Transcript from a meeting with James Eaton on 18 February, 2017
Q: My ability to stay with ‘what is’ is a bit thin. It’s there, but I can get sucked in to all sorts of dramas. And the drama starts to become a closed loop and I identify with it and it keeps me awake at night.
James: When you realise that you’ve just been lost on a ride, then there’s simply a realisation of that. It’s not that you got it wrong. Who got it wrong? Nobody got it wrong. You, as life, just got lost on a ride. And then you woke up. And now it’s, “What’s next? Ok I’m just going to be myself now for a bit. I’m going to hang out as I am. And then maybe I’m gonna go on another ride.”
Q: That’s what I’m complaining about.
James: Yes I’m hearing a complaint!
Q: I haven’t quite realised I’ve put the money in the slot, taken the ride and got lost in the process somehow, and didn’t enjoy it, and then came out the other end. So the ability to stay with, “This is it”, is thin.
James: What I’m saying is that if that happens – it’s fine. That’s really important. It sounds like a throwaway comment but it’s actually vital. Because what normally happens is we get upset about the fact that we’ve been lost on a ride. But getting upset about being lost on a ride, is being lost on a ride! And we don’t see it. And then we get really spiritual, and we get lost on all kinds of spiritual rides, believing that we’re not on a ride at all!
The reason I’m saying this is just to come back to – it’s all ok. It’s all ok.
It’s the way life is dancing itself. If you take ownership of it, and that you got it ‘wrong’, then you’re actually reinforcing the very idea that you’re supposedly looking into. It’s very subtle that.
Q: It’s lovely though.
James: So here you are again. When you feel like you are here, fully, then you’re getting familiar with that, you’re enjoying the flavour of that, you’re savouring the wonder of that; so that it becomes such a familiar, wonderful flavour that you want to be that, you fall in love with that, it becomes your beloved.
That’s why groups like this can be very helpful, because we’re all pulling in the same direction, we’re all enjoying playing, on the pitch; we’re right there on the pitch being seen, feeling the wonder of that. Then, by contrast, we can realise when things are closing down; not to then get upset with ourself about that, but just to realise it. And then opening to whatever’s happening – whatever it is that we’re going through that’s tricky, that we’re struggling with – just opening to that, knowing that it’s ok to open to it; it doesn’t have to be denied, repressed, pushed away. Then very quickly you’ll find yourself as you are – back into openness; softness; natural rest. It’s natural because it doesn’t require effort – it’s the relaxation of a previous effort.
(silent connecting)
Q: Thank you
James: Yes. Just savour it, savour that, enjoy that.
Q: Savour the moment. Savour it…
James: Fall in love with it.
Q: Fall in love with it. I love that bit!
James: Yum yum!
