The Scent of a Practice
The Thich Nhat Hahn Room advertises a regular weekly gathering time on Saturday at noon Pacific time. I decided to attend, and I stayed a few minutes beyond the full hour of the meeting. In attendance was me. Since I was both presiding member and the only attendee, I created the following rules for myself. If someone else showed up, I would no longer follow them.
First, after every time I speak, I clear my mind and just be present and in the moment for four images in the slide show. Second, after this inner silence, I contemplate my new sharing for as long as it takes to clarify it before saying it. Third, if someone else shows up, I will suggest that we use a similar format for dialog, but I will accept whatever happens.
The following transcript of the meeting has been edited for typos and short forms (since the comments line only accepts 250 characters).
‹Cougar› Right now, I am aware of my expectation of a meeting of hearts and minds. Right now, I am entering a place of inner stillness so that I can commune with whoever else shows up.
‹Cougar› I took a break so that I could fill my coffee cup. In the peacefulness of the moment, I focused on the sensation of kissing Tana goodbye. She apologized for laughing at the concept of what I'm doing this hour, because of the beauty of the images and sound on the Thich Nhat Hahn Room page.
‹Cougar› I clear my mind for several breaths of inner silence. I notice my feelings about coming to this meeting and finding no one else here. I notice the emotion of hurt, and I release it. My aloneness here is a gift. I get to spend an hour today communing with myself.
‹Cougar› If anyone else shows up for this gathering, let me tell you what I'm doing. I'm emptying my mind for four or more breaths before returning to the purpose of this hour, which is sharing. Thus, what I share is what comes to me from emptiness.
‹Cougar› I came to IONS because of recommendations from IONS partners and luminaries who felt that my life's work fit the purpose of IONS. However, most of what I've found at IONS is exposition about consciousness. Only in this room have I found any scent of a practice.
‹Cougar› I wonder what my role in IONS could be. Are other members ignoring this room because it's always empty? Does IONS need someone like myself who specializes in practice, rather than concepts?
‹Cougar› I notice my sadness is not about being alone in this room. Rather, it comes from my experience offering my life's work to IONS. Emails, phone messages, and referrals from IONS' partners fail to draw any responses. After hope, disappointment.
‹Cougar› I choose to share my words from this hour in the Declare section of Shift in Action.
‹Cougar› I choose to accept that my life's work is not yet finished or ready to be shared fully in the world. I choose to be patient.
‹Cougar› I choose to return for other weekly gatherings when I can.
‹Cougar› I choose to savor and cherish the love in Thich Nhat Hahn's words for a few more minutes before leaving.
‹Cougar› I choose to continue polishing my own gem until I'm ready to let it shine forth.
‹Cougar› I choose to call this hour to a close. Goodbye, and thanks to those energies that attended.
