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The mind of the Great Sage of India is intimately conveyed from West to East.
Among human beings are wise ones and fools,
But in the Way there is no northern and southern Ancestor.
The subtle source is clear and bright;
the tributary streams flow through the darkness.
To be attached to things is illusion;
to encounter the absolute is not yet enlightenment.
Each and all the subjective and objective spheres are related,
and at the same time independent.
Related, yet working differently.
Though each keeps its own place,
form makes the character and appearance different.
Sounds distinguish comfort and discomfort.
The dark makes all words one;
brightness distinguishes good and bad phrases.
The four elements return to their natures as a child to its mother.
Fire is hot, wind moves, water is wet, earth hard.
Eyes see, ears hear, nose smells, tongue tastes the salt and sour.
Each is independent of the other.
Cause and effect must return to the great reality.
The words high and low are used relatively.
Within light there is darkness,
but do not try to understand that darkness.
Within darkness there is light,
but do not look for that light.
Light and darkness are a pair,
like the foot before and the foot behind in walking.
Each thing has its own intrinsic value
and is related to everything else in function and position.
Ordinary life fits the absolute as a box and its lid.
The absolute works together with the relative,
like two arrows meeting in mid air.
Reading words you should grasp the great reality.
Do not judge by any standards.
If you do not see the Way, you do not see it even as you walk on it.
When you walk the Way, it is not near, it is not far.
If you are deluded, you are mountains and rivers away from it
I respectfully say to those who wish to be enlightened:
Do not waste your time by night or day!

– Shitou Xiqian

Pec pain. Last night, The Cop laughed at me and said, “It’s Karen logic: ‘Oh, my shoulder can’t rotate in either direction, but that’s okay, because my chest is opening!’”

Today I really did back off. I think.

Put the consciousness in my legs and moola bandha and set off. Practice was good, though the pec was pretty achey for the second half of primary.

Got to urdhva dhanurasana and collected my prize for being good: I’ve been pushing and pushing to get my hands closer to my feet, my chest more open, etc. Tightening the bow, basically. Today I went with a looser bow, a backing off, and in it, I found a super lightness in my arms. All of the energy/weight was in my legs and moola bandha, and my hands are starting to come up off the floor a bit. A new kind of counterbalance. Wouldn’t have found it if I’d been working harder.

So I’ll play with light and loose for a while.

And then go back to tightening the bow.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

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From Moola Bandha: The Master Key:

The yamas were designed to harmonize one’s social interactions, while niyamas were intended to harmonize one’s feelings. Together the yamas and niyamas were taught in order to reduce friction between one’s outer actions and inner attitudes.

This is a really interesting book. I totally didn’t get it the first time I read it. Important to keep going back to the things you can’t understand…

***

Thanks for the suggestion about lying over the blocks, Arturo. I didn’t have time this morning (yes, another early meeting!) but will try it later. A good way to keep the muscles open without putting too much stress on them.