Cultivating Connection.

The Spiritual Conscious Creator / Activist Library

Photo by Mor Shani

Never in the history of humankind have we had so many means of communication — cell phones, texting, e-mail, online social media — but we are more distant from each other than ever.

There is remarkably little true communication between family members, between members of society, between nations. As a civilization, we surely have not cultivated the arts of listening and speaking to a satisfactory degree. We don’t know how to really listen to each other. Most of us have precious little ability to express ourselves or listen to others with openness and sincerity.

When we can’t communicate, energy gets blocked inside and it makes us sick; and as our sickness increases, we suffer, and our suffering spills over onto other people. If we want to be more connected to others, we don’t need to test them more; we need to listen to them more. Deep listening leads to understanding. Understanding leads to greater connection. The way to listen more deeply is not simply to try harder. Rather, it is to take time in practice that starts with silence — that is, with quieting our internal Radio Non-Stop Thinking.

Untying The Two Knots

Photo by Manuel Sardo

There are two kinds of knots. The first consists of our notions and ideas, our concepts and knowledge. Everyone has notions and ideas; but when we get stuck in them, we’re not free, and we have no chance to touch the truth in life.

The second kind of knot is our afflictions and habits of suffering, such as fear, anger, discrimination, despair, arrogance. They must be removed in order for us to be free. These two knots, which are etched deeply into our brain and consciousness, bind us and push us to do things we don’t want to do; they make us say things we don’t want to say. So we’re not free.

Any time we do things not from our true desire but out of habitual fear or ingrained notions and ideas, we’re not free. When you read this book, when you meditate, it’s not for the purpose of getting notions and ideas. In fact, it is for releasing notions and ideas…