Day 9, Tuesday, June 29, 2015

I admit to having disturbed thoughts, stemming from a conversation I had yesterday, hearing about people teaching in the name of the Three Principles yet combining it with other things. If anyone thinks they can combine the Principles with any other practice they simply are not seeing the Principles deeply enough, and it would behoove them to spend their time seeing it more deeply before they teach, instead of teaching before they see it deeply.

I have complete confidence that when people see the Three Principles deeply enough they will no longer feel the need to combine it with anything else; in fact, they will see the futility of it. One cannot teach inside-out and outside-in at the same time and have it do anything but confuse people and give them the wrong idea.

As I’ve said many times before The Three Principles is a description, not a prescription. It’s a description of how our experience of life is always created, no exceptions, and how we are already everything we are looking for. When people see that at a deep enough level, their lives change. That’s what the Three Principles is all about.  If we see it at too shallow a level we think gaining the understanding, in and of itself, is not enough. I suggest people be a little cautious of those teachers trying to combine it, because you will not be exposing yourself to teachers with a deep enough understanding.

Teaching what you’ve not seen for yourself

Another thing my thinking is a little disturbed by is people who try to teach about what another person has seen for themselves. This is difficult to explain.

Suppose someone has Seen Oneness. That person can talk very powerfully about what s/he has seen. It can touch another’s life. Now suppose a person who has been touched by what that other person has seen tries to teach what that first person saw. It will not be heard! It is not their direct experience, even though they have been touched by it. Yet, what will be heard and have impact is that second person’s description of what happened to her/him when s/he heard the first person’s description of Oneness. Get the difference? We can only talk about our direct experience and expect it to have any impact. This and similar issues are what I need to address in my Extended Professional Training in Spain, beginning in October.

Alone on the Ferry

Enough of that, I find myself on a huge ferry—more like a cruise ship—heading over to the island of Naxos. It’s all me alone now. Then I disembarked.

Some of my colleagues who know the Greek Islands tried to talk me out of going to Naxos. I don’t know why. How can anyone not love Naxos? At least I do. By the way, that other island I originally wanted to go to but couldn’t because of logistics is Donoussa, not whatever I posted before. That would have been nice but I’m happy here.

I was looking for a particular type of beach, which Donoussa had, but as luck would have it so does Naxos, within walking distance of where I’m staying—a long walk, but nonetheless. Really nice beach here. One of the ingredients is white sand, because white sand doesn’t burn the feet. So I had both a long walk and a long swim yesterday, and started reading a book about my beloved Boston Red Sox. That’s what I need right now. Frivolous. Just entertain me, so I can totally relax.

However, most people don’t know this about me, but I am actually pretty shy, except when I’m in charge of a training group, so it is not as easy for me as it is for some to meet new people. I know that’s just thought, but it’s a lifelong habit. I don’t like to thrust myself upon others.  And here in Naxos, quite interestingly, I haven’t even heard anyone speak English, except if they’re trying to understand me out of necessity, like checking into the Anita’s Village Hotel in Aria Ana or at the grocery store. Besides Greek, all other tourists here seem to be from non-English speaking countries. Then there are the smokers, of which there are many here, and my tendency is to stay as far away from them as possible. So this could truly be a vacation of solitude—which actually suits me quite fine right now. I’ll only have my higher self as a friend. Good company. Oh yeah, my lower self could show up too. Bad company. We’ll see who prevails.

I had to order pastitio again last night, because my first attempt had been so disappointing. This one was fabulous, so, gluttonous as it is, I’m so glad I did it again. It’s a great way to get fat. Then I actually did some writing! I had interviewed Richard on the beach the other day—fabulous interview; his life has changed in so many ways (just by a deep understanding, by the way)—and there is a lot of great stuff in there to write.

Unfortunately my bed isn’t that comfortable and there was a mosquito in my room—no screens on the windows. Drove me nuts. It’s amazing what we can let the outside world do to us sometimes.