On Not Taking Oneself So Seriously

On Not Taking Oneself So Seriously talk by Geoff Dawson, October 31, 2023, Ordinary Mind School of Sydney

Live transcript, not proofed yet

You're throwing all of your energy. Into activity. Whatever it is you're doing in your life, that's playful. And it's contrasted when you do things, you know, resentfully or heart-heartedly. So this this sense of putting oneself completely into whatever it is we do work or play whatever. 

And enthusiastically engaging with other living beings things. Situations, in other words, not Withdrawing. From things out of the sense of fear. 

Um, Willingly thinking and facing challenge as part of the process. Rather than approaching things defensively always aggression. 

Immersing ourselves in activities, unconditionally. 

Um, and not being sort of To participating contingent on the success of the outcome. That's a thing in the process rather than i'm only going to do this if it turns out. Okay. 

Doing it since feeling which means enjoying the whole process, for its own sake. In other words, doing session, doing something each moment of sizing for its own sake. That's the 

Spiritually. She cantazah, not sitting to becoming lighted. 

We're not sitting with any goal in mind which are sitting and that's a sincerity of sitting. And bringing that to everything that we do in our life. 

The body sat for also practiced, you know, approaches life in a relaxed manner. You know, rather than A stress, man. 

Attentive and curious. And in paying attentive and curious, it's like begin his mind, it's not fixated on goals or outcomes. 

Moving forward. To meet everyone. 

Sorry. Moving forward to meeting engage the world. Not holding ourselves back. Um, Because we can't see any self-reward for it in ourselves. 

And embracing whatever it is we encounter pleasant or unpleasant? As part of the journey. These are really all good point in terms of how we Um, 

Apply our practice, not just in session formally. But outside of session informally, which is really the rest of our most of our life. In a way where we we commit to those serious body such for in the preset fails. At the spirit in which we do, it is one of playfulness. To thousand. Did seriousness. 

Let me just finish up. 

My legacy --

What will it be?

Flowers in spring,

The cuckoo in summer,

And the crimson maples

Of autumn...

 

Taigu Ryokan

(1758-1831)