; just being fully human in this moment, as it is.
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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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