What we'd like to do this afternoon is explore some more intention and priority. In some ways you could say intention is the product of how we've taken in what we've experienced and what we've heard. and formulate from it an expression, an intentional expression of our life. This way of living is appropriate. And then our priorities are to take that intention and turn it into a response to the circumstances in which we live. and the conditions under which we live.

[01:03]

So we'll explore that. What we wanted to start with this act, it was a writing exercise, a writing exercise that explores from an existential point of view, what is the intention of our life. So we'd like to start by passing away something to write with, and some paper to write on. Unless you have your own, which by all means is fine. But Christina and Felix and you sharpen the whole mindset of the past. Do you think they look more good?

[02:31]

Sure. Take two or three. I think there's plenty. If nothing else, it's helpful to lean on. Any other people? More paper-try socks. our intention, our motivation.

[03:52]

Sometimes it's about refining our intention. And sometimes it's about remembering what's important to us. It's not so much that we go through some great revelation and change. It's more like, oh yeah, it's right. That is what's important to me, isn't it? So to explore that, that's a good word. And what we're going to do is we're going to deal with alien. Can you hear me OK? No? Yeah, . There we go. We're going to explore these two dimensions of intention.

[05:10]

Refining our intention, remembering our intention, or we could say our vibe. But either word is operative. I'm gonna do that in the context of a poem. Christy, can I borrow your watch, please? Thanks. It's a poem by Amelia Oliver. And then towards the end, it comes up with two propositions. And it says, what I want to say, and what I don't want to say. But you're interested in noting, sometimes we know what we want to do, and sometimes we know what we don't want to do. Sometimes one is clearer to us, and then sometimes it's the other.

[06:18]

I think we've all known situations in our life where we got into and thought, okay, I don't want to be doing this. And then sometimes it's for affirmation. This is it. This expresses my values, my intention, my motivation. So what I'd like to do, I'm going to give you a copy of this poem, but for now I just like to read it. It's a well-known poem. Many of you might know it. It's called Moon Death. Because it's existential. I'll read the poem first. Then I'll show you the part we'd like to reflect on in the writings. When death comes. Like a hungry bear in autumn. When death comes. And takes all the bright coins from his purse to buy me. And snaps the purse shut. When death comes. like the nasal pox, when death comes, like an iceberg between the shoulder blades.

[07:22]

I want to step through the door, full of curiosity, wondering, what is it gonna be like, that cottage of darkness? And therefore, I look upon everything as a brotherhood and sisterhood, and I look upon time as no more than an idea, and I consider eternity As another possibility. And I think of each life. As a flower. As call it as a field daisy. And as singular. And each name. A comfortable music in the mind. Pending. As all music does. Towards silence. And each body. A lion of courage. And something precious to the earth. When it's over, I want to say all my life I was a bride married to amazing.

[08:25]

I was the bridegroom taking the world into my arms. When it's over, I don't want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular and real. I don't want to find myself sighing or frightened of argument. I don't want to end up simply having visited this world. So something about getting in touch with what is it you want to like to express? As Mary Oliver says in her wonderful poetic way, I want to be a bride.

[09:26]

I want to say I was a bride married to amazement. Amazement. A bridegroom kicking the world in my arms. Or on the negative, I don't want to say it. I don't want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular and real. I don't want to find myself signing and writing that are full of argument. I don't want to end up simply having visited this world. So many of you are familiar with the notion of continuous writing. What it is, you get a limited period of time to write and you just start writing. And don't stop. Stop yourself from going into editing and reviewing and getting it just right.

[10:34]

Going beyond that qualifying of your own mind and just let it flow out. Just keep it coming. You'll be surprised. We're going to get a short period of time, but even in a short period of time, you can say a lot. So if you could, on this sheet of paper, if you could say, I want to say, just write that heading. I want to say. So now. You have five minutes.

[11:36]

Oh, but before we started, is that clear now what the exercise is? No. No. You want to sit both positive and negative? We want to sit with our lives? We're just going to do what? When it's over. You know, a night, you're on your deathbed, the light is ending, and you're thinking, it's okay, it's ending. Have us a good light. Don't start to write it. Have us a good light. You know? For these reasons, you know? When it's over, I want to say, you know? Is that true, Donna? Yeah. Okay. And then, we can't start with that, you don't want to say. That's correct, you can't. We're going to get to that. We're going to do five minutes on what you want to say, and then we'll split, and we'll do five minutes on what you don't want to say. But for now, if you could just write, I want to say. And you want to just keep going.

[12:38]

And just continuous writing. Don't pause and edit. Just start writing and keep writing. Just let it come. If you could finish up, please.

[18:00]

Couldn't let the staff go. And then the other side, I don't want the same. When it's over, when my life is ending, I don't want the same. Again, we'll do five minutes on that. If you could come to a close.

[23:51]

So here's how we'd like to practice it. We'd like the breaking of small groups And then we'll talk about this. And then we'll also talk about what came up for you when you were outlining your priorities. And then maybe in the process of talking about it in a small group, see how they inform each other. It's a very interesting thing for us to look at. How are my values reflected in the priorities I set for my life? So we're breaking the grooves by counting off. Maybe you'd like to begin. One, two, three, four, five, one, four, three, four, four, two, three, four, one, two, three,

[25:20]

One, two, three, one, two, three, five, four, one, two. Everybody spoke? Okay. But the ones could come with me up to the Dogosan room. The twos go with Christina to what? York. The art lines. The threes go with Dana to and the fours can stay here with Anna. So we're doing a little bit of sensing and we're going to lie down. So if you could Move maybe the sabotons off the side that you don't need to put your head on or just shove them over.

[26:24]

Don't do too much so that you have plenty of space. And lie down in a way that you have space around you, so you're not just on top of each other. There's enough space in the Buddha Hall today. Also that there's space for people to walk between you without having to step over you, so there's more space over here. For just a brief moment, just take an overall stock of your physical body.

[27:40]

Just how does it feel when you sense your whole body? What is available to you as experience? Tense? Hired? Relaxed, divided up in different areas. Can you sense your whole body as a whole? Then just check in and see what's the emotional landscape right now. And then check in with your mental state.

[28:44]

Agitated, calm, sleepy, awake. Just check what's going on in your mind right now and what is its state. And now bring your attention to your breathing. Where in your body does breathing as it is right now create movement? When you follow your in-breath and when you let the breath go out. There's movement. Can you feel movement in your body? Can you feel it in your belly?

[29:53]

In your chest? In your back? in the upper chest, the lung tips. And again, it's about being present with what is. So it doesn't have to be in any of those places I mentioned. Just see where can you feel the movement of breathing as it's happening right now. And then focus on your expiration. Kind of pay attention to your out breath, your exhale.

[31:07]

And see if you can let it go all the way. And often at the end of the exhale, there is a little pause. And if there is, can you kind of surrender to that pause? Just wait till the next in-breath starts by itself. So with every out-breath exhalation Follow it to its very end.

[32:21]

Hang out there till the next in-breath comes, which may be sometimes sooner, but sometimes there's a pause that may last finally. Can you completely surrender into that moment of of no bread. And then I would like you to turn over on your right side and feel how your whole body is involved in rolling over.

[33:31]

And then come up to standing. Everybody from here over go off the tatami mats. And you spread out through the whole of the tatami mats. And lie down again. There's lots of space between you. So the people that are standing will pick up stones that are here and place them on the body of the people that are lying down.

[34:37]

When you pick up your stone, really feel how much energy do you need to actually pick up that particular stone you're picking up. And when you place it, place it very gently so that the person has time to receive the stone as their whole body. So if you're lying down and you're receiving a stone, can you just let it completely come to you? And not just to the place where it's being laid down, but to your whole body. And see if you can keep the sense of your whole body while in one location something's being placed on it, and you receive it. be fully there for that so and you can place many different stones on this on the same person so it's not Part of meditation practice is to become simply filled, but to simply become completely filled and open to receive what is coming in or what is coming up.

[37:11]

So your stones are being placed on your body. Can you be open to that as your whole body? And can you also be open to whatever responses come up in your body and in your emotions, maybe a feeling or a thought, without attaching to it, without running with it, just coming back to your whole sense of body and to being open to receiving You can also start taking away stones. And again, can you stay completely as complete as possible with your

[38:21]

whole body experience while something is happening to a specific area in your body. Also, when you pick up stone, pick them up so slow that the person actually can be there while the weight goes away from the body. Feel how that affects your whole body if something gets lifted up somewhere. Then switch the groups.

[39:42]

So if you still have stones on you, just pick them up yourself. And you have them already in your hands to place them with the person that's now going to lie down. So you don't even have to bring them back to the... You can keep them. If you've been... Have them in your hand already and have them lying down. You get up and the others who have been walking around placing stones lie down. So there are stones over there and stones over here. Just go and pick them up and the ones that are lying down make space between you because otherwise it's hard to for people to walk away. Listen to the response in your whole body when a stone gets placed, some place on it.

[41:22]

How does it affect your breathing? Let yourself be as present as you can be now for whatever is arising and will pass into the next moment. And you can simultaneously place things on one person's body. You don't have to wait till one has arrived because often many things arrive at the same time. You can also put stones away.

[43:35]

Lift them off slowly so the person has time to feel the leaving of the way. You have time to actually see how much energy you actually truly need to pick up that particular stone. people lying down. Be as still as you are at this moment, but that's available to you. And be as open as possible to receive what is coming in. Even if the stone leaves, there is experience coming to you or is happening. So And then slowly, if you still have stones on your chest, pick them up yourself.

[45:10]

And get up, turning over to your side. Don't sit up straight. not so good for your body. Turn over to your side. And slowly come up to sitting and then find your sofus or whatever you need to sit comfortably. You turn the stones to the to trace. No, no.

[46:09]

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