Lost Coin May 27, 2008

Daniel started off talking about the name Lost Coin. Most people are looking for something they don't have, when they find it - it will be gone. Recover something you do have - the coin in your pocket.

There are "Is" that comprise our being, notice how one "I" can take over and then another and another.  For example, you plan to do something and then something else happens - "I" #1 has gotten knocked out of the driver's seat.

Even in 12th century Japan, they recognized the need to practice in your life - in addition to meditation.

When unconscious, any "I" can take over, we need strong "Is" - they are the Lost Coin. We can either live mechanically or become conscious.

There is a Zen koan that goes as follows (an internal conversation):

   Oh Master

   Yes

   Are you awake?

   Yes I am

   Never be deceived by others (inside or outside)

   OK

The Master is always there- but is he awake? How can you keep awake? How can he keep from being deceived? By staying awake.  How does he get off course - with the voice of fear, anger.

You must believe what is inside - radical subjectivity. It is real if you can see it as real. It is what we experience most of the time, e.g., water is wet - no one has to tell you. What the world really is for you, if you go deep enough, is the same for everyone. You need to understand the internal government - which "I" is leading? Which "I" is supporting? The "I" that doesn't like itself is next to the one that blames everyone else for what goes wrong. You need to relate practice to "Is" that have a lot of energy.  Which "Is" have you abandoned that help you a lot? The discriminating mind is not the same as the original person.

A student asked how are the "Is" are like Big Mind? Big Mind derives from 70s psychology: Jungian and gestalt. When Daniels uses Big Mind he uses a variation that doesn't use voices (they can be a little theatrical) but rather to sit with the voices.

Daniel was asked a question about reincarnation. He said there are three approaches:

Theravada - where nirvana is extinction because karma is completed and you are absorbed into the absolute.

Tibetan - some teachers focus on literal reincarnation

Zen - say they don't know, except that the absolute is not subject to birth and death

What is important to know from the above discussion is that in the Fourth Way tradition, there are a group of "Is" that want you to wake up and a group that don't want you to wake up - you need to know which group to invite to dinner.

We next focused on last week's exercise - Identifying Chief Feature

One student was confused about identity. Daniel responded that practice is going well if you don't have a fixed sense of identity - if it is more fluid - that's good. You need to be different at work than with a spouse - practice will help you forget the self.

Daniel is writing a children's book - in it he emphasizes the most important things to focus on are courage, flexibility and internal silence. It is OK if you are losing your standard personas - but that can lead to self-doubt. See that as an "I". Awkwardness can be getting off standard "Is" = progress.

There was a question about how to do "practice" - it is an exercise vs. homework. Daniel suggested remember it as often as you can. The exercises also act as a reminder to wake up - make you look at yourself.

Another student felt her chief feature was deep insecurity. She would work extra hard to compensate for the fear. Now that she isn't working so hard the fear has gotten bigger and it is hard to make decisions. Daniel asked what "I" can help out? She responded - the powerful/confident "I" - that is what is missing. That "I" could even be seen as bad. Daniel reminded us that there is nothing wrong with power. It is like food - it is OK if you are not stuffing it up someone's nose - it doesn't have to be abusive to empower yourself.

We experimented briefly with a modern version of an ancient Tibetan practice of envisioning/ embodying the virtue you are missing - "sampling."  We sat with feeling empowered for 2-3 minutes. Some responses were:

   Free and easy

   Light, effortless

   No fear

   No shadows

   Letting go of the illusion of control

   Feels more authentic - less internal considering

Power is not that different from being awake - not so contracted. We didn't have to read a book about it - everyone could feel it - just need to practice - it is within us. All the lost coins are available.

Another student shared her chief feature of being unlikeable, which probably came from a parent who didn't want her to get a big head. It felt very contracted, she gave up her own knowing and was at the mercy of other's opinions.

We are all the same - we have a voice that tells us that over and over - we aren't likeable. But it is easy to come out of - but you can't think your way out - read a book about it. You need instead to become directly conscious of it.

Daniel asked which "I" do we really need, which Lost Coin? Responses included:

Self-empowerment

Being competitive

Confidence

Light-heartedness

Regain sense of humor

Not-knowing

Live from the center/hara/guts vs. thinking

Embrace joy

Relationships are not a moral cause - they are for pleasure - not a cause for martyrdom. It is about you - it is not a job. It is not true that women are not validated without a relationship or that men aren't validated unless they support a family - these are untrue/unprovable. We have been given a lot of nasty facts - you are unloveable, you shouldn't have power; whereas, in reality, you are free - but you have to figure that out through practice.

Exercise for next week

Last week we focused on the stuck "Is"/ Chief Feature

Next week's exercise is to focus on the lost "Is" - those that you need to stay awake, practice and grow.

Remember that you can come to any state directly by sensing. If you visit both Florida and Wyoming, you can know the difference better than if you try and figure it out.
