Sunday, August 2, 2009, 03:53 PM
Last week I returned from my July teaching tour in Europe. The final stop was in Sweden where the ethereal summer light always invites an uplifting atmosphere, a sense of inner lightness. With so many months of darkness the Scandinavians value the sunlight very deeply, one can feel this appreciation vibrating in the air.
As a guest teacher at a “yoga festival” with about 400 participants, I came away inspired by the goodwill that arises when groups of people work together in sincere ways. “The Embodied Life” seemed to resonate for many of the yogis, enriching their practices. I am grateful for the opportunity to share this work and all the rich meetings that ensued.
The energy of summer offers a unique opportunity for self-discovery. Summer is lighter both in the sense of less dense and less dark. In this spirit I offer five light-filled and light-hearted quotes for reflection. Suggestion- don’t be fooled by the “lightness”. Each of these quotes can be the source for deep illumination. I suggest finding one that resonates for you, printing it out and using it for self-reflection.
1) "Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from himself."
-James Joyce
Isn’t this a concise reminder of our work? When disconnected thinking dominates and we lose contact with our feelings and sensations then we can all say: “I am living a short distance from myself”. Actually, when distant from Self, there is no short or long there is just that awkward, uncomfortable, isolated feeling of “not here”.
2) Question to Sasaki Roshi (101 year old Zen master currently living in the U.S.):
Q: “Do you ever go to the movies”?
A: “No, I do interviews with students.”
Those of us who enjoy the movies know that while each plot is unique the essential causes of drama are very few. Spiritual teachers listen to the same stories over and over with slight variations; the suffering and problems that are presented are simultaneously real and unreal. The moment that the confusions and misperceptions are clearly seen through, there is a deep release and the struggling is eradicated. Without an inner sense of struggling with “what is” the suffering turns into a challenge, the “problem” becomes a “situation” that one needs to address. This is true even when the external circumstances have not changed. It is a miracle!
The whole concept of cinema where we agree to make that which is unreal into the real for a period of time is an excellent metaphor and reminder of our daily lives. When we recognize that the current conditions that we are experiencing are temporary formations emerging from the infinite realm of possibilities, the “realness” of the passing show takes on a different quality.
3) "Most of the worst things in my life never happened"
Mark Twain
Why do we worry? According to evolutionary thinking, our ancestors who did not have “enough” worry in their make-up did not survive; they were too cavalier about potential dangers. It also seems that our nervous systems have different inclinations toward worrying, some of us seem to be natural worriers, some less so. Still, as with all mental states, through growing our awareness in a “whole body way” we can begin to develop approaches to living that are more life giving than habitual worry. We can say that worry that does not lead to effective action is not helpful.
4) Question to John D Rockefeller
(One of the world’s richest people at the time):
Q: "How much money is enough?"
A: "A little bit more".
Is there a more cogent expression of the limitlessness of our desires? There is a part of our mind- a dominant part when we are unaware- that is driven by dissatisfaction. It literally can only experience “enoughness” for very, very brief periods. How tragically absurd and painful that we do not see through this habit of mind!
Buddhists have an image of a hungry ghost. Imagine a Being with a huge belly and needle thin throat- no matter how much it eats there is never satisfaction. How important it is for each of us to study the mind states that are addicted to dissatisfaction in the guise of “a little bit more”. To study in this sense means to know them well as physical, mental, emotional experiences in an atmosphere of curiosity and kindness.
5) "You're perfect as you are and there is always room for improvement". Suzuki Roshi
Well, that just about sums it up.
Wishing you an enjoyable, nourishing and fulfilling summer and I hope to see you at an “Embodied Life” event soon. For those on the U.S. mailing list, if you are visiting Europe, check our website for events over there. All my courses are taught in English.
For those on the European mailing list, if you are visiting the U.S., check our website for events over there.
Many Blessings………Russell
Sunday, May 24, 2009, 10:41 AM
Which is stronger- human selfishness or human generosity? Is violence or peace more “human”? How do these questions relate to evolving consciousness and to people on a path of awakening?
When one listens to the cultural narrative, it seems we are hopelessly ensconced within narcissism, self-centeredness and competition. Without denying the power of these forces within each of us, I am struck by the presence of the opposite impulse. As I travel throughout the world, I am forever surprised by and grateful for the basic goodness of people. If one pays attention to their personal interactions and does not simply believe the fear-based propaganda society, it is obvious that most people enjoy offering help when asked. Even here, while visiting my old hometown of New York City, I find that beneath some bravado and self-protectiveness there are many, many moments in which goodwill is met with kindness.
When I say this, I am looking at the small actions of everyday life. The stranger I met yesterday who stopped and took time when I asked for directions, the man on the plane who accepted a less preferred seat so that an older couple could sit together, a nurse in a hospital taking extra time to be sure that all questions were answered, the people who allowed a frenzied traveler who was about to miss his bus to get ahead in the ticket line, etc. etc. Of course there are exceptions and yet, I often notice that the majority of people I encounter choose cooperation over hostility.
Walking around with a friend from New York who had a different view of human nature was illuminating. His comment was “of course you have positive interactions and run into really generous people you treat people with great kindness and true presence. What would happen if you just acted in the ‘normal’, disinterested, unconscious way in which most people relate?” Makes you wonder doesn’t it?
In one sense I agree with him, in another perhaps not. It is true that in most moments we receive back the energy or quality that we are emanating. Meeting the world with kindness, interest and generosity will usually invite similar energy in return. Yet, even before this kind of exchange, there are the basic gifts that are constantly showered upon us that only require openness and presence to be felt. The beauty of color, hearing sounds, the feeling of a breeze on the skin can fulfill us when we are there for them. An early, important discovery in my meditation practice was that if I could find true satisfaction “just breathing” then any moment could be satisfying. Again, makes you wonder doesn’t it?
For many years the “human story” has been dominated by one side of the evolutionary impulse, the side based in competition- often called “the struggle for survival” and “survival of the fittest”. We can see how this view fills the airwaves, newspapers and cultural mind. Naturally this side is important and is not to be ignored. Still, thanks to many social changes and most importantly our collective growth of consciousness, we can now begin to tell the other half of the story- the impulse toward cooperation and nurturance called “cooperation for survival” and “the struggle to remember our interconnectedness”. Do we have a choice as to which side will dominate?
This is THE question for evolving humanity. To approach living from the ground of interconnectivity with all Beings requires a higher state of consciousness than living in the world of separation. While we wouldn’t want to lose our capacity for self-protection and our alertness to danger, do most situations ask us to meet the world in this way? What happens when you enter each interaction with a generous interest in seeing the other? When lost in our unconsciousness the default attitude will likely be fear based, when one reaches a certain level of awareness a genuine choice arises.
It is really important that we recognize and support this evolving capacity of humanity. Presence and openness is the ground for receiving the gifts of the moment. In addition, our picture of others, the story we carry in our hearts and minds, strongly influences our experience in everyday life. We can radically influence the quality of our lives “simply” by shifting the story we tell ourselves about life and about other people.
If you are reading these words with some interest, you are capable of choosing which seed you would like to water. This is called conscious evolution. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Wishing you a fulfilling life..........Russell Delman
Thursday, April 2, 2009, 12:16 PM
My friend James has cancer, a shortened life is now predicted.
A student named Susan was misdiagnosed, her apparent cancer is gone.
Everyday in small and large ways our life moves from circumstances that disappoint us to those that bring relief and joy.
How can we live with this ever-changing reality?
In my seminars and in my life I enjoy, value and even depend on the simple inner/outer gesture of bowing. The act of bowing is not just a formalized ritual. It is the embodied expression of our intention to place the reality of Life above our hopes, dreams, desires. This does not mean that we do not have these hopes, dreams, desires- they are also part of the fabric of our life. Bowing means that we place the reality of our life above these hopes/dreams/desires when they are not synchronous. Of course by ‘bowing’ I mean both the physical act and more importantly, the inner gesture of saying Yes to “what is” without denying ANY of the reactions that arise in relation to what is. This is called living out the reality of our Life/Self. It is also called humility.
Living out the reality of our Life means that EVERYTHING we encounter is our Self, which is exactly the same as saying everything we encounter is our Life. Normally we separate out our Life and our Self, as if we have this thing called a Self that lives in something called “my body” and that this Self meets what we call our Life.
Actually this is a big error and leads to a lot of trouble. Everything you encounter is your Self/Life. You are inseparable from the reality of your Life as it is arising in your personal circumstances. Yet these personal individual circumstances are an expression of Life itself. This can be called UNIVERSAL SELF through which we are all interconnected and yet we each have our individual experiences of this grand interconnectedness.
Please do not think this is abstract philosophy. I am addressing the actual pain, worry, fear, self-judgments, anger and anxiety that arises in our daily life. Just as the weather changes so do our circumstances. This will be true forever. How do we step back and remember the truth of this Self/Life that both includes and is free from these changing circumstances? How do we enact this larger understanding?
When we bow, our heart is accepting our personal limitations as we simultaneously sense this Universal Self. In the Christian world it is the gesture of saying “Thy will not my will”. In the Dharma world it is acknowledging that right here, right now Buddha Nature (Universal Self) is functioning through me. In both cases, even when there is pain or sorrow, there is no sense that something is fundamentally “wrong”.
My friend James has cancer. It is virulent and many thoughts/feelings arise from this diagnosis. A student named Susan recently heard that that a cancer diagnosis was inaccurate, her tests were confused with those of another person. Clearly, we who love them feel sadness, concern, relief and elation in connection with the differing circumstances. YET, beyond positive/negative and heaven/hell is the overwhelming truth that each is living the reality of Life/Self. We do not need to downplay our feeling responses in order to ALSO place reality above our preferences. . At a fundamental level, Love-Peace-Truth-Joy are alive within all these circumstances. This is the cutting edge of the awakening life! We bow to Life itself!
Heaven or Hell, love or hate
No matter where I turn
I meet myself.
Holding life precious is
Just living with all intensity
Holding life precious.
-Kosho Uchiyama Roshi
Monday, February 16, 2009, 12:45 PM
Articulating the main intention of “The Embodied Life” requires a new kind of language that can touch our living experience. THIS direct, intimate entry into the “livingness” of the moment is one of the key points. Working directly with sensing, moving, feeling and thinking is our way. Here are quotes from human beings who have had great effect on my understanding and experiencing:
From Gautama Buddha:
"There is one thing that, when cultivated and regularly practiced, leads to deep spiritual intention, to peace, to mindfulness and clear
comprehension, to vision and knowledge, to a happy life here and now, and to the culmination of wisdom and awakening. And what is that one thing? It is mindfulness centered on the body."
"Things are not what they seem,
Nor are they otherwise"
From Moshe Feldenkrais:
“In those moments when awareness succeeds in being at one with feeling, senses, movement, and thought, the carriage will speed along on the right road. Then man can make discoveries, invent create, innovate and ‘know’. He grasps that his small world and the great world around are but one and that in this unity he is no longer alone.”
“I believe we are in a historically brief transition period that heralds the emergence of the truly human man.”
From Eugene Gendlin:
Experience is a myriad richness.
We think more than we can say.
We feel more than we can think.
We live more than we can feel.
And there is much more still.
"You need to stand again in your own experiencing -in your own felt ongoingness,
-which is that intricate complexity inside of life
to put into the world what hasn't been said yet that you are carrying from your particular experiencing"
I feel grateful and indebted to all the teachers who have come before me urging us to “re-member” and “re-connect” to authentic living.
I am deeply grateful to all my students for our working together on learning how to live this life.
Hoping to see you at a seminar or retreat this year.
Friday, January 2, 2009, 09:36 AM
Within the demands of life, including the struggles and disappointments, so much changes when we can recall the attitude: “CAN DO, WHY NOT, NO PROBLEM”. What a joy to approach life situations with this energy!
As a Zen student, I was intuitively taken with the paradoxical teaching: “because it is impossible, we do it”. Usually we like to be optimistic and say: “I can do that, I am strong, smart, willful, capable etc.” If you are lucky, this kind of bountiful optimism will be tempered, though not destroyed, by life’s inherent disappointments. Does this sound negative? Please, take a fresh look and consider how important your “failures” have been for your heart opening and awakening consciousness.
What is the connection between “can do” and “it is impossible”? (“It” means: realizing our ideals, causing no harm, meeting all situations with peace and love, being in Truth with Self and Life).
As we enter the New Year, with its unknown joys and challenges, I rest in the knowledge that I will make many, many mistakes. My perfectionism will once again be punctured by the unfolding of life. Learning to be True will be humbling and, if I resist this learning, perhaps even humiliating. This is how “it is” and I am grateful for this truth.
Our ideals serve us by giving direction for our actions yet they can be infinitely destructive when used as justification for violence and judgment toward self or others. I encourage you to be fully conscious of this distinction. So we need our ideals for our striving and it is impossible to fully actualize these images.
We can never circumvent the facts that: 1) matter, including our bodies, always disintegrates and 2) today we are one day closer to our death than yesterday. This is the good news! Without the certainty of our end, we might waste much time in learning how to open our hearts. To accept the truth of our limitations and still continue on the path is called dedication. Rather than dwelling in despondency perhaps we can find: “can do, why not, no problem”.
Each day I am surprised by the persistence of old habits, patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that clearly create suffering. While the general trajectory of my life is toward a reduction in these behaviors, the journey is anything but linear. Sometimes, like a groundhog lifting its head out of the winter ground, an old “something” will appear. My practice is to relate to these ‘appearances’ with greater and greater equanimity and kindness. After all, Life is impossible, therefore we live it.
My encouragement to us all is to laugh more at foibles and mistakes. I promise that your body, as well as your ambitions, will eventually humble you. And yet because it is impossible, we do it. Let’s endeavor to approach this life with the imperturbable attitude: “CAN DO, WHY NOT, NO PROBLEM”.
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