Saying Yes to All Experience
Summary
TLDRIn this profound dialogue, Mary and Rupie explore the nature of happiness, distinguishing between fleeting joy and the enduring state of being. They discuss how happiness is not dependent on external events but on our internal acceptance, symbolized by a 'yes' to life's experiences. The conversation delves into the concept of awareness as an 'aware space' that naturally embraces all experiences without resistance. Rupie illustrates this with a personal story of inviting difficult emotions, leading to a deeper liberation and clarity within. The discussion is enriched with a poem by Derek Walcott, emphasizing self-love and the joy of self-acceptance.
Takeaways
- đ Happiness is not exclusive to special occasions; it can be experienced in everyday life.
- đ The essence of happiness remains consistent, regardless of the circumstances that trigger it.
- đ The key to happiness is the willingness to say 'yes' to life's experiences, rather than resisting them.
- đ Every event or object that brings happiness shares a common element: our affirmative response to it.
- đĄ Awareness, or consciousness, is inherently open and receptive to all experiences, symbolizing a universal 'yes'.
- đ± The practice of inviting and embracing all feelings, even those previously avoided, leads to liberation and clarity of awareness.
- đ As awareness is liberated from past resistances, it experiences an increasing sense of its true nature, which is happiness.
- đ The poem by Derek Walcott illustrates the process of self-love and acceptance, which is integral to the journey of happiness.
- đ§ââïž The act of being present and aware allows for a natural, effortless embrace of all experiences, leading to happiness.
- đ The ultimate goal is to recognize and experience the inherent happiness that arises from a clear and open state of awareness.
Q & A
What is the main theme discussed in the conversation between Mary and Rupie?
-The main theme discussed is the nature of happiness and how it is not dependent on external events but rather on one's internal state of being and the ability to say 'yes' to life experiences.
What does Rupie suggest is the key to experiencing happiness?
-Rupie suggests that the key to experiencing happiness is to say 'yes' to everything in life, as awareness naturally embraces all experiences without resistance.
Why does Rupie mention the trip to the seaside as a 5-year-old girl?
-Rupie mentions the trip to the seaside to illustrate that the essence of happiness remains the same throughout life, regardless of the specific event or experience.
How does Rupie differentiate between different kinds of happiness?
-Rupie differentiates between different kinds of happiness by stating that they all share a common element of being a 'yes' to the experience, but the specific experience or event that triggers it may vary.
What does Rupie mean when he says 'awareness is an aware space whose nature is just a universal yes to everything'?
-Rupie means that our state of awareness inherently accepts and is open to all experiences without judgment or resistance, which is the fundamental nature of being happy.
Why does Rupie emphasize the importance of not resisting experiences?
-Rupie emphasizes not resisting experiences because resistance creates suffering, whereas allowing experiences to be as they are, without judgment, aligns with the natural state of awareness and leads to happiness.
What does Rupie suggest as a way to liberate awareness from past experiences?
-Rupie suggests that by being present and aware, and by inviting and embracing all feelings and experiences without resistance, one can liberate awareness from the residues of past experiences.
How does Rupie relate the poem by Derek Walcott to the conversation about happiness?
-Rupie relates the poem by Derek Walcott to the conversation by highlighting the theme of self-love and acceptance, which is in line with the idea of saying 'yes' to oneself and one's experiences as a path to happiness.
What does Rupie mean when he says 'the water of awareness becomes clearer and clearer'?
-Rupie is using a metaphor to describe the process of awareness becoming increasingly free from the residues of past experiences, resulting in a purer and clearer state of being.
How does Rupie view the role of feelings in the pursuit of happiness?
-Rupie views feelings as integral to the experience of awareness, suggesting that by inviting and accepting all feelings, one allows for a fuller and more genuine experience of happiness.
Outlines
đ The Essence of True Happiness
In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the concept of happiness, distinguishing between the fleeting joy of a special occasion like a birthday and the deeper, enduring happiness that is not dependent on external events. The speaker emphasizes that true happiness is a state of being that is always present, regardless of circumstances. They argue that happiness is not tied to specific experiences but is instead the result of our willingness to embrace and say 'yes' to life as it unfolds. The speaker suggests that our happiness is determined by our internal response to events, rather than the events themselves. By cultivating an attitude of openness and acceptance, we can experience a more profound and lasting happiness.
đ Embracing All Experiences Through Awareness
The second paragraph delves into the idea that awareness, by its very nature, is open to all experiences without resistance. The speaker explains that awareness inherently says 'yes' to everything, much like space that does not discriminate against any event. They discuss how our minds can resist or reject certain experiences, which can lead to suffering, but awareness itself does not resist. The speaker shares a personal anecdote about inviting difficult emotions into their awareness without resistance, leading to a deeper understanding of the nature of awareness and a liberation from past emotional burdens. The paragraph concludes with the notion that by being present and aware, we can experience a clearer and more profound sense of happiness.
đ The Transformative Power of Acceptance
In the final paragraph, the speaker continues the theme of acceptance, suggesting that no feeling is unbearable to awareness itself. They explain that it is the resistance to feelings that makes them seem unbearable, not the feelings themselves. The speaker uses the metaphor of space to illustrate how awareness can contain everything without judgment. They also share a poem by Derek Walcott, which speaks to the beauty of self-acceptance and the joy of reconnecting with one's true self. The paragraph reinforces the idea that by accepting all aspects of our experience, we can find a deeper, more enduring happiness.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄHappiness
đĄAwareness
đĄResistance
đĄAcceptance
đĄExperience
đĄLiberation
đĄEmbrace
đĄYesness
đĄRepression
đĄLiberating Awareness
đĄResidue
Highlights
The distinction between momentary happiness and enduring happiness is discussed.
Happiness is not dependent on special occasions but can be a constant state.
The concept that happiness is a universal experience that doesn't change over time.
The idea that happiness is not tied to external events but to our internal response to them.
The notion that saying 'yes' to life experiences leads to happiness.
The suggestion that our happiness is determined by our willingness to accept experiences.
The concept of awareness as a 'yesness' nature that embraces all experiences.
The idea that awareness is inherently happy and does not resist experience.
The importance of responding to situations without resistance from a place of love and understanding.
The process of liberating awareness from the residues of past experiences by being present.
The metaphor of awareness as a clear water that becomes increasingly pure.
The story of the Indian Sage Nagad and the concept of increasing happiness with age.
The realization that no feeling is unbearable and that resistance creates suffering.
The invitation to embrace all feelings as part of the process of self-liberation.
The poem by Derek Walcott, 'Love After Love,' as a metaphor for self-love and acceptance.
The importance of recognizing and welcoming all aspects of oneself.
Transcripts
hi
Mary Hi rupie how are you I'm very well
thank you oh thank you this is a very
happy day for me um it's Ben's birthday
so I say happy birthday to Ben but
that's a different happiness than what
we've been speaking
about I think the the real happiness
doesn't exclude that happiness on that
one day of anything but it's it's
different it's very very different it
doesn't take a a special day to have it
happen it doesn't need Mary that there's
only one kind of
Happiness there isn't one kind of
happiness that you feel on your birthday
another kind of happiness that you feel
when the sun shines another kind of
Happiness when your best friend calls
and other kind of happiness that it's
always the same from from from as long
as you can remember when you were a
5-year-old girl the happiness you
experien then is exactly the same as the
happiness you experience on Ben's
birthday it has been
liberated by a different
experience it was preceded the
experience of Happiness was preceded by
a trip to the Sea Seaside as a
5-year-old girl and as a on Ben's
birthday now but the
experience itself is always the same it
is The Shining of your
being now what is it that that what is
it about the trip to the
seaside as the 5-year-old girl or Ben's
birthday or any other EV event that
makes us
happy what is it that in your experience
that is common to every single event or
object or person that has made you happy
what is the
common in your relationship to that
event what is the what is the common
element in your relationship to every
single object event or relationship that
has made you
happy there's one thing they all have in
common
yes it's that you say yes to them ah yes
that's it that's that's the only thing
that
determines your happiness you say yes to
it yeah think about it everything you
say yes to in your life makes you happy
everything you say no to makes you
unhappy you say yes to Ben today and
you're having a happy day tomorrow if he
does something and you say no to him the
same Ben that made you happy today will
make you miserable tomorrow it was not
Ben's fault he is not responsible for
your happiness today and he will not be
responsible for your misery tomorrow I'm
sure you won't be miserable tomorrow
what is it that
dictates whether a person an object an
activity or a situation makes us happy
or not it is not the person the object
the activity it is whether we say yes to
it or no to it that's
it so instead of
demanding the world and people to be
just the way we need them to be in order
to make us happy in order to make us say
yes to them why don't we make the prior
determination just to say yes to
everything we don't even need to to say
yes to everything because awareness it
is awareness is nature it's a yesness
nature awareness is yeah a yes to
everything it's like the space of this
room has has the space in your room has
the space in the universe Mary ever said
no to
anything no it hasn't did does it does
it say no to to the
sunshine does it say no to an atomic
explosion does it say no no the space
never says no well awareness is is an
aware space whose nature is just a
universal yes to everything and that is
why awareness is always
happy it's not it's not that we the Mind
need to struggle to say yes to
everything as a opposed to saying yes to
some things and no to other we just have
to realize it's too late we awareness
the fact that something is
happening means awareness has already
said yes it's too late for the mind to
come in and say well I like this and I
don't like that so this is why this is
is a it's it's an effortless way it is
simply to recognize that we the space of
awareness
simply naturally effortlessly
Embraces all experience now I don't mean
to imply that it is not appropriate to
respond to to to
situations but but we respond to
situation having without the
resistance not from a place of
resistance it we respond appropriately
moment to moment from a place of of love
and understanding and intelligence and
so the yes is always there the the the
yes is an nature the yes is the nature
of awareness we do not have to
struggle to to to change our resistance
into welcoming but rather to see that it
is the nature of awareness to to be open
to all experience awareness cannot
resist experience
okay I'll give you the example that I
have about these feelings that you talk
about you say when you start on this
journey certain feelings will start
coming up and boy did they once they
heard that
invitation and so I um I I very gently
practiced the inviting it and even
feeling happy that they were coming good
and then would come more often and they
came and they brought them on I said
come and then one day I saidou invited
and they said wait a minute we have an
invitation for you and they said what
are you doing with that wall of
separation with
us and I realized what I had done I had
yes invited but with the Restriction of
a of a wall of separation
and I didn't even know it until they
showed me it took those feelings to show
me that I still was holding separation
from them when they wanted to be whole
with me the whole
time
yes so now they come willingly or they
come when they want to perfect I invite
them they're invited to stay here
regardless of yes you you are liberating
yourself
you Mary you awareness are liberating
yourself from the the the
U the the the the accumulated residues
yes of all the experiences in your life
that you have said no
to and this this know to experience has
been stored in you layer upon layer on
layer from early on in childhood when
when we could not face or process our
experience and and by doing this it's
not something we're even doing it's it's
just by being knowingly this allowing
loving presence of awareness we
are we are liberating awareness from
these residues of feeling and the more
awareness is liberated from these
feeling the water of awareness becomes
clearer and clearer and clearer and as a
result awareness increasingly tastes
itself as it is remember nagad the the
Indian Sage who I know many of you know
about at the end of his life people
someone asked him what's it like getting
older and he just said I get happier and
happier and happier what he meant was
the any old residue that were left in
the water of awareness the water the
Clear Water of his being was
progressively liberated from any
residues and as a result its nature the
nature of his being sha more and more in
his life that that nature is happiness
The Shining of
Happiness yes and just
by being knowingly the presence of
awareness and inviting these feelings
that for so long we have been repressing
and avoiding because we thought they
were too painful sometimes we say this
feeling was unbearable no no feeling is
unbearable awareness never says this is
unbearable awareness can bear everything
space can bear everything what is it
that says this is unbearable it is just
another feeling it is the feeling of
resistance it is meeting a feeling with
another layer of resistance and thereby
pushing it
down I think good Petry says that in
many ways inde yes and good music does
too I have one here a short one uh Derek
walock love after love
the time has
come when with
Elation you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door and in your own
mirror and each will smile at the others
welcoming and say sit here eat you will
love
again the stranger who was your
yourself give wine give bread give back
your
heart to
itself to the stranger who has Loved You
All Your Life whom you
ignored for
another who knows you by
heart take down the Love Letters From
the bookshelf the photographs the Des
notes peel your own image from the
mirror
sit Feast on your
life beautiful Mary who wrote that Derek
wallik he was a um Caribbean poet was
just yeah beautiful thank you for for
for reading that that that's that's
beautiful
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