Maybe it was a combo of Moo and the community that has formed around Moo?
Many years ago, I volunteered on road crew for one of the 1990s California AIDS Rides.
Nearly 2000 people rode their bicycles 450 miles to Los Angeles after a year of fundraising for AIDS care and research - and intensively training for this event.
And all participants had lost children, friends and partners to the disease; many were living with the disease.
This added up to a self selected group with a shared purpose, shared priorities, raw emotions.
On Day One, we arrived in camp, and there was a tent set up as a meditation space.
I decided to go inside, do a bit of zen sitting. I did not expect anything except to calm myself down a bit.
As I approached, I looked through the entrance and saw several people on chairs, sitting silently.
As I walked through the entrance, I felt a sensation, as though
a breeze or spiderweb had brushed my face.
As I stepped inside, I felt suddenly stunned as though there was some shift
in atmosphere, then felt I'd stepped into some intense energy.
Amazed, I found a corner outside the circle and sat down.
No one was saying anything, I saw no apparent focus, the group sat silently.
I sat outside the circle of chairs on the ground, on my butt.
Inside, I felt a ball or clot of confused, painful emotion start in my chest
and rise upwards. I was scared I'd start crying in public.
I took a chance, sat still, allowed that clot of emotion to rise up -
and suddenly, it vanished and my awareness and emotions felt scrubbed clean,
as though a storm had blown out to sea and the sun was out.
Again, felt like my emotions and mind had been cleaned, like a dirty window
suddenly clear, pristine perfect, all clear sky and sunshine, a clean slate.
I did remember I had to return to my work assignment, and kept track of the time.
I wrote all this out because this experience was not generated by a guru. I arrived after the group had been sitting in its circle and was something of an outsider.
I dare wonder if that group of silent people created a shared zone of unconscious accord that could have a settling effect on a sensitive, empathic
person arriving later to the scene.
Maybe the fellowship of disciples creates something like this around Moo.
This state of togetherness, a shared settling down and intense, enlivening clarity can calm a person's anguish and
give some much needed space to apply insight and healing?
Many years ago, I volunteered on road crew for one of the 1990s California AIDS Rides.
Nearly 2000 people rode their bicycles 450 miles to Los Angeles after a year of fundraising for AIDS care and research - and intensively training for this event.
And all participants had lost children, friends and partners to the disease; many were living with the disease.
This added up to a self selected group with a shared purpose, shared priorities, raw emotions.
On Day One, we arrived in camp, and there was a tent set up as a meditation space.
I decided to go inside, do a bit of zen sitting. I did not expect anything except to calm myself down a bit.
As I approached, I looked through the entrance and saw several people on chairs, sitting silently.
As I walked through the entrance, I felt a sensation, as though
a breeze or spiderweb had brushed my face.
As I stepped inside, I felt suddenly stunned as though there was some shift
in atmosphere, then felt I'd stepped into some intense energy.
Amazed, I found a corner outside the circle and sat down.
No one was saying anything, I saw no apparent focus, the group sat silently.
I sat outside the circle of chairs on the ground, on my butt.
Inside, I felt a ball or clot of confused, painful emotion start in my chest
and rise upwards. I was scared I'd start crying in public.
I took a chance, sat still, allowed that clot of emotion to rise up -
and suddenly, it vanished and my awareness and emotions felt scrubbed clean,
as though a storm had blown out to sea and the sun was out.
Again, felt like my emotions and mind had been cleaned, like a dirty window
suddenly clear, pristine perfect, all clear sky and sunshine, a clean slate.
I did remember I had to return to my work assignment, and kept track of the time.
I wrote all this out because this experience was not generated by a guru. I arrived after the group had been sitting in its circle and was something of an outsider.
I dare wonder if that group of silent people created a shared zone of unconscious accord that could have a settling effect on a sensitive, empathic
person arriving later to the scene.
Maybe the fellowship of disciples creates something like this around Moo.
This state of togetherness, a shared settling down and intense, enlivening clarity can calm a person's anguish and
give some much needed space to apply insight and healing?