“Control and Spaciousness” with Alex this Sunday at Minneapolis Insight

Dear Community,

Sunday 10am Community Practice & Discussion

Last week, Jane invited us to explore pausing, "not to 'find the answers,' but rather to create space...in which we may sustain our presence, opening to our life as it is."

In the last two weeks, I've been facing the repercussions of a major flood event in my condo which caused significant damage and lots of back-and-forth with contractors, insurance companies, and all the emotions that come with unexpected, time-consuming, and complicated problems. When this happens to me, I jump to organizing and planning. Sometimes this is skillful, but often its rooted in a strong but ultimately false belief: that if I just bear down hard enough, I can control every outcome. That I can "find the answers." From this attitude, there's not much spaciousness.

Yesterday, Jess and I went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which has a wonderful Buddha hall. They've reorganized since my last time, and added a new sculpture by Honbori Yūji called "Eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva." The statue is made from discarded cardboard boxes. Seen from the side, the piece appears solid. But from the front, one sees the piece through the corrugation in the cardboard, and it becomes almost entirely see through, more empty space than full.

Cardboard is strong precisely because it contains this space. When I connect to my own spaciousness, I feel strength too. Instead of needing to control the moment, I can move through conditions recognizing with humility my own influence on them. Like Yūji's Bodhisattva, I am both light and stable.

Please join us this Sunday for practice and reflection on spaciousness and control. This week's session is online only--our in-person meeting will be July 20th. Registration and Zoom information available here.

With mettā,
Minneapolis Insight

Eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (Jūichimen Kannon), 2012

- Honbori Yūji

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