For about ten months, this group field and online practice has focused on wisdom, the wisdom of emptiness, through cultivating the art of perceiving things more correctly. That process has emphasized “noticing the usually not noticed” mostly off the cushion coupled with becoming more familiar with one’s Presence (innate Awareness) which uses the senses by which to interact with the world. I had not stated that we would focus on the wisdom of emptiness. Surprise!

To state so, especially at the outset, would have generated thought-forms in practitioners, as well as expectations of experiences of emptiness. This would have been a significant obstacle to the simple cultivation of the wisdom of emptiness, therefore it was not announced. Wisdom is essentially to notice the usually not noticed; and the more one notices, the less unknowing (ignorant) one is or remains. Though the wisdom of emptiness, at some point, might include deep or powerful meditative experiences, they will be fleeting in the mind-stream except as a peak experience without the tilled ground of off the cushion recognizing of some of the habits of consciousness that, up until they were noticed, were unknown and unrecognized. Habits of projecting onto people and things, jumping to conclusions according to one’s habituated frames of reference, casting aspersions and imputations onto all manner of phenomena are examples of commonly unrecognized habits of consciousness. Being unnoticed, they are constantly forefront, being recharged and reifying one’s personal view of reality. Presence blinks in and out, at best; but much of the time one is no more than pavlov’s dog looking for the next treat or affirmation of one’s perceived importance or value.

Through two simple processes, our online practice possibly has helped you awaken to more of you (that which can be transformed and that which to radiate more) and more of life. Those two methods have been to soften and open and to notice the usually not noticed. Both align with wisdom, the wisdom of emptiness, more true perception of self, others, and the world around one. Thus these two open us to more empathy and compassion.

This session begins a simple loving-kindness technique that we will use for a little while and build upon.