TAT Forum

Update from the Dublin, Ireland self-inquiry group:
We meet every second Wednesday on Zoom. We are working using two different approaches. The first is the standard confrontation approach of people giving an update on what was coming for them in the previous period, in terms of their path. The second is the distribution of a piece in advance for reflection. We will continue in this vein for the time being, using either a general update or a piece for reflection shared in advance. ~ Contact for more information.

Update from the Dulverton, South West England self-inquiry group:
We are meeting online weekly and hope to begin weekly ‘actual reality' meetings sometime in April. ~ Please contact for more information.

Update from the email self-inquiry groups:
The Women's Online Confrontation (WOC) group consists of weekly reports where participants can include:
     > What is on your mind?
     > Any projects that you want to be held accountable for?
     > Responses to a selected excerpt (in the previous report).
     > Comments/responses/questions for other participants.
     A philosophical/spiritual excerpt with two or three questions is included in each report. Based on what we share, participants ask questions to help get clarity about our thinking. The intention is to help each other see our underlying beliefs about who we are.
     One rule we try to adhere to is not to give advice or solve problems. The number of participants, to make it work efficiently, is between 4 and 7 including the leader.
We had two new folks join in February, resulting in two men's groups with 8 participants in each. They (the weekly exchanges, not the participants :-) function like slow-motion self-inquiry confrontation meetings, which has its pros and cons. We alternate by asking each other questions one week then answering them the following week. We're currently trying to keep it to each of us asking just one question to each participant--switching from a shotgun to a rifle approach. Participants provide brief updates of highlights from the previous week and optional updates on progress toward objectives that they use the reports for accountability on.
Both the women's and the men's email groups welcome serious participants. ~ Contact or for more information.

Update from the Gainesville, FL self-inquiry group:
Our meetings at the Alachua County library on alternate Sundays are still suspended while the library remains closed. In the meantime, the regular participants are saying hello to each other via email every Sunday, sharing whatever is on our minds. ~ Email or for more information.

   TAT Press publishes three of Art's books: Solid Ground of Being: A Personal Story of the Impersonal, Beyond Relativity: Transcending the Split Between Knower & Known and Sense of Self: The Source of All Existential Suffering?

Update from Galway, Ireland:
Tess Hughes is currently working with seekers one-to-one and holding occasional group self-inquiry retreats. Anyone who's interested in self-inquiry activity in Ireland is welcome to contact .

   TAT Press publishes Tess's easy to read, profound This Above All, the story of her journey of Self-Discovery.

Update from the Greensburg, PA self-inquiry group:
I am meeting every Saturday morning with three of my former Greensburg SIG group participants who are into non-dualist paths, such as Adyashanti and Mooji. There is also another participant, a professional psychologist who is interested in eastern philosphy and who wasn't in my SIG group but makes a great addition to our proceedings. These fellows are sincere seekers. We spend our time discussing our respective paths and comparing notes. Our new venue is a place called the White Rabbit Cafe in Greensburg. I'm hoping that the lull here has ended and that we're ready to be more dynamic again. ~ Contact if interested in local self-inquiry meetings.

An update from the self-inquiry group in Houston, TX:
The backyard patio meetings are now moved to Zoom meetings, which take place at 4 pm on Saturdays. There are 3 active and inspired participants right now. Topics vary from Mr. Rose's writings to "What is on your mind?" ~ Contact for more information.

"Ignoramuses Anonymous" blog
Ignoramuses Anonymous is for seekers to explore questions together…a fellowship of seekers for whom ignorance of the absolute truth had become a major problem. It started as a blog for Pittsburgh PSI meeting members back in 2009. Welcoming discussion on the path.
To get notices of new posts, you can subscribe by RSS feed or by email.

   See the 2020/11/28 post: Four-day isolation retreat at TAT Center, with photos and YouTube clips.

Update from the Lynchburg, VA self-inquiry group:
We have been meeting on Thursday evenings from 7pm - 8:30pm, online, via zoom. Norio Kushi, Paul Rezendes, and Bob Harwood are consistent guests. We've also had some other interesting characters show up from time to time. Topics come from readings or questions brought up by our members. These are sent out, along with the zoom invitation each week. Recently we posted some "considerations" for joining our group:
** Try to frame your comments as questions to Norio, Paul, or Bob. Draw these questions from you own experience rather than generalities. Maintain attention and discussion on the question rather than philosophical musings.
** Question other participants, in the spirit of group-assisted self inquiry, but without attempting to lead them to any particular conclusion or bring attention to yourself.
**Allow for and attend to the silence and the space that is always present. When you aren't speaking, see that as your role - to hold that space.
**Question, in yourself, the use of personal story-telling and quoting others - though sometimes both are helpful and appropriate.
**Consider the way in which you are listening. Does it have a quality of acquisitiveness or openness?
**Continue to question your own intention for coming to this meeting and let that guide any comments/questions/discussion.
~ Please contact or if you're interested in being on the email list.

Update from the recently listed Online Video Confrontation Group:
The Monday Night Online Confrontation Group is going strong with a core group of participants and room for a few more. Now meeting at 7:30 pm EST (previously at 7 pm), using the online video conference platform from "Jitsi.org" which works best with the Chrome browser. The goal of the group is to practice confrontation/group self-inquiry. ~ If you're interested, email or .

Update from the Portland, OR self-inquiry group:
A small group of us meet most Sundays at a coffee shop. The format for our meetings is to give each person 20 minutes or so to talk about whatever is coming up for them in their practice and to answer questions from the others. ~ Email for more information.

Update from the Raleigh, NC Triangle Inquiry Group:
The group is starting up again after a hiatus, now with Zoom online meetings. ~ Email for details.

Update for the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area TAT Center:
Bob Fergeson spent a year as resident teacher before returning to Colorado in March. Mark Wintgens continues as our chief-seeker in residence and invaluable caretaker. He is looking forward to hosting retreats and meetings for local group members as well as all TAT seekers. And TAT is looking forward to the possibility of hosting the August 2021 TAT meeting at the Center. ~ Email for information about the TAT Center.

Update from the Richmond Self Inquiry Group:
There isn't a Richmond self inquiry group at the moment…it never really got off the ground. I'm considering a few different approaches for round three, but it'll be at least a few months away before that takes form. ~ Email for information about future meetings and events.

Update from the San Francisco Bay area self-inquiry group:
See the Shawn Nevins interview by Iain McNay of Conscious.tv, kicking off the publication of Shawn's book Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment. ~ Email for information about upcoming meetings and events.

   TAT Press publishes Shawn's Images of Essence: The Standing Now, which features his poems with photos by Bob Fergeson, The Celibate Seeker: An Exploration of Celibacy as a Modern Spiritual Practice, Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment, and Hydroglyphics: Reflections on the Sacred, which features his poems with photos by Phaedra Greenwood.

Update from the Washington DC Area Self-Inquiry Discussion Group:
[This group was previously listed as the Rockville, MD self-inquiry group.] We've been meeting monthly at Rockville, MD Memorial Library. While the library is closed for public health reasons, we're participating more in a weekly online book club. Forum readers are welcome to participate. ~ For more information, please email or see the website http://firstknowthyself.org/virtual/.

Members-Only Area

A password-protected section of the website is available for TAT members. The area contains information on product discounts for members as well as a substantial amount of helpful and historical information, including audio recordings, Newsletter archives, Retrospect archives, policies, conference proceedings, business meeting notes, photographs, and suggestions for ways to help.

TAT's August 2019 Workshop was titled Beyond Mindfulness: Meditation and the Path Within and included three guest speakers who each led separate workshops. The following audio recordings are now available in the members-only website area:

• "Mindfulness. Is it just another spiritual buzzword?" with Bob Cergol,
• "The Path of Direct Sensory Perception" with Bob Harwood, and
• "The Art of Mindfulness is the Passion for Truth" with Paul Rezendes.

TAT's June 2019 Spiritual Retreat Weekend was titled Between You and the Infinite. The following audio recordings are now available in the members-only website area:

• "Coming Home (aka The End of Seeking)" by Don Oakley, and
• "What's in the Way?" by Eshwar Segobind.

TAT's April 2019 Spiritual Retreat Weekend was titled Once in a Lifetime is Now. The following audio recordings are now available in the members-only website area:

• "Recognizing the Human Dilemma" by Norio Kushi,
• "Strategies for Self-Realization" by Bart Marshall,
• Untitled session by Paul Hedderman, and
• "A Session in the Now" by Paul Rezendes.

TAT's August 2018 Workshop was titled Beyond Imagination and included three guest speakers who each led separate workshops. The following audio recordings are now available in the members-only website area:

• "Nurturing What We Are" with Jenny Clarke,
• "The Art of Seeing" with Norio Kushi, and
• "Seeing Through Imaginary Traps" with Shawn Pethel.

Please us if you have questions. (Look here for info on TAT membership.)

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Your Contributions to TAT News

TAT founder Richard Rose believed that working with others accelerates our retreat from untruth. He also felt that such efforts were most effective when applied with discernment, meaning working with others on the rungs of the ladder closest to our own. The TAT News section is for TAT members to communicate about work they've been doing with or for other members and friends. Please your "ladder work" news.

Humor

"One thing you must be able to do in the midst
of any experience is laugh. And experience
should show you that it isn't real, that it's a
movie. Life doesn't take you seriously, so why
take it seriously." ~ Richard Rose, Carillon

We enjoy presenting humor here from TAT members and friends. Please your written or graphic creations. Exact sources are necessary for other submissions, since we need to make sure they're either in the public domain or that we have permission to use them.

Inspiration & Irritation

Irritation moves us; inspiration provides a direction

Please your thoughts on the above items.

Reader Commentary

Encouraging interactive readership among TAT members and friends

The Reader Commentary composite question for the May TAT Forum is:

Do you believe there is such a thing as grace or some form of unseen help on your spiritual path? Do you believe this, or do you know this is the case, and why? If there is help, do you believe you can further attract it?

Thanks to Bill K. for the question. Responses follow:

From Michael R:
I believe that awakening is discontinuous and not "caused” by anything in the traditional sense. This could be called Grace, or it could be called random, spontaneous or accidental. I also believe there are "ways of being" which are correlated to (not causal for) awakening. I think things happen, things are seen, and we react accordingly. Dissatisfaction happens, curiosity happens, insights happen, and we find ourselves reading books and meditating or whatever else. I believe spiritual practices are closer to reactions than causes, that something quite beyond us would be better defined as "causal,” and that the "ways of being which are correlated to awakening” typically happen (perhaps necessarily) not from our "will” or "choosing” but rather from something closer to our defeat or surrender. It seems rather unlikely to experience defeat, to be surrendered, without sincerely trying. There's a certain kind of honest observation that doesn't look to gain or escape anything. This seems to attract . . . seeing. I believe that commitment is the effect of seeing clearly (what matters most) and that this purity of focus can lead to exponential leaps in further clarity. I don't know any of this to be the case for sure . . . it's a blend of experience, intellectual deduction, and possibly this rather nebulous thing called intuition.

Addendum ~ Three days after writing everything above I found myself walking through the woods, suddenly enchanted by the beauty of things after an otherwise difficult week . . . without a second thought I prayed for help and asked God where he was. The mind and heart have different ways of speaking . . . and different ways of seeking.

From Anonymous:
I do feel like ultimately, something else, i.e., not me, holds the cards on what happens and what doesn't. Perhaps that is a force or entity of benevolence. Or perhaps it is "neutral." It's hard to know for sure either way. The good thing is, I tend to believe the things that would attract such a Grace, if it existed, are excellent things to cultivate regardless: gratefulness, sincerity, acceptance, and discernment, which I try hard to do.

From Richard G. ("former Pittsburgh SIG member & current member Pittsburgh SIG Old-timers and of course friend of TAT"):
My initial response is NO, to all three questions.

My reasons are as follows:

The questions sound like conditional statements from geometry, i.e., If X then Y or p then q. For example, if I receive or get grace, then I will attain Self-realization. If I get help, then I can garner more help. If I'm given a a high fastball then I'll hit it out of the park.

The questions seem dualistic, i.e., a thing or entity, named grace and the beneficiary, receiver, or experiencer of it.

It seems as though the questions elicit additional divergent discursive thinking.

However, if the question writer meant that grace or help is the following quote, then we are on the same page. "Grace, Simply" (pg. 167, Beyond Relativity: Transcending the Split Between Knower & Known) by Art Ticknor:

What is Grace, in its simplest form? [From a questioner.]

In the transmission of one-mind, the mirror of I-amness must be held just so for awareness to witness itself beyond time.

Additional resources that may provide insight, direction, and general pointing or "food for the mind" include the following:

The Black Wall - Shawn Nevins.
True Direction - Bob Fergeson.
Nothing of you will remain - Bob Cergol.
Silent Mind - Bernadette Roberts.
Other Reader Feedback response in the January 2019 TAT Forum - Art Ticknor.

From John A:
When I first read the question about grace as unseen help I thought of world religions. In Buddhism karma doesn't come close; in Christianity it's from Christ; in Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism from merit. But all that is doctrine. Doctrine and I parted ways years ago.

Put it this way about doctrine. Our bodies once belonged to fish and our embryos still have the gills to prove it. Out of an Adam fish's rib did God create an Eve fish? You get the picture.

Instead of doctrine I think of a pair of socks. You can't find them and wonder what happened to them but feel they must be around somewhere and one day there they are behind the clothes dryer. Is there any grace in finding the socks behind the clothes dryer? We think of grace for awakening but what if you are only discovering your true nature? Is that grace? Is it grace when you are finally shocked into recognition of the natural? When you finally see something right in front of you?

One day I was shocked to recognize mind is a fantasy. You can call it grace if you want but you can also call it empirical. I finally understood why Buddhism calls mind a sixth sense. Touch can't feel its own sense and neither can mind. Just as touch has no inherent existence mind also has none. I lost my belief in it as home but it was never very comfortable anyway....

See John's complete response.

From L. Fallon:
Yes, absolutely I believe in Grace, and feel like I have experienced it in my life.

In terms of attracting it—prayer can help, asking for guidance and being open to surprises/the unexpected.

Part of it seems to be acknowledging that we can't willfully make things happen, but there is help and assistance always available if we are willing to tune into it.

"Balls are always being thrown over the fence", we just need to pay attention.

From Brian M:
I believe that there is grace and unseen help on my path or anyone's path. I know this from deep dreams, profound books that appear or people that I meet that you can feel a connection with. These things nudge me along the way and keep the ball rolling. I feel that some coincidences are not just coincidences are are there for a reason to help or provide new insights and perspective, thus adding and expanding my view.

I have had many joint issues over the years. In despair, many times, I have often asked for help in prayer or for guidance. I feel that this has always been answered in the form of a person unexpectedly providing help, a video about trying certain exercises appearing or something about trying some food supplements that could be helpful. I really pay attention to this help from "The Little Helpers", it always works!

Maybe these Little Helpers, whoever they are, are contracted to help me in this lifetime; I don't really know.

I remember someone talking about attracting it. They said to "make a date" with the Little Helpers. I thought it was a wonderful idea. It is something that I would like to try. Pick a random place, event or somewhere unusual to the normal routine, turn up and see what happens. Will there be evidence of the Little Helpers?

From Don A:
I would describe prayer as an attempt to position myself to be receptive to something more subtle than what is trying to position itself, an attempt to transcend myself. Grace is that which is received, what one longs for, and I believe one of the best ways to be receptive is to be thankful, grateful and quiet as entering into some covenant with utmost respect for something I could never understand or fully appreciate, but may result in "raising me up." Rose talked about downward forces or emanations that I believe will meet us if we are receptive, and if some part of ourselves is prepared and worthy of such. Can I choose to be receptive to what we cannot understand? Maybe only indirectly, by my state of mind, choice of lifestyle or how I have chosen to use the graces and energies that I have already received. I probably have very little say about grace, except for a longing or desire. Maybe the only effort that could be made is to turn our attention or intention toward where grace seems to come. And like a gift, grace may change something about me. I don't know what graces are, but they are extremely valuable, important to some part of me and greatly needed. Maybe all people are endowed with different graces, but as to being spiritual, the difference is in our receptiveness.

From Art Ticknor:
In one of my favorite dreams, I was standing on the tracks in a railroad station. On the platform, at eye level, Ramana Maharshi was reclining in guru pose. I was complaining about a lack of God's grace. Where I was standing began to fill with water until I was standing on tiptoe to keep my nose above the water. RM said: "You're always up to your nose in grace."

Richard Rose felt that when we make a commitment to help others if we ever find anything for sure, that opens us to unseen help. It became intuitively obvious to me in the final hours before self-realization that some unseen intelligence was lining things up for me in a way that I could never have done. That of course is speculation. I know nothing for sure except that which I am. Surprisingly, knowing what we are solves the big problem of existence.

From Dan G:
There is a lot of work to (let God) do
God knows
What He's doing.
We know this
      Occasionally.
And even now
      We are leading up to
      Another vision
He got it right.

From Tina N:
I believe there is grace. Grace reminds me of rain and the vats that my parents used to catch rain. I think I can further attract grace by being open to receiving it, paying attention and keeping the vats ready to catch it. Grace as "a short prayer of thanks said before or after a meal," can be a daily practice for me to acknowledge and receive grace.

Another definition of grace that catches my heart: “the free and unmerited favor of God.” While holding this definition in mind, it occurred to me: I could simply ask for grace. The way a hungry child goes to a grownup and says, “I am hungry. Can you make me mac and cheese, please?”

Other Reader Feedback

From Gus R [regarding the Farnam Street blog article "The Feynman Learning Technique" in the 2021 April TAT Forum]:

Here's a synopsis of the article and his technique in a nutshell:

If you're after a way to supercharge your learning and become smarter, the Feynman Technique might just be the best way to learn absolutely anything. Devised by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, it leverages the power of teaching for better learning.... Information is learned when you can explain it and use it in a wide variety of situations.

The technique:

• Pretend to teach a concept you want to learn about to a student in the sixth grade.
• Identify gaps in your explanation. Go back to the source material to better understand it.
• Organize and simplify.
• Transmit, optional.

The central point of Feynman's technique is to gain clarity through first reorganizing, then presenting, my thinking to an imagined 6th grader. For seekers, there is a huge difference between learning and self-knowing, but both seek clarity. We'll diverge from Feynman's attempt to acquire understanding, such as in grasping and organizing knowledge. A seeker on the path of subtraction or deconstruction turns his focus in a different direction: first to also simplify and discern, but then to eliminate. Feynman's technique does address a problem of the mushy thinking often found in self-inquiry and spiritual issues. "It turns out that one of the ways we mask our lack of understanding is by using complicated vocabulary and jargon." As a spiritual seeker, confident manipulation of glib phrases and ambiguous terms are an easy distraction from an otherwise difficult effort to describe that which may truly inspire me. Even the word "spiritual" can be a badge for acceptance, at worst a huge rationalization within which to get stuck. To simplify down to a 12-year-old level isn't an exercise in dumbing down, it is a conscious effort to lay out my thinking in order to spot the gaps and errors in my thinking.

I tried his technique on one reoccurring question for me: "What do I really want in my life?" and found that the Feynman approach falls short as to its use by seekers: If I don't know who I am, and if that is both my motivation and my goal, then how would the 12-year old respond to my presentation no matter how simplified? A shrug? I was at a loss to explain inspiration, motivation, intentions and feelings.

However, Feynman's exercise could lead to something far more exciting, if an aspirant wishes to pursue it.

A little research on Feynman revealed his interest in higher education but not any other references to child-like perception, or interest in investigating one's own childhood—perhaps a professional pose prevented its mention. In Feynman's case I want to believe his intuition led him to an insight to subject his adult thinking to the frank innocence and freedom of a child's scrutiny, free of the prejudice and learning of the educated and experienced adult. A child sitting on a stool in front of him was a nod to child-like simplicity and innocence, but unlike the direction taken by someone like a William Samuel, he failed to turn the exercise around in search of his own Inner Child, or to identify a means to communicate with that inner hidden wisdom. Some who do can reclaim first-hand accounts of their formative years, but the purpose here isn't to gain access to memories or experiences, it's to gain access to clear seeing, the view untethered from bias and expectations gained through adulthood.

For such an exercise, contact with me as I was as a child is the opportunity to see prior to being swept away when all learning and conditioning claimed my senses. This is the unique clarity for which self-inquiry seeks, and not the clear thinking or understanding Feynman advocated. I don't know for sure, but my hunch is that as one investigates one's self as in self-inquiry, he or she realizes a lack of realness of the adult personality and perspective, and with that insight can more easily access a door to the childhood perspective and to other unexpected possibilities.

If you haven't yet gained access to your own Inner Child, has your interest been piqued? I've found Samuel's writings regarding journaling, the recording of sudden glimpses and insights valuable. Artifacts from my youth such as photos or toys involve memories but also feelings, like talismans that connect me to something more important yet, for a time, was forgotten.

A more involved technique is writing with my non-dominant left hand, eliciting responses to questions and challenges submitted to myself. Others have success in simply drawing with the non-dominant hand. It can be a door to this alternate perspective, but one of many that need to be developed.

*

Q: What are your thoughts on this month's reader commentary? Please your feedback.

Richard Rose described a spiritual path as living one's life aimed at finding the meaning of that life. Did you find anything relevant to your life or search in this month's TAT Forum?

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Founder's Wisdom

Richard Rose (1917-2005) established the TAT Foundation
in 1973 to encourage people to work together on what
he considered to be the "grand project" of spiritual work.

Jacob's Ladder © 2001 Richard Rose. See this transcript of a talk on the topic by Rose.

Homing Ground Update … A spot on earth where people can do retreats and hold meetings; where the emphasis is on friendship and the search. April 2021: Tentative plans are to have the August TAT meeting at the TAT Center. Projects nearing completion for 2021: Finishing the interior of the meeting room in preparation for holding our first TAT meeting at the Center Fundraising goal for 2021: Repayment of short-term loans totaling $37,500 Repairs to HVAC system: $4,000 Here's a recap of all that's happened through early 2021: Created a parking area Upgraded the water system Purchased chairs, tables, beds, and linens for event participants Completed first walking trail Upgraded the internet connectivity Numerous solo retreats held Bob Fergeson spent a year as resident teacher before returning to Colorado in early 2021 Mark W had a successful year as our invaluable resident caretaker   Let's bring this to life! "The job is upon us," Richard Rose said, "and it is worthwhile." To contribute to the TAT Center, mail a check made out to the TAT Foundation to: TAT Foundation PO Box 873 Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 Big checks, little checks, all are welcome. Or use the PayPal link above (though we lose 2.2% of your donation to PayPal fees). * See photos and more on the Homing Ground page. * In friendship, Shawn Nevins on behalf of the TAT Trustees

Did you enjoy the Forum? Then buy the book!
Readers' favorite selections from seven years of issues.
Beyond Mind, Beyond Death is available at Amazon.com.

 

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