What does it mean to be “Awake”? There is a common assumption that once a person “awakens” they are somehow, forever and always in an elevated state of spiritual perfection. However, the fact is that awakening is an evolving process. One where you will move through stages that oscillate between wakefulness and forgetfulness. Between egoic identification, and the end of all identity. In this Dharma Bite, psychiatrist and meditation teacher Dr. Dominique Cassidy explains this process as “The Wisdom Of Oscillations.”
Spiritual traditions have always taken as their goal the liberating experience of awakening to absolute reality. This experience may be called emptiness, oneness, non-self, non-dual, unity consciousness, unconditional love, or God. Whatever the name may be, the experience is always one of wholeness and perfection. Nothing needs to be added, and nothing can be taken away. Because when you glimpse through a window into the absolute… everything is always, already, present.
Aikido & Non-Duality Retreat w/ Patrick Cassidy, Miles Kessler, & Dr. Dominique Cassidy
What does it mean to have a “balanced mind”, and how can mindfulness meditation help to cultivate it? Mindfulness-based meditation practice has very positive effects on the mind that are experienced as temporary states. A long term committed practice will transform these temporary, positive states into permanent traits… into new a way of being. Buddhism lists these beneficial qualities as “The 7 Factors Of Awakening”, with the culmination in that list of “equanimity”, an exquisitely balanced mind. In the below interview excerpt Vipassana meditation teacher Sayadaw Vivekananda speaks about how “mindfulness cultivates equanimity”.
Awakening is the goal of meditation. But like the old quip says “when it comes to awakening you can’t get there from here.” Therein lies the rub. If a non-dual realization if your goal then “doing a practice” implies that there is somewhere to develop, something to achieve… an obvious duality (or maybe not so obvious). Of course, meditation is a practice leading to awakening, but it is still just the finger that points to the moon of awakening. Join Dr. Dominique Cassidy and I as we explore this paradox of non-duality in our discussion of meditation and why you can’t get there from here.
In the Zen tradition, they often use the metaphor of “the finger pointing to the moon.” The “finger” here, refers to practices that point towards the moon or, a non-dual awakening. But even though “fingers” point the way, the pointing practices themselves cannot get you to a direct experience of the moon. Simply put, when it comes to non-duality, you can’t get there from here. If this is the case then we should ask, what exactly are the conditions for Non-Duality In Aikido?
Nothing is more separating than conflict. Nothing is more unitive than spirituality. The martial art of Aikido attempts to walks this impossibly thin line as a “spiritual martial art.” If this is the case, then what does an expression of Aikido’s spiritual essence look like? If we are all spiritually connected, ultimately One, or not-two, then how can we express this non-duality in conflict? These are the questions I explored with Dan Messisco Sensei (6th dan Aikikai) in our recent Aiki-Discussion on Aikido & Non-Duality.
What does it mean to be responsible? Ultimately, completely, and radically responsible? Does one need to have a radically responsible life in order to have a radically meaningful life? These are the questions I explored with Dharma teacher Fleet Maull Roshi, whose new book “Radical Responsibility” is launching May 14th, 2019.
Radical Responsibility by Fleet Maull (Sounds True, 2019)
In his new book, Fleet Maull writes about “Radical Responsibility” and “How To Move Beyond Blame, Fearlessly Live Your Highest Purpose, and Become an Unstoppable Force for Good”. Fleet teaches that taking radical responsibility is the fundamental practice that gives one’s life meaning. This book is especially for those who aspire to be agents of change, through self-responsibility. Because before you can have an impact in the world you must “pull yourself up by the spiritual bootstraps” by taking radical responsibility.
On Feb. 26th, 2019 Diane Musho Hamilton and I had a call with Ken Wilber for a talk about the “Dharma & The Evolution Of Conflict” tele-summit. What ensued was a detailed overview of the nature of conflict as experienced from the perspectives of spiritual states, developmental stages, and our disowned shadow. In “Integral speak” these are none other than the “3 Practice S’s” of states, stages, and shadow. Essential practices in the areas of Dharma, Evolution, & Conflict.
