Death came up as Tony’s teacher passed. Paul mentioned how devastated his partner was recently when a friend passed. When asked why she was so affected she concluded it just came too sudden. She couldn’t say good-bye! Tony conjectured that enlightened people cross over happily. They are ready to let go because they have been doing this all their lives.
Suzanne asked if we are able to face a difficult moment without much resistance. If the answer is yes, death may not be so difficult to face either.
Majid added that it is about attachment. We maybe able to let go of one activity but attachment follows us around. He added, “I am not as non-attached as I once thought I was.” Aren’t we all!
Exercise and body pain came up. Tony and Majid concluded they exercise to be in good shape through the ages.
Suzanne added that spirituality is about learning to live our life wholeheartedly without escaping. Some people even use spirituality to escape. Mindfulness about the body is key. Only when we are truly connected without body can be be truly connected with others. We are One.
Julie added that we have to feel well in order to be truly spiritual. A sick body can give us the feeling of being trapped inside.
Michael added that we need to be mindful of what we give energy too. Sometimes we first have to clean up the mess inside before we can be effective in the outside world.
I added that for me spirituality is about claiming abundance and waking up to the fear of scarcity. A healthy body gives us a feeling of having, a sick body communicates to us our fear of not having.
Charith added the fears of having a tiny existence. When we lose confidence, death can be very scary indeed. When we are confident, we can embrace it.
Suzanne remarked that we are scared of the unknown. That’s why we try to hold onto our body and our life. She observed how she clung to a popular form of therapy for her autistic son not because it was a good one but in fear that without it, she thought she would have to face his autism struggle just by herself.
I added a memory when my wife wanted to learn ice skating (she dropped it after the first lesson) but clung to the railing because she was afraid of falling. The teacher remarked dryly that in order to learn skating one has to let go of the support eventually! This is the trust of letting go!
Syed asked how we know the difference between giving up and letting go. Suzanne responded that we feel the energy difference. Giving up is frustrated energy, in letting go the motivation is not to get rid of something but about understanding what this energy of resistance is all about. Majid added that there has to be the awareness of attachment. Just be mindful!
As it turned out we started the discussion around death on the anniversary of J. Krishnamurti’s passing. He was 91 when he died of cancer. I remember reading that even on the day before leaving his body he went on his favorite walk up in the mountains. He strikes me as someone who was ready to face the next part of the spiritual journey.
Thanks everyone for participating. We have moved the discussion to meeting bi-weekly, our next discussion will be on spiritual pride. The zoom discussions are on Saturdays at 8am East coast time. Please let me know if you like to be added to the distribution list.
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