April 4th
#4 Self-liberate even the antidote.
Pema: Do not hang on to anything –even the realization that there’s nothing to hold onto.
This is true freedom as in truth, there is nothing solid to hold onto. That would be attachment.
In my morning meditation, I simply heard “Allow the spaciousness to be.” Allowing this space liberates the mind. It is freedom from suffering, freedom from the trappings of the world, and freedom from the past and future.
Easy to say; a little challenging to do on a consistent basis, right? It is about the journey, the present moment journey, and not where I land.
As I write this, I have background nature sounds from a YouTube video. It is a waterfall flowing into a forest river. Does the water care where it goes? It follows nature and sometimes makes space so it can flow freely. It follows the curves and bends, the rocks and logs. It keeps flowing, moving forward.
As I stop to watch and listen to the flow for several minutes, it reminds me to do the same. Be with what is now, then be with what is next. And so on.
Pema Chödrön’s Compassion Cards – This practice is lojong (mind-training slogans) and they are powerful reminders on how to awaken our hearts. They are also found in “The Compassion Book.” You choose the cards at random, read the commentary, and then try to live by the meaning of the slogan throughout the day.
