Did you know that the ego needs conflict to function well,
The good and bad,
Right or wrong,
This or that?
And that it explains why we continue to look for peace but can't find it because we're not looking in the right place.
We say we want happiness but we are trained to live in the past and the future.
And so in this talk and meditation we're going to explore what it means to live in the nowness of what's real now,
What's true now.
And you've met a person who just functions in what seems to be unhappiness and I want to inspire you to forgive them because they're not trained in this exquisite seat of the present,
What's true in the moment.
And the role they play actually is to signify that the ego is a state of non-surrender.
It's a state where there's not this quality,
This qualia of present awareness.
It's a state of forcing and a state of past and future.
And there's nothing personal about this.
It's not who they are,
It's not who you are and it's not who I am.
We are truly present awareness when the ego recedes,
When the intellect relaxes and we commit to a presence.
And what is the secret to this?
How does one do that,
Especially during the day or at work?
And it's really the arising and accepting completely of what is that can dissolve resistance.
And it may be something bad,
It may be something unfair,
It may be something cruel,
But when one can sit in true presence with it,
The resistance dissolves.
It doesn't mean that you're not an activist to fight for justice,
To fight for righteousness,
But do that from a place of true presence,
Of true nowness.
Oh,
This is what's true.
The arising,
I feel anger,
That is true.
I'm sitting with and I'm letting that energy move through me.
Oh,
I don't want to be hooked into like a puppet past or future and spinning in my mind negatively about how could that person have done that to me?
That is the habit of the habitual mind.
And so the practice is to see and feel what's real in the moment,
Especially in your own body,
Especially as emotions rise up,
Like grief and sorrow and anger,
And let those be real,
Let those be true.
But then feel them energetically,
What I call sensually,
Sensory,
Feel the heat rise in your body,
Your pulse rise,
Feel what anger is,
And then be with that realness.
But let go of the story,
Let go of the story,
Be with what's real and true now.
And then at the right time,
Act upon it,
Do the right action with kindness,
With clarity,
With nonviolence,
Be an activist like I am.
And so what we're going to do now,
I want us to sit for just a few minutes and come inside and really be with what is.
And so close your eyes,
Please,
And turn off your phone.
And with your feet on the ground and your hands in your lap,
And you're without a strained back or anything,
Just cool into that internal familiar terrain,
Your internal home,
What I call your home base.
And just feel your body,
That is the fastest way to be with what is.
Are you upset about something?
Are you stressed?
Are you anxious?
Or are you feeling more calm,
More present?
Just be with this.
I want you to fall in love with what is in your body.
And if you feel pain in your body somewhere,
I want you to go and nourish it and nurture it and love it and give it attention,
The kind attention it deserves so that it has a chance to unwind,
To relax,
To let you allow it to be where it is.
Feel your body.
Feel your emotions.
Feel your body.
Feel your emotions.
Observe.
Don't control anything.
Don't disregard your physical sensations or your words.
Don't control your emotions.
Let them be true and authentic.
What are you feeling?
This is what is real.
Tantra is the rising of experience,
The spark of life in this moment and this moment and this moment.
What are you feeling?
What is real right now?
Feel it.
Don't talk about it.
Just observe.
When you feel ready now,
I want you just to take a slightly deeper breath in.
Let your shoulders drop and your belly drop and move your fingers and toes a little.
And as you come out of meditation,
I want to invite you to practice this quality throughout your day.
What is real and true?
What is now?
What is present?
Not what you want it to be.
Not what it should be.
Let all emotions express itself.
None are incorrect or wrong.
Observe.
Observe.
Don't have to act on anything.
Freedom is being present now and not imprisoned in the past or future.
With joy,
The absolute sensual sensory joy is the arising of experience now.
With that,
I bow to you and we'll see you soon.
