Everyman's Journal 2011

Everyman's Journal 2011, #29

February 5

What can I say but of course the universe is going to give me a lot of equanimity practice right after I write about it, right?. For the most part, it was all cool, what came up. Traffic lights, for instance. In a hurry? Don't worry, God says, it's all covered. So I'm late to yoga. Hummmm. This will be interesting. And what's this sign on the door about? THE 9 AM YOGA CLASS WILL BE PILATES TODAY....

I step into the foyer and see up at the front of the room, not my familiar teacher (who I would have unhesitently joined late) but instead, a woman instructor I'd never met. And a quick scan let me know I didn't recognize any of the full room of students either. Hummm. And, it's Pilates they're doing, which I have only heard about, but have never witnessed or done.

The missing piece that will make all this make some sense (and which is being another equanimity challenge too) is the fact that I am experiencing some significant shoulder/elbow inflammation pain again, to the point that I'll admit to previous internal conversations about whether it was wise to even go to yoga yesterday. You could say I was probably subconsciously late on purpose, sabotaged by those unclear feelings.

Anyway, everything I'm spending a lot of time writing about only took a second or so, as what really happened was I walked in, understood I was late and that I was 'a stranger', so I just sat down on the 'take off your shoes' bench, and watched the teacher lead the group. After a few minutes, the teacher started to break from the group to come over to me (I assume thinking I needed something), but as she did, I signaled her that I was fine, and she resumed teaching. And I found sitting there that I was delighted to be witnessing her demonstration from my bench seat, instead of on a mat on the floor (where a lot of people would have been blocking the view etc.). I also found it hard to believe (given my long-time interest in bodyworking and health) that I had never had a direct Pilates exposure before. For as I witnessed the class for a half hour or so, it was obvious that this was a great and creative approach that some bodymaster had received and shared with the world, that the world could have it's gifts. And the gifts were self-obvious, to anyone who could see. For even though I might have spent years working on discovering new and useful body moves and stretches without discovering these, there was an instant recognition of their 'rightness' as soon as I watched someone else do them.

A parallel about religions arose in my mind: That we often live inside our own religions like nobody else's makes sense. But then, if we actually enter the space of a new one for a while.... long enough to 'grok it', we often discover it makes perfect sense, especially if we can see it as it is experienced by it's own culture, without referencing our own personal or historical views (or prejudices). If we can do that cleanly, we receive the gift of appreciation for 'another way'. And in that appreciation, there is a natural discernment which allows, just like in viewing Pilates moves with a previous background in yoga etc, the seeing of where 'the great jewels are'. What I mean by that is 'the unique essences' which contains the core insights.

In our 'modern' world, life is a journey that crosses many thresholds and paradigms, and our individual guidance systems, if rigid, may have difficulty meeting everything that our karma brings us. Hence, at least for me, I see great benefit in understanding other ways. That includes other languages, other cultures, other political viewpoints, but especially, other religions.

Someday 'I see a world' where the best of each will naturally join together to form a new (perhaps by then interplanetary even) relationship to the great mystery of life even existing, and give us a future of a theologically unsplit human family. Not at the point of a sword, as has been attempted many times before.... but arising from the simple shared recognition that it is the same life that we all share.

Namaste,

David

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My partnership request.... Please consider yourself an important gateway this message is passing through on its way to others. Please do 'send it on'. Thank you.

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Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

david@davidseacord.com

www.davidseacord.com

(my fine art website)

www.davidseacord-everymansjournal.blogspot.com

(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

www.davidseacord-acimcommentaries.blogspot.com

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)

www.everymansjournal2011.blogspot.com

(archived entries of this years Everyman's Journal)