Corina sent this email to me and other group members after a meeting where she, myself, and only two other people attended.
Update on PSI group: new handout ‘template’ and some thoughts on the meetings
Attachments: Self Inquiry Template.doc
Hello Members of the group who have been a somewhat constant member of PSI the past few years 🙂
I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking after last night’s PSI meeting, which was actually VERY GOOD and not interrupted by the usual b.s. we’ve seen lately at the previous meeting (as in giggling and laughter interrupting the person talking, people walking in and out at any time irrelevant of the starting/ending time), and it occurred to me that we have deviated quite A LOT from the original purpose of the meeting, and the way Self-Inquiry has been done by the ‘old masters’. Which we are trying to emulate. I’m talking about the tradition of Ramana Maharshi, Gurdjieff and Zen Masters like Richard Rose, Art Ticknor, Bob Ferguson, etc. Mostly TAT people (here in the States) who are trying to make a SERIOUS EFFORT at making progress with self inquiry. I think THE REASON last night’s meeting was so good, was because we had the rules clearly written down on paper, and also everyone understood where everyone else was coming from, without interruptions, or people talking over one another.
I think we have deviated TOO MUCH from the original group rules by trying to be too accommodating, and coddling people, as in ‘oh, someone doesn’t like that quote, let’s change it’, or ‘oh, someone’s feelings got hurt,let’s change the format’. I don’t think that’s appropriate and Art never thought that either. People come and go, they’re either serious about the format and about asking/answering questions (which means no interruptions, talking over people, irrelevant giggling and off comments like two meetings ago), and that does not mean that we have to try to hold on to people, or that we are building an audience. That is NOT WHAT THIS GROUP IS ABOUT. It’s also NOT ABOUT GROWING IN SIZE. I think those things need to be made CLEAR from the get go, as it strikes me that most people that come from Meetup are not that serious about spirituality, and therefore we’re wasting our time. Someone WHO IS SERIOUS is willing to look at oneself, and accept the pressure that certain questions may pose, and the very ESSENCE OF SELF-INQUIRY (in pure form, as practiced by Richard Rose and Art Ticknor) is to create an environment of ‘palpable tension’ which can lead to people having insights into themselves. Otherwise it’s all cheap talk, leading to nowhere. Like the past meetings have been (except the last one).
So, in light of that, and as the group monitor and the person who Art left in charge to ensure the group goes on (after Ben Rainey decided he could not dedicate the time to it), I think we need slightly stricter rules, and therefore have posted the following message on the PSI Meetup board in a comment:
“Additional comment: I think it’s important to note (in light of the last few meetings we have had) that if you are NOT a serious, dedicated spiritual seeker, who has been on the path for a while, then this group will not be for you. I have to reinforce this point due to some past meetings which were confusing from people interrupting each other and the flow of conversation with irrelevant giggles/laughter and other under the breath comments. If you want to be entertained, go to the circus.
Finally, this is NOT A GROUP FOR EVERYONE. This is a group that was formed in the tradition of TAT (look it up), by a Zen Master named Art Ticknor, whose teacher Richard Rose, stressed that ‘without friction and a certain degree of tension, nobody will actually do anything in life’, so we must KEEP FOCUSED ATTENTION ON THE PERSON SPEAKING which IS SUPPOSED TO LEAD to a certain degree of discomfort. Quote Richard Rose: “without discomfort nothing gets done, as there’s no incentive”. Why bother a sleeping sheep, let it live and die in peace!!!! For God’s sake Emoji
I hope you agree that this is the right thing, because I think anything less than demanding what this group is really about (the pure essence of Self Inquiry) is a bunch of b.s. and will lead us nowhere. Feel free to give me your feedback, much appreciated, and thank you all for participating in PSI and the time you put into this group! Love you all! 🙂
Corina
“Man was made at the end of the week’s work when God was tired.” -Genesis 2.0
Additional comment: I think it’s important to note (in light of the last few meetings we have had) that if you are NOT a serious, dedicated spiritual seeker, who has been on the path for a while, then this group will not be for you. I have to reinforce this point due to some past meetings which were confusing from people interrupting each other and the flow of conversation with irrelevant giggles/laughter and other under the breath comments. If you want to be entertained, go to the circus. Finally, this is NOT A GROUP FOR EVERYONE. This is a group that was formed in the tradition of TAT (look it up), by a Zen Master named Art Ticknor, whose teacher Richard Rose, stressed that ‘without friction and a certain degree of tension, nobody will actually do anything in life’, so we must KEEP FOCUSED ATTENTION ON THE PERSON SPEAKING which IS SUPPOSED TO LEAD to a certain degree of discomfort. Quote Richard Rose: “without discomfort nothing gets done, as there’s no incentive”.