February 4-5th 2017. James Low teaching on "Dissolving attachment in the openness of being" in Macclesfield, UK at the invitation of Kun-Pan Ling Buddhist Centre.

The first few moments were not filmed.

"When we lose touch with the open ground of our being we tend to hang on to habits and objects that give us a sense of who we are. This helps us to survive but in a restricted way. Meditation can give us confidence to relax our grasp on the already vanished past and helps us to work with whatever arises now. This brings freedom in life and clarity at the time of death."
~ James Low

We perceive patterns in the world and assign meaning to objects based on our interpretations and cultural conventions.

0:00 We create the world through our mental interpretations.
11:43 Our experience shapes the existence of things.
32:17 We are always part of the world and our perception is influenced by our concepts.
42:58 The mind is like space, but our attention is usually drawn to specific thoughts and experiences.
1:03:23 Ignorance is the root of our difficulties.
1:14:22 Relying on transient phenomena as a means of gaining security is not a good idea. Stability comes from attending to the mind itself.
1:36:18 "Selfing" is the emergence of patterns in relation to other people.
1:46:32 Our self-formations are multiple and contradictory, and there is no essential contradiction between them.
2:07:42 Nothing in the world has a fixed essence; everything is transitory and constantly changing.
2:18:10 To find our original face, we need to release our fixation on subject and object and be the space where the experience takes place.
2:38:43 Equanimity allows us to see the transience of our mental constructs and the freedom to just be with what comes up.
2:48:36 The meditative approach is to cultivate a calm, clear and open simplicity.
3:08:41 Practice is about tenderness and warmth.
3:19:33 Our conversations are about connectivity and compassion, not truth.
3:39:15 Being open and engaged with others is inseparable from our experience.
3:49:18 The five poisons - desire, aversion, ignorance, pride and jealousy - lead to distorted personal and relational patterns.
4:00:47 Purging desire, anger and pride leads to clarity, sensitivity and appreciation.
4:19:28 Jealousy and possessiveness lead to dangerous results.
4:38:30 Collaboration is key.
4:48:53 The mirror and its reflections are void of self-substance.
5:09:40 Awareness is the quality of relaxed, open, and cool presence.
5:19:51 Emptying and filling: the illusion of identity.
5:39:24 The practice of meditation helps to relax and observe the flow of events.
5:49:08 Connecting with difficult people can lead to growth and self-awareness.
6:09:03 The basis of our being is awareness and everything arises in that awareness.
6:18:56 The practice is to relax at the base of the movement and watch the game and terrain.
6:38:54 The practice of relaxation and openness allows us to experience life's new and fresh moments, leading to a kinder existence and connected.

Learn more about future events: simplybeing.co.uk/events/