I went with my Buddhist "swim buddy" to a talk by Juseph Goldstein last night. It was well worth the effort, as he speaks so clearly and lucidly, and has such a gentle aura about him. I saw a lot of friends as well. A dharma talk is grounding. It reminds me of my path, which is comforting. He used an example of looking at the night sky, and identifying the Big Dipper, then looking and attempting to see the stars without that mental construct placed upon the sky. We "see" what we expect to see, but seeing things just as they are requires laying aside appearances and opening our eyes as if for the first time. I find the image lovely, simple and understandable. Without the press of everything we've been conditioned to expect, a whole new world is visible. We get little glimpses of this daily, but we often ignore that "suchness" and build a story around our experiences that actually works against us, prohibiting us from seeing what is so.
I know when I can drop my expectations, immediately I feel freed from my own limitations, and able to see the interconnectedness of all of us. This is why I practice meditation, and the benefit for me. But a little reminder of why I do what I do never hurts, and last night placed me in the center of my own intention. Oh, right, this stuff really works.
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