After an overview of ten aspects of the transformation of the ordinary habitual mind, and a review of the first, examining how thinking is transformed, we look at (1) the nature of contemporary habitual experience of the body, (2) the nature of the awakened experience of the body, and (3) how we practice to enact this transformation, particularly focusing on various aspects of mindfulness of the body.
After an overview of ten aspects of the transformation of the habitual mind, we start with the first, examining how thinking is transformed. We look at (1) the nature of habitual thinking, with some attention to contemporary conditioning, (2) how such habitual thinking is transformed, and (3) how we practice to enact this transformation.
We explore the nature of the spiritual journey, using three reference points: (1) Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Journey”; (2) the life of the Buddha; and (3) the experiences of our own journeys. The journey goes from taking life for granted through questioning, looking for something deeper, leaving the habitual, going through challenges and “purification,” awakening, and then a return.
As we are poised to return from one or two months of practice, we consider a number of supports for continuing our practice in all the parts of our life, whether more individual, more relational, or more collective, including the archetype of the Bodhisattva, which can inspire us to connect inner and outer practice.
