HIDING

is a way of staying alive. Hiding is a way of holding ourselves until we are ready to come into the light. Hiding is one of the brilliant and virtuoso practices of almost every part of the natural world: the protective quiet of an icy northern landscape, the held bud of a future summer rose, the snow bound internal pulse of the hibernating bear. Hiding is underestimated. We are hidden by life in our mother’s womb until we grow and ready ourselves for our first appearance in the lighted world; to appear too early in that world is to find ourselves with the immediate necessity for outside intensive care.

Hiding done properly is the internal faithful promise for a proper future emergence, as embryos, as children or even as emerging adults in retreat from the names that have caught us and imprisoned us, often in ways where we have been too easily seen and too easily named. We live in a time of the dissected soul, the immediate disclosure; our thoughts, imaginings and longings exposed to the light too much, too early and too often, our best qualities squeezed too soon into a world already awash with ideas that oppress our sense of self and our sense of others. What is real is almost always to begin with, hidden, and does not want to be understood by the part of our mind that mistakenly thinks it knows what is happening. What is precious inside us does not care to be known by the mind in ways that diminish its presence.

Hiding is an act of freedom from the misunderstanding of others, especially in the enclosing world of oppressive secret government and private entities, attempting to name us, to anticipate us, to leave us with no place to hide and grow in ways unmanaged by a creeping necessity for absolute naming, absolute tracking and absolute control. Hiding is a bid for independence, from others, from mistaken ideas we have about our selves, from an oppressive and mistaken wish to keep us completely safe, completely ministered to, and therefore completely managed. Hiding is creative, necessary and beautifully subversive of outside interference and control. Hiding leaves life to itself, to become more of itself. Hiding is the radical independence necessary for our emergence into the light of a proper human future.

© David Whyte: March 2014: Excerpted from ‘HIDING’ From the upcoming book of essays CONSOLATIONS: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words.

PHOTO © David Whyte 2012: Winter Tree, Winson, Cotwolds, England.

Stephen Levine, in his book of Guided Meditations, Explorations and Healings writes: "Resistance is the chapped fist that grasps the tiny fears we fear to let go of. We keep burying ourselves alive. Until we ever so slowly open that fist, letting go of the fear of the 'uncontrollable moment'. We let go thinking that it is our fear that will float away, but it turns out it is 'being afraid' that floats free even though fear may be present. When we let go of our pain we become the letting go, not the pain."

By Jack Kornfield

The unawakened mind tends to make war against the way things are...My teacher Ajahn Chah described it, "We human beings are constantly in combat, at war to escape the fact of being so limited, limited by so many circumstances we cannot control. But instead of escaping, we continue to create suffering, waging war with what is good, waging war with what is evil, waging war with what is too small, waging war with what is too big, waging war with what is too short or too long, or right or wrong, courageously carrying on the battle."

When we step out of the battle, we see anew, as the Tao te Ching says, "with eyes unclouded by longing." We see how each of us creates conflict. We see our constant likes and dislikes, the fight to resist all that frightens us. We see our own prejudice, greed and territoriality. All this is hard for us to look at, but it is really there. Then underneath these ongoing battles, we see pervasive feelings of incompleteness and fear. We see how much our struggle with life has kept our heart closed.

When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and end of spiritual practice. Only in this moment can we discover that which is timeless. Only here can we discover the love that we seek. Only in the reality of the present can we love, can we awaken, can we find peace and understanding and connection with ourselves and the world.

Let go.

-A Path with Heart.

Tara Brach speaks with deep compassion and tenderness.

"Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear.  Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?" Tao Te Ching

Meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh was asked 'how often should we pray?'. He replied that every moment can be a prayer. Every breath, every sip of tea, every interaction with others, every step we take can be a sacred moment of concentration and mindfulness.

Judging, worrying, fear, anger, trying, regret, avoiding etc all contribute to the hardening of our hearts, minds and bodies. Allowing your belly to become soft and spacious as you breathe helps to dissolve our fears and pain - opening our hearts and calming our minds.
Letting go with each inhalation and letting be with each exhalation. Let it all float in soft belly. In soft belly there is room for it all.
Soft Belly Meditation: Stephen Levine

Stephen Levine and his wife Ondrea have worked for many years with grief. He notes that grief is experienced by us all in little ways every day, as well as the big griefs and losses in our lives. He challenges us to invite these griefs into our compassionate hearts; to open up the armour surrounding our hearts, and to embrace our sorrows.  Allowing the sadness in and letting it dissolve and melt into the spaciousness of our hearts.