Rewiring Our Connections with Inter-Meditation: On Lama Surya Das’ Make Me One with Everything

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Rewiring Our Connections with Inter-Meditation
On Lama Surya Das Make Me One with Everything
Buddhist meditations to awaken from the illusion
of separation There was a moment after my first
cancer surgery when I experienced something
extraordinary. I was sitting in a chair near a
window in my hospital room that had a view of the
East River. Sunshine was streaming in, and in
front of me was a tray with cups of hot tea and
red Jell-O. The sunshine was hitting the Jell-O
in such a way that the dessert itself and the
light around it looked to me like crushed red
rubies. I was in a lot of pain, but as I ate the
first spoonful of Jell-O, something in me
relaxed, and I felt very calm. The other patient
in my room was sleeping after having had a
difficult night, and I remember feeling so happy
that she was able to rest and breathe gently now.
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As I ate Jell-O and drank tea, my heart opened to
her and to the sunshine and to the river below
flowing peacefully on this sunny morning. I
thought of the patients on my floor, doing their
daily walking required after surgery and then to
all those on other floors of this hospital. Some
were giving birth and some were in the active
stages of dying. Some were here working as
doctors, nurses, orderlies, and then there were
volunteers who came to cheer the patients up.
There were even therapy dogswho made bedside
visits to the patients, and I found myself
looking forward to the sweet yellow lab who made
his rounds each morning. I found myself
breathing in everybodys situationtheir
suffering, healing, dying, working, struggling,
laughing and crying, and breathing out to
everyone the energy of the sunshine, the ruby
light and sweet taste of the Jell-O. I also
breathed out to everyone my own sudden happiness
in that moment that seemed to open to infinity,
and imagined all this happiness of sunshine and
Jell-O and something more reaching everyone in
the hospital and the world outside too with the
energy of a warm embrace. I kept breathing in and
out in a state of wonder. I felt connected in
that moment in a way that seemed indescribable.
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Now having read Lama Surya Dass wonderful new
book, Make Me One with Everything Buddhist
Meditations to Awaken From the Illusion of
Separation,
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I have come to see that what I experienced that
morning was something Surya calls
inter-meditation, where meditation transcends the
solitary and transforms into a sublime action of
infinite connection. American-born Surya Das,
one of the most highly trained lamas in the
Tibetan Dzogchen tradition and a popular teacher
internationally known for his humor and warmth
has made inter-meditation the main subject of
Make Me One With Everything, and his book is a
wonderful guide for learning to meditate for and
with others as a practice of connecting with the
larger world. If youve ever felt at one with
somethingyour beloved or your child, a wooded
trail, a favorite songthen youve experienced
inter-meditation says Surya in the introduction
to the book. Make Me One With Everything offers
the reader a collection of useful meditations
based on centuries of Tibetan practice including
the meditation practice of tonglen and the study
of the 59 Lojong aphorisms from the 7-point
training in awakening the mind (bodhichitta) as
taught by Atisha Dipankara in the 11th
centuryand these practices in Suryas book are
made accessible to all.
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In teaching us how to inter-meditate, Surya
touches upon the most vital situations in our
life including our personal relationships,
sexuality, anger, conflict resolution, illness
and job loss, death and dying, and problems
specific to our digital age and notices that
neuroscience has a lot to say about
inter-meditation The Neuroscience of
Inseparability You dont have to take my word
for it read the news. I love reading about the
latest developments that move inter-meditation
and spirituality out of the temple and into the
university, the research laboratory, or the
library. For more information visit here -
http//www.rewireme.com/wellness/rewiring-connecti
ons-inter-meditation-lama-surya-das-make-one-every
thing-buddhist-meditations-awaken-illusion-separat
ion/