Talk on "Being Brave: Transforming our World" by Adam Lobel

Excerpts from Adam Lobel’s talk, May 9 – Introductory to Sangha Retreat “Being Brave: Transforming our World”, a one-week meditation reteat at Dechen Chöling.

“What is more natural – the beautiful strong magnificent oak tree or a modern city with highways, buildings and people busying around with headphones plugged into their ears? Or, look at the routine of our busy lives and that of a toad? What is more natural? Many of us would say, it’s the oak tree and the toad’s life. The simple point I want to make here, is that there is an invisible background understanding that we as human beings are fundamentally unnatural, problematic, confused, maybe even aggressive and violent. How have we come to understand ourselves in this way? How do we experience ourselves in the midst of society, feeling unnatural? There is something sad about this experience. Many of us thrive on this feeling.

In the Shambhala tradition Human society is considered basically good, natural – just as an oak tree or a toad. We as human beings have a right to be on this planet, there is goodness and dignity about being human and part of nature. So, it needs a shift in experience – being as simple, good and natural as an oak tree. In the midst of our ordinary experience there is this sense of wakefulness always available. It is completely basic and ordinary. And therefore we miss it. But we do all experience it, in moments of freshness, appreciation, silence and stillness. Within the speed of our lives, it’s difficult to rest with what we call basic goodness. Many of us don’t experience this natural being. In part that’s because of the simplicity and ordinariness, there is something very boring about sanity – compared to all kind of madnesses and horror news on TV.

There is so much incredible goodness happening on this earth every day and minute, there is so much of what people have let go of in favor of others, so much kindness, we wouldn’t believe it. Just think of the countless ways of someone caring for someone else, or just people preparing good food for each other. We can’t forget that.

Every consideration of transforming our world has to do with our own state of being, our heart and emotions and how we live our everyday life. Cultivating our own goodness, connection, opening up and wisdom is inseparable from shifting modern society.”

Adam Lobel invited all participants to touch and taste their own basic human goodness.