The topic for the weekend is relationships and there's lots of opportunities for that this weekend since there's quite a few people here with whom you have a relationship. I usually begin retreats or classes with a ritual of relationship, a ritual of expressing ourselves to others and having others express themselves to us in recognition. And then we also can do it in response to their expression. This is a ritual which I heard came from an African village setting.

[01:08]

So it involves basically each person saying his or her name and then after that everyone says it. Are you okay with that ceremony? Is that all right? All right, well then, perhaps we can start with... Bruce. Bruce. Cindy. Cindy. Susan. Susan. Angela. Angela. Lenore. Lenore. Claudia. Claudia. James. James. Paul. Paul. Karen. Karen. Kate. Kate. Barbara. Barbara. Angel. Tina. Shirley. Elizabeth. Mia. Marjorie.

[02:12]

Catherine. Dato. Charlie. Steven. Ross. Jessica. Elizabeth. Abby. Abby. Sylvia. Sylvia. Jack. Jack. June. June. Ann. Ann. Kirsten. Kirsten. Carrie. Carrie. Tom. Tom. Stefan. Stefan. Karen. Karen. Keith. Keith. Roberta. Roberta. Fred. Fred. Roma. Nelson. Nelson. Gemma. Gemma. Marilyn. Marilyn. Reb. Reb. Also, I wanted to mention that we have a schedule has been given to us.

[03:16]

And do you all have a copy of it? So basically, we're meeting tonight. And then tomorrow morning, around 6.30, there'll be a meditation, a quiet sitting meditation, and then walking meditation, and sitting meditation. And then we'll have a discussion period. And then there's breakfast. and break and then there's another session which will probably involve again some sitting and walking meditation and another discussion period. Then there's a long break in the middle of the afternoon and then we have another session which again would be probably sitting and walking meditation together with discussion and then dinner

[04:22]

It's hard to hear me? How are you doing, Roberta? I don't hear a thing. You don't hear a thing? You do now? Now it's better? Okay, how about now? Okay, now how is this, Roberta? Are you hearing okay now? It's better, but you still can't hear me? I can hear you now. You can hear kind of okay? I think it's going to be all right. All right. Okay. Well, let me know, and I will try to adjust so you will be able to hear. So can you let me know, Roberta? Yeah, thank you. I will. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Where were we? Oh, yes, schedule. Tomorrow evening, again, basically the same format.

[05:31]

And then again, Sunday morning we start at 6.30 and so on. So that's basically how it would go. And I... I kind of am committed to attend the whole thing. And... and I would appreciate it if you're going to not be here for a session that you let me know because if you're not here and you don't tell me, I don't know whether you're sick, lost in the woods, you know, or some problem. So I appreciate it. If you know beforehand you're going to miss, let me know. And if you can't let me know beforehand, then afterwards come and tell me so I'm in touch with you because This retreat is about our relationship. One of the relationships is your relationship with me. I came here to meet with you and I feel responsible to you.

[06:37]

So please, I invite you and I request that you be responsible for me. To me, let me know If you're here, I can see you. If you're not, just let me know. Or if you can't find me, maybe you could tell somebody else to tell me. One of these people here can tell me. In particular, you might tell Catherine, who's here to assist me. But anybody could tell me anything that's going on. If you're sick, you need any help, please let me know. And by the way, I'm also available to meet with you individually in a separate room. And if you'd like to have a meeting with me, you could tell Catherine and she will coordinate the meetings. I also want to mention that there's

[07:40]

as I guess the people, the old friends here know that there's some new friends here and I just want to tell the new friends that there's some old friends. So some people here I've known for decades and some people here I think I'm meeting for the first time, right? Is this the first time I've met you, Angel? There's Angela and Angel. Have I met you before, Angel? Where? Here. Oh, okay. And Kirsten, first time I met you? Yeah, I met you in the hall, yeah. But Nelson, I think, is the first time I met you. Is that right? And Gemma? Yeah. So, some new friends and some long-term. So that's a mixture situation. But I hope you all... develop a compassionate relationship with each other.

[08:50]

Because we need that. Another thing which I This maybe wasn't described in the brochure, but lately I have a form of conduct where I talk like this and then I invite your response, your feedback, and The word feedback has basically two definitions that I'm familiar with. One is the part of a process, excuse me, the part of the output of a process that becomes an input to the process. That's a basic definition of feedback.

[09:55]

So we have a process here of our relationship and this process has output. But part of the output becomes input. That's feedback. I invite you to make an output of an expression which will be input to the process. You're invited to make feedback and also another meaning of feedback is critical or evaluative expressions about a process. So I invite your feedback and I invite your expression And, of course, that seems to me quite apropos of what we're considering here of how to express ourself in relationship, how to learn through relationship to express ourselves with wisdom and compassion. Does that make sense? So as part of that, when it's time for you to express yourself, I invite you, generally speaking, unless you would express yourself in such a form as to decline the opportunity, I invite you to come forward and express yourself like right about there.

[11:14]

That you come closer to me if you're expressing yourself to me. And I would also invite yourself Well, I would not invite yourself. I would invite you, when you express yourself to others, to see how close they want you to get. Maybe they feel fine about you expressing yourself to them at a long distance, and I do too, actually. But I'm actually letting you know that you can come close to me. I'm up for it. And actually, I request it. I don't exactly prefer it. I just am inviting it and letting you know that I would like it and I invite it. And if you're up for it, I'd like you to make the effort to come closer to talk to me in the group. And also if you go into that room, you'll have to be rather close to me because the chairs are pretty close. Now you can put them farther apart if you want to, but they're probably set up, you know, about two or three feet apart.

[12:17]

So that would be kind of close. All the better to hear you. But if you do not wish to come close, that's okay. Not wishing to come close is actually a close thing, can be a close thing. So I would like to begin this retreat with a way that I often begin retreats of this length or shorter, not maybe shorter, but this length or longer sometimes really long retreats three months or even longer I often begin by asking people basically one by one if they are talking to me I ask them what is their ultimate concern in life and yeah

[13:46]

So I say in life meaning their life meaning also life which is their life and other people's lives. So you can take that word life in a range of meanings but what is What is the ultimate concern of life, or this life, or our life, or your life, or whatever? I ask that question and I ask it here too. As a guiding phenomena, a guiding purpose, a guiding intention for life. And I ask what ultimate, the final concern, the final concern, the long-term concern of this life.

[14:57]

Like, you know, sometimes you have a short-term concern like, well actually right now I'm concerned with eating dinner. Honestly, that's sort of like, really, I'm really concerned about that. Or right now, I would really like to rest. Or right now, I'd really like to go to the toilet. This is not my long-term concern for this life. My long-term concern is that after all the meals and all the naps and all the work that I've done, that such and such would be so, or such and such would be accomplished in this life. Like Alexander the Great, his ultimate concern, his final concern was that when he died he would be extremely famous and he was successful. that's what he wanted. And actually a lot of Greek people, Greek citizens had that value that what was most important was to be famous.

[16:03]

So always do what would be thought of as a person who lived by honor or something like that. So people have their various ultimate concerns for deepest desire, deepest purpose, most important thing, most important, yeah, most important thing, but in long term, in big term. I'm totally up for short-term concerns too, but the long-term, I find, puts the short-term in perspective. Sometimes when you discover the long-term or the ultimate concern, everything else kind of falls in place with it. And ultimate, there aren't a whole bunch of ultimate concerns. There's really kind of like an ultimate.

[17:05]

So it kind of puts, everything else lines up with that once you find that. But, and it's not necessarily so easy to find it. But it might help that I asked you what is i'm asking you what is your ultimate concern i'm asking you that and i'm asking myself what is your ultimate concern in life not just this weekend but this weekend maybe you can find what your ultimate concern is and maybe you already know and then if you find that or if you don't But if you could find it, and if you can't find it this weekend, I would encourage you to keep looking for it. Because if you find it, it's very helpful to put all your relationships in alignment and perspective with that.

[18:09]

Then you can look to see if you find this most important thing, most deepest desire, then you have the chance to take care of it. By remembering it. What was it again? Oh yeah, that's what it is. And then, now what goes with that? What lines up with that? What kind of action lines up with that? What kind of relationship lines up with that? What kind of, yeah, what lines up with it? And now is what I'm, and do I wish to, okay, there are some things that line up with it. And do I want to do those things which line up with it? It's possible sometimes that you find out what's most important in life for you and then you think about what goes with it, what actions go with it, and you are not yet ready to act in a way that's in accord with what you think is most important. That can happen.

[19:18]

When I was, I think I was 13, about 13, and I had some emotional problems like most 13-year-olds. I had some, you know, I was anxious or upset about various things. I wasn't, you know, a super troubled kid, but I did have some problems. I had enough problems so that the idea of not having problems was kind of a... I don't know, I could tell that I would like to have no problems. I had enough so I thought, well, if you just took them away, that would be really good. If I didn't have any problems of the kind I have, if they were just like solved, then I could like breathe and live more fully. So I kind of wanted... I didn't really think of being free of my problems, but I did one day see a way by which I would be free of them. And the way I saw when I was 13, if I would just be kind all the time, if that was my main focus, if that was really what I was trying to do at school, that almost all my problems would like...

[20:35]

Kind of like, well, be put in perspective is one way to put it. But it wouldn't be troublesome. There wouldn't be problems anymore. They would just be like trees or leaves on trees or birds in the sky or weather. If I would just think about how I can be kind to people rather than what people are going to do for me or what they think of me. or whether I'm better than them or they're better than me. Rather than be concerned about those things, which were troubling me, I saw if I was mainly concerned about being kind, that that would be it. So I kind of thought, well, I'd like to be kind. I think I'll give it a try. But then when I went to school, which was one of the main places where I would be able to practice kindness, and one of the main places where I had some problems, I would forget that that was what I thought was the most important thing.

[21:44]

It was really hard to remember to not focus on whether she likes me, but rather how I can be kind to her. when I saw her I suddenly became concerned with whether she liked me or whether the various she's liked me or whether the various teachers liked me or whether I was thought of as a good student or a good athlete. Somehow I went to that and forgot about being kind to the teachers and the coaches and the girls and the boys. So it doesn't mean that as soon as we find it we're going to be able to align with it but that's I'd like to start with that and leave you with that for the rest of your life. That you find what is most important and you keep checking to see if it's still there. Because it can change. Kind is one way to put it, but there might be some other word that's more to the point.

[22:51]

To the point. to the point which is the center and the deepest place, the most ultimate, final, clear place in life for you. There's many ways to talk about it and then once you keep track of it, then are you acting in accord with it? And then the other thing about this is that once you find it... How does that song go? Yeah. Once you have found it, never let it go. What's the rest of it? What comes before that? Huh? Oh, yeah. Some enchanted evenings

[23:53]

You may meet a stranger, you may meet a stranger, or no, see a stranger, across a crowded room, and somehow you know, you know even then, that you will be meeting again and again. So once you've found it, never let it go. This stranger... What stranger? Oh, yeah. The ultimate concern of my life. Someday across the crowded room you will see the ultimate concern of your life. You'll see. And you'll see that you'll meet it again and again. And don't let go of it. Don't forget it. But, you know, if you forget it, that's not the end of the world. Just say, okay, I forgot it and go back to work. taking care of this thing. And part of it also, if you discover it, and you could discover it tonight, tonight, you could discover it,

[24:57]

And then if you discover it and you say, okay, that is my ultimate concern, that is my deepest wish, and I actually do wish, I do actually wish that, I wish this most important thing. And then the next thing you can start to consider is, do you wish to commit to it? Are you ready to commit? And then, you know, commit or vow. Vow to practice to realize what's most important to you. Vow to live in accord with this point. And this will apply, I believe, it seems to me, and I welcome your feedback in the form of agreement or disagreement or whatever. It seems to me that when you discover this and or commit to it, then this will apply to every relationship. And then the way of acting, the basic way of caring for this and caring for relationships in accord with this, will be universal.

[26:19]

All the different relationships have different forms, but they will all line up with this ultimate concern, and the actions which line up with the ultimate concern that way of acting, that way of caring will apply to everything, but the forms will be different, the being you're relating to will be different, and the form of relationship will vary. But the way of caring and the point of it will always be the same. So that's kind of like in, what do you call it, in religious context, this might be called faith.

[27:28]

And this is not exactly something that you're told to believe in, but something you discover in yourself, which you feel is the most important thing in this life for you and maybe for everybody. Not that everybody should have the same faith, but this is most important for you and in all your relationships. What is it? And then again, what is it and what else, what is it and... And also, do you want this for other beings? Not that you're going to impose your agenda on them, but you wish that they would accomplish this too.

[28:32]

And do you wish to model this? You don't have to, but... So acting in accord with it can also be modeling it or teaching it. Do you wish to do this even for people for whom you're not a teacher, like your spouse? Not necessarily your spouse's teacher, but you could model what you want to your spouse and of course to your children And of course you could model it to your teacher. And of course the teacher could model it to the student. And you can model it to your friends by acting in accord with whatever this is. And as you look to see what this is, you might actually find something which later you find out is not the deepest.

[29:54]

You might, the first, some of the responses you get to this inquiry, to this exploration, you might think that it's the deepest and then later you find out it wasn't. So I would recommend that well certainly I am happy and committed to let you come up with whatever you come up with even though I might suspect that you will go deeper and I think it's good to let yourself dare to see something now even if it might not be the deepest because if you wait to be sure it's the deepest before you see it you won't see much so let whatever comes up in response to this inquiry let it come up and see it You might be embarrassed later when you find out that it wasn't so deep, but let it come out. Don't require that this is absolutely for sure the deepest thing, the final thing.

[30:58]

Yeah, and my experience with people is that if they find something that's somewhat superficial and they start committing to it and acting in accord with it, it will go deeper. But if I try to get them to go for a deeper one, you know, like somebody might say, my ultimate concern is to be president of my class or voted best dressed or something, if some high school kid told me that, I would try not to talk him into some deeper concern. Because I think if they then would start acting in accord with that, as they start to do that, they would start to learn that actually they want everybody to be voted best dressed or whatever. That that's deeper than just me being voted best dressed.

[32:11]

And in the process of dressing myself well and taking care of that, I will learn that that's not really my ultimate concern. So again, so that's really kind of basic starting point of practice. I'm not telling you what you should do. I'm not telling you how to care for yourself or care for others. I'm not telling you how. I'm asking you what kind of relationships, what kind of qualities of relationship are ultimately most important to you. And I think from there, we can talk about how to take care of that. But before we go any further, I wonder if anybody has any feedback at this point. Fred, could you give me that pillow there?

[33:28]

Or both of those pillows? Thank you. Hmm? I thought you were going to be taller. Thank you. Do you have another one? Would you like another one? Sure. Thank you. Would you like 13? No. Good. There's more coming. Three is very good. Okay. Hi, Fred. Hello, Elizabeth. Some years a word comes to me, maybe even January 1st or something, about what this year is about. And I made a sticky on my Mac that says it's about love. And that's really been, I know that's almost a generic word, but that's been the word for me this year. And that's the only answer that keeps coming up when you ask that question. For me, the word is love. Love is your ultimate concern? Mm-hmm. In the end, that's the most important thing. It's the only... And I wanted to have a dialogue with you about it to see if there was something underneath it.

[34:35]

But that's been my... Each thing happening to me. And what do you mean by love, do you think? It's meeting it. It's the word that now contains all the teachings of compassion, kindness, meeting, being open, honest, upright. It's meet each thing or hear how this is love... you know, and the part, see how I'm not loving, and then try and meet that with love. And so that's just been, that's the word for me this year. Okay. And then so you, through, well, for the rest of the year, and maybe next year, too. Yeah, exactly. I mean, I... Yeah, it might be the same old... It might be the same old story. But it's good to keep checking. And then seeing if you want to continue to be committed or recommit to this agenda of love. And then also recommit to acting in accord with it. And commit to watching to see if your actions are in accord with it.

[35:37]

And I hear it is the same old story. It's just some years it's a different word because that's my meeting myself where I am, which is the loving action. Part of love may be having new words for it. Anywhere from anger to loss. Yeah. Okay. All right. So then this word and then the actions, then you can look throughout this weekend and so on in terms of these different relationships we'll discuss. Mm-hmm. what kind of actions in different relationships would be aligned with love. Yes, because I feel unskillful. Yeah, or it's sometimes not clear how it works, what action works in the variety of relationships. Good, thank you. And also, if people come up here, you can sit here and face me like this, but you also can sit next to me and face me like this, or you can also sit next to me and face the group.

[36:42]

Facing the group is interesting too, which I'm doing right now, and you're doing to me. But it's somewhat different to be up here and look that way than be there and look this way. So you can experiment and explore the different feeling you would have from this, this, and this. You're welcome to try. Thank you. Anybody else care to come forward and express something about this at this time? Yes? Angela? So what comes up for me, the first thing that came up for me was my biggest concern is the human condition of ignorance.

[37:47]

Can you hear her? Okay. The human condition of ignorance. That's your ultimate concern? Okay. And just observing since I've been here, being more aware of my mind and having the luxury to do that without my toddler. And the judgments that come up and the criticisms in my mind. Mm-hmm. And my trying to find compassion with that, trying to be compassionate towards that ignorant mind. That's all I have to say now.

[38:53]

Good. Thank you. That's good. Thank you. Steven? Ooh. So when you asked what my ultimate concern was, I knew immediately what the answer was. But then, I like Elizabeth's better. No, I like hers better. But it's really the same thing, actually. My answer was to understand that I'm not separate.

[39:58]

Could you hear that, Roberta? I said my ultimate concern is to understand that I'm not separate. And do you, does it make sense to you to then now explore what kind of action, what kind of practice would align with and foster that purpose?

[41:06]

I already am some of the time. Okay. And so those would be ways of contemplation and ways of caring in relationships that line up with this? Well, I think the most difficult thing is when I feel separate, which is a lot of time. Yes. And I really believe it. So feeling separate and believing it. So that's an example of something in myself. So in the course description it talked about ways of taking care of ourselves and others. So this is an example of something in yourself to take care of. And maybe that's a hard thing for you to take care of, but there it is.

[42:16]

So how do you take care of the feeling or the appearance of separation? If I see you and I feel separate, or you see me and you're feeling separate, we're talking about now you taking care of the feeling separate from me. We're not talking about taking care of me right now. He sees Reb, his old friend Reb, but he's also got a feeling of being separate from Reb. So we're talking about taking care of that feeling right now. And that's difficult in a way. And also he believes, in a way, that this appearance of separation, he kind of believes it, and to take care of that belief, take care of the appearance, which is a being, it's not a person exactly, but it's a being, to take care of the belief in that appearance of separation, that's taking care of himself in such a way that he'll be able to take care of me better.

[43:24]

So how Would you take care of the feeling of being separate from me? What way of taking care of that will be in accord with understanding that we're not or not believing that we are? What way of taking care of believing that we are will help you not be stuck in that? Do you want to say it? Yeah, not being separate from the feeling of feeling separate, not rejecting that feeling and wanting to be away from it, wanting to die. Right, right. So not rejecting it. Anything else? Not rejecting is good. Yeah. What else? Loving it. Loving it, yeah. Do you mean liking it? Not liking it.

[44:30]

Do you mean disliking it? I do dislike it. I know you dislike it, but is loving it disliking it? No. No. Not liking it or disliking it? Not this feeling of separation? Not liking it or disliking it? We're talking about loving it, right? So loving it means not rejecting it, not hating it, and not liking it. What else? What else is loving it? Can you think of anything else? No? Okay. Yeah. So a basic instruction, which you can apply to this example of his main thing is he wants to understand he's not separate from beings. That's his main thing he brought up. So what is the way of being with that feeling of separation?

[45:37]

Or being with beings would be the same. But now we're talking about... He said it's hard for him to... What's hard for him, the biggest challenge in a way, is to deal with the feeling of separation. So now we're dealing with that, which is taking care of him, his feelings. So we're talking about loving and the way of loving is both is a contemplation and it's also a way of caring. It's a contemplation of this thing, this belief of separation, this appearance of separation and belief in it. It's a contemplation of it and it's also a way to take care of it and it's also the way to take care of other beings whether we feel separate from them or not. And so he's already said loving it and then he said that's not rejecting it or hating it or liking it. So I would amplify that now which I have been doing for a while by bringing a teaching from what's called the Lotus Sutra which basically recommends practicing all virtues.

[46:48]

Now practicing all virtues in this context means practice all practice with all your relationships. Find a virtuous way. All virtues means all relationships. Find a virtuous way to relate to all beings. Find a virtuous way in all your relationships. Enter them. Meet them. And how? Well, one way is you don't like or dislike them Another way is that, for example, Stephen's example of appearance of separation, don't like or dislike that, but also be tender with it. Be tender with something which, you know, could be a source of pain or is the source of pain.

[47:51]

Be tender with that. and be tender with the appearance, which can be a source of pain, and be tender with believing it, which really sets up a painful thing and really is a source of fear. So it's at the root now of the feeling of separation and the belief in it, and now we're talking about being tender with that, being gentle with that, being flexible with that, being relaxed with that. Those are kind of one way. The other way is to be peaceful with it. It's possible to be peaceful but not flexible, maybe. But you're going to be peaceful and harmonious with this basic problem which you'd like to understand is not really so. And the other thing is be honest, so he is also honest about it. He's honest by saying, this is what I want, and I actually have not achieved that yet, and I'm often caught in not understanding.

[48:59]

I want to understand, but I honestly, I do not understand sometimes. And I really don't understand. I mean, I really think the opposite of what I want to understand. And the other thing is to be upright with it, which is similar to not rejecting it. But it also means not to actually in some level don't lean into it, don't believe it. Just say, this is a story. This is a story. It's a story. It's a story. And I wish to be upright with it and not lean into believing it. And also, if you try to reject it, that's the opposite and based on believing it. you don't want you don't reject things that you don't have to reject things that you don't think are really happening so those are ways to deal with this and these are ways of dealing with everything so if during this retreat and other times when you're sitting quietly this is this is the way to contemplate what happens

[50:15]

And if you're going to look at your ultimate concern and then also look at ways you veer away from it, you treat your ultimate concern the same way and you treat your turning away from it the same way. So you treat your ultimate focal point the same way. You treat deviations from it the same way. with the same meditation and you treat also other things which are not necessarily ultimate concern but just experiences and also treat everybody this way too. Every person you meet, treat them the same way. And when we treat your, in this case, your delusions, when you treat them that way, wisdom will appear, will come to you right out of the delusion. If you treat your ultimate concern, if you treat your desire to understand, if you treat your desire to love, if you treat it in this way, wisdom will come.

[51:36]

If you treat the opposite of your ultimate concern. If you treat the main enemy to your ultimate concern in the way you treat your ultimate concern, and you treat your ultimate concern the way you treat the enemies of your ultimate concern, and you treat both of them in this way that I just described, wisdom will come from both of them. If you treat people this way, wisdom will come to you through the people. Now when wisdom comes, then again your ultimate concern will go all the way to the bottom of all ultimate concerns. It will go to the deepest concern of all beings. So then, because of the wisdom, you will be naturally, greatly, you know, unlimitedly compassionate in all your relationships. In the meantime, before that wisdom has come, you practice compassion with everybody and everything.

[52:45]

Every person and every feeling you have, you practice compassion with it, and that gradually gets you ready to receive wisdom, which will make it natural to do what you've been doing kind of as a meditation before. That make sense? That's kind of, again, a kind of overview. So I've just told you a way I'd recommend that you practice contemplation during this retreat when you're quiet and sitting and walking that you just in some sense welcome every experience welcome every experience. Not try to get it to come, but welcome whatever comes and meet it in this way that it is described.

[53:51]

And I could go on further to describe it, but this is a first description of how to practice contemplation in the quiet times. And then I would suggest you practice it also when we're talking to each other and meeting each other. You might also at some point in your contemplation while doing this contemplation I'm saying, but at the same time just bring up this question of your ultimate concern now and then. or just check and see what it is, if you've already found it, and see how it's doing. See how it lives in this compassionate arena which you're setting up by contemplating in this way. So you're kind of... this is a compassionate way to contemplate

[55:05]

but it could also say it's a contemplation of compassion. When you think of these ways of contemplating, you're contemplating compassion. And when you're actually being this way, you are contemplating compassionately. And then in that environment, look at your ultimate concern and see if you're lined up with it by looking at it this way. And then I'll stop to see if you have any questions about that. or any other responses? Okay. I'll move the mic closer. Does that help at all? Still hard? Still hard to hear? I invite you, Leon, to come and sit closer and see if it helps.

[56:07]

Just try it, okay? Okay, now, if I'm talking like this, is that easier for you? Yes. It is? I can see your lips. Yeah, it helps. So now I talk over this way. Can you still hear me okay, Leon? Yes. Okay, and this way is really easy, right? Yes. I can so see your lips move. Yeah, right. Okay, so, and how are you doing, Roberta? How's it going? So-so? Would you want to try sitting over here? Would that help, if you sat right here? Yeah, I want you to hear, Roberta. Yeah. So, you want to try that for a while, sitting close? Yes. I love it. I do, too. OK, now, we could now, we could now, can you hear me OK, Roberta?

[57:22]

All right. Now, how's this, Roberta? How's this? Oh, it's better. It's better. Okay, well, is this okay? Is it too much? All right. It's too much? Not too much. Okay. All right. Sounds like we're hearing. And Roberta is hearing too, right? Roberta is hearing. I think I know what's going on. Okay, good. What is going on? Now that you know. Well, I feel. You feel it. Okay, good. Now, we could do some walking meditation, some walking contemplation, and then do some sitting contemplation now, if you'd like. Want to try? So, in this room, we usually do walking meditation in a circle around, outside of our seats, walking clockwise. And you can make more than one... You can make concentric circles if, I think, one single file circle is...

[58:31]

will be too tight. You can make concentric circles rather than necessarily be right behind each other. So you want to try that and then we'll sit for a while and then you have an opportunity while walking and sitting to, if you wish, look at the question of what the ultimate concern is and then see what comes. And then if you discover it, then look at whether you wish to commit to it and then also then after that look at what kind of then and then I guess what kind of action or what kind of way of being aligns with it so this is like three questions which are floating in your mind while you try to at the same time have this kind of compassionate way of dealing with what's happening including the the presence of the ultimate concern or the absence of the ultimate concern.

[59:39]

Can you do it all together? So the basic thing is to be upright and honest and gentle and then let these questions come and see what happens. And then I'd like, when you're ready, to hear anything you find and any questions you have. They might start now with the sitting, walking meditation.

[60:06]

@Transcribed_v005
@Text_v005
@Score_89.4