All things are truly possible; no limits, with my wonderful little chain saw and lots of help too!!
All remaining tree branches and trunk are now on my side of the property line.
It’s been empowering to see I can do this!
The trunk will need the big chain saw, that I’ve promised not to use!
I can still cut more of the small branches,.. “effortless effort…”

Present day notes are at the end…

From the book chapter:

After the wave, my meditation practice changed. Until then, my primary practice was moment to moment mindfulness, grounded in the Chain of Dependent Origination. Here (with vast oversimplification) there is contact of a sense base to an object. Consciousness arises with contact, then pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral feelings. If the object is very pleasant, grasping may arise. If it is very unpleasant, there may be aversion. If it is experienced as neutral, there may be boredom. These mental formations compound themselves until we’re on a roll… suffering!

Some of the Theravada teachings lay out a very clear linear path that can be followed, for example in “Visuddhi Magga” (Path of Purification). The meditator watches objects arise and cease until there is certainty that everything arises from conditions and ceases when the conditions cease. There is no separate self to be found in any of this experience. Eventually the focus shifts; if freedom is not to be found in this mundane world of arising and ceasing, where is it found? The scriptures call this stage of insight, “Change of Lineage Knowledge.” The freedom I am seeking is not here in this mundane world, in this mundane mind and body. I must look elsewhere. But where? And who is this “I” that looks?

I like the metaphor of an open hand and fingers. Hold your hand up before your eyes and move it a bit. Your eye focus will be on the fingers, the predominant objects. But there’s a vast world out there beyond the fingers that we don’t see as long as we’re fixated on the fingers. Look through the fingers. The fingers remain visible, but the space comes into view. Within Vipassana practice we are first focused on the objects; only much later we begin to see the space between and beyond objects.

I found vipassana to be a profound path for myself. I’m sure many have been encouraged and found awakening through this path. But if we’re also to observe the space, perhaps we can encourage ourselves to open to such space earlier in our practice. This is sometimes done in vipassana by noting the space (often called the aperture) between the inhalation and exhalation of the breath. But usually space is then put aside, returning attention to the mundane primary object. I find it helpful to weave these practices together, not as two separate practices but presence with the object and the space, seeing how they interrelate and interweave with each other. Which one is impermanent? What endures?

There will always be objects; there will always be space. Mundane consciousness perceives the objects, through seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling or through mind perceiving mental objects. What may be called Awareness perceives the space, perceives the great the cosmic OM, perceives luminosity and more. Mundane consciousness touches mundane objects. Awareness can rest with supramundane objects, what we may call direct expressions of the unconditioned. Technically, mundane consciousness (Kuttara citta) can touch mundane objects. Lokuttara Citta, (supramundane consciousness , or what I call Awareness) is able to open to supramundane objects.
(To be continued)

Present day notes: From where does “I can’t” arise?

“I can’t” is a thought, arisen from conditions, usually from fear and old, limiting self-beliefs. I looked at this downed tree and felt overwhelmed. Then the neighbor complained loudly, adding pressure. There is so much I truly cannot do these days, and I have to be honest with myself, or I endanger myself and others. Holding it all in spacious awareness: fears, grief, intentions, impulse to push back against limits, reluctance to ask for help… allows me to move ahead from a place of emptiness, with nothing to prove and no failure for what I cannot do. In that trunk, I see an eventual cord of excellent mulberry firewood!

Such a beautiful Mother’s day bouquet from my children. The geese plant holder was my mother’s, that I loved when I was a young child, The floral tablecloth was hers too. I wish I could pass on the scent of the roses and hold you all in Mother Love.