There was a move, a couple separations, a few adoptions, lots of fixing and adapting – but the Sound Temple is underway. Soon sound baths will be ringing throughout the Olympic hills, and even livestreamed sometimes. Exciting!
This is me sharing some of the teachings I receive during my pre-meditation lessons.
During a particularly grueling session in performing (is that the right word?) the Primal Virtue, as laid down in the Tao te Ching, I could not shake loose my ego and self pity. Circumstances and situations were causing physical, mental, and emotional/spiritual havoc, and even though I was constantly reminded those were outside of me, I couldn’t get them to stop affecting my insides.
My teacher encouraged me to keep with my mindfulness, and to be humble, and still. With a big breath, I inhaled and let the air out, tipping my head forward in my reflection pose, but the instrusive thoughts… intruded. Remembering certain events, my ire worked up again, and the suffering returned. I wondered for a moment how Gautama would achieve peace in a prison camp. It must be possible! And all I’m going through are insults, injuries, and breaches of contracts. Which is what I expressed to my teacher.
At once there was a challenge question. “What effect can any of those things have on a feather?”
I sighed. Of course, there was none. “It’s the load of bricks heaped upon me! How can a feather get out from under such an oppressive pile?” I asked.
“What feather?”
(When these zen moments happen, it is both a kick in the crotch and ecstatic joy).
Now we may begin.
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