September 23, 2014 Tuesday Evening Class "Be a Lamp"

Aaron: Good evening, and my love to you all. I am Aaron. We decided to call this class “Be a Lamp Unto Yourself.” These were the Buddha's final instructions to the people who were gathered around him. By tit he means, “This is a path to liberation. Don't take my word for it, my enlightenment; awaken for yourself. Be a lamp unto yourself.”

What does it mean to be a lamp unto yourself? It means to know your inner light, your inner radiance. To know that yes, you're a stumbling idiot at times, tripping over your feet. And yet you are also radiant and divine.

We try not to trip so much over our feet. That is one fruit of practice. But we also must know this inner light. Many lifetimes ago, the one I was, was in a situation of needing to lead a group of people over a high mountain range, to safety from terrorism in their own country. I had walked this path numerous times, usually in daylight. I was familiar with the path. But now we were fleeing for our lives. It was evening, dusk, and then dark, and the moon had gone behind the clouds. We could not light a torch or we would betray our presence. People looked to me and said, “You will lead us, yes? Where do we go?” Terror struck my heart. I could not see anything; I could not even see my hand in front of my face. “I don't know,” I wanted to reply.

could sink into that “I don't know” and just say to them, “You're on your own. I can't help.” Or I could show bravado and say, “Of course I know the path. Just follow me.” Or I could come to a middle ground that says, “I have walked this way a dozen times. Somewhere in my heart and my intuition I have a clear sense of the path. But we all need to go carefully because we have no light. Help me. Together let us find the path. But yes, I will lead. I am willing to lead. And if I blunder, it's my fault. But I will be as careful as I can. And I will trust my own inner knowing, my own wisdom.” Trusting in that way, co-creating safe passage, we moved safely over the mountains.

You are all crossing a mountain range. Let's call it the range of human incarnation, the realm of suffering and confusion. And you are all crossing to the freedom on the other side. I am one of your guides, but each of you has that inner knowing. Be a lamp unto yourself.

In this semester, this whole year, really, we're going to explore how we become that lamp, using our vipassana practice and many other tools to help us access that light within, that wisdom and compassion within, and find the courage to keep going.

Often when we ask people, “Why are you taking the class?” they say, to live my life with a little less anger; to overcome some of my neuroses; to be happier; to be a better friend. They give some further reasons, to find God; to learn to love; to open my hear; to understand why we are incarnate, what life is about.  These are all valid and important reasons for practice.

Very occasionally somebody stands up and says, “I am here to awaken.” Yes! Hooray! You're all here to awaken. But along the way there are many plateaus, many stopping places. Presence, just being present in this moment; deepening in the practice of vipassana; developing loving kindness; working with body energy; becoming increasingly aware of what I have come to call the akashic field, or “all ground,” which is the vast container of everything out of which the whole universe is exploding; understanding how you can work with that field; these are some of the stopping places where we pause and rest a while.

We are going to go around and give you an opportunity to introduce yourselves. And we'd like to hear from you, what are some of the more relative-reality aspirations for you in the class, such as to be kinder in daily life, and what are the more ultimate aspirations. I invite you each to speak for 3 or 4 minutes. Share what comes to your heart. This is to help us get to know you, and for you to reflect on what you have shared and what others have shared. Then the further homework, to reflect, what are my aspirations? Let's not call them goals-- that's too concrete. What are my aspirations? To what do I aspire? And secondly, what blocks that aspiration? If you are already awake at one level, why have you not fully realized it? What blocks it?

That said, I'm going to simply release the body to Barbara so she can hear what you share and to allow you to go around. Thank you and perhaps I will speak again later today. If not, I will open our session next class with a longer talk.

class session continues with sharing and then a group exercise.

Barbara adds homework assignment.

Barbara: For the homework, look at the experiences that enhance generosity, gratitude, mudita, and equanimity. What strengthens these qualities? What weakens them or hides them so we can't access them? Please come prepared to share next class.

We would like everybody to meditate every day, even if it's only for 5 minutes. If that's all you can do, then meditate for 5 minutes. If you can meditate longer then great. If it's bedtime and you haven't meditated at all, just sit on the side of your bed for 5 minutes. Bring attention to your breath and just be still for 5 minutes.

After you sit, please begin a journal, however brief. It could be one word: turmoil, agitated, peaceful, sleepy. Or it can be longer. Write something about the texture of the sitting. If you feel so moved, write any insights that came. So basically we just want you to get into the habit of thinking of sitting every day, and of journaling, even if it's very short, just to establish that as a practice.

What was predominant in the sitting? What are you experiencing of these qualities as the day progresses? You might add that to your journal: a deep experience of joy for others today, or deep experience of stinginess and grasping, and then the heart opening again. What allowed the heart to open? So just start to note these things.

Next class we'll begin with a longer talk from Aaron, and we'll also talk about energy, and how we open ourselves to the deeper self that's already experiencing generosity, gratitude, mudita, equanimity, right there along with human self-centeredness, stinginess, fear, whatever. How do we find that light within, trusting that it's there even when it's not apparent and when the whole body is contracted? What different kinds of practices can help us to access that inner light? Vipassana and other practices. So that's where we'll go next class, with special focus on generosity and gratitude as supports for entering the open heart. .

(announcements)