Monday, June 23, we will meet online.
Dear friends,
This week, we will meet Monday evening, June 23rd, from 7-8:30PM EDT online; Wednesday morning, June 25th, from 7-8AM EDT in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); and Friday, June 27th, 12-1PM EDT online.
On Monday night, Marie will facilitate. Marie shares:
After our sitting meditation, we will recite the Five Mindfulness Trainings and then explore the First Mindfulness Training, Reverence for Life. See below for the full text.
This past week, as I reflected on the First Training, I kept returning to this line: “I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life.” I noticed how easy it was to kill with my thoughts.
I was traveling to my 35th reunion at university, and I had some mixed emotions as I anticipated who I would see, what would happen, and how I might feel. Voila! I was killing with my thoughts!
It was not all death and carnage, as there were many people I couldn’t wait to see. But yes, there was some serious judging going down. Before I even got onto campus, I was running through my memory, remembering certain people and interactions that I’d had with them. When I didn’t like what I remembered, for whatever reason, I withdrew, killing the potential for compassion, connection and growth.
Hmmm. When I realized that I was doing this, I smiled and began to practice. I brought compassion to the parts of me that had been hurt or frightened all those years ago. I encouraged myself to keep asking myself, “are you sure” that this or that person is this or that way now? I encouraged myself to lean into the interbeing that is there, all around me, as a foundation of support. I gave myself permission to take care of myself, to discern what felt right at any given point in time, and trust that I would do what was needed in that moment.
I arrived home yesterday, having had a truly incredible time. I connected deeply with old friends and new people I wouldn’t have expected to enjoy, had I not dropped my killing thoughts. And yes, there were a few instances when I chose not to engage beyond a civility, and that felt just right.
Lastly, this experience has me thinking beyond the personal, to the broader political environment and how I might help heal the divide. I will take more e-courses with Braver Angels, and, if you are not familiar with their work, you might enjoy checking it out.
On Monday, we will explore our experiences with the First Mindfulness Training, Reverence for Life. In preparation, you might reflect on some questions such as:
To what extent do I “kill” with my thoughts?
When does this tend to happen least? When does this tend to happen most?
How does it make me feel?
I look forward to practicing together.
With a warm bow,
Marie
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First Mindfulness Training: Reverence for Life
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non- attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.