WAKE UP FESTIVAL - Day TWO

Oh my.  Where to begin?  The schedule is rigorous with very little time to eat or contemplate or even integrate - so I guess this is my chance here.  :)  I opted out of breakfast to write and remember so I am grateful to any of you who read this for helping me find the structure to sit down and take some time with this information and experience of the Wake Up Festival.

The full community morning session began with Tara Brach.  A lovely choice.  Clinical Psychologist.  Buddhist.  She began with an update from Washington D.C., where she lives.  They have been piloting insight meditation classes on Capital Hill, and she just had heard that they loved the pilot program and would like to continue in a bigger way!  The group broke into immediate applause - mindful legislators is an amazing and very comforting concept.  We shall see.  

I thought what I would do is choose a pearl from each presenter.  I'm a big note taker, so I have lots to choose from in my nicely organized notes.  I was the girl in college who was asked to xerox her notes for the group.  I know.  Geeky, but true.  Here goes.

TARA BRACH

The pearl for me, based on her book, Radical Acceptance, was the concept of our Two Wings of Awareness.  The first is the ability to recognize what is happening.  The second is the creation of space around it that includes everything and leads to love, and Radical Accpetance.  She beautifully condensed theses awarenesses into two simple questions.

1.  What is happening right now?

2.  Can I let it be?

Making space around what is happening give us time to reconnect to the Divine source that is always readily available and usually difficult to remember.  Rumi stated it beautifully.

"Whatever comes into being is lost in being."  

ADYASHANTI

I would have to say that this man is a mystery to me.  He is revered by many, and understood by few.  At 50 years of age, he is considered one of the most brilliant spiritual teachers of our time.  His message today was one of emptiness.  

All Dharmas are empty.  (Buddha)

Well, so where does that leave us in the cosmic soup?  His emphasis is on direct experience and letting go of the thinking mind.  As soon as you have a thought about something, you have gone from reality (direct experience) - to the mind talking about itself.  "Every thought is empty and has no basis in reality."  "Peace", he reminds us, "is no longer living in the imagination."  Our thoughts create divisions between us and pure consciousness reminds us we are all one.  Heavy stuff, presented simply, from an armchair, on the stage.  Not a note in sight.  

This one will take some time to digest.

OK.  Out of time already.  Off to the morning session with Robert Peng and Qi Gong.

Thanks for giving me the structure to remember why I'm here.  

Namaste and Blessings.

TIna