Hi John B., David, Wim, Horse, All:
John wrote:
> But the much more difficult thing for me is to make sense of the
> experiences which are creating a gradual and subtle transformation of my
> outlook. Partly because these experiences are unspectacular (perhaps yours
> were rather the opposite?) and the change is felt, rather than thought, I
> find it very hard to get any grasp of it in words.
For me these subtle transforming experiences have occurred over a
lifetime although I have heard of cases where people get "born again"
all at once. I share your frustration in being unable to express what
these subtle transformations are like, but I know exactly what you're
talking about.
> However there are a few things I can say. One is the oft repeated focus on
> the here and now, on attending. A particularly powerful insight for me in
> recent weeks is that 'enlightenment' (I hate the word, but it serves as
> code) is not something to strive for. When I give up 'efforting' and just
> keep returning to what is, in each moment, in a sense I am there. Certainly
> my mind keeps darting off in all sorts of directions, and I lose the sense
> of immediacy, and I believe that over time that balance can change, yet the
> important thing is that I have in each moment the option of immediacy, and
> that does not change.
Well put. It was this relaxing into the present moment that inspired my
essay, "Say Hello to Now" on the forum. Also I am very much in tune
with your phrase, "give up efforting," for as Wilber writes:
"Seeking after Mind inevitably backfires, and for reasons that should
now be obvious--for one, seeking implies searching or reaching out for
an object, something 'out there' that we can grasp, be it a spiritual or
mental object, yet Mind is not an object. . . . So that in running after It in
some imagined future we are only running away from It, for Mind exists
nowhere but in this timeless Moment. As always, those who seek to
save their souls will surely lose them." (The Spectrum of
Consciousness, p. 302)
While you and Wim stress the value of education and training to attain
spiritual understanding, requiring a great deal of effort not to mention
money , I would stress the value of simply realizing that "your everyday
and ordinary consciousness, that is the Tao." (Ibid, p.298) The concept
is easy to grasp; no profit-seeking guru required. Thus, as I've
indicated before, I'm suspicious of Ali's motives. But if it works for you, I
would be the last to stand in your way.
> Ali seems to believe quite strongly that this work is almost unachievable
> alone. The group not only facilitates various processes, but serves to
> intensify and hence clarify aspects of essence. Certainly I have
> experienced a wide range of emotions in the workshops I have attended,
> ranging from joyful liberation in the most recent one, to complete
> shut-down, incomprehension and despair in one a year ago. The day after
> that workshop, when I had already decided not to return, I experienced some
> hours of altered perception as I wandered around central Sydney, quite hard
> to quantify, but including a sensation of being more present, walking with
> a strange lightness, despite having a painful infected toe where I had
> chopped off my toenail with a maddock, and relating to people without the
> normal barriers. I normally dislike crowded cities, so this feeling of
> lightness and ease was unusual, to say the least, and convinced me to
> persevere with the work.
I have felt this "lightness" that you describe infrequently but certainly
something I don't quickly forget. One instance occurred to me while
standing in front of a small painting by Monet at the San Francisco
museum. In fact, now that I think about it, most of my "transformations"
have been brought about when experiencing art of one kind or another--
painting, sculpture, music, literature. A recent example is now in the
forum, a short story by John Galsworthy simply entitled, "Quality." As I
read the final lines, I felt a sudden connection with the beauty of
immediate reality so strong that it brought tears to my eyes.
> However, I realise how insubstantial this must seem to anyone wishing to be
> critical.
How true.
> Looking over this I am aware how little I can communicate of these matters.
> Hopefully you can grasp enough to respond, perhaps with more detail of your
> own experience.
John, we share much in common. And I'll bet that those of us who stick
around on this site because of the impact Pirsig has had on our lives
are not unfamiliar with the kinds of transforming experiences you and I
have haltingly attempted to describe. What's more, we also find
liberation in exchanging ideas on the intellectual level with these
same, very smart people. I'm grateful to Horse every day for making
these exchanges possible, and for your many fine contributions, even
though we disagree about the details of the MOQ from time to time.
Platt
P.S. What is a "maddock." No relation to a Banyan tree I hope. (-:
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