Kenneth guides a student to the happiness that does not depend on conditions. Embracing failure as the ideal condition for progress. (Guided meditation. Mostly audio only, with some video toward the beginning of the talk.)
Mahamudra and the Joy of Failure
3 thoughts on “Mahamudra and the Joy of Failure”
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Hi Kenneth.
Thanks for posting this. I can definitely relate to the sense of feeling defeated.
I’d be interested to better understand how noting practice fits in with what you’re describing here. I guess it’s all about the attitude one brings, whether the practice itself is noting or just resting the mind in mahamudra? I certainly think of noting as a means toward an end–a surefire method that guarantees development through the Progress of Insight. In that sense, it’s sort of like “I can win by doing this. I just have to follow the instructions and I’ll get what I want.” Or “I can get what I want; I just have to come up with the right strategy for getting out of the way, because I’m told lack of surrender is the obstacle.”
So I guess noting with the attitude of “I can win” + [various strategies] is the functional equivalent of trying to “clamp down” on mahamudra? Note in a way that “doesn’t hurt”? Hmmmm…
Joel
This is beautiful. It’s what I’d give to a friend who wanted to know what working with Kenneth is about. Just tried noting without hoping I will get something from it. Such a different flavor.
Thank you for sharing this, Kenneth. I am a complete beginner (a true baby) with Dharma work. Listening to you helped me know that my past has led me to what I need to learn….acceptance, surrender…to the true essence… that which cannot be sullied, as you say…Your teaching affected me very deeply…brought a few tears of joy…release…. Why?…because I had been experiencing fear about the work…questioning if I would lose myself too much…wondering if I already have along the way…now, I know my path is truly always a blessing, and I feel blessed to have found my way to your site here. I know myself so much better already…thank you for helping Her, Me, and all others who have and will hear this…I do hope that you will leave this ‘gift’ here or on youtube, for other newbies to also ‘stumble upon.’ I know I will want to listen at least one more time, down the road…not if but when I, too, feel cornered. Metta~