The invisible is precisely in the visible, says philosopher and cultural ecologist David Abram, and in the ordinary reality of our lives that we too often take for granted. We rob the world and ourselves of depth by projecting truth elsewhere, forgetting the openness that lies in the horizon or our connection to what lies beneath the earth. The source of life cannot possibly lie outside ourselves, for we are fully immersed in it; we simply need to recognize this ordinary mystery and remember.

David Abrams, cultural philosopher, author, and magician shares his keen observations about what it’s like to be in the Present Moment aware of being in our mammalian bodies, and of being in a particular place. David discusses two important facets of “presencing” : that the Present Moment is always local and that it is never exclusively human. He explores the ways in which consciously experiencing non-separation enriches our understanding and leads us to enlightenment as “the 10,000 things stand forth and illuminate the self”.

What do poetry and the Dharma have in common? asks Henry Shukman. The answer, he says, is life and loss, and we listen to Henry read deeply moving poetry by Western poets. Both poetry and Buddhist practice can drop us into a realm of truth outside our ordinary consciousness. Giving language to the experience connects us to each other and to the experience. And yet, says Henry, the path of poetry is not the same as the path of Buddhist training, which offers a way to deep transformation.

Rabbi Drucker notes that her generation has no plans to die, and no plans for old age.   She laments that society has lost an important way of learning - from our elders. Often some catastrophe becomes the impetus that leads us to seek spiritual practice, which introduces us to a wise teacher. Our elders hold wisdom, and the current generation of elders holds a great deal of vitality and health, as well. Let us call on these potential teachers to bring forth their hearts in deep teachings as this older generation enters the final third of their lives.

“No self” becomes apparent when we are not caught thinking of past or future, says author and teacher Sean Murphy. In this experience, there is no sense of identity, no time or space, no subject or object. This pure meditation is not esoteric, but can only be realized when we truly learn to let go of all projections.

Alan offers more discussion and lessons of the Samatha Project and how participants transitioned into their regular lives after the Project ended. The individuals used the Four Immeasurables coupled with attention, practices that had become deeply established during the Project. Returning to their regular lives gave the participants rich opportunities to cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. Alan discusses each of the Four Immeasurables, including their near and far “enemies.” The session ends with a guided meditation on this question: “From your deepest aspiration, what would you love to offer to the world?”

In this guided meditation Alan suggests we use our imaginations to look at the second aspect of consciousness: luminosity. This type of meditation can inspire us to envision a life with the greatest possible meaning. Then, in anticipation of Alan’s return next year to talk about death and dying, he asks important questions like “Who are you?” and “Why do we suffer?” If we identify with a sense of self in any way - ideas, appearance, possessions, accomplishments - we will suffer. Alan also explains the process of dying as understood in Tibetan Buddhism.

The open meditation begins with very brief instructions to be aware of the body and breath and then simply observe the space of the mind and its contents. In the following session, Alan describes the Samatha Project and Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB). He suggests some of the practices used in these studies may be useful for people with highly stressful jobs.

Alan leads us in a practice of guided mindfulness of the senses. He then presents settling the mind in its natural state with the explanation of “when is the mind exactly settled?” Alan says the answer is “when it melts or dissolves into the substrate consciousness,” or “that from which it arose.”