Follow Me?

It was 10 minutes before we were about to begin our Friday of the month 12 & Zen meditation group and only 6 people had arrived. At least that same number of people during the week had told me they couldn't make it this time. I was resigned to have a small group this time. Wrong. Fifteen people showed up! We had an evening full of spirit.

At the beginning are announcements and disclaimers to make, one being "This is not an official 12 Step meeting nor do you even have to be in a 12 Step member...this is not intended to be a replacement of working your Steps, but instead an augmentation to your practice."

About a year ago I received an email from a person who was excited to have found this site. And he asked me what he needed to do next, as in expecting direction from a teacher. I don't think I was very clear in my answer; but now more has been revealed. We could have more of a dialog here than I first envisioned. What came to me at the end of our meditation period was the notion that 12 & Zen ought not be a once-a-month practice although with our one evening a month it's easy to think so. This evening I pointed out the "Followers" section on the blog (right hand side) and asked people to consider becoming one. This is the main purpose of today's posting. I invite you to join with the other Followers and thank you to those who already have.

Whatever the koan we worked with on a Friday evening, I urged folks to carry this koan around with themselves every day for a month's time. Give these koans an opportunity to bring about their possibilities for your benefit.

This brings me back to following this blog. I usually post but two times a month, occasionally more. Followers receive an email and link when I post. Now you'll have a built in reminder to return to your koan and continue this your 12 Step path. And PLEASE, tell me how the koan surprised you. Tell me about any shifts that came about. What experiences did you have?

This is something we can do here...to increase our dialog with each other. It's another way of showing others how practice is working in our lives. So you're not really following me -- you'll be following your path, your new and improved path (hopefully) that includes koan practice AND the 12 Steps. We can follow each other. Like a good recipe, everyone can contribute to this nutritious soup here.

Bill K.