February 1, 2023
Two Sides of Practice: Effort and Recognition
Dos caras de la práctica: esfuerzo y reconocimiento
A meditation on the complementary movements of facing suffering directly and recognizing the already-given openness of being, followed by dialogues on sleepiness as resistance, the difference between invoking stories and noticing present contraction, total responsibility as the end of projection, and Dante's purgatorial fire as a metaphor for sitting with the wound of separation.
meditation
Two Sides of Practice
An invitation to meet discomfort with honest attention while also resting in the openness where nothing needs fixing or changing.
dialogue
The Threshold Between Sleep and Avoidance
A question about falling asleep during meditation, and whether sleepiness can be a form of resistance to what is uncomfortable.
dialogue
Silence and the Presence of Suffering
A student describes finding unexpected silence during meditation, even while knowing that suffering has been present in recent days, and the teacher clarifies the distinction between invoking stories of suffering and looking for contraction in present experience.
dialogue
The Source of Suffering and Total Responsibility
A student reflects on how unpleasant experience led to associations with war during meditation, opening a discussion about how avoiding a deep sense of unease leads to suffering, projection, and struggle, and how total responsibility can dissolve that pattern.
dialogue
The Fire That Does Not Burn
A student asks about the recurring cycle of peace and difficult conditioning, leading to a deeper exploration of sitting with unbearable sensations, the metaphor of Dante's Purgatorio, and the wound of separation.
dialogue
Coming Back to the Present
A student reflects on their return to regular meditation practice, discovering less resistance than expected and a growing ability to notice conditioned patterns as they arise.