At the still point of
the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
~ T.S.Eliot
"Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the Creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists. I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The Creator and the creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing — until there is only ... the dance."
Dance In the Awakened StateThe wonderful thing about an evening of dancing is that we can experience hundreds of moments of freshness, one after another, all night long. This open heartedness is "the vibe" that we all share and love.Those moments when we are dancing at our most ecstatic and spontaneous best are moments without ego. These are moments of experiencing basic goodness. This is what we are cultivating while dancing. We can begin to notice moments of open awareness on a regular basis. It is possible to remain undistracted from fresh awareness for longer and longer periods of time, more and more often. If we find that the attempt to remain in contact with basic goodness becomes a "thing", the best approach is to forget about it for a while. Freshness will find us again all by itself. Real meditation is effortless and spontaneous. We just need to be open to it. As time goes on we can discover that the awareness of basic goodness has its own stability and its own strength. It is possible to get used to the awakened state and remain undistractedly and keenly aware without any special effort on our part. "In this moment, when past thought has gone and
future thought has not yet come, do not reconnect
to any thought... Be awake, vibrant, crystal-clear,
fully present."
Dance and meditation come together in the experience of absolute spontaneity! When we are completely in tune with the music, not a thought in our mind, and no idea where the next beat will take us, then we are in touch with our own spontaneous perfection. This is dance as a spiritual path to enlightenment. The real awakened state is non-dual. There is no "us" meditating on something external. In fact there is no "meditation" per se. Just real openness. No conceptual thought. Dance in the brilliant space of nowness! We can still walk, talk, and dance in the state of openness, but with a difference. All activities are completely spontaneous and leave no trace. This is real egolessness for as short or as long as it lasts: two seconds, two minutes, or two hours. We may discover that we *like* the awakened state and prefer it to the claustrophobia of our habitual ego conceptualization. Vividness is its own reward! We can choose openness moment by moment. |
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![]() Stabilize the Awakened StateNow that we have discovered that our favorite activity is in fact a cutting edge spiritual discipline, where do we go from here? We need to bring the awareness of basic goodness into our everyday life and into our relationships with others. There is one thing which is always the same whether we are partying, doing the dishes or making love. Freshness is always fresh! Goodness is always good. Openness is always open. This is the continuity of the awakened state, always available, never changing. The spiritual path is the lifelong process of becoming stable in experiencing the continuity of the awakened state. It is possible to remain in undistracted freshness all day long. This is the state of complete enlightenment, buddhahood. Many thousands of people have arrived at total freedom in this way. That is what I am working on. You can do it too. The awakened state is peace. When we are not in a state of claustrophobia and suffering, there is less conflict within ourselves and with other people. The awakened state is love. We can clearly see how others are tormented by their ego fixations. We have a natural inclination to help them wake up and become free of obsession. We care for others one act of kindness at a time. The awakened state is unity. Ego is based on duality. Me and mine, us and them. When ego oriented conceptualizing ceases, there is no them. There is only us. We are all in this together. By changing ourselves, we are already changing our world. The awakened state is respect. We clearly see that every single person possesses basic goodness and is worthy of respect. We can respect the diversity of human experience rather than judge others based on a narrow view. The awakened state is sacred outlook. It is impossible to discover the awakened state and not feel awe and gratitude for everyone and everything that we come into contact with. The world is full of vivid and beautiful sights and sounds and amazingly sweet and open people. We are all so lucky to be alive! The awakened state is the vibe. The shared experience of openness and unity while dancing is a celebration of the awakened state! This is a special group meditation practice that happens whenever a party goes off. The awakened state is enlightened society. If enough people hold the view of basic goodness and dedicate themselves to building a better world on a moment to moment basis then our world definitely will become a more compassionate and meaningful experience for everyone. Visit our resources page. |
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![]() ResourcesHere are some additional resources for your reading pleasure.Avoid weekenditis! Bring your meditation practice into your home, your workplace and your relationships. Meditate anywhere anytime! Here are a series of meditation exercises using our senses to connect with freshness. If you would like a deeper understanding of the spiritual path and meditation read these really amazing books. A few links to interesting sites and more links. This site is about changing how we experience ourselves and how we treat one another. If this has been useful to you, take the time to tell your friends about it! One by one we can each make a real difference for every person we meet. Here is a little bit about Katherine and myself. John is a database designer and programmer. Check out Katherine's silk ripple scarves and beaded silk necklaces with directions on how to steam silk paintings! We are both students of Mingyur Rinpoche. Write to us any time. Here are some very interesting and insightful reader comments. Peace! John Gorman
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LinksLet me know of compatible sites that I can exchange links with. Write to John Gorman <!-- nospam_please("innerrave.org","jgorman") //--> <jgorman@innerrave.org> Imperial DubKatherine and I are big fans of Dub Tribe.The first time that we heard their song You are beautiful, you are perfect, just the way you are! brought tears to our eyes. My hair stood on end! This is exactly the view of basic goodness expressed in this site. Dub Tribe is special because they have something real to say, and they are not afraid to say it. They are the main view holders for the dance community and they have touched many people with their message. HyperrealThe Spirit of Raving & ArchivesPundarika FoundationVen. Tsoknyi Rinpoche's site. He wrote Carefree Dignity. Try to attend a retreat which includes an "Introduction to the Nature of Mind". The Tibetan word for this is "rigpa". This site calls it "freshness".Chokling TersarThe family lineage of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche who wrote As It Is Volume II. His sons Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche and Ch�kyi Nyima Rinpoche teach widely, a remarkable opportunity to connect with Dzogchen, the most profound view.Shambhala InternationalShambhala International was founded by Ch�gyam Trungpa Rinpoche who wrote Shambhala The Sacred Path of the Warrior. His son Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche is the holder of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage and wrote the current best seller Turning the Mind Into an Ally. There are 150 meditation centers and groups around the world.The Good Drugs GuideThe Vaults of ErowidAnyone who wants to use dance as a spiritual path needs to treat their body and mind with complete respect.Don't use drugs to get "fucked up" or as an escape from awareness. Know your drug facts. Know your own personal limitations. Just say know! For example, did you know that most pills contain speed?
Or that crystal meth is highly addictive and spiritually
destructive? Don't burn out - dance without! |
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