This talk references teachings from the writings of Carlos Castaneda and material from the book The Five Invitations by Frank Ostaseski. Holding on to things goes against nature since everything ends. In our culture, we seek to have death affect us as little as possible. Another option is to look at and show up for death when it crosses our path so that it informs our lives. If we push death away, transformation is not possible. Suzuki Roshi said, “We die, and we do not die.” How are we to understand this? On one level we are terrified of death and on another we encourage it. We can practice with little deaths, with accepting what is, relaxing ego, and acting as needed every day. Stories are recounted which illustrate the five invitations: don’t wait, welcome everything, bring your whole self, find a place of rest in the middle of things, and cultivate don’t know mind. Any consideration about avoiding dying raises the consideration of avoiding living. Our problem is that we think we have time. Are we holding on to something which keeps us from forgiving? How do we hold back from giving our whole self to life? Through loss, feelings of love become transformative. When we surrender to grief, we learn to give ourselves to life. People who are dying offer us a great gift. It’s too important to wait until the last moment to contemplate the mystery of death. VJ is the organizer of the Western Baul Podcast Series and author of Shadow on the Path and Father and Son.
Timing Is Everything: Opening to Windows of Opportunity in Life and on the Path (Vijaya Fedorschak)
Fourth Way Magic: How Hermetic and Indigenous Traditions Interface with the Gurdjieff Work (Rob Schmidt and Stuart Goodnick)
Stop the World, I Want to Get Off (Regina Sara Ryan)
Basic Trust: The Soul’s Key to Being (Peter Cohen)
Kneel and Kiss the Ground: The Poetics of Presence and Purpose (Mary Angelon Young)
Do You Want to Be Right or Do You Want to Be in Relationship? (Matthew Files)
The Benefit of Good Company on the Spiritual Path (Tom Lennon)
War: What Is It Good For? (Bandhu Dunham)
Cultivating Spiritual Maturity: An Honest Look at Our Commitments (Lalitha)
Writing as a Transformational Path (Mary Angelon Young and Regina Sara Ryan)
Living From Paradox (Juanita Violini)
Hospitality: The Practice and the Art (Regina Sara Ryan)
Grace and Mercy: Return of the Goddess (Angelon Young)
Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For... Why? (Matthew Files)
Giving Ourselves to Love (Nachama Greenwald)
Nonduality: Speaking the Unspeakable (Peter Cohen)
Know Your Character: Who’s Running the Show? (Elise Erro/e.e.)
Awakening Conscience: The Potential Value of Not Expressing or Suppressing Negative Emotions (Panel Discussion with Red Hawk, Clelia Lewis, and VJ Fedorschak)
Being Where We Are: Grounding Spiritual Teaching in the Body (Bandhu Dunham)
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