Dear Community,

For 10 years I've been gathering communities in circles. In all honesty, I am fascinated by real-time, unedited humans. I am in awe of how we attract and repel; of how we differ and how we are the same. I am curious about the ways we show up, consciously and unconsciously. Why Buddhism for context within our way of the circle? Because at its deepest level, Buddhist practice is not primarily about improving our lives, or getting better at anything. Simpler yet, it is our life. It’s about being completely who we are, where we are, when we are and all on the spot. For me, these teachings and embodied practices have validated that life is an invitation to live in raw devotion instead of performance. 

A spiritual journey and its investigative process is entirely personal. What's next in our practice? What should we work on or who should we work with? No one can answer these questions for us. I cannot say with real accuracy what it is for you to be completely who you are, and vice versa. We can recognize a sense of enlightened ease and authenticity in each other, but that’s only after the fact. I don’t know with any real accuracy what’s keeping you from being completely here, completely now. I may be able to guess, but truly only you can find out. The tools, teachings and practices facilitate this process of personal discovery, but mastering them is not the point. That would be like someone in martial arts memorizing all the proper forms but lacking the integration and spirit to embody them and make them effective when necessary.

Buddhism can seem frustratingly simple: we are given the ideal of basic goodness (an innately noble heart of loving-kindness, compassion, empathy and joy), and a set of tools that will help us realize that goodness. Then, from the moment we begin conscious practice to the moment we achieve perfect enlightenment, it’s completely up to us. Anytime we wonder what to do next, we have to ask ourselves what is still standing in the way of our manifesting basic goodness. What drains us or keeps us stuck? What continues to make us angry, anxious or depressed? What keeps us from practicing generosity the way we aspire to? What keeps us from appreciating the simple fullness of this moment? The list of such questions goes on, infinitely... one obstacle to our enlightenment emerging after another, we learn to turn toward it and practice with it. 

This practice itself is also not linear; it's living, breathing and dynamic which makes development or progress not so obvious. It's subtle and intimate in the way it entangles within our lives and relationships. It seeps into the layers of our being: body, energies, mind, intuition and consciousness. Perception and perspective, personal and universal, up close and far away, micro and macro... We have enough human data that we can observe landmarks on the greater map of our individual and collective lives. For this reason, we are studying the gorgeous *Zen Ox-Herding images and verses which are just one of many depictions of the spiritual path.

At the onset, we might feel called to investigate this life to see what more there is to it. We might begin to inquire whether there is another way - a way to live more freely, with more authenticity and more energy. What is it that we are seeking? We aren't quite sure. All we know is that we have a sense of separateness, loss or of feeling incomplete and we can't help but want to get up and out to find some clarity. We search, without a clue as to what the thing we seek looks like or whether it even really exists. With wholehearted determination and a little help from the universe, we stumble upon some very real and experiential evidence that the object of our search does actually exist. We gain some motivation and insight of how we might find it but not without an oscillation of enthusiasm and doubt, confidence and apathy. It's exhilarating to find traces and it's easy to fall into skepticism, retreating back to what is familiar, even if what's known is increasingly uncomfortable. 

Then a flash of insight. A direct experience that, to us, makes all the difference and penetrates on a cellular level. It's beyond words; we can't quite describe it despite trying. There's a shift, a new view - it may be that a habit dissolves or sets us free in some way. We've changed and our intuition around the truth can become so strong that we are moved to tears. The third landmark on the path presents us with an unshakable affirming nod that we are going the right way. Progressing this far, we gain determination and patience that we did not have prior. We are willing to practice more diligently and with greater enthusiasm. We are ready to ask harder questions to motivate toward more difficult truths – without demanding immediate pay-off (most of the time). 

Intellect isn't enough. These teachings come to life through our lives and via our intimate way of the circle. Presence, space holding, listening, sharing, emoting... practicing. It's a beautiful thing that sparks real hope. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. 

In reverence,

Meg Lucks

El Getsu Endō | "Brilliant Moon, Way of the Circle"

Lay-Ordained, Abiding Guide

The Heart Revival Center for Yoga

*March through December we look to the Buddhist Ox-Herding images and their corresponding verses as an artistic illustration of the student on the path. While we will look at them 1 through 10, it's important to note that they are not linear nor hierarchical. They are helpers in our active practice of listening to the heart. We can gaze upon an image or hear the poetic lines and compare them to our lived experiences, with the intention to expand from a narrow mind to a limitless beginner's mind. In the spirit of for now, we can practice taking up what helps and letting go of what does not. We can practice listening to each other, holding space as a living, breathing dynamic, instead of fueling beliefs and patterns that divide, compare and diminish. My intention for our community is to create the ecology (container, context and content) for inner seeing and empowerment to come alive and ultimately bridge the gap between spiritual practice and daily life. www.theheartrevival.com/news