At a workshop in March 2013, Santikaro explored the Enneagram and its implications for our lives and Dhamma practice.  The Enneagram maps nine personality types. The types, their behaviors, and their inner dynamics provide an excellent basis for mindful inquiry and guidance for our relationships. They illuminate our patterns of thinking, emotional tendencies, communication styles, identities, and much more.

 Resistance is a topic I’ve been mulling since the early 80’s, when a spiritual teacher of mine suggested that at some point, you just had to kick it in the pants.

I couldn’t seem to kick it in the pants – I had been trying to overcome resistance to this teacher, some of the practices, and the community I had lived in for over ten years.

Ribbons

of yellow light

After three years of suffering with sciatica, I’m grateful to be able to lie down without the stabbing jolt of lightning-hot pain searing through my right buttock and down my leg, ankle, and foot.  The simple pleasure of resting comfortably with legs outstretched is suddenly a miracle.  Yet, the back surgery I had to take the pressure off the nerve did not come without a price.  Two weeks after surgery, I returned to work, bouncy and overjoyed with myself, only to develop a nasty infection; the setback cost me two more weeks of discomfort, anxiety, and medical bills, and it dug into my precious annual leave.  It also gave me time to rest, reflect, and meditate.