“I am done with great things and big things, great institutions and big success, and I am for those tiny invisible molecular moral forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, yet which if you give them time, will rend the hardest monuments of man's pride.”
-- William James

Gasshō,

Thank you for your patience concerning the Practice Opportunity I offered several moons ago. When I made the suggestion that serious students practice together for a twelve-month period in four three-month increments, it arose in response to what I saw as an increase in intellectual understanding of spiritual experiences—such as being present, now, in the moment—with little corresponding focus on the practice of these experiences. My concern was/is that such a focus on “understanding” opens a huge doorway for self-hate:

 “You know you need to let go of everything and be in the now, but you just don’t do it,” says an accusing voice in the head.
“But I can’t do it,” moans the sincere, hard-working recipient of the abuse.
“You could if you wanted to,” snarls the voice, “you have no one to blame for the miserable condition of your life but yourself!”

So, I thought, let’s throw a giant helping of conscious, compassionate awareness, support, Sangha, and communication into the mix. Starting this fall, let’s get together, work together, and see together exactly how conditioned mind keeps us from being present to the joy that is life and, instead, keeps us mired in self-doubt, fear, guilt, and hopelessness. A good practice opportunity!

On the way to getting that project rolling, another was offered—Onething—the Onething revolution. Suddenly the Practice Opportunity was growing and changing into something new and different, or so it would seem at first glance. Blessedly, it is now coming together in a comprehensible way.

Here is where we are. Zazengo, our Onething partner, is making changes to their site that will be more in keeping with what organizations such as ours want to accomplish. In the interim, we are moving ahead in the hope that we will all be ready at the same time. However, I don’t want to hold up people who are ready to take on a deeper Practice Opportunity right now, even though it is summer and I will be in Zambia. Here are my proposals for interim steps.

Many of you have sent in your Onething commitment. Soon we will be able to put those Onething commitments directly on the Zazengo site. In the meantime, if you have not sent in your Onething you may do so at LivingCompassion.org. And, we’ve arranged for anyone who would like to do so to send a 5 second “I’m gonna…” video. The concept is simple: get a camera that will film video, make sure the lighting is good and the sound can be heard, then film yourself, friends, family, co-workers, or anyone who will stand still on the street long enough to do so saying, “I’m gonna…” followed by what they are committing to do. It need not be something new or different from what they are already doing. It’s just adding the commitment via video to a growing group of folks around the world doing their Onething. Let them know that soon they will be able to see themselves declaring their Onething on the Zazengo site.

To send us your video file, you can use a free service call YouSendIt. Go to:  YouSendIt.com. There you will be prompted to enter an email address to send to. You can enter  onething@livingcompassion.org. Note that it is for the Onething video project and then click Browse to locate the file on your computer. If you wish to send a CD, DVD or tape, please send it to Onething Video Team, 385 Pinewood Circle, Athens, GA  30606.

As we’re proceeding, please look to see what you are going to take on when the larger, three-month Practice Opportunity begins in the fall. This might be an extension or expansion of your current Onething, or it might be something entirely different. Remember the original description was:

“This will be meant to threaten, push, and generally bring to the forefront of conscious awareness the survival system of egocentric karmic conditioning and self-hatred that keeps you in whatever level of suffering you currently inhabit. In each segment you will be doing something that is a stretch for you. It will be something you've always been interested in doing but the voices would never let you attempt, let alone complete and feel good about. Coming up with the project will be the first phase, and we will all work on that together.”

On this end, we will set up a conference call to discuss the resistance that arises when we attempt to step outside conditioning’s comfort zone. I am going to make every effort to get an email exchange arranged before I leave for Zambia on June 25. It will be quite simple, on the order of: I will ask you to send in what is arising as you consider this whole project/commitment (25 words or less); I will go through and remove all repetitions (as with a regular email class); comment as possible; and send the conversation out to the whole “class.” While I’m away I will ask one of the folks remaining stateside to keep the communication going until I return the first part of August.

Be sure you have sent in your information (name, email address, phone number) if you want to participate. This will be the last time we will open up this particular opportunity to the whole Living Compassion/Zen Monastery Peace Center mailing list. So if you are 1) serious about ending suffering, and 2) know you need more consistent support than you’re able to find for yourself, get your contact information to us.

When I suggested this practice adventure I mentioned there would be a $500.00 charge for each of the three-month segments, to be returned incrementally as each month of the program was completed—with full participation!—until, in the end, the whole amount would come to you with an invitation to return it all, or as much as you would choose, to Living Compassion as a donation for the work. But this is a pre-class class so we won’t begin that other financial arrangement until we start the first three-month period in the fall. This session will be by donation, and so, in keeping with being people who are serious about ending suffering, please send us the most generous donation you can manage to support these efforts. Identify your donation as “for Practice Opportunity.”

<-BACK TO ABOUT CHERI