Principle 11 Negation Of Opposites – Week 3 – 2022

 November 13, 2022 

Principle 11. Negation of Opposites. Week 3. This time: Our Weekly Mediation(s)

“It does not matter what faction events have placed you, what matters is for you to understand that you have not chosen any faction.” 

Last time:  Rabbits and Ducks 

This Time: Our Weekly Meditation(s) and The Sneetches

An Invitation:

This week I’m sharing some thoughts about our weekly meetings. Whether you have never been, haven’t been in a while, or come almost every week, please take this as an invitation to join us. If you don’t get a weekly reminder by email you can find the link to our virtual meetings on the Facebook page of The Community of Silo’s Message Toronto Annex. Or you can just email me. Our meetings are open to the public. They are free. It’s not a club — you don’t have to join or subscribe to any particular belief — except being in favour of nonviolence, non-discrimination, and freedom of beliefs. It’s not a course — you come as sporadically or regularly as you prefer and your situation permits.

Have you wanted to join us for these meetings but the timing doesn’t work for you? Why not start another one? It’s easy, just invite one or two interested friends (neighbours, co-workers, family members) over and follow the steps of the experience detailed in the Book of Silo’s Message. Not comfortable with all that? Feel free to get in touch and we’ll help you get started.

Next Wednesday (November 16th) falls in the 3nd week of the 11th month. We will use that occasion to discuss this 3rd week of our meditations on this principle of valid action.

Principle 11. The Principle of Negation of Opposites. Third Week:

“It does not matter in what faction events have placed you, what matters is for you to understand that you have not chosen any faction.” 

Third Week:

Over the last two weeks  we considered the overall structure and general implications of the principle of the negation of opposities. We also looked at it in the context of the past. This week we try to focus on what it means or could mean for out present situations. How might I apply this principle? What consequences might arise? How might it change things? How will things play out if I ignore this principle?

Which Side are You On?

Personal Reflections:

What follows are my reflections. I make no greater claim for them but offer them in the spirit of exchange and dialogue.  

I hope you find these of some use in your own meditations. I find sharing my thoughts on these themes useful because it forces me to give them some order, but of course I’m also very happy to think this sharing might help to clarify, inspire — or infuriate others — even that last can be useful. 

Consider: My identification with particular positions, opinions, or factions seems at least in part to be the result of my circumstance. But some of it feels innate — as if it’s just the way I am. As if I might say — “I’m just that kind of person”.

Odd how somehow I always seem to find myself on the side of the “angels”. Is that because of an accident of circumstance, or because of something I was born with? In either case what did I choose?

For your amusement, and possibly edification you’ll find attached a PDF of a children’s story about factions by Dr. Seuss. As well as this link to a video version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd76qZsqO_s

The good Dr had his own blind spots but left us some interesting “nonsense”.

Remember:

The principles are simply platitudes if you don’t make the effort to transform them into something more. They are only important if they can help you build a more coherent life filled with growing Peace in yourself and around you, internal Force to face life’s difficulties and the Joy of an open future.

At No Additional Charge This Weeks Some Extra Goodies:

A Look At Our Weekly Meditation:

Last week I wrote about a daily, or twice daily, practice that I called the “simplest meditation”, perhaps it’s not really the simplest but I liked the name. This week I thought I’d write about our “weekly meditation”.  

A simple guide to our Weekly Meeting:

We keep our meetings short (less than an hour) but in that time a lot happens. Our gathering usually begins with a short interchange about the principle, our situation and reflections about the last week. Then we continue with a totally different kind of practice.

The procedure can vary, but in our meeting normally two people familiar with these works volunteer to guide the meditation. One of them will suggest that we become aware of the distractions and tensions that are affecting us at that moment. They do this with three phrases: “My mind is restless. My heart is troubled. My body is tense. Those participating check their situation and respond in kind (assuming it is the case!). This quite naturally leads to the suggestion/affirmation: “I relax my body, my heart and my mind”. A few moments are given to do exactly that as best as we can. Outside of the meeting proper, in occasional seminars and workshops, we teach precise techniques that can be applied in this situation. These are designed to relax external muscular tensions, deeper internal tensions and specifically mental tensions. But in the meeting it is simply suggested and each one lets go of those tensions in their own way.

After this brief relaxation a theme is suggested for consideration. In our meetings we generally take the principle of the month, each week meditating on a different aspect of how it might be applied. This part of the meeting is a moment of gentle reflection. It is followed in turn by the experiences that are in many ways at the heart of our meeting — the Experience of Peace which at times can become the Experience of the Force. Whatever the result the procedure is a sort of guided meditation focused on the sensation of an expanding sphere. In a very short time can produce a feeling of profound internal peace, connection with a source of  internal force or energy,  and a growing feeling of joy. 

At the end of that work we are invited to clarify what it is we truly need and to ask for that from the deepest part of ourselves. Of course, believers in a particular deity might direct that “asking” to their God, saint or intercessor. For those who do not believe in a God or Gods, the request is delivered to and from the depths of their own being.

At one time that would have been the end of the weekly experience. However, each community of Silo’s Message is autonomous and free to do things in their own way, and so by common agreement our meeting continues for another brief meditation. Having taken this  time to discover Peace, Force and Joy in ourselves, we turn our thoughts to those we care about, and their needs. With that last practice, The Ceremony of Well Being, the weekly meeting ends. Though often we’ll all go out together for a coffee, a meal, or just hang out for a while. 

Another Look:

Whatever your position, opinion, or your faction, the complete truth is not there, but rather the reverie. Complete truth and liberty arise when you realize that yfor you your position, opinion and faction, are for you reveries.. 

Worth Repeating:

Guiding our actions by the internal registers of unity and contradiction we can develop a coherent life increasingly filled with peace, force and joy.

Coming up:

This week we looked at how principle 11 “the negation of opposites” applied present situations. Next week we shift to the future.