Archive for ‘Thought for the Week’
On the Path
Most everyone that is on the path to self knowledge (the art of being) is doing so from the perspective of trying to achieve it. Interestingly, it is this attitude that most holds us back from arriving at “Being”. We must also remember that it is an evolving process, not just an end result. Many believe that we will arrive and that will be it. In our experience, this is not the case, we are a constant evolution of awakening. Today’s understanding is tomorrow stepping stone to more awareness and due to its subtlety, more Being. Enjoy the journey. ~Alain & Jody Herriott
Life is defined by stress
So much of our life is defined by stress, what we want and what we don’t want. The more stress, the more resistance we experience about everything we do. As we unfold, through unwinding our resistance, we begin to realize that the less we resist, the more we open. In time we are living the maxim, “when nothing is done, nothing is left undone.” Now we are balance, a never ending now of being. Enjoy the journey. ~Alain & Jody Herriott
The Heart Sutra
The Heart Sūtra is a popular sutra in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Its Sanskrit title, Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya, can be translated as “The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom”. The sutra famously states, “Form is empty”.
“The most popular part of it that many have heard is “Gone, Gone, Gone beyond, Gone beyond beyond, Hail the goer.”
As we unwind our locked feelings we go beyond our former boundaries and we hail your courage and surrender. Enjoy the journey. ~Alain & Jody Herriott
The Tao is like a well
“The Tao is like a well used but never used up, It is like the eternal void: filled with infinite possibilities.” The Tao te Ching translation by Stephen Mitchell
As we reconnect to our feelings and unwind our fears, we realize who we are and are again filled with infinite possibility. Alain & Jody Herriott
When you seek a cause you have already created a result
“When you seek a cause you have already created a result.” This is such a lovely phrase. The very act of doing anything puts into motion a whole series of events and any expectation within that creates Need. That is the nature of all Maya. That is because if we seek we are in desire. This action causes expectation and that leads to tension. If we choose to feel our feeling within any issue, then we unfold and balance and openness is the result. We end up in harmony and there is nothing that needs to be done as we are simply there. ~Alain & Jody Herriott (quote from Gravity Dreams by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.)
The minds default is “on”
The mind’s default is “on”, a constant pressure or seeking if you will. Accompanying this is a critical appraisal of all it encounters. The pressure this creates within us is seldom released or even allowed to open at all. Over time this creates even more pressure. The art of feeling, of allowing experiences to evolve without being judged, is part of the art of the Wonder Method. It is about learning to BE without constantly adding more pressure. We learn to be part of the ever-expanding experience of sensation and knowledge. This knowledge is there when we are no longer in conflict with ourselves. Experience your sensations, it is always worth it. ~Alain & Jody Herriott
The boundaries of counsciousness
We were thinking about the boundaries of consciousness the other day. We realized that while we find ourselves within boundaries in our life and while they may seem to define us they are not truly boundaries. In reality they are only our beliefs. Within these boundaries we label ourselves. For example “I am an engineer”, or a mom or dad or gardener or scientist or animal trainer… These experiences and the expectations that are associated with them are the boundaries that we surround ourselves with. Of course they are not the whole of who we are, but so many of our world experiences appear linked to them that we tend to stay inside that environment. As we feel our feelings in relation to each experience that restricts us, these boundaries unravel and we find ourselves in somewhat uncharted territory. This new freedom is a sublime opportunity to move “beyond the beyond”, to change how we approach everything. Taking this chance is an act of courage, faith and surrender. It is not something that is actually hard to do, it is only outside the boundaries that we have called normal. This action is often called a “path to change.” We welcome you to the Path, it is worth every step taken along this new and constantly unfolding journey back to who we truly are. ~Alain & Jody Herriott
As we unwind our fears
As we unwind our fears and limitations through feeling our feelings, the mind naturally lightens the intensity of its focus and we begin to experience quiet and a sense of internal motion. This motion happens within us, around us and through us. It is a naturally occurring part of our make-up. We are flow and it is always there to nurture us. Enjoy ~Alain & Jody Herriott
Our brains tend to hold us in a framework
Our brains tend to “hold” us in a framework, believing it makes us safe, successful and adaptable to our environment. This is both a blessing and a curse.
A blessing because it allows us to live much of our life on autopilot, and also a curse because it keeps us locked in repetitive patterns that only seem to be successful. Through feeling our feelings we unwind the things that limit our interactions with the world. We can then find successful new directions. Enjoy the journey. ~Alain & Jody Herriott
