“But I know sometimes I must get out in the Light… with the kids, they're alright… The kids are Alright, the Kids Are…”
With all due respect to Nate on the far left’s right Feminine side, which didn’t make the pic, here are the Cool Kids who showed up for our Ceremonial Weekend overnight. I say Kids as a compliment, because this crew was the youngest, coolest, most fun group of individuals we’ve had out here this year. But well beyond their youth, this mini Sangha — a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community" — shared an inspiring devotion to the spiritual path. When we speak of the spiritual path we walk at The Higher Haven, we aren’t referencing a shared belief system, which is fine, which so many people the world over have drawn comfort and direction from since the beginning. Nor or we referencing some competitive set of principles that may have left Nate, Austo, Kitty, Madison, Matt, and Morgan (the three Moksha-teers) separated and judging one another’s experience of God or the Miracle that is Life.
Our world’s endless systems of belief considered — and respected — we certainly did connect with all that is good and best within us. And for many, including me, that’s getting in touch with or worshipping a super human commanding power. Or non-commanding and non-controlling, given our free will. I don’t tell these cool kids what to believe; I simply point out that what you believe in life is the software, and meditation is more the hardware, allowing one to access the logic and practical nature of one’s own spirituality and at the same time understand how science and certainly the natural world actually affirms rather than negates it. I could go on and on (like always!) but also always like hearing from retreat participants, who have their own empowered stories to tell. By the way, devotion to the spiritual path here has less to do with flowery, nice feelings, and more to do with being willing to struggle, to grope, and to confront one’s inner demons, in some traditions known as defects of character, sins, shortcomings or pitiable ways of behavior . “Enlightenment does not come by imagining figures of light”, in the words of Carl Jung as well as Matthew Jaworski, “But by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure however is disagreeable and therefore unpopular,” disagreeable meaning unpleasant or not exactly to one’s liking.
That’s one of the teachings we touched on. Inspired by this group’s honesty and sincerity, we also considered the amazing fact that mankind may be evolving into a new form, perhaps one that will not deal with the difficult truth of impermanence, or death. So keep your minds-eye on young people like the dirty half-dozen above (said Heyoka-style). And definitely, definitely, be hyper aware of your own children, or all children, if, like me, you’re still a lone wolf without pups, as real-life, super powered X-Men, with no particular need to save the world, but who will do so out of love for mankind, take birth in the material world. Yep, freed by the weird pandemic pseudo oppression, we’re flying our Freak Flag high. If all that isn’t weird enough, consider that we sang a Ceremonial song this weekend that animals can actually understand and energetically connect with. And maybe in response to that song, later shared an exchange with a toad, not necessarily with the eyes in our head, but with the eyes of our heart. The toad, who is always a sign of good luck, but the kind that you must make your own, calling for action. Much like the story of the Frog Prince, the toad is a symbol of having to do something that you may not particularly like, (which we related to!) but also holds the promise of Living Happily Ever After. Knowing we’re well on our way with some miles to go before we sleep, we let the words of Shakespeare — and my Teacher Shinzen — encourage us, reminding us that, “Sweet are the uses of adversity. Which, like the Toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in tress, books in the running brooks, Sermons in Stones, & Good in All Things.”
As to all things ugly and venomous yet precious and Good, the next Way of The Contrary Workshop, November 14th-15th, I’m unhappy to say is fairly full, so make it a long December 19th-20th, with Reason to Believe that maybe next year will be better than this last. Toksha
The Bell, the sound of which goes on for Infinity, marks the end of a Meditation Sit, with a deep bow to all that is.
We completed the Fall Noble Silence Meditation Weekend Retreat on Sunday — Chris and Emma, Emilia, Mindy and Natalie being the “We”, five brave pilgrims plus me. This quarterly foray into inner stillness and weekend of deep practice was established in July with the Summer NSMR. I’m a fan of dubbing it the NSMR because it harkens to Jon Kabat-Zinn’s MBSR, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, “the gold standard of and most scientifically researched mindfulness training program.” I haven’t taken and therefore can’t confirm the effectiveness of MBSR, but the feedback and experience of this weekend employing my teacher Shinzen’s techniques of BIT (Body-Image-Talk) and See Hear Feel, also science-based, merged with indigenous Ceremonial practices, again proved to be quite favorable
Given my elation as well as let’s say not-so-laconic take on the summer run — which you can read if you hit the link above and can endure the gushing — I think this weekend’s overview calls for a more measured response. “A more measured response” to all the things in life that tend to unnerve us was one of a host of positive rejoinders heard in our closing circle, as to the benefits of bearing down and doing the work this weekend. And considering 2020 has been a year of an awful lot of unnerving, external happenings, it’s high time for everyone to build up a bit of internal muscle and psychological resources.
Speaking of overwhelm, I feel pretty damn good about the whole thing because running one of these weekends takes everything I’ve got. And this is the exact retreat I’d been longing to teach when I put a stake in the ground on this land almost seven years ago, seven years Halloween night. Spooky! Time flies when you’re suffering, trying to make a dream come true that includes the success of others. But its a struggle that, when I consider the feedback, is more than worth the effort. “I feel like my mind is in a positive, well-worn groove.” “This was a wonderful weekend for me. It seems when I’m purposely silent, it’s for more negative reasons — I’m angry, I’m isolating — so to embrace silence for a more positive, purposeful reason felt great.” The more experienced meditators mentioned they enjoyed the structured sitting as well as the different focus techniques. Attendees who suffer chronic pain issues reported that they “didn’t feel like they needed to fix the pain” (which, if you have pain like that, is huge) and described the quality of their meditations as significantly improved.
A participant who struggles with social anxiety commented that they didn’t feel strapped to the constantly spinning wheel of their mind… which had me think: Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon… like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon. And a Metta or Lovingkindness Meditation, where we extended the same love and affection and positive regard we hold for people we care for deeply to others we felt very challenged by, led to feelings of “releasing long held shame, guilt, resentment and anger” as sending love out to all people, under any condition, including ourselves, will do. The Yin Yoga Class lead by Kelly aka KK kept us supple and able to work with body sensations that grow achey when we are unmoved, embracing the more traditional meaning of asana or yoga poses as "a mastery of sitting still". Nice work KK.
Finally, when someone described their focus on the breath as feeling like a giant bellow was fanning their Spirit, I thought: This is the kind of reimagining of the human condition and experience we’re after. “You truly are opening the doors to Heaven at Higher Haven,” added Emilia. “This place is magical, time stopped and only nature spoke back. I am grateful for the teachings from your heart and for the space you held for us to commune with our souls. Please spread the word on this piece of Heaven! “ As to Heaven, building up resources in the face of death, becoming the cosmos, and learning how Meditation can lead one to states of unconditional love and eternal life, you’ll have to experience it all for yourself at the next Winter NSMR, starting Friday, February 26th 2021 and soon open for registration.