Coexisting Awareness - I discovered dharma dialogues with Catherine Ingram and listened to the hour session entitled Coexisting Awareness. After a short talk, she answered questions. Her wisdom reminds me of some folks in the past that I have heard and felt a real sense of truth in what they say (Rev. Clarence Lui is one). I see in myself what she calls the mystical impulse. She talks about how everyone will realize it at some point. Sickness or tragedy may be the trigger; she quotes another dharma teacher, "they all end up with us."

The mystical impulse is just the feeling that there "is something else." There is a celebration of the sacred where we don't try to improve ourselves, just be. A celebration of ourselves in awakened awareness in which we are not trying to get anywhere. And when we stop trying to improve ourselves, we stop trying to improve others. We read sacred texts to be reminded of what we already know. Doing nothing becomes the biggest laugh as we realize the folly of our search.

This feels so right compared to the "Believe in Jesus and you'll go to heaven." I want to reread Christian authors such as Thomas Merton and Daniel Berrigan to see how my current views fit into these writings that I found so valuable and inspiring.