“We are here to use everything in our experience to see how we cause ourselves to suffer so we can drop that and end suffering.”
-- Daily Recollection
This line is where I have been directing my attention, with a special emphasis on the word “everything.” Egocentric karmic conditioning/self-hate will use everything, so the only response is for me to allow everything in my experience to see how that happens and return to presence.
The Mentor says, “Yes, this is the way.” So now I have a partner to practice with this and have my own experience. Conditioning says, “Look here -- you’re a bad father; why did you say that? How is it responsible to just come back to center and do nothing? Make a decision! How could you have made that mistake?? Why aren’t you like that person over there? ….” And on and on.
So regardless of the content, when I see I’m identified, I follow the teachings, drop it, get back here, and, well, that’s it.
Conditioning screams. Drop it.
Conditioning says a feeling is stress. Drop it.
Any conversation. Drop it.
Then have my own experience. Huh. Nothing wrong.
But what about the content? Still, nothing wrong.
Can this work for everything? I don’t know. And I’m finding the willingness to check it out.
Gasshō
Bob K.