May 1, 2024
Intimacy, Contraction, and the Belief of What We Are
Intimidad, contracción y la creencia de lo que somos
This session includes a guided meditation on turning attention toward the nature of experiencing itself, followed by dialogues exploring the fear of intimate relationships as a form of resistance to growth, the confusion arising from 'no self' concepts versus direct inquiry into presence, and the self-originated nature of contraction. A recurring theme is recognizing that what we assume to know about ourselves is a belief system rather than a fact, and that contraction serves to protect us from unfelt feelings.
meditation
Something Happening
A gentle invitation to pause from focusing on experiences and turn your attention toward the alive, intimate sense of experiencing itself.
dialogue
The Fear of Intimacy and Growing Up
A student shares a powerful meditation experience and then explores a deep fear of intimate relationships, wondering why she would enter a relationship when all she seems to bring is her own contraction and reactivity.
dialogue
The Belief System of What I Am
A student describes confusion arising from the concept of "no self," and the teacher reframes the inquiry away from negation and toward the direct noticing of presence and beingness.
dialogue
Why We Return to Contraction
A question about why we keep returning to the contracted state, and the importance of seeing that contraction is not something done to us from outside.
teaching
The Contraction Is Always Self-Originated
A reflection on how contraction arises from within, how we project its cause outward, and why taking responsibility for it is essential to both spiritual growth and personal development.
dialogue
What Pierces Through the Numbing
The teacher describes how we mistake external events for the cause of our pain, and how the path to freedom lies in learning to feel what we have long avoided.