9/15/09

Business: 

Daniel will be renting his house if anyone is interested.

Also, Daniel has been starting a syllabus for our group. Lost Coin has been bringing in many approaches to consciousness. Our group is evolving and supporting life. This will be made more and more clear.

Talk: Attention

In the East it was understood that we needed to lose our ego. That is not the self; that is what happens when we're insecure or "egotistical." People at monasteries think that enlightenment will solve all of their problems. To believe what you have never seen happen is not spiritual practice. You don't overrun the relative by going so deep into the absolute. It's all about being aware, not on auto pilot.

We do things mechanically, without thinking about it. No one would choose to get up and spend their day worrying or being afraid.
What would make you happy? The end result is still in your emotions, not what's out there. It's always inside you. We have that choice. Attention is where you focus your life. You have choice on what you focus on. We make ourselves miserable. If we are becoming conscious, what would we put our attention on? We all have problems; if you put your attention on your problems, it's a problem.

If every time you paid attention to solutions instead of problems, it would change your life. Enlightenment will not change this for you. Nobody's going to do this for you. Do it for yourself. Pay attention to solutions. Don't play problem record over and over. What you put your attention on is the story of your life. You can learn to stop your mind all you want but it won't work. What will work is if you start to think consciously. Can you change your emotions? If you pay attention to fear than you will become more scared. Study and understand yourself and make conscious decisions.

In a loving relationship the most sincere form of love is attention. If this isn't happening then something is wrong. Conscious love. It makes a tremendous difference. Add real attention. The point is that it is all up to us. Decide to be in charge of your attention. If you succeed then your life will change dramatically.

Zen teachers could do things such as being artists, archers, strategists. They could demonstrate their consciousness. Daniel is interested in a more universal, developmental and healthy Zen. To find out who we really are through sitting.

Discussion:

The deeper you go into the absolute then you begin to realize you are not your thoughts and beliefs and therefore you are free to be conscious.

In Dogen's day, "healthy and functioning" was not an option, even though they were enlightened.

What do you really want? Put your attention on what you really want rather than what makes you happy. If you do something 40 times and it doesn't work, try something new.

Your "I" is a great inconvenience for everyone else.

Daniel's teacher used to call his group "The Liar's Club." He was thinking of naming us "The Coward's Club."

Alcohol gives us a break from our fear.

When your attention is on what you're doing and it's not external then suddenly you have choice. We are on automatic response. It takes effort to be conscious. Most common automatic response is fear. Mind, emotions and body: all 3 centers are needed for attention.

The first thing that bubbles up in our head is usually garbage. 

Be confident because you are conscious. Just be right for you. You don't have to hit back but you don't have to be afraid. Just be conscious. Don't let yourself keep getting hit.

If none of us pass Koans or achieve enlightenment but we decrease our fear than that is the pearl. To be mechanically in a state of fear for the next 25-30 years is an unacceptable reality.
