The two become one in Naked Buddhism.
David Deida is not a Buddhist. Although naked awareness is the main practice in the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. David says this book is more of a deep bow to the bare essence of Buddhism.
He is seeking to build bridges from ancient wisdom to modern thought. Naked Buddhism is more poetic than religious. Luminous prose glides across page after page condensing at times into a subtle truth or vibrant revelation.
Each chapter presents a way to awaken to a bare openness. "Open" is a word used frequently and at first I had trouble understanding exactly what the author was trying to get across. It seemed mysterious and all encompassing.
"Your life is adorned with various gains and losses, pleasures and pains. In the midst of every present moment, you are either opening or closing. You are either feeling all while giving your deepest gifts of love or you are waiting." Pg. 73
Perhaps like being one with God, the universe and all. Maybe an acceptance. To experience instead of running from your fate.
He awakens you with questions and statements which help uncover truth:
-Are you ready for death?
-Fear is the opposite of love.
-Most of your life is out of your control.
-You are love.
"For your life to feel profound and full of love's power, practice opening at all times, including times of hurt. Feel and breathe your heart's deep hurt, and the hurt of others, without closing. Offer the openness of your heart to everyone, and especially to those who are wounding you. The only alternative is to close and live unfulfilled." Pg. 93
Is he not talking about unconditional love here? That amazing love that is so understanding, forgiving, healing, nurturing and at times terribly painful? Is he saying we should embrace the good and bad in our lives with equal passion?
There are 39 Ways to Free Your Heart and Awaken To Now:
1. Love Fully and Die - A short meditation asking you who you love and where are you now? A focus on being in the moment.
2. Feel Before Memory - Helped me realize that at times it is better to forget the present
worry because soon it will be in the past.
3. Give Everything Now - Give up waiting in order to live.
4. Unfold Your Heart - What would you do if you let your deepest gifts flower?
5. Resist Nothing - How to experience true bliss.
6. Breathe Everything - Most of your life is beyond your control.
7. Wear Everyone's Shape - How to give the gift of openness.
8. Offer Yourself As Love - Who are you becoming?
9. Unclench As If Asleep - An underlying feeling of peace.
10. Relax As You Are - How to approach negative emotions.
11. Honor Your Depth - Intention
12. Open While Failing - Potential greater than reality.
13. Appreciate Dissatisfaction - Remind yourself how to open fully.
14. Don't Wait For Perfection - No limits to opening.
15. Do Love Through Your Body - What is your identity? How does this play out in your life?
16. Be Reminded By Jealousy - False hopes of fulfillment. I found this meditation rather enlightening. I never thought of jealousy in that way.
17. Express Who You Really Are - What do you hunger for?
18. Live As Love - Becoming unselfish.
19. Remain Open When Disgusted - Accept
20. Undo All Effort - Worry and how to lose anxiety.
21. Allow Love's Hurt - Opening can involve feeling pain.
22. Recognize Your Refusal - The issue of acceptance.
23. Let Love Live As Anger - Love through anger.
24. Permit Your Heart's Wild Passion - Violence as a form of self-abuse. Pretty intense section which involves a dissolving of boundaries.
25. Live Your Heart's Truth - What to do instead of avoiding the truth.
26. Ravish Beyond Safety - Masculine/Feminine roles. Can the power be shared?
27. Enjoy Flowery Combat - How we are attracted to reciprocal sexual energy.
28. Unguard Your Sex - The layers of fear, hurt and anger.
29. Don't Settle for Fulfillment - What happens when you achieve your wildest dreams?
30. Be Free As Love Now - Does the need for accomplishment define your life?
31. Shine As Love's Light - Light is what love looks like.
32. Play Sexuality As Art - Keeping passion alive.
33. Open Deeper Than Need - What is the deepest desire of the feminine heart?
34. Trust Him More than Yourself - How can you trust?
35. Exaggerate Sex to Liberate Love - Saturating your body in love.
36. Hold Nothing Back - Appreciating gifts
37. Offer Sex for the Sake of All - Shifting energy from tension to passion.
38. Awaken Sexually As Bliss and Emptiness - Is sex now a routine?
39. Be Alive As Gifting - Ungiven gifts hurt. Giving your deepest gifts to the world will free you.
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