“The Natural Effect of Awareness” with Benjamin this Sunday at Minneapolis Insight

Dear Community,

Sunday 10am Community Practice & Discussion

This Sunday Benjamin will lead a practice and exploration of “The Natural Effect of Awareness,” based on Ajahn Amaro’s writing in his book Mind is What Matters (freely available here). Below is an excerpt from the last pages of the book (pp. 125 - 126):

Buddhist practice is thus a liberative science which ripens in a heartful, spacious unentangled participating of awareness in the world of people, actions and things. Vijjā and caraṇa, transcendent awareness and immanent action – being distinct aspects of the same actuality – are easefully, seamlessly harmonized as a result of this effort. Fully knowing and loving the world, the heart is not limited by it.

In order to embody the Dhamma in this way let awareness have its effect upon the field of experience, like the sun evaporating the dew of a grassy meadow in the morning, opening up the daisies that had closed at for the night. When the sun appears, the daisies open; it is a natural response. The dew doesn’t have to decide whether it is going to evaporate today or not. The daisies don’t have a committee meeting to decide if they are going to open.

Bring awareness to that stiff neck, that clenched jaw, that professional jealousy, that family conflict. Watch the effect of awareness on your tight shoulders – softening and relaxing. See how awareness affects your social situations, your work life, your relationships. There is no ‘I’ doing anything. The universe is self-adjusting; that is the natural effect of awareness itself.

We can align the heart with this organic process both in meditation and in our daily lives – business decisions, family crises, wedding planning, funeral planning, getting to the airport, meditation retreats. It can all flow and grow in the same way.

All are welcome to join this exploration on Sunday! Registration and Zoom information available here.

With mettā,
Minneapolis Insight