Feeling Trapped by an Emotion

This is a practice I can recommend for anyone whenever you feel trapped by your circumstances— trapped by a feeling that’s gripping the inside of your chest, abdomen, shoulders, neck, throat, or anywhere in your body. Or perhaps you feel you are concerned with your external circumstances— the behavior or attitude of someone in your life, your financial situation, your all-encompassing work life or a medical condition. In this practice, you simplify the story that you have about what’s going on, and reduce it down to its very basics. At its base, you feel trapped by your circumstances.

When a 15-20 minute opening presents itself, maybe late at night, in the morning or during a break in the day, sit down in a comfortable chair or on your zafu, with a blank piece of paper in your hands and a large felt tipped pen. On the piece of paper write: “I AM TRAPPED,” or “I FEEL TRAPPED,” or if other words present themselves to you, write those down. It could be “I AM TERRIFIED” or “I AM A VICTIM.” Whatever you write, keep it simple.

Now that you have this core construction or core interpretation in front of you—gently contemplate it bit by bit. “I”.... “AM”.... “TRAPPED.” Contemplate each word gently. “I”, “I”... “Who am 'I'?" “I,” “me,”... “Who am I?” “Where am I?” “I am trapped.” “Where is that?” "Where is 'being trapped'?” “Where is the 'I' or 'me' who feels trapped?” “How can the 'I' be trapped?” “Is all of 'me' trapped, or just part of 'me'?” “How is that?” “Where is the 'I' that’s partially trapped, and partially not?” “Where is the 'me' that experiences sitting here doing this contemplation?”

As you work your way gently into this inquiry, keep returning to the simple words on the page. The words in bold letters in front of you will keep you out of the compelling story that creates the feeling of being trapped, or terrified, or whatever you are experiencing.

If you can keep this investigation going for 15-20 minutes, maintaining a simple inquiry and just staying focused on “who feels trapped”, and “where that feeling meets the you who experiences it,” you will definitely discover more space and ease. And quite possibly you will re-discover the place “you” can’t be found, and where contracted emotions dissolve like snow flakes on warm water.

(by Peter F.)

yoga, yoga, yoga

so many people practice yoga
traditional yoga, explorative yoga
bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, karma yoga, hatha, yoga...
many paths unite into one goal
no path... at the beginning was no path
we followed a path to find out that there is no path
pay top dollars for enlightenment just to find out
that there is not so much and everything...
as consciousness which can not be described
the past vanishes - the future is a fantasy
the present is embedded between past and future
so what is real - if not this one flow
the change, the impermanence in which
we can decide to contributes or stay
service to creation and self-liberation
all of that happens right where we are
into that paradox we want answers
but only mystical silence pervades
inferences seem to give evidence
but where do they come from and where did they go?
We do not know...
enlightenment maybe just a non-event

10 premises

This is no.2

Watch them all!

a wisdom pressie

If you attain anything at all, it’s conditional, it’s karmic. It results in retribution. It turns the Wheel. And as long as you’re subject to birth and death, you’ll never attain enlightenment. To attain enlightenment you have to see your nature. Unless you see your nature, all this talk about cause and effect is nonsense. Buddhas don’t practice nonsense. A Buddha free of karma free of cause and effect. To say he attains anything at all is to slander a Buddha. What could he possibly attain? Even focusing on a mind, a power, an understanding, or a view is impossible for a Buddha. A Buddha isn’t one sided. The nature of his mind is basically empty, neither pure nor impure. He’s free of practice and realization. He’s free of cause and effect.
A Buddha doesn’t observe precepts. A Buddha doesn’t do good or evil. A Buddha isn’t energetic or lazy. A Buddha is someone who does nothing, someone who can’t even focus his mind on a Buddha. A Buddha isn’t a Buddha. Don’t think about Buddhas. If you dont see what I’m talking about, you’ll ever know your own mind. People who don’t see their nature and imagine they can practice thoughtlessness all the time are lairs and fools. They fall into endless space. They’re like drunks. They can’t tell good from evil. If you intend to cultivate such a practice, you have to see your nature before you can put an end to rational thought. To attain enlightenment without seeing your nature is impossible. Still others commit all sorts of evil deeds, claiming karma doesn’t exist. They erroneously maintain that since everything is empty committing evil isn’t wrong. Such persons fall into a hell of endless darkness with no hope of release. Those who are wise hold no such conception.
But if our every movement or state, whenever it occurs, is the mind, why don’t we see this mind when a person’s body dies?
The mind is always present. You just don’t see it.
But if the mind is present, why don’t I see it?
Do you ever dream?
Of course.
When you dream, is that you?
Yes, it’s me.
And is what you’re doing and saying different from you?
No, it isn’t.
But if it isn’t, then this body is your real body. And this real body is your mind. And this mind, through endless kalpas without beginning, has never varied. It has never lived or died, appeared or disappeared, increased or decreased. Its not pure or impure, good or evil, past or future. It’s not true or false. It’s not mate or female. It doesn’t appear as a monk or a layman, an elder or a novice, a sage or a fool, a Buddha or a mortal. It strives ‘for no realization and suffers no karma. It has no strength or form. It’s like space. You can’t possess it and you can’t lose it. Its movements can’t be blocked by mountains, rivers, or rock walls. Its unstoppable powers penetrate the Mountain of Five Skandhas and cross the River of Samsara." No karma can restrain this real body. But this mind is subtle and hard to see. It’s not the same as the sensual mind. Every I one wants to see this mind, and those who move their hands and feet by its light are as many as the grains of sand along the Ganges, but when you ask them, they can’t explain it. They’re like puppets. It’s theirs to use. Why don’t they see it?
The Buddha said people are deluded. This Is why when they act they fall into the river of endless rebirth. And when they try to get out they only sink deeper.

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