An Invitation to Love:  The Contemplative Life in a Busy World  Class Notes  10/4/05

 

- Welcome.  Opening Prayer and Meditation

 

- Review Agreements

            -  Read book, do homework, and spend time in quiet

            - Confidentiality

            - No Cross Talk

            - Silence after last meditation

            - Help clean up room:  Return metal chairs to parish hall.

            - Those who want to meet to answer questions may after room is cleaned.

            - If there are questions that are too long, I will answer them by email.

            - Nov. 1:  read pages 50-76 and review Appendixes I and II

 

- Ask how coffee cup meditation is going.  Reading assignments?  Personal questions?

 

- Tier One vs. Tier Two thinking.  See chart.  See diagram. 

            - As we develop through the layers of consciousness, we go from being “fused’ with our environment (e.g. parent/nature) to belonging to “the group” to becoming independent thinkers.  As we get rid of our false self, the levels increase until we move into tier II thinking where we once again fuse with the interconnectedness of life. See handout on Graves Developmental Levels.

            - Ego, egoic:  Begin with the development of the human race.  (see pg. 142)

            Reptilian, Typhonic, mythic, mental egoic, intuitive, unitive, unity.

           

            - Talk about the formation of the id, ego, superego.

 

            - Defense mechanisms.

 

            - Solution:  Dismantling of the false self.  Review material.  Share about blanket.

 

- Cover questions for 10/4/05.

 

- Introduce centering prayer