Abiding by my new year’s resolution, I attended yesterday’s Sunday sit at my sangha. It felt good sitting with others. It is one thing practicing at home in the solitude of my office, and quite another to feel the collective energy of many all engaged in sitting still. Gil was not feeling well, so David Cohn gave the talk in his place. The topic was the hindrances. David regifted one of the gift he had received from Gil during a retreat, in the form of a simile. It went like this:
Imagine you are in a dark room. There is a carrousel with different horses going around, and people jumping on and off. Some horses are splendid, and everyone wants to be on them but the ride does not last. Others have a pitiful, scared look, and some folks get on them unwittingly and may get stuck riding forever. Same with those riding horses filled with aggressive, fiery energy. The carrousel keeps going round and round, and people keep jumping on and off the different horses.
Some people become aware of the unsatisfactory nature of the whole journey and started investigating the dark room. Some may look long enough, or may be fortunate enough to find a door leading to the outside. Venturing in the open air, they can see light at last and begin experience a new way of being, more peaceful and free. In the process, they meet others like minded souls. The pull from the dark room may be too strong though and some may return to the dark room with the not so merry go round.
I feel so fortunate that I can tell the dark from the light, and that I have been pulled back into practice and seeing the light many times. Synchronicity often comes along the mindful path. This morning, on the way from Caltrain station to the office, I passed by this carrousel:
The fact did not get lost on me that I was on the outside looking in . . .
Silicon Valley Nun 