We meet on alternate weekends, at varying times depending on participants' schedules, to strengthen the bonds of friendship and stimulate self-inquiry. We employ a variety of techniques including writing, meditation, and questioning each other regarding the previous Monday discussion and other topics. Other activities include viewing and discussing videotapes and going on outings. A meal and socializing often precede or follow the informally-structured session.
Discussion Meetings
The Philosophical Self-Inquiry Discussion Group meets on alternate Mondays at the Carnegie Library in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh (Schenley Drive at Forbes Avenue). Meetings begin at 6:00 pm and run until the library closes at 8. Meeting locations within the library may vary. The security personnel at the library entrance will know the location.
Those curious to learn more about themselves are invited to air their views
and hear what others have to say on the discussion topic in an atmosphere of
friendly investigation. Meeting guidelines.
Monday, May 19, 2008:
Finally Securing Peace and Happiness
"Many are the traps of the mind, and many are the tricks it plays on us. Being dual in nature, we are kept running from one experience or mood to another, all the while thinking that the solution is just up ahead, that if we could just get the mix right, we could finally keep all aspects of our lives under control and finally secure our peace and happiness. But mind, being a two-faced dimension, will never be at peace, at least not for long. One of the basic traps of this thing called mind is that of compensation. We compensate, or balance, one aspect of our lives with another, in the vain hope the house of cards will not collapse and leave us face to face with the truth about ourselves."
- Bob Fergeson
Does your mind play tricks on you?
Is there something you don't want to face about yourself?
Annual February Retreat
Feb. 23-24, 2008
9:30 AM Saturday till 12 Noon Sunday
A Two-day Winter Retreat Led by Shawn Nevins
2008 Theme:
Nothing Left
Truth is all around us, speaking in many ways, but our lies are like a torrent that drowns all. This two-day intensive will explore several ways of pointing to the Truth and the lies that block its recognition. This is our fifth annual retreat, and the invitation is limited to those who desire to increase their commitment to the path. Retreat sessions will question, challenge, inspire, and build rapport among participants.
For those who arrive early, we will have an informal session Friday night beginning around 8:30 PM.
Optional session:
High-ropes course on Sunday afternoon, if enough people are interested. Additional charge (around $15).
Location: Same as last year -- The Linsly Outdoor Center in Raccoon Creek State Park, 45 minutes west of Pittsburgh, PA.
Cost: Lodging is $16 per night per person.
Meals are $14 per person (includes lunch and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday).
By reservation only. Pay on arrival.
Tied Up In Knots?
Once an earnest beginner in the pursuit of Tao came to visit Lao Tzu. As soon
as Lao Tzu saw him, he asked, "Who are all those people whom you have
brought with you?" The disciple whirled around to look. Nothing there.
Panic! Lao Tzu said, "Don't you understand?" This only added
confusion to his panic. Lao Tzu then pressed him to tell him what was ailing
him. The disciple said (to use the version of Thomas Merton):
"When I don't know, people treat me like a fool. When I do know, the
knowledge gets me into trouble. When I fail to do good, I hurt others. When I do
good, I hurt myself. If I avoid my duty, I am remiss, but if I do it I am
ruined. How can I get out of these contradictions? That is what I came to ask
you."
Lao Tzu replied: "A moment ago I looked into your eyes. I saw you were
hemmed in by contradictions. Your words confirm this. You are scared to
death, like a child who has lost father and mother. You are trying to sound
the middle of the ocean with a six-foot pole. You have got lost, and are
trying to find your way back to your own true self. You find nothing but
illegible signposts pointing in all directions. I pity you."
The disciple asked for admittance, took a cell, and there meditated, trying
to cultivate qualities he thought desirable and get rid of others which he
disliked. Ten days of that! Despair!
"Miserable!" said Lao. "All blocked up! Tied in knots! Try to
get untied! If your obstructions are on the outside, do not attempt to grasp
them one by one and thrust them away. Impossible! Learn to ignore them. If
they are within yourself, you cannot destroy them piecemeal, but you can
refuse to let them take effect. If they are both inside and outside, do not
try to hold on to Tao - just hope that Tao will keep hold of you!"
John C.H. Wu,
The Golden Age of Zen
Meeting Guidelines
The meetings serve as forums for discussing issues related to
self-inquiry and self-definition. This is a tricky proposition
-- using the mind to understand the mind. To expedite the process, a
facilitator directs the discussion.
Typical meeting formats are round-robin style, where participants have an
equal amount of time to air their views. The object of this airing is to help
each person clarify contradictions, tracing them back to prides and fears
that cloud our mental processes. One of the ways of doing this is a friendly
mode of challenging, or confrontation, not of the person but of his or
her assumptions, beliefs, values and ethics. The facilitator is not to be
confronted, as this disrupts the flow of the meeting.
A successful interchange relies on the cooperation of all participants and
their willingness to "play the game." No one should preach or be
subject to preaching. As much as is humanly possible we should try to:
Listen actively, without interrupting, maintaining a felt connection with
the speaker.
Keep the focus on each participant in turn, avoiding the temptation to
shift the attention to ourselves -- either out of a desire to rescue the
person from tension or a desire to be the center of attention ourselves. When
such a shift occurs, the facilitator or other participant should point it
out.
Try to understand the speaker's point of view and challenge him to
question his own thinking, not argue with him or try to sell our views.
Monday, May 19, 2008:
"Many are the traps of the mind, and many are the tricks it plays on us. Being dual in nature, we are kept running from one experience or mood to another, all the while thinking that the solution is just up ahead, that if we could just get the mix right, we could finally keep all aspects of our lives under control and finally secure our peace and happiness. But mind, being a two-faced dimension, will never be at peace, at least not for long. One of the basic traps of this thing called mind is that of compensation. We compensate, or balance, one aspect of our lives with another, in the vain hope the house of cards will not collapse and leave us face to face with the truth about ourselves."
- Bob Fergeson
Feb. 23-24, 2008
Meeting Guidelines