- Do You Know Who You Are? I mean... Who You REALLY Are?
Hey Everyone! I hope you've all had a restful and relaxing holiday season, and a happy New Year so far. I am excited to dive back into enlightening conversation with you all at our first meeting of 2019! When we say "I", what do we mean? Who are we really talking about? Our conceptions of "I" have a lot of power over us in our lives, and what we believe about "I" has the power to erect many blockades in terms of our health (mental and physical) and wellbeing. For this meeting we'll be focusing more on the work of Alan Watts, and specifically as it pertains to his book "The Book". One of the central inquiries in this book is the question of "Who Am I" or rather, who or what is at the center of the claim "I"? Watts has some poignant assertions that contradict much of what we have been brought up to learn about ourselves and the idea of "I" in the Judeo/Christian West, so we'll really dig into the points he raises and let the discussion spread its wings from there. Looking forward to connecting with everyone that can make it as we examine this ever so important error that we have all been shackled by. Hope to see you there! Cheers, Jesse
- Surprise! You Didn't See That Coming. A Conversation on Dealing with Surprise.
Hooked On Colfax (lower level)
Life is full of surprises, everyday things come at us, things that we least expect. Though this can be disconcerting, the magic dwells in how we respond to surprises, both the negative and positive kind. At this meeting, be prepared to share something about your experience with a surprises, and if/how awakening has helped you deal with them better when they inevitably come up in your life. I will kick the talk off with a short talk from our books, and we'll get the conversation going, sharing how enlightenment has expanded our ability to deal with surprises. Or maybe it hasn't. We can talk about that too. Looking forward to another great meeting, all centered around human awakening and enlightenment! Hope to see you all there. - Jesse
- Of Latent Potential & The Awakening of the Human Spirit
Greetings everyone! After a longer than expected summer hiatus, I am happy to announce that the group will be starting up again! Please plan to join us for an evening of discussion and community all centered around the ideas/concepts of awakening and enlightenment. If you'd like to brush up on some reading please dive into The Book by Alan Watts, and/or The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I'll give a short talk to start things off and then we'll dive right in to our group discussion. This group is welcoming to all, whether very accustomed to this content or a first timer who is just curious. Looking forward to it!
- A Dehumanized, Industrial Civilization: Recipe for Inner Turmoil & What to do.
Hooked On Colfax (lower level)
Eckhart Tolle, in "The Power of Now" suggests that we live in a "dehumanized, industrial civilization" and claims that the collective dysfunction of resistance to the now is primarily to blame for this apparently disparate state. With select readings from "The Power of Now" and "The Book" by Alan Watts, we'll dig into this assertion in an attempt to discover what hope we may possess in such a grim atmosphere. Hope is one thing that can never be killed, no matter how grim things may feel at times, and we'll examine sources of hope and tactics for bringing ourselves out of the fog which our modern way so easily induces. Looking forward to diving into some great conversations with everyone! Cheers, Jesse
- In the Game of Black and White there is no room for Grey...
For this session, we will be zeroing in on "The Book" by Alan Watts. And more specifically, taking a closer look at the chapter "The Game of Black and White". In this chapter Watts asserts that "the general habit of conscious attention is, in various ways, to ignore the intervals". For instance, we recognize, with our conscious attention, the thing that stands out. When we hear a sound, we think about "the sound" without really understanding that any given sound is actually a relationship between sound and silence, the total wavelength. What affect does this way of seeing and thinking have on us? How does it change the way we see ourselves and our place in the universe? We'll dig in to these and other questions on our first session in July, hope to see you there! Cheers, Jesse
- In the Game of Black and White there's no room for Grey...
- Do You Know Who You Are: A Closer Look at "The Book" by Alan Watts
Hey Everyone! Really looking forward to this meeting, we'll be focusing on The Book, by Alan Watts and really digging into what it was he intended to convey through this book. The main question of the session will be, "Do you know who you are"? The answer to this question might not be as simple and straight forward as you think, for we westerners have been raised under a grand delusion, that we are separate bits, who must struggle for survival in a world that is foreign and adversarial. Alan Watts lets us know that this is a delusion, springing from the Judeo-Christian world view, and that in actuality we are intimately a part of everything we see and hear, taste, touch and feel. Should be a great conversation, looking forward to connecting with everyone! Cheers, Jesse
- Falling Down and Getting Back Up: An Essential Practice
This week we'll focus our discussion on something inevitable in human life, falling down! But like the old adage instructs, getting back up is where the power comes in. Of course we're going to fall down on this journey, none of us will walk it perfectly, and that idea of a perfect walk isn't even based in reality! It's an ideal, and ideals give us something to aim for, but were never meant to be taken so seriously as to end up inhibiting us from progress. So, to get back up then is the thing, this is where you'll connect again with your power, this is where it is really at, what it's really about. It only takes a second to lose presence, and only a second to regain it. Looking forward to another dynamic discussion! Cheers, Jesse
- What Has Been Left Behind: A Reflection on Awakening
All of us who have had the bravery, the gall to partake in this adventure called awakening, we have all had to leave some things behind. Often times gains are not accomplished without sacrifice. This week we will discuss some of the things that our journey has required us to leave behind. Sometimes it is painful to separate ourselves from family, cultural norms, or a basic sense of comfort, and these things should be called out and recognized. We will focus our discussion on some of the sacrifices that we have all had to make to set out in this brave new direction, a direction that truly is the road less traveled. Looking forward to a great discussion with everyone!
- Presence, Being, or the Matrix: You Choose How You Will Live
We all have a choice, whether to go on, fast asleep, living out our days in the "matrix", or to awaken, to become present and so unlock the possibility that lies dormant until we recognize it. Just like in the movies, sometimes life in the matrix can be easier, but for those who wish to really live, to discover what destiny may have in store, that is not an option. Join us for this, our 7th meeting as we discuss the concepts of presence and being, and how these things may counteract our compulsion to drift along with the programmed world, the way things have been handed to us. For to obtain presence, to focus oneself on being instead of doing, is essentially to pull the neck plug, remove yourself from the tube of jelly, and enter boldly into this great adventure, the adventure of life unhindered, life played as a game (as Alan Watts would call it). Looking forward to diving into this fascinating conversation with you all! Cheers! - Jesse