*Notes from a talk by Michael Stone at Centre of Gravity on July 17, 2012 on day 9 of a 12-day intensive.

With no hindrance in the mind.
No hindrance, therefore no fear.
Far beyond deluded thoughts, this is Nirvana.

~ Heart Sutra

Welcome to nirvana.

We’re all practicing in nirvana right now; it’s hard to recognize, but this is it.

The word “nirvana” comes from the Pali term “nibbana.” It’s a cooking term that refers to the moment when you take a pot off a flame. All of us are starting to get to know this in our practice. Sometimes we don’t recognize we’re on fire, or sometimes situations are giving off a lot of heat and we’re just trying not to get burned.

How to really love and get burned and keep going?

To be grateful for the fact that we’re still alive?

All of us might have elected to become numb, or checked out when the fires seemed too much. But having a practice means being able to know what it’s like to be on fire and then have this practice to work on it. This is how we deepen our lives.

~

Editor: Brianna Bemel

 

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