These days when I even think of reading or watching the news, the muscles in my solar plexus clench in fear. It doesn’t make me turn away in avoidance, but it is clearly a marker regarding my discomfort with the world as it is. And as I’ve been sitting with this over the last few weeks, one thing comes to mind over and over: in times of darkness there is a feast of opportunities for humans to manifest and act from the light within.
And as is frequently the case, I’ve stumbled on this idea popping up in other places. While reading a travel memoir it appeared after the author was helped by one person after another tried to steal her wallet:
Darkness cast by some gives others the chance to let their light shine.~Holly C Corbett
Then I ran across this article in the Washington Post about Notre Dame professors requesting their names be added to the Professor Watch List. It is a wonderful example of the type of activism that arises not from anger but something grounded much more deeply, a beautiful and skillful response rather than mindless angry reaction.
So tonight, after the housekeeping text, we have a guest writer, in a manner of speaking. Below the grey line, and with his gracious permission, I am sharing some of spiritual teacher Francis Bennett’s thoughts about darkness and light.
Good evening and welcome to Monday Group Meditation. We will be sitting from 8:00 to 10:30 PM Eastern Time. It is not necessary to sit for the entire extended time, which is set up to make it convenient for people in four North American Time Zones; sit for as long as you like and when it is most convenient for you. Monday Group Meditation is open to everyone, believers and non-believers, who are interested in gathering in silence. If you are new to meditation and would like to try it for yourself, Mindful Nature gave a good description of one way to meditate in an earlier diary, copied and pasted below:
"It is a matter of focusing attention mostly. In many traditions, the idea is to sit and focus on the rising and falling of the breath. Not controlling it, but sitting in a relaxed fashion and merely observing experiences of breathing, sounds, etc. Be aware of your thoughts, but don't engage in them. When your mind wanders (it will, often), then return to focus on breath and repeat."
Note: You are also welcome to join us on Sunday mornings at 10:00AM for the Dkos Sangha Open Threads which are hosted by davehouck.
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