Unexpected Freedom

Unexpected Freedomdiscover an unobstructed relationship with them. By that Imean how we can get to know ourselves intimately; how wecan learn by way of first-hand investigation to see where andhow it is we find ourselves blocked or obstructed in ourability to receive emotion, our own or those of others. So Iwould recommend instead of asking ‘what’ that we ask ‘how’.How does it feel, to feel what we feel? How freely can we feelwhat we feel, when, for instance, we feel regret ordisappointment? Do we escape up into our head and startanalyzing ourselves, asking what is this regret, thisdisappointment, trying to create an explanation?Related to this, a doctor friend who rings me fromAmerica from time to time was sharing his understanding ofwhat he thinks is going on when Buddhists talk abouttransmigrating through the various realms of existence.According to him, this talk is about creating a mythology asa way of processing information that has been stored up inthe brain. He gave a very sophisticated description that Iconfess I couldn’t really understand. But more importantthan my limited ability to grasp his abstraction was that Ididn’t get any sense that this interpretation took him to aplace of resolution. And surely that is the point of ourpractice – to take us to an experience of completeness.It is quite valid to interpret the traditional Buddhistdepictions of the Six Realms of Existence in terms of innerrealities that we experience here and now, not only asreferring to possible past and future lives. Yet we still havethe task of finding out for ourselves how to remain consciousand calm as we ascend to the heavens or descend into hellrealms. It is very easy to become attached tointellectualisations as a way of avoiding a more directapprehension of ourselves. If we have a tendency to do this,we could be failing to make use of the valuable opportunity46