(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We review some of the main themes covered in the first session on this theme, in the context of a series of talks on five ways that “things are not as they appear.” We first examine in more depth some ways that we see through the lens of the personal self. We then explore how we also see through the lens of our social conditioning, particularly focusing, on this morning when students are walking out of their schools and universities to point to the need to respond to gun violence, on ways that we don’t see, for various reasons, many of the roots of gun violence clearly.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Marisa Handler and Donald Rothberg give an overview of the nature of the "Dark Night." Marisa speaks particularly about her Dark Night experiences; Donald gives a brief account of the Dark Night in the work of St. John of the Cross (1542-1591), a Spanish Christian mystic who coined the term (“La noche oscura del alma”) in his writing, and then looks at how elements of the Dark Night appear in shaman's accounts of their initiatory experiences as well as in Buddhist tradition.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Our Practice is to "wake up" from being asleep and not seeing our lives and experience clearly, with wisdom. We explore four ways that we see in a distorted manner, and explore the first two in this session, pointing to practices to help us see more clearly in these two areas.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We review and expand several perspectives on the relationship between knowing and "not knowing" (or openness) and three core practices of not knowing: (1) in mindfulness practice; (2) in listening to others (and oneself); and (3) in challenging transitional phases of one's life, when significant concerns in one's life are not resolved or clear. In the context of the third type of practice, we explore the "Dark Night," first named by the Spanish mystic, Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591), which may be briefer or longer, in terms of some of its dynamics and some suggestions on how to work with it.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We explore the centrality of the practice of "not knowing," that helps us to move from ordinary knowing to extraordinary knowing. We examine both the obvious value of many kinds of knowing and the shadow side of knowing, including its habitual and often addictive nature. Then we look at three ways of practicing not knowing: (1) in our mindfulness practice; (2) in listening to others as a practice; and (3) in being with transitional periods in our lives, when some important aspect of our lives remains unresolved.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We look from several perspectives at the nature of metta. We then identify several ways that metta practice develops, as we deepen in samadhi (concentration); as we learn to "lead" with our awakened hearts; as we work through difficult states, emotions, and unconscious material that may block metta; as we integrate metta with our wisdom and embodiment; and as we bring our metta practice out into the world.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Framing practice broadly in terms of our individual, relational, and collective practice, we explore on New Years Day the meaning of letting go and setting intentions, being in touch with visions. We end with a short ritual of letting go and setting intentions.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Instructions on breath, body and senses, thoughts, and emotions.