2022-09-09 The Dharma, Pt 2 (5 of 5) Being Available

3:11PM Sep 9, 2022

Speakers:

Gil Fronsdal

Keywords:

experience

freedom

dhamma

flattering

present

dharma

mind

grasp

wise

personally

tasted

reality

talking

visible

clinging

delusion

hanky

hand

shake

ideas

The last of the characters of the dhamma is that it's to be personally known by the wise or personally experienced by the wise, depending how the word is understood, but personally means directly immediately here. And I think it's very, hopefully encouraging and inspiring, that this dharma that we're doing is, is pointing to something very deeply personal, that the answer is found in us. That book to read is in our own hearts is here, that the teachings that are to be really followed are the ones that you find here personally, not necessarily by someone like me talking about it. These have these five characteristics of the dhamma that, that it's visible here, it's now it's inviting us to see its onward leading to be known by the wise, this is, in the ancient texts, this is the the exclamation, the inspired utterance of people who have really tasted the full potential of the practice for the first time, or have really experienced the full potential really never tasted, or this sense of how mindfulness how awareness can lead to kind of freedom in the midst of our life. We can experience that personal freedom here and now. And, and there's no more than there's confidence, there's no more doubt that this is what it is. So, so this whole expression of you know, the characteristics of the dhamma are, in fact something to be experienced by their wives to known by oneself to, to discover for oneself not to be taken as articles or faith or creed. But they're pointing to an experience something that's personal note and no known. But in order to do that, we have to be available for this experience of the present moment. We have to be available to experience to know something personally. And this ability to be available, to be receptive to be open to the at the clarity for experiencing what's happening here now, is not easy to come by. It's something that you know, whatever reason, this minds of ours minds of ours, so easily races ahead so easily is caught in his cycles of rumination is somewhat leaning forward into the next moment into the next moment. As soon as one thing is finished, we're already on to the next thing because of the momentum of that mind. And, and so the idea is to stop and be present. Many years ago, I had this analogy for this or a kind of, for myself, that when I was young, growing up in Europe, there was much more hanky handshaking than there is now. I think. But I remember that sometimes then when there was someone like a politician or someone who was somehow an important person, and was going around and shaking everyone's hands. There were a few times I experienced someone who would, as soon as their hand was in my hand to be shook. I already I felt the hand immediately went limp, because you could see their their body, their face, everything was already looking for the next person to shake hands with. And I was very unsatisfying, because there wasn't this little bit of firmness a little bit like the hair I am are connecting and present for you. And so the mind is like that sometimes that we're on ready for the next thing ready for the next thing and the kind of way we both grasp but something tightly and we don't grasp where we're grasping, but we don't really know.

In the Buddhist language and Buddhist teachings, what we grasp that is the concepts, the ideas, the fantasies, the dreams to delusions, imaginations of things, we don't really grab anything solid. And so they're very grabbing. nothing's as it is, keeps us going. And we're not available, not present not here for the experience. So, to make oneself a vessel for experiencing something deeply personal, to experience our life ourselves in some deeper way, that allows us to tap into what is really present here, visible here, that concepts, ideas, and stories are not exactly something worth seeing or not really seeing reality, really, they obscure it. But if you see how we get caught in thoughts with see how we get caught, and attachments and clings and aversions, that's where we begin seeing the dharma. Look at that, then without seeing, it's possible to see and find the alternative. But if we're so involved in greed, hate and delusion that we can't even see it, then there's no way but to stop and be available to even see that which is not flattering in ourselves, oh, look at that. And rather than being discouraged by what is not flattering about ourselves, in our minds, and our hearts and our dispositions, in the dharma, that's a source of encouragement, inspiration, not being inspired by what's not flattering, but be inspired. Oh, now that I know it, this is a stepping stone to freedom, I needed to know this. Of course, I needed to know this and see this. Now where's the freedom and part of the freedom is found in that seeing that recognition is part of that freedom is found in not succumbing or collapsing or being upset by what is not flattering the faults we have, or difficulties we have inside. See it, that's what it is. And then we start seeing getting a taste of the simultaneous freedom, the simultaneous way in which we're looking come and look, come and see the way that it's we see then a way forward, we're guided into that clarity guided into that more freedom, that more letting go. And then the more we experienced that non clinging, where we experienced that attention that's free and not clinging, not grasping, then the more we can just really be present in a full way for experience, we can have that handshake with reality, we're really there with it, the mind is not already going off to something else. And, and so to be available. And then to find a comment about this, for the Buddha, when he was talking about this, what it means this visible, it's here, it's come and look at it. It's onward leading and be experienced by the wise he wants and one that in explanation of all that he just kind of little bit changes seemingly change the subject. And he talks about not being involved in the conceits of feeling that you're better than others worse than others, or equal to others. We're not involved in the game and the ranking and the status of self. And so this freedom from comparing ourselves to others, that's part of this freedom that he's talking about available here and now and what a gift to give to others. The gift of not comparing not making ourselves worse or better than others, or even the complications of making ourselves equal. We don't play that comparison game. And that the gift to others is that they're allowed to be who they are. And we can be present for them in a full way we can shake their hands or the equivalent and really be there and present and give them the them that some kind of gift or freedom. So, to be personally experienced by the wise

may not be May you be a wise person. May you be available to experience this life in a deep way. And may that availability translate to a greater respect reverence care, love for others as well. And if you would like to have homework for these time that them away or the for the weekend, make yourself available for reality. Don't go ahead log into into it, make yourself available, kind of to let it come to you. Let reality find you, rather than you rushing into it. So thank you very much