"When someone seeks," said Siddhartha, "then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal.”
-Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
Welcome to our exploration of presence and empowerment. Today we're weaving together the wisdom of Tara Brach's teachings on mindfulness with the timeless themes of Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha." Tara Brach speaks of our tendency to get caught in a trance of emotions, trying to control our experiences rather than being present with them. She invites us to move from this habit of controlling to what she calls "empowering presence" - a state of being where we tap into our true nature. This journey mirrors Siddhartha's path in Hesse's novel. Like us, Siddhartha starts his journey caught in the trance of desire and aversion, seeking to control his life and find enlightenment through external means. Brach uses the metaphor of surfing to illustrate this shift from control to presence. "You can't stop the waves," she says, "but you can learn to surf." This beautifully echoes Siddhartha's realization by the river, where he learns to listen and be present with the flow of life. Both Brach and Hesse emphasize the importance of direct experience. Brach speaks of meditation as a training in presence, a way to "deconditon this reducing valve" that keeps us tight and controlling. Similarly, Siddhartha discovers that true wisdom comes not from teachings or asceticism, but from fully experiencing life. Brach introduces the concept of "two wings" - awareness and kindness - as the pathway home to our true selves. This resonates with Siddhartha's journey, where he learns to balance his spiritual seeking with compassion and love, particularly through his experiences with Kamala and his son. The theme of impermanence and the preciousness of each moment is central to both teachings. Brach shares a poignant story about loss and the power of presence in the face of death. This echoes Siddhartha's profound realizations about the nature of time and the interconnectedness of all experiences. Both Brach and Hesse guide us towards a deeper understanding of empowerment. It's not about the small self feeling accomplished, but about recognizing the sacred that lives through us. Siddhartha's final enlightenment comes not from mastering doctrines or achieving goals, but from fully embracing the present moment and recognizing the divine in all things. As we conclude today’s practice, I invite you to reflect on your own journey. How might you move from controlling to presence in your daily life? How can you, like Siddhartha, learn to "listen" to the river of your experiences with openness and compassion? Remember, as both Brach and Hesse teach us, the path to true wisdom and peace lies not in escaping our human experiences, but in fully embracing them with awareness and kindness.
Presence and Empowerment
A Dharma Talk by Tara Brach
What we start discovering is that when we remember … the truth we're invited back to presence and it empowers our heart because that's when we can just draw on the love that's here. The loving is not available when we're in controlling mode it's there we're just not awake to it. So if you like you can open your eyes just to say that the meditation de-conditions the habit of controlling it allows us to then act and live from that in us which is most loving and most wise. …Empowerment when bestowed from the guru is really this empowerment to remember that you are the guru you are God you are the sacredness this living through all beings. It's a remembrance of who we are. It happens in presence; it doesn't happen when we're in control mode. In a similar way when we offer that presence to another it helps them remember-it helps them move from their defensiveness or their controlling it helps them to come back into the depth of who they are.
Meditation Practice
The mind and its contents share an inherent emptiness, challenging our understanding of consciousness and the nature of power. This insight reveals the paradoxical nature of our mental landscape, showing that thoughts and the space in which they arise are equally insubstantial. Consequently, it becomes difficult to equate the mind with the Self, questioning not only the foundation of our identity but also our conventional notions of personal power. This profound realization often stems from a cessation event—a brief interruption in consciousness. Such an experience can catalyze spiritual awakening, offering direct understanding of the emptiness in both mind and phenomena. Paradoxically, this recognition of emptiness doesn't lead to powerlessness, but to a different kind of power—one that Tara Brach might call "empowering presence."
Today’s Intention
I intend to cultivate an empowering presence, allowing myself to relax into the moment and tap into my true nature without the need to control my experiences
