Sometimes, someone will say it is so general it can be applied to anything.
And I say to myself, great, that means I am onto something.
In my experience, the most valuable pointers are exactly those that can be applied to anything. They are simple. And when applied to a specific situation, yield a great deal of insights. They are meaty.
Here are some of the ones I find especially helpful…
- Any statement is a question. An invitation to explore it for myself.
- Whatever I see in the wider world is something I can find right here. I can feel it. See it. Right here.
- Whenever there is stress (a sense of I-Other, separation, something to defend) there is a belief. What is more true for me than that initial belief?
- And right now: Whenever I notice a belief (reactiveness, something to defend, a fixed position, emotional reactivity), where do I feel it in the body? What happens when I meet and welcome that feeling? If there is a fear behind it, what happens when I meet and welcome that fear?
There are also many minor ones, such as that any teaching is level and audience specific. It is appropriate in a particular situation and for a particular audience. (The spark for this particular post.) And if my interest is drawn in that direction, I can of course explore the details of this as far as I want.