Worthwhile Excerpts

Something my yoga teacher sent, try the homework after reading what Eknath Easwaran said:

Philosophy
This week in class we are considering the topic “Meditation is Drilling.”

After a lot of sustained, systematic effort in meditation, we may finally succeed in breaking through the surface crust of
consciousness. What lies below is the unconscious, which has many layers - strata on strata deposited by habits of thinking
and acting, little by little, every day of our life. Drilling through these strata in meditation means overcoming limitations, all
the obstacles created by self-will: the fierce, driving compulsion to have our own way, get what we want, stamp ourselves
separate from the rest of life. The biggest leap in meditation comes when we run headlong and throw ourselves over the rim
of all duality to land in the unitive state, where nothing is separate. This state is shanti, perfect peace.

- Eknath Easwaran

The homework is to notice when you have thoughts or behaviors that create the feeling of being separate from the rest of the
world. Noticing when your self-will encourages you to entertain these ideas or actions is the first step towards taking the big
leap towards unity.

Worthwhile Excerpts

Something Frank Said:

the mind is like a rushing stream. and there's all kinds of sediment in it. and i find myself getting caught up trying to grab hold of this or that piece of thought dirt as it rushes past. what i try to do in meditation is realize that this grasping is fruitless, and just let the sediment rush as it will down the river.