The malodorous security of last night’s curry

Apprentice There is something a little irritating about shi-nè when I practise it properly—I mean when I don’t zone out or get caught up in my storyline. Will there be a time when it feels more relaxed, rather than painful, although painful isn’t quite the word? It seems just irritatingly impossible, although I am not sure what the ‘possible’ is of which it’s the opposite. Do you know what I am talking about or is this all nonsense that I need to forget and get back to sitting?

Lamas Many people—but only honest people—find spaciousness irritating, and would prefer the claustrophobia and snugness of deranged density. There would seem to be something comforting about dualistic insanity that reminds us of ever-so-cosy slippers or the idea of secreting ourselves in the pouch of the cosmic marsupial. The simplicity of acknowledging spaciousness requires precision, and precision does not allow the seeming safety of woolly edged spin-doctoring. We would rather go back to bed and inhale the malodorous security of last night’s curry. We enjoy a soupçon of confusion, in which to establish the experiential ground rules from which nonduality can be seen as the unobtainable godhead. Nonduality is irritatingly possible—because it is our authentic nature and somehow being reminded of that is irritating. So . . .  you can either be irritated or you can be irritated. It is entirely up to you.