4. Living with Balance and Intention

Chapter 4 of “A Trackless Path I

[…] in touch with all of that material. Claudia: Exactly. Ken: Yes. So I don’t think we’re really saying different things here. Because one of the characteristics of reactive patterns is they create imbalances. Claudia: Yes, that’s true but it is my experience that [Ken and student chuckling]…don’t laugh before I get it out. That those […]

4. Living with Balance and Intention

4. Compassion: Opening to Heartbreak

Chapter 4 of “Four Immeasurables

[…] we? Molly: Nothing. Ken: And in being nothing? Molly: We have no self. Ken: Yes. And in being nothing, we are? Molly: Then we don’t have these reactive patterns I guess. Ken: Now you’re being very logical. If I am nothing, if I am no thing, what’s all this? It doesn’t go away, does it? […]

4. Compassion: Opening to Heartbreak

2. The Groundwork of Chö

Chapter 2 of “Chö: Cutting Through the Thickets of Thinking

[…] the original meaning of dakini was something that trapped you in reactive patterns. And in buddhism it became a symbol of when you woke up in that reactive pattern you had all of the energy of the reactivity but now it didn’t trap. It opened, and you’re awake. So it became a symbol of that […]

2. The Groundwork of Chö

2. Stability and Support: The Earth Dakini

Chapter 2 of “Five Elements Five Dakinis

[…] the case, but this is how we relate to things: “See what you made me do.” No. Everything we do, everything we do, comes either because a reactive pattern has taken over and we’re doing it, or because we decide to. And taking that responsibility is very, very important. And I know all of you […]

2. Stability and Support: The Earth Dakini

7. Nothing Can Alter Awakened Compassion

Chapter 7 of “The Jewel in the Lotus

[…] happen. You have to experience this stuff, because the only way we become clear is by experiencing the unreleased emotion that is at the core of every reactive pattern. And when we’re very heavily defended against those, then we are going to be going through those defenses. And when you go through those defenses, you […]

7. Nothing Can Alter Awakened Compassion

3. Creating Conditions for Experience to Release Naturally

Chapter 3 of “The Jewel in the Lotus

[…] awakened compassion. Well, when you really do this, what do you experience? All of those parts of you that weren’t really comfortable. As you were saying, Catherine, reactive patterns come up. Because this is very direct, how intensely do the reactive patterns come up? [Unrecorded] Well, they are. And so if you do not have […]

3.  Creating Conditions for Experience to Release Naturally

9. Nothing Left Out: Meeting Every Experience

Chapter 9 of “Mahayana Mind Training

[…] we’re trying to control our experiences, could you say that one more time? Ken: What, what? Student: When we’re trying to control our experiences, we …[unclear] our reactive patterns? Ken: We’re invested in; we’re projecting a reality on the world. You know, making things real rather than … I mean you experienced this during the […]

9. Nothing Left Out: Meeting Every Experience

9. Living the Elements: Finding Balance

Chapter 9 of “Five Elements Five Dakinis

[…] the meditation that we didn’t do. Which you may be interested in doing on your own. Which will take you into much deeper understanding of how the reactive patterns limit you, and also open up ways of moving in different directions. And this is on page 232 and 233 [in Wake Up to Your Life] […]

9. Living the Elements: Finding Balance

3. Mind Without Reference

Chapter 3 of “Ganges Mahamudra: Tilopa’s Pith Instructions to Naropa

[…] sword, the Zen master says, “That’s hell.” “Ah.” And then the Zen master said, “And that’s heaven.” [Laughter] So every moment of our lives, every time a reactive emotion comes up, we’re in one of the realms. So, how many of you experienced anger today? How many of you experienced jealousy? Oh, I don’t […]

3. Mind Without Reference

8. The Ritual of Becoming

Chapter 8 of “The Jewel in the Lotus

[…] just open it up, even if it’s only opening up a little fraction of a second longer. That’s very important. Then the two obscurations are: obscurations of reactive emotions and obscurations of conceptual knowing. And there are many, many practices that we do to clear away the obscuration of reactive emotions. And the way […]

8. The Ritual of Becoming

5. Clues and Challenges

Chapter 5 of “Finding the Way

[…] going to get it through your intellect. In fact, speaking personally, I found my intellect an exceedingly unreliable tool because it is almost always in service of reactive patterns. I have found my intellect an exceedingly unreliable tool because it is almost always in service of reactive patterns. A friend of mine, a very good […]

5. Clues and Challenges

7. Work Out Your Own Freedom

Chapter 7 of “Releasing Emotional Reactions

[…] in every part of your life, move into what you’re experiencing using any of the techniques that we’ve discussed this retreat. Sam? Sam: You’re experiencing fully the reactive emotion of fear, since human being is a creature of [unclear] the associative fear is the logical consequences. Ken: Yes. Sam: [Unclear] imagine the worst possibility, […]

7. Work Out Your Own Freedom