Emptying the Cup

Emptying the Cup

There is a specific kind of friction that happens when the Bodymind is simply too full. We have all felt it. I see it in class: a practitioner walks in with a head full from lives that are complicated, trying to navigate class with a mind that is full and creating more complications. It’s impressive, really, the amount of effort we put into complicating things. One of my reminders to myself is when I have a problem, what can I do to not make this two or more problems? When a person is struck by a poisoned arrow, a Doctor doesn't pause to ask for a detailed history of the archer. We do not need a thesis on the aerodynamic properties of the shaft, we don't even need to understand why the arrow was shot? To save the person’s life, you only need one piece of information: a solid sense that having an arrow sticking out of your chest is probably a bad idea. First step how to take out the arrow.

Everything else—the "why me," the "who did this," the "what does this mean, is just noise. It’s the second arrow. It’s the one we cheerfully shoot into ourselves while the first arrow is still sticking out of our ribs. Not our smartest move. But, it is so easy to do!In our classes at Taomatrix, we practice dropping that second arrow. We give up the desperate need to understand the experience before we actually bother to experience it. We learn to surrender our confussions to the earth, so that we have space to experience what we are doing.

Buddhism speaks of "Right Mindfulness" as being a total observer. Not a sports commentator providing live analysis on your own life. Just an observer. When you walk, observe the walk. When you breathe, sense the air. Less commentary more mindfulness Just walk. Just breathe. The minute you overthink a movement, it is already too processed. You end up looking at a mental representation of the practice instead of actually doing the practice. You stand there aggressively pushing a door marked "pull." To find the Uncarved Block, we have to first empty the cup of all these interpretations. We cultivate emptying the cup in every single class. Empty the cup. Not because there is anything wrong with your tea, but because it is awfully hard to pour anything new into a vessel that is already spilling onto your shoes.