Quick Thoughts on Sitting with Resistance

by takuin on Thursday, November 18, 2010 · 5 comments

November Project: Question #17

This question comes from Jake through the Contact Form.

How does one “sit” with resistance without being paralyzed, and without being greedy?

To sit with resistance is to sit with the essence of self.

It is not quite right to say there is the self and its resistance. There is no separation between the two. It is more accurate to say resistance is the activity of the self.

In other words, the self is the resistance, hoping to be free from itself. And if there is greed, it is not that you are being greedy; you are the greed.

When you sit, you sit alone, but not because you are trying to be alone. Your suppression will not set you free.

In sitting, there is never a you and a thing to avoid…there is only you.

I don’t know if this answers your question, but thank you very much, Jake. I appreciate your participation, and it is great to have you here.

:)

{ 4 comments }

jake November 19, 2010 at 12:52 am

“resistance is the activity of the self”
“In sitting, there is never a you and a thing to avoid…there is only you.”

Ah, thank you for helping me see that. It’s so easy to get tripped up and not see how important the fall is, to completely miss the hard lesson when I’m in the middle of it.

takuin November 19, 2010 at 10:07 am

Thank you, Jake, for taking the time to participate here. And please feel free to leave a comment if you wish to share your new discoveries.

Be good!

a November 19, 2010 at 12:44 pm

This is a great question and I love the answer. Right now the major part of me is all about avoiding the resistance.

takuin November 19, 2010 at 3:07 pm

Thanks, a.

Right now the major part of me is all about avoiding the resistance.

And it is very subtle, isn’t it? One can be in it, and never actually know they are in it.

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