Freedom from the Known

In Buddhism it is said that there are two kinds of obscurations (the veil which keeps us from seeing clearly): the obscuration of ignorance and the obscuration of knowledge. We see what we believe. It is our “knowledge”, our beliefs, which keep us stuck. Most of our beliefs are a product of our own conditioning, whether or not we are aware of it – parental, societal, religious, and just the plain overwhelming hypnosis of billions of people buying into the same methodology of seeing the world. We become attached to our “story”, the beliefs which no longer serve us, and fear that without it we would lose our identity and perhaps our will to live. The sad fact is that most of these beliefs create great unhappiness in life.

So, how can we break free from the “known” within which most people live out their lives? Is it possible to live in the unknown? Is it possible to have a life enlivened by wonderment? Can we learn to value our questions, which are dynamic and alive, more than answers, which are static things designed to close the door on our wondering? Is it possible to free our minds of the trap of circular logic which we worry like a dog worrying a bone? Can we break out of the box and soar? Is it possible to explode the myths we have bought into at the cost of our own true freedom? We will explore these questions and more.

Through experiential activities and group sharing, we'll discover and examine:

• The fact that we have a choice over our thoughts and beliefs
• How we can decide which belief systems serve us and which do not
• How to stop seeking for answers and realize that we can never really ‘know’
• The pitfalls of thought and the difference between thoughts and feelings
• The fact that the body doesn’t lie
• How to transcend thought
• How to release attachment to our own ‘identity’ in order to allow ourselves the true freedom of discovery

During the process, we will explore various forms of meditation. We will allow ourselves to release any ‘identity’ or knowledge we have clung to that no longer serves us.