Tag Archives: Path

New Book Release

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DIGITAL_BOOK_THUMBNAILRetrieving the Baby

January 12th, 2016 is the 5th anniversary of the debacle that ended Kanzeon Sangha. This is a piece I have been trying to write for a long time, which recently came together. It is short by book standards, but covers what I have to say currently.

The book is available on Amazon for 99 cents; just click the pic for a quick link.

The book details the pros, cons and viability of the Big Mind process as a complete and scalable upaya as I experienced it. It is meant for the western student seeking the way and assumes you already have an introduction to Big Mind.

It also starts a conversation concerning the responsibility of the individual to find their own way at this point in time. Teachers with depth are hard to find and even harder to study with, yet the internet brings the teachings of the worlds wisdom traditions to our finger tips. Things are definitely shifting.

Enjoy

The Seeker

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They call me ‘The Seeker’
I’ve been searching low and high
I won’t get to get what I’m after
Till the day I die

I am sure you know, this is the opening verse of a 60s anthem by The Who. I should really just post the rest of the lyrics and shut up; they nailed this aspect of self.

We are all seekers; it is a core part of being human. We seek the perfect relationships, lover, job, house, car, city, school … right down to, in my case, the best fish taco. Of course I cannot leave out the ever illusive happiness. We ponder, cogitate, worry and go to great lengths to seek these things out. “I’ve been searching low and high”

It is important to notice, this aspect of self is ‘the seeker’ we do not identify with it as ‘the finder’ for a reason. It is not your seekers job to find things. To top it off, when you do find something, how long is it before the seeker has you looking for the next thing. How much better that will be! What are the things you are perpetually seeking?

Having a well-honed seeker is not a bad thing; it only becomes a problem when you let it have the leading role for too long. There is a time for the seeker to do its job for you and then there is a time for it to retire to the dressing room. “I [the self] won’t get to get what I’m after, until the day I [the seeker] die”

We are all seeking for the way to be happy or at least content. If I was clear at all above; it follows that as long as you are seeking ‘the way’ you will never find it. Sure you may find a better way or even a series of better ways, but in time they will all fade.

The solution is to stop seeking and do the work of being the way. Be in a relationship, be in a job, be in school … stop dreaming of how it could be better and see how good what you have can be.

This doesn’t mean things do not have ends an there are new beginnings. I am just saying give the world a chance to show you that you are in the right place, with the right resources, including the lessons you need to face or learn, to live out the life you want to live.

May your life go well

 

The Quitter

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Quitters never prosper is something we all heard a thousand times growing up. It circulates daily on motivational posts propagated on Facebook. It is part of a worldview that many people have accepted and is simply not true.

The largest corporations in the tech world were founded by quitters, Microsoft, Apple, Dell … just to name a few. Jerry Seinfeld was lauded for going out at the top and started a trend in successful sitcoms.

What did Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs and Jerry Seinfeld have in common? They had mature Quitters. They did not quit for pedantic reasons or because they were angry or because they were afraid of the unknown; they quit because they did not see their actions serving the things they wished to do.

What are the paths you have started down that are no longer serving you? What is it that you are afraid to face if you quit? What is it costing you to keep those activities on life support?

As an exercise, grab a pen and find a quiet place where you won’t be overly distracted or interrupted and identify as just that aspect of you that can quit. If this makes no sense to you, say to yourself, or write it at the top of the paper, ‘I am the Quitter, these are the truths of the Quitter and not the truths of Pete, Bill, Mary …’ now jot down what comes up from the questions above.

Just ignore the ‘yeh buts’, this is just the ‘whole’ trying to jump in, which is its nature. Just return to the sole aspect of the Quitter and let it speak its truth.

Repeat this exercise a few times to get past the large and obvious. Having clear insight into what is brewing under the surface will diffuse amazing amounts of frustration and confusion.

This is just a first step; further clarification of what you really want will lead to solutions and actions. Pete, Bob and Mary would not be where they are today if they were not capable of being good problem solvers given clear data.

May your life go well

The Talk

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I’m getting more comfortable having the talk. How did you do it? How can I do it? are the questions.

How you live your life is the result of choices. I chose to no longer live by convention and cultural norms. It is at times very inconvenient, almost always involving a governmental interaction; however the vast majority of days are a pleasurable experience.

How did I do it, introspection and fortitude. On top of that were many books, methods, trials, errors, people, places, gifts and miles and miles of walking. My path is not your path and while my experiences may be helpful to you, it is the introspection and fortitude that will create change for you.

I am writing these posts in an attempt to begin answering the second question, How can you do it?

My standard answer when ask this, is to say ‘Why it’s easy, go in to work in the morning and quit’. Often they light up on the word easy and then I can literally see life drain from them on the word quit. You see they have been to this precipice a 100 times and they know they will choose to compromise their true desires, dreams and passions.

As an exercise I suggest playing this out in your mind. Imagine I just told you this and make a list of all the reasons that would immediately start pouring forth.

Change is never easy, it always gives rise to fear and we typically want fear to go away as fast as possible. Therefore, we take the path of least resistance back to status quo. Most of the people I end up in conversation with do not have the choice of status quo returning. It is truly time for them to face change. I encourage you to be proactive and start to listen to your inner voice and identify the imbalances in your life.

May your life go well

PS – Nothing on that list is true.