Birds conference by Peter Sis
I’m the worst guru ever. I’m not afraid to admit it.
I’ve never been to India, and don’t feel pulled to move there any time soon.
I don’t claim to be awakened, liberated, enlightened, or in any particular state. That all seems so irrelevant when it comes to Truth.
I don’t have an organization, a sangha, or any kind of devoted following. Nobody ‘works’ for me. No adoring disciples. No Yes Men or Women.
I am open to feedback and criticism. I take everything in. When I screw up, I admit it and move on. If someone disagrees with me, or criticises my teaching, I don’t automatically say “that’s your projection” or “that’s just your ego talking” or “you are not yet awakened”. I don’t feel I have anything to defend.
Truth needs no defending.
I don’t have a guru. I’m not from any lineage. I always knew Truth was within.
I always fought for first-hand Truth.
I have no system, offer no particular path. My teaching is spontaneous and not 'mine’.
I make no promises that these teachings will cure you, fix you, awaken you, make you rich, leave you in states of permanent bliss or make you anything like me, god help you.
I don’t have an ashram. I do have a beard, but it’s not very long.
I don’t wear white. I do have a couple of white T-shirts.
I swear. I fart. I’m not a superhuman. My heart loves to break wide open. I have known the depths of unbearable suffering. I have walked on the edge of suicide, tasted the sweetness of life without hope, seen the impermanence of even the most blissful states. I see clearly that our humanness and our divinity cannot be two, and love - the kind of love that survives crucifixion - is all that really matters.
I use the words 'I’ and 'me’ freely. I say 'my body’ instead of 'the body’. I have no problem talking about the past, knowing the past is a story. I love silence, but I love noise equally. In the space of no stories, I embrace stories with all my heart.
I believe true spirituality is for everyone. I have no interest in cults. I see the age of gurus and disciples dying, the time of second-hand revelation coming to an end, and the birth of a new kind of democratic teacher-student relationship.
We are all teachers and we are all students,
and we are all expressions of the One.
I don’t put on a fake persona, talk in a special 'spiritual’ way, pretend to be something I’m not during meetings or retreats. You won’t see me attacking those who disagree with me. You won’t see me secretly screaming at volunteers behind the scenes.
I don’t grin with supreme confidence all the time, pretend to be 'up’ or 'positive’ or 'spiritual’ all the time. My being embraces both the light and the dark, both unspeakable joy and the sorrow of lost universes. I don’t believe in 'all the time’, nor pretending itself. The image means nothing. Authenticity is the key. Even false humility is false. Even the “I have no image” image is an image, which will be burned.
I don’t see myself as a guru, an enlightened mystic, a creature so very different from you, so much more evolved than you, so much more holy than you.
I don’t have a winning, charismatic personality. I’m crap at telling stories, anecdotes, amusing tales. I’m not interested in gaining your admiration or your approval. I love it when you walk away. I admire you for it. I love it when you stay. I honour your fearlessness.
I do love speaking about Truth, of course.
I do love sharing this gift of Presence with you.
I do see you as inseparable from what I am.
I do see unspeakable potential in your eyes.
I am a bird. I have no choice but to sing my song of joy and heartache,
and fly away to wherever life takes me.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
I’ve never been to India, and don’t feel pulled to move there any time soon.
I don’t claim to be awakened, liberated, enlightened, or in any particular state. That all seems so irrelevant when it comes to Truth.
I don’t have an organization, a sangha, or any kind of devoted following. Nobody ‘works’ for me. No adoring disciples. No Yes Men or Women.
I am open to feedback and criticism. I take everything in. When I screw up, I admit it and move on. If someone disagrees with me, or criticises my teaching, I don’t automatically say “that’s your projection” or “that’s just your ego talking” or “you are not yet awakened”. I don’t feel I have anything to defend.
Truth needs no defending.
I don’t have a guru. I’m not from any lineage. I always knew Truth was within.
I always fought for first-hand Truth.
I have no system, offer no particular path. My teaching is spontaneous and not 'mine’.
I make no promises that these teachings will cure you, fix you, awaken you, make you rich, leave you in states of permanent bliss or make you anything like me, god help you.
I don’t have an ashram. I do have a beard, but it’s not very long.
I don’t wear white. I do have a couple of white T-shirts.
I swear. I fart. I’m not a superhuman. My heart loves to break wide open. I have known the depths of unbearable suffering. I have walked on the edge of suicide, tasted the sweetness of life without hope, seen the impermanence of even the most blissful states. I see clearly that our humanness and our divinity cannot be two, and love - the kind of love that survives crucifixion - is all that really matters.
I use the words 'I’ and 'me’ freely. I say 'my body’ instead of 'the body’. I have no problem talking about the past, knowing the past is a story. I love silence, but I love noise equally. In the space of no stories, I embrace stories with all my heart.
I believe true spirituality is for everyone. I have no interest in cults. I see the age of gurus and disciples dying, the time of second-hand revelation coming to an end, and the birth of a new kind of democratic teacher-student relationship.
We are all teachers and we are all students,
and we are all expressions of the One.
I don’t put on a fake persona, talk in a special 'spiritual’ way, pretend to be something I’m not during meetings or retreats. You won’t see me attacking those who disagree with me. You won’t see me secretly screaming at volunteers behind the scenes.
I don’t grin with supreme confidence all the time, pretend to be 'up’ or 'positive’ or 'spiritual’ all the time. My being embraces both the light and the dark, both unspeakable joy and the sorrow of lost universes. I don’t believe in 'all the time’, nor pretending itself. The image means nothing. Authenticity is the key. Even false humility is false. Even the “I have no image” image is an image, which will be burned.
I don’t see myself as a guru, an enlightened mystic, a creature so very different from you, so much more evolved than you, so much more holy than you.
I don’t have a winning, charismatic personality. I’m crap at telling stories, anecdotes, amusing tales. I’m not interested in gaining your admiration or your approval. I love it when you walk away. I admire you for it. I love it when you stay. I honour your fearlessness.
I do love speaking about Truth, of course.
I do love sharing this gift of Presence with you.
I do see you as inseparable from what I am.
I do see unspeakable potential in your eyes.
I am a bird. I have no choice but to sing my song of joy and heartache,
and fly away to wherever life takes me.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment