Good morning! Welcome to the DKos Sangha weekly open thread.
This is an open thread for members of the DKos Sangha and others who are interested in discussions concerning how we integrate our progressive political activism into our spiritual practice. If you have observations about the political discourse of the week, or about practice, or about anything else related to walking a spiritual path through the political world, if you wish to share, or if you seek support, or if you simply want to say hello, please do; this space is for you.
If you would like to write a diary for the DKos Sangha, please let me know.
If you care nothing for spiritual practice and only wish to denigrate and disparage, please do so elsewhere, and respect that this is a community diary for the DKos Sangha.
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Forgiveness
Each of us is human. Another way of saying this might be that each of us is only human. When we look at the news, at history, even sometimes our neighbors and families, we're easily reminded that humans can be hurtful, cruel, destructive, fearful, insecure, despondent. None of us, in other words, is perfect.
And that's okay; it is part of the mystery and wonder of being human, that we are evolving, always moving into a new now, each of us an integral part of the transformation of the species, the planet, the universe.
Frequently reminding ourselves of our own imperfection, when we are compassionate with and forgiving of ourselves, we can also be more compassionate with and forgiving of others. As we deepen our understanding, our knowing, of ourselves and what it is like to be human in this particular body/mind manifestation, we deepen our understanding and appreciation for what it must be like for everyone else. Everyone; all beings on the planet.
Reactive patterns may arise within us in response to the actions or words of others; we may say something, sometimes quite suddenly, in reaction that might be ill-considered, that might exacerbate or escalate, that might further divide, that might be hurtful.
But none of us is perfect. Even those who have been on the spiritual path for a long time, even those who have awakened from identification with egoic separate self, even those who have met, opened to, and released much of their conditioning, will still have some patterns, some conditioning, that have not yet been fully met, that will arise in response to something seen, heard, read.
And so, when conditioning arises within us, when reactive patterns arise, we compassionately meet what is arising in this moment with an open heart, compassionately, tenderly. This can be called forgiveness. It is not the forgiveness of the mind, it is not just more thoughts, more strategies, more stories, more activity of egoic separate self; it is a movement of the heart.
And as this opening of the heart deepens, this forgiveness extends to all beings, as they, like us, are imperfect human beings, born onto this planet, living in this time, walking their own unique path, finding their way as best they can, caught up in the stories woven by their own egoic separate self, struggling under the burden of their own reactive patterns, their own conditioning, their own imperfection.
As we move deeper into our true nature, this forgiveness, this open-heartedness, is uncovered as our natural way of being, with ourselves, with others. And within this open-heartedness, there is no separation; we see others as ourselves, we know their suffering as our own. They are us. There is no other.
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Return to the breath
Just breathing, easily, lightly
Letting the body relax
Letting the mind relax
Letting go of tension and stress
Just breathing
On an in-breath,
Breathe into the area of the heart,
Letting the breath bring energy,
Into the center of the chest
On the out-breath,
Let that energy release outward,
Into the world,
As love
On the next in-breath,
Breathe into the heart
On the out-breath,
Release loving-kindness out into the world
Breathing into the heart
Radiating love out into the world
Breathing
Loving
Being
This is our true nature
The stories, the dramas, the beliefs and opinions, they are all just thought. Thoughts come and go; they constantly change. But who we are is the stillness within which the thoughts move. Who we are is the deep peace that is always here. Who we are is the love and compassion of an open heart.
When we identify with the stories, there is separation, there is conflict, there is suffering. When we let go of identification and move into the stillness, when we allow the heart to open, there is oneness, there is peace, there is compassion.
Breathe
Breathing into the heart
Being the love of an open heart
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Namaste
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You are welcome to join us each week in our Monday night group meditation here at DKos Sangha. This online group meditation is hosted by Ooooh, and the diary is posted at 7:00 Eastern. So that we are able to be together for as many here at Daily Kos as wish to participate, the meditation period runs from 7:30 to 10:00 Eastern. This group sitting is open to beginners and advanced, and is not restricted to any particular traditions or practices. It is not expected that you sit for the entire period; sit for as long as you like, when you like. The idea is that we are here together; supporting each other, holding space for each other.
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Enjoy your day!
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