Ep. 283: Sitting on 4-28-26 (on not striving)
Apr 29, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min · 15 segments
- Speakers
- BernieHost
Apr 29, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min · 15 segments
Um, I think, uh, the theme of the evening is a little bit of a turn from what I've been talking about and the way I've been talking the last few weeks, which have been about concentration, about really sort of increasing focus, increasing, yeah, um, sort of samadhi.
And I think, um, I'm really glad I spent the time on that topic that I did, but there is a potential downside to focusing on concentration or really any technique like that in the way that I did, which is that it can introduce a certain quality of effortfulness, I think, to our practice.
I gotta work on this." I mean, I kind of said that, you know? [laughs] But, but, but in a weird way I'm trying to diffuse that now, you know.
[laughs] Um, so, uh, um, so yes, we need to concentrate, but at the same time, really, the ultimate spirit of this practice is one of effor- effortlessness, not striving, you know.
And I think I want to, um, sort of swing the pendulum of my teaching back to that, I think actually deeper, more important quality of our practice.
And then I think, you know, to some extent leave it to you to figure out how to reconcile these, these two important sort of aspects, effort and effortlessness, you know.
Um, I think, uh, the theme of the evening is a little bit of a turn from what I've been talking about and the way I've been talking the last few weeks, which have been about concentration, about really sort of increasing focus, increasing, yeah, um, sort of samadhi.
And I think, um, I'm really glad I spent the time on that topic that I did, but there is a potential downside to focusing on concentration or really any technique like that in the way that I did, which is that it can introduce a certain quality of effortfulness, I think, to our practice.
I gotta work on this." I mean, I kind of said that, you know? [laughs] But, but, but in a weird way I'm trying to diffuse that now, you know.
[laughs] Um, so, uh, um, so yes, we need to concentrate, but at the same time, really, the ultimate spirit of this practice is one of effor- effortlessness, not striving, you know.
And I think I want to, um, sort of swing the pendulum of my teaching back to that, I think actually deeper, more important quality of our practice.
And then I think, you know, to some extent leave it to you to figure out how to reconcile these, these two important sort of aspects, effort and effortlessness, you know.
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