In our practice we look into ourselves and into our lives with this relaxed and open curiosity to explore and examine with greater interest and depth. We are committed to our awareness and attention training as it brings us insight and understanding about who and what we truly are as human beings. We watch the mind to learn about our habitualness- our reactionary tendencies to get caught up in narrative identifications that are simply events of consciousness. We observe the defilements of mind- anger, greed, and delusion- as well as the hindrances of mind like desire, aversion, torpor, restlessness, and doubt. It is only through our understanding the conditions of mind that we can learn to handle them and eventually become free of them. To ignore them only allows them to run away with our peacefulness- our happiness- and our sanity.

As a curious observer into the mystery of our own humanity, we look into the “shadows” of our existence. We see the essence of what is both “good” and “bad” within us. We face and embrace ourselves as we are, with the clear intent to better understand a more complete picture of our “wholeness”. Sustaining mindful interest, intent, and equanimity, we can stay with our difficult qualities of mind, and seed our discernment for what is “good” and “bad”- for what is “skillful” and “unskillful”, and for wisdom to flourish. We cannot clearly see, understand, and ultimately discern without this direct experience of mind.

It is our open, non-judgmental curiosity that leads us into ourselves. We come back “home” to our “knowingness” of the qualities inherent to our intrinsic happiness, and of the conditions precipitating our “dis-ease” and human suffering. Our curiosity is inclined toward cultivating healthy qualities of mind… insight, compassion, and understanding. We often sit to be still in our practice, but the mind works to meditate. It works with the intent and effort to nourish conditions for wisdom- for it is wisdom that penetrates and dissolves our defilements and hindrances of mind.

With this mindful effort we may experience change, but it is wisdom and understanding that conditions real transformation in our lives. Over time, we continue to investigate with devotional curiosity and interest to know the qualities of our mind- and to keep exploring and examining the unknown aspects of our humanness. Our interest in self-discovery becomes self-sustaining as our practice expands and deepens, and as we directly experience the relief of “letting go” and not “personalizing” the events of mind.

As insight flows naturally and spontaneously with our practice so does wisdom and interest. We are emerging and becoming with “right effort”… balanced and stable regardless of the qualities of mind experienced. We are here & now to be aware, and to know our states of mind just as they are… free to question and observe with our natural curiosity.

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