With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Last night's meditation at Temple Beth El was very well attended. I deeply appreciate every one's practice. It is said in many traditions that as people gather together to come close to the Infinite, there resides the Infinite. Like Jacob when he awoke from his dream, "Surely the Lord is present in this place and I did not know it! This is an awesome place!"
We have the potential to experience something very much like this. Each time we sit down and bring ourselves to stillness, there arises the possibility of opening our heart to the Infinite.
Whether its a centering practice performed by Christians, or Hitbodedut by Jews, or Zen by Zen Buddhists, or even the whirling of the dervishes, the point of practice is the same: to let go.
Our ego is so strong and sticks like glue to our senses. It wants to label everything "mine". Yet, meditation allows us to peel away this ego, clean our glasses, and see clearly: there is no mine. There is no self. There is just this vast emptiness.
As we step up to the precipice of emptiness, we feel awe and dread, and sense of impending death. That's OK. This is the death of Small Mind. As we take that next step into vast emptiness, we experience complete, unexcelled awakening. Fear melts away. Just the breath remains, and by this I mean, awareness.
From this place we can know exactly what we need to do next.
It will come from this place of selfless compassion and lovingkindness, it will come from the Infinite itself.
May we each be a blessing in the universe.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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