Jon Bernie, Well, I'd like to talk a little about meditation practice.
The reason for that is that I have ...I spent decades doing intensive meditation practice
and I will say I don't regret one minute of it.
I learned a tremendous amount.
And it was very important for my development.
Many people today, particularly if they are exploring the nondual teachings and experience,
often have questions about meditation practice.
People are often concerned that if they're "doing" a meditation practice, that they are
going to strengthen a "doer."
There is someone that is meditating, in other words.
And they are worried that why can't they just be awareness?
Why meditate?
Right?
Again, I love what Jean Klein said, he said, "When there is no one taking themselves to
be a meditator, meditation is happening."
So the essence of meditation is not being a meditator.
Being a meditator is the identity of being a meditator.
That's what that is.
Ok?
So anything that anyone "does" so to speak, which they are identified with, is going to
strengthen identity.
So it isn't the practices in and of themselves that is the issue, at all.
So it's possible to sit down, and to get quiet, and to follow one's breath, so to speak, or
to follow the breath, to be available to the body sensations and emotions and thoughts
and so forth, and not in any way shape or form strengthen the doer.
Or the ego.
However, one can do all of those things and strengthen the doer.
How does one know the difference between whether one is getting more identified or one is actually
facilitating freedom?
The answer quite simply is whether one is contracting or expanding.
And once one has discovered awareness that difference becomes obvious.
And once that difference between becomes obvious, it doesn't even matter if the contraction
comes in because one will see it immediately.
"Oh, there's the contraction."
In fact one begins to welcome the contraction.
One begins to look forward to having one's buttons pushed.
One stops avoiding the reactions and actually enjoys them.
Because when one brings awareness to their reactions, all of a sudden, they are freed
up and there is all this energy present.
So, meditation practice without strengthening the doer, actually can be a tremendous benefit
to the nervous system, for physical health, also for clearing the energetic channels in
the body -- the so-called meridians, the energy meridians.
Very important.
The practices of yoga and all these difference practices that can actually really clear the
energy system --they become very important because one somebody starts opening and awakening,
often their energy fields can get highly amplified.
And if they haven't done these kinds of practices, their body can have all kinds of problems
and reactions.
Tremendous problems.
So, these practices actually can really build a foundation if really understood and practiced
in a way that does not strengthen a kind of doer, can really create the field for really
tremendous groundedness and stability.
And one can handle transformation.
Often people have awakening and they can't handle it.
Their physical body can become very de-stabilized.
Right?
And so these practices actually -- there is a reason people discovered these practices.
I often say that mindfulness and meditation were discovered AFTER enlightenment, not before.
Because they were needed, they were required to be able to handle tremendous amounts of
energy and vitality.