2012.06.25 _ 76

Keeping up two sessions of standing meditation a day. Yesterday evening the children were very distracting, so I settled for four sessions of less than 10 minutes. This morning my own mind was doing a very good job of distracting me, but I did manage to stand for 10 minutes on the second try.

Relate to the 'suit of armour.' I was thinking today that I spin a web of thoughts and concepts that act like a suit of armour or mask. I use consoling thoughts, rationalisations, judgements of myself and others. Need to let them drop and try to face raw reality. Reality unadorned by my thoughts might not be so bad :)

Like the phrase "reality unadorned" a lot, Zen! :) I've been somewhat thoughtful since this morning's "masks" session, about time, self-remembrance (sparked by Calvino's recent wiki postings for the OF group), and integration. Again I find angles on karuna metta practice in that extending compassion/loving-kindness to all without holding back feels a way of peeling back the layers by starting at the heart. Occurred too that 'the self' could be seen as a practice vehicle or straw dog... a mask (or gloves in the way) that naturally falls open in fullness of time, prompted by wakened desire toward direct experience. edited 23:31, 25 Jun 2012

Are not thoughts also part of reality adorned? I suspect they just happen to be a particularly sticky or 'trappy' part though! Especially if you get lost in them and so let them obscure the rest of reality for you. They're a great lesson, as their transience is even more noticeable than other temporary things that claim at least semi-permanence.

So... Resting in being and watching thoughts rise, fall and pass away... Aware...

Karuna-metta meditation this evening. And much talk of masks, at PaB sessions before and after. It's an odd subject for me; I find no need for masks personally so don't bother. Everyone gets the same Storm. (Poor them: now there's something for me to be compassionate about!)

I realized many years ago that I am a very poor actor, but quite a good performer. The actor wears a mask, and I'm really no good at doing that; I wouldn't know where to begin and have no reason to find out how. However, the performer need just be themselves. All they need do is project themselves as they are, and simply include everyone in the audience in their performance - though doubtless some performers and actors combine both, but that's not me.

Interesting too, in PaB, to hear how much masks capture the thoughts of others and how they rank masks as important for them.