"One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light,
“…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment,
anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very
clear moments
but by making the darkness conscious...
Knowing your own darkness is the best method
for dealing with the darknesses of other people."
Knowing your own darkness is the best method
for dealing with the darknesses of other people."
-- C.G. Jung
that teach us where it is that we’re holding back...
They’re like messengers that show us,
with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck."
They’re like messengers that show us,
with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck."
-- Pema Chödrön
And, to be sure, Mindfulness Meditation Practice can provide many moments of calm and clarity.
Yet -- and this is generally not proclaimed in the slick internet ads -- it is also true that a regular meditation practice can bring to the surface a lot of feelings that we have assiduously managed to repress, deny, or otherwise avoid, as we scurry along in our lives.
Conditioned to operate in the fast-paced materialistic society of our post-modern capitalist society, one that keeps us focused outwardly for fulfillment, we are programmed to keep moving. Even our "downtime" is often stimulus rich entertainment or "recreation" in busy, noisy environments. Day in, day out, we just bop until we drop.
Yet -- and this is generally not proclaimed in the slick internet ads -- it is also true that a regular meditation practice can bring to the surface a lot of feelings that we have assiduously managed to repress, deny, or otherwise avoid, as we scurry along in our lives.
Conditioned to operate in the fast-paced materialistic society of our post-modern capitalist society, one that keeps us focused outwardly for fulfillment, we are programmed to keep moving. Even our "downtime" is often stimulus rich entertainment or "recreation" in busy, noisy environments. Day in, day out, we just bop until we drop.
Yet, for many of us, a sense of deep disquiet continues to emerge. There appears to us a deep yearning for something more. Propelled by this yearning, and drawn to the peace and tranquility offered by mindfulness meditation, some of us chose meditate. And, to be sure, once we slow down and begin to practice, most of us access a bit more calmness. Yet, it is not uncommon to encounter "darker," more distressing energies as well.
Contrary to what we might think, this is a Good Thing. It's a sign that the Practice is working! Mindfulness meditation gives us the opportunity to bring our subconscious conditioning into mindful awareness. The energetic patterns of thought and emotion that have subconsciously operated to create the way we see and react to the events of our lives are brought into the realm of our conscious awareness. Ultimately, this will give us more freedom and agency in our lives. (How often have you winced and thought "Damn. Why did I say/do that!? Wouldn't you like to know?)
Truth in Advertising
Adrift in momentary delusions of grandeur, I sometimes envision beginning a high profile advertising campaign for Monday Morning Mindfulness. Full page bold print ads, billboards, and television commercials would proclaim something like:
(READ MORE)
Want Sadness, Fear, Disappointment,
Restlessness, Boredom,
and More?
Practice Mindfulness Meditation!
Besides possibly getting sued by Commercial Mindfulness gurus and their conglomerates, I don't think I'd get much action. Yet, as best I can see, this is where the real action is. As Pema Chödrön points out, the actual process of meditation is "counter-intuitive." On the path to becoming an open hearted and clear minded human being, we decide to sit still and directly face what we have always fled from. Who needs that?
We do -- individually and collectively.
Besides possibly getting sued by Commercial Mindfulness gurus and their conglomerates, I don't think I'd get much action. Yet, as best I can see, this is where the real action is. As Pema Chödrön points out, the actual process of meditation is "counter-intuitive." On the path to becoming an open hearted and clear minded human being, we decide to sit still and directly face what we have always fled from. Who needs that?
We do -- individually and collectively.
This
country and the world we live in are teetering on the brink of a
nuclear and a climatic armageddon. Why? Our individual and
collective consciousness is saturated with generational trauma, unexamined belief structures, unresolved grief, and
other subconscious clusters of thought and feeling. Our day-to-day
lives, days filled with necessary tasks and unlimited -- and, often
quite appealing -- distractions sweeps us along without the
clarity or energy to take effective action to create the life we dream of -- or act to change the major social,
economic and political institutions that propelled us into this mess.
With Practice, we come to see that it is precisely our willingness and ability to gently and compassionately observe and examine our own subconscious that unlocks what is known in Zen as the Dharma Gate of Ease and Joy. This quality of heart and mind heals.
With Practice, we come to see that it is precisely our willingness and ability to gently and compassionately observe and examine our own subconscious that unlocks what is known in Zen as the Dharma Gate of Ease and Joy. This quality of heart and mind heals.
When we make a committed effort to face the fear and wander down into the basement with all
its ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night, things begin to shift. As we learn how to embrace
the skeletons that we've thrown in our own closet over the years with clear-eyed kindness and compassion, a new
world opens up. We come to see that all the aspects of ourselves and
our experience that we've deemed
unpleasant, infuriating, disappointing, embarrassing, humiliating, and
otherwise
"unacceptable"can be cradled in the compassionate heart of our own mindful awareness -- and healed.
It's much easier to be Present and make good decisions when all that stuff isn't in the way.
On The Zafu and Beyond
As we commit to Practice, this process unfolds not only on the meditation cushion, it also occurs in our interactions with others. As Practice deepens, we often find that those people who drive us crazy become some of our best teachers. We come to see that when we exhibit "judgment mind," and find ourselves pointing the finger at someone else, we are generally missing the point. As one of my recovery buddhies once said, " Remember. When you're pointing a finger at me, you are pointing three fingers back at you. "
As we become familiar with our own mind, we see for ourselves the reality of psychological projection. Oftentimes, the thoughts, feelings, motivations, and desires that we are unable to accept in ourselves and have repressed are then projected outward and attributed to others. Over time, we realize that if we are having a difficult time with someone else, it could very well be that we ought to take a deeper look at ourselves in the mirror of Practice.
Although in the modern era this understanding of psychological projection was pioneered by Freud, it goes much further back. It appears in the writings of Greek Philosophers, Buddhism and, in the Teachings of Yogi Jesus, most famously in his words on the "mote and the plank."
Although the teachings of the Prince of Peace were distorted as Christianity was institutionalized and shape-shifted into the Holy Roman Empire, it seems to me that the Son of Man and the Buddha were on the same page about the nature of Reality. In the Clear Light of Mindfulness, the wisdom of "judge not and ye shall not be judged" becomes self-evident. The karma is instant. You either are Present for yourself and others with an Open Heart and an Open Mind -- or you're not.
If you're paying attention, you'll notice.
As
the Practice develops, you may even have moments where you truly
do Love your neighbor as yourself because you've seen clearly that that person IS yourself! In those moments, you know directly that we are each inextricably
connected to one another within the Infinite Expanse of One Love.
At those points, a walk down Main Street can become a stroll through the Pure Land of Amitaba Buddha or a dance through the Kingdom of Heaven.
I love it when that happens.
On The Zafu and Beyond
As we commit to Practice, this process unfolds not only on the meditation cushion, it also occurs in our interactions with others. As Practice deepens, we often find that those people who drive us crazy become some of our best teachers. We come to see that when we exhibit "judgment mind," and find ourselves pointing the finger at someone else, we are generally missing the point. As one of my recovery buddhies once said, " Remember. When you're pointing a finger at me, you are pointing three fingers back at you. "
As we become familiar with our own mind, we see for ourselves the reality of psychological projection. Oftentimes, the thoughts, feelings, motivations, and desires that we are unable to accept in ourselves and have repressed are then projected outward and attributed to others. Over time, we realize that if we are having a difficult time with someone else, it could very well be that we ought to take a deeper look at ourselves in the mirror of Practice.
Although in the modern era this understanding of psychological projection was pioneered by Freud, it goes much further back. It appears in the writings of Greek Philosophers, Buddhism and, in the Teachings of Yogi Jesus, most famously in his words on the "mote and the plank."
"How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite. First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
--Matthew 7:4, 7:5 NIV
Although the teachings of the Prince of Peace were distorted as Christianity was institutionalized and shape-shifted into the Holy Roman Empire, it seems to me that the Son of Man and the Buddha were on the same page about the nature of Reality. In the Clear Light of Mindfulness, the wisdom of "judge not and ye shall not be judged" becomes self-evident. The karma is instant. You either are Present for yourself and others with an Open Heart and an Open Mind -- or you're not.
If you're paying attention, you'll notice.
At those points, a walk down Main Street can become a stroll through the Pure Land of Amitaba Buddha or a dance through the Kingdom of Heaven.
I love it when that happens.
PS. Fr Rohr, a Franciscan priest, mystic, meditator, and respected
elder in the contemplative Interspiritual movement, and the folks at his Center for Action and Contemplation ran a series of brief, insightful articles, Embracing the Shadow on their community website. Click on each Day to read that day's article. I did!)
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