November 15, 2023
The Addiction of Resistance
La adicción a la resistencia
A meditation and dialogue exploring how subtle resistance to present experience generates a self-reinforcing loop of narrative, emotion, and victimhood that sustains the sense of self. The teacher points to the choice underlying suffering, the futility of trying to neutralize what is already happening, and the faith required to question the assumptions that structure our identity and relationships.
dialogue
The Addiction of Resistance
A dialogue about recognizing the subtle, self-chosen nature of dissatisfaction, and how resistance to present experience creates a loop of narrative, emotion, and victimhood that obscures our inherent freedom.
dialogue
Letting It Sit There
A student describes a day of intense emotional dysregulation triggered by a childhood wound, and the teacher responds with a reflection on the futility of trying to neutralize what is already being experienced.
dialogue
The Fist and the Fear of Dissolving
A question arises about whether resistance to suffering is itself part of the same self-referential loop, prompting the teacher to illustrate how contraction creates a sense of self and why releasing it feels threatening.
teaching
Inner Integrity and the One Who Experiences
A reflection on how inner honesty reveals that whatever we experience, including the body and thoughts, cannot be what we fundamentally are.
dialogue
Structure and Flow Are Not Two Things
A question about navigating the tension between maintaining stable relationships and honoring the natural flow of experience, and whether deconstructing personal narratives might dissolve the structures that hold life together.
dialogue
Bigger Dreams Than You Think
A student shares a dream about an unexpected encounter with a famous person, prompting a reflection on the nature of deep desire and the fear that arises when contemplating what the universe may truly want for us.
dialogue
Lonely at the Top
A reflection on the connection between pursuing one's deepest desires and the loneliness that can accompany that pursuit.