Observing Yourself and Your Practice

Posted February 23rd, 2010 by Daniel Doen Silberberg

Observing ourselves can be difficult.  Often we find that observing ourselves throws us into a state where we doubt ourselves, we dislike what we see.  We identify with the negative aspects of ourselves instead of just seeing them and forget that we are perfect and complete to begin with.

Clarifying and embodying that perfection, that “Lost Coin”,  is our practice. Still we get lost in the woods. The woods are what we are observing – so we can get out – so we can find home.

Most of us enjoy amusing  stories about other peoples struggles with themselves, their practice, their teachers. Stories about getting stuck, but it’s something altogether different when we look at where we’re stuck. We don’t think that is so funny.

We can take a look at the places where we are stuck, even though it can be hard and try not to be too hard on ourselves in the process.  When you practice just try to see yourself, see yourself being right or angry or feeling like a victim or whatever your mechanical tendency is.

Try to think of it like being an athlete:  a tennis player might observe that she has a weak backhand.  Her opponent will always hit to her backhand, but if she sees that’s a weak spot that is very important – she can work on it.

We all have a weak backhand, whatever it is, and that’s what we called the Chief Feature – the default behaviors and perceptions. This does not change the fact that we are perfect and compete. Even what we see as our greatest failings are part of the perfection. Becoming conscious of these area clarifies that perfection.

We can find that weak backhand and really look at it.  Do it objectively, do it repeatedly, and don’t be too self-critical.  Just seeing it, becoming conscious of it is our practice. Certain weeds only grow in the dark.

Photo by Kamal H.

Tags: chief feature, mechanical, self-observation, tennis

Lost Something

Posted August 29th, 2009 by Daniel Doen Silberberg

photo credit: Flowery *L*u*z*a*

In Lost Coin practice we talk about actions being “mechanical” happening on their own, without consciousness. It seems negative but it really isn’t. Because we are mechanical we have a wonderful opportunity for freedom. We do so much asleep imagine what we would do and realize if we just began to awake.

We have heard this  requires, knowledge, practice, a group to work with and a teacher. The teacher needs to be connected to a real source. Even if we find these things it isn’t easy but it is an objective way in which we can make real efforts and produce real results. We can run our lives rather than being the recipient or victim of our experience.

In our normal state its like being in an airplane that is on automatic pilot. The pilot has gotten used to this convenience so he is fast asleep. The airplanes destination has been decided a long time ago by conditioning, by others’ aims. The flight plan doesn’t include the pilots desires or deeper understandings of a meaningful destination.

We are these pilots. Some of us are fast asleep, some sleeping lightly, some just drowsing. The ones that are just drowsing have dreams in which they have lost or forgotten something, something important.

Tags: awake, freedom, knowledge, lost coin, mechanical, Pilots, practice, pravtice, sleep.dreams, teacher