cont’d..

Heroic Honesty

Simon Peter asked Christ, ‘When will we see you?’
Christ replied, ‘When you take off your cloths without being ashamed, and you put them under your feet, as little children, then you will see me and then you will not fear.’

From the Gnostic texts according to Thomas

Everyone loves a hero and yet when we are vulnerably honest with our selves (and others) we are the most courageous of heroes. Many people have been touched by the heroic escapades of ‘Shantaram’ (by Gregory David Roberts). Yet there was a long, painful procrastination in the character openly acknowledging his love for ‘Karla’ despite his tremendous external bravery. Our minds become enmeshed by complex webs of thought (emotional defences) when often at the root there lays a simple inability to acknowledge a simple vulnerable feeling.

Earnestness

"A little out of touch, a little insane, – it’s just easier than dealing with the pain."

From the song ‘Runaway Train’ by Soul Asylum

Despite all our lofty spiritual concepts, the only way we can go into the depths of ourselves is through a maze of neglected feelings. No matter how sorted we like to think we are, and no matter how long we have been meditating, when we make a sincere and earnest commitment to a retreat process unresolved issues naturally surface.

Yet all we have to do is be honest with ourselves in relation to whatever arises. To simply be a witness and watch as one issue transforms into another. In doing so we begin to realize that ultimately every thought (and the emotional reaction thereof) is self–propelling and transitory by nature, which enables the incessant flow to lose its dominance over us. Simply put; all we have to do is be and allow what we have to face at some point in time without defensively analysing or justifying it.

Bearing Simplicity

"There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in."

15th century Kabalistic saying

So, once we realise that certain emotional issues naturally surface during a retreat process, and if we simply witness whatever arises with compassion while diligently being aware of the empty screen on which these issues appear, we both honour what has been neglected while clearly seeing their transitory nature, which enables their significance to lessen.

One of the most profound realisations we can have is that the space in between thoughts and feelings is the most valuable asset we have for keeping us sane, healthy (on every level) and at peace in this turbulent world. When emptiness becomes more precious than anything else we carry within, inner space opens further with its accompanying sense of well-being, creativity and increasing insight into the true nature of reality.