• Archive
• Subscribe
• Contact

TAT Forum

January 2022

Convictions & Concerns

TAT members share their personal convictions and/or concerns

A Part of Thee

Richard Rose's poetry showed a side of his psychology that didn't manifest much in his daily life. It was a softer side, which is greatly evident in his poetry.¹ My all-time favorite is "A Part of Thee," which begins with this couplet:

Though you should seek me, or, still never know Me, I am with thee....

It speaks directly to the heart of longing and reminds me of how he would usually dismiss any Q&A talk about love … but how one time, at a university talk in Raleigh or Chapel Hill, he responded to a woman's question by saying, softly: "Love is the purpose of life, but we don't have time to go into it now."

"Though you should seek me, or, still never know Me, I am with thee...." Unless you've found Me, it doesn't matter whether you tell yourself you're seeking or not. (You are.) And it brings up the question of self. Life is all about self and other, and self and other are all about love. The opposite of self is other or not-self, not "no self." Self … self … self … why talk about anything else? Self = THE PROBLEM. No self = NO PROBLEM???

• The whole idea of "no self" is ABSURD (we'll get to that in a minute). That's point #1 I want to talk about.
• Looking for that of you which is eternal is point #2.
• Going on the offensive (to hell with this "effortless" stuff :-) is point #3.

See the complete article.

Footnotes:

~ This is material for a presentation made by Art Ticknor at the October 2011 retreat of the Raleigh (NC) Self Inquiry Discussion Group. The theme for their third annual weekend retreat was "The Paradox of Spiritual Effort." A video version is available in the TAT Talks section of the TAT Foundation's YouTube Channel.

 

TAT Foundation News

It's all about "ladder work" – helping and being helped

Downloadable/rental versions of the Mister Rose video and of April TAT talks Remembering Your True Desire (details).

Local Group News

New listing for Aiken, SC:
Looking to start a self-inquiry group ... finding like-minded people to talk about Richard Rose and his teachings either online or in-person in a home setting ... to question what it means to find our true selves.
~ Email .

Update for the Amsterdam, NL Self-Inquiry Group:
The group is not holding meetings currently, but email for information.

Update from the Central New Jersey Group:
Our group is now meeting every other Sunday at 6pm eastern time. The topic of our most recent meeting was resistance and the behaviors we get into when we are avoiding feeling or acknowledging something which is coming up in our lives. ~ For meeting info: www.facebook.com/groups/429437321740752.

Update from the Central Ohio Non-Duality Group:
The Columbus, Ohio self-inquiry group, now known as the Central Ohio Non-Duality Group, has continued to meet virtually on Tuesday evenings at 6:30PM during the Coronavirus pandemic. Please email one of the people's names below if you wish to get a link to the meeting. Meeting format involves discussion of topics of interest to seekers and often bridges from the concerns, questions and interests of the core members in attendance into the topic which we intend to discuss. We look forward to the easing of restrictions to the point where we feel comfortable meeting again in person. ~ For further information, contact , , or . We're also on Facebook.

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 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.
Currently we have two men's email groups. 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. 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.

   TAT Press publishes Anima's and Art's book: Always Right Behind You: Parables & Poems of Love & Completion.

Update from the Gainesville, FL self-inquiry group:
The Alachua County library reopened its meeting rooms on July 5th, and we were the first group to meet after the reopening. We decided to change our meeting day from Sunday to Saturday, at the same time as previously (2 to 4 PM). Our first meeting was on July 10th, and subsequent meetings are scheduled for alternate Saturdays with an occasional extra week between meetings due to holidays or the TAT meeting schedule and our group's associated retreats. ~ 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?

The Gainesville self-inquiry group is planning a four-day intensive retreat at Horseshoe Lake Park in Fort McCoy, FL on Thursday-Tuesday, Feb. 17–21, 2022. The theme is "Longing & Doing":       What we long for is our ideal of perfection.       "Do all things for the sake of a higher power, and it will correctly guide your every step.” ~ Richard Rose to Lee W. ~ E-mail for more information.

Update from Galway, Ireland:
Tess Hughes is starting a women's group on Wednesday evenings, 7pm Dublin time, using Zoom. It will begin mid September. Sessions last 90-120 minutes usually. Anyone who's interested in joining can contact .

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

Update from the GMT Support Group for Seekers:
We meet every Sunday gmt 17.30, live on Google Meet. Rapport and confrontation, talk and exchange. Someone mostly brings a theme, like a text, poem or whatever to set the mood. Then 10 minutes of silent rapport after which everyone gets their turn on the "hot seat" for 10-15 minutes—the group listens to what the person has to say about the theme then asks friendly questions—depending on how many participants we are. The questioning is aimed at providing material for self-inquiry. There have been sessions in which we just chatted, but that is more the exception. ~ Contact

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 New York City self-inquiry group:
The New York City Self-Inquiry group meets by Zoom every Monday from 6-8 PM EST. The link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3098361863?pwd=anY5OFlMT0pNMld6VXJDb0Z2SjY0UT09. For those joining by phone, the number is +1 929 205 6099 US (New York), with Meeting ID: 309 836 1863, and Passcode: 895478. More details, as well as our weekly discussion topics, are available on our MeetUp page (link above) and via email at .

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 Zoom. The goal of the group is to practice confrontation/group self-inquiry. ~ If you're interested, email or .

   Isaac and AJ interviewed Art Ticknor on their Plant Cunning Podcast series, where they "invite herbalists, ethnobotanists, farmers, mages, fungi experts, community organizers and all kinds of other interesting people to the microphone to share their wisdom and experiences with us": Self Realization with Art Ticknor.

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.)

Amazon and eBay

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

TAT founder Richard Rose encouraged his students to sit in rapport groups.

In his spiritual autobiography, Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment, Rose student Shawn Nevins writes:

On one of my walks, I recalled our perennial pestering of Mr. Rose to sit in rapport, and how he kept putting us off. Once, he dropped a puzzling line that lingered in my memory. He remarked that a person could sit in rapport with themselves. “This was different from meditation,” he said, “as the mind would eventually go blank in meditation.” I noted in my journal that I had no idea what he was talking about.

The Reader Commentary question for the January TAT Forum is:

What would it mean to get into rapport with yourself?

Thanks to Eric C. for this question. Responses follow.

From Peter O'Doherty:
A friend of mine once sent me a photo of a bottle of aftershave called Rapport. It was just a little joke as she knew I'd been speaking about it in an online group we were working in. I bought it and sometimes I wear it to try and use the fragrance as a trigger to just remind myself to forget myself.

What do I mean, forget myself? I mean to let go of the narrative, to no longer try to change myself or the world. To let go of trying to pull at anyone to just serve my own desires. To let go of trying to accomplish anything, or getting someplace or becoming something. To completely accept what is.

When that melting away happens that's when I feel most in rapport with myself. To just be. I feel I can't say what it is because as soon as I put a label on it then in its purest sense it's gone or maybe it would be more accurate to say the narrative is coming back. But if I had to come up with a description the best I could come up with would be to call it silent stillness.

I feel very drawn to be in rapport with myself as much as possible. It's where I know peace. But life's distractions are very tempting. Sometimes it's very difficult. Most of the time it's very difficult. That's why I use the triggers like wearing Rapport to try and help me to just come back to it.

From Sheri R:
There seems to me a subtle but distinct difference between rapport and meditation.

Having developed a disciplined meditation practice, different Jhana states became accessible. These states had ‘markers’ within, if you will, which made them identifiable either during meditation or in retrospect. The commonality however was a still, alert aliveness.

Rapport, on the other hand, felt as though multiple energies were mixing and tension, at least initially, was the underlying sense. I do not necessarily mean tension in a negative or irritated state, though that form too had been present at times, but more generally in an active, excited state. The tension could and would transform often settling to an energized state of readiness. At least that is how I would describe my experience of it.

So, if I were to get into rapport with myself, it would be the intentional bringing in of tension, focusing attention on, or staying with, the tension and watching it transmute. In this there can be a sense of dissipation, complete dissolution and even purification of the tenuous energy.

I don’t really know how Mr. Rose defined either rapport or meditation, or even how he differentiated between the two. If he did. Again, this is simply my own experience, discernment and description.

From Michael R:
What stands out the most to me about Rose’s statement is that being in rapport with oneself is “different from meditation” as “the mind would eventually go blank in meditation.” This makes me wonder if being in rapport with oneself, to Rose, meant something more like quietly siting with oneself with a kind of alertness. Perhaps the closest thing I can relate this to in my own practice is the feeling of quietly sitting by the water with a cup of coffee in the morning, or the particular quality of attention that can occur when opening a journal and waiting for something to inspire the pen to move. Once, after a period of not journaling, I recall one journal entry including the line “it’s nice to be back in touch.” I think that’s what rapport with oneself means to me, being in touch with oneself, slowing down long enough to just be and allow what comes from that quiet space of attentive listening.

From Don A:
I can identify with that: it's a form of talking to myself, through daily journaling, recording dreams, writing with both hands, praying and watching myself, as much as a vigil as possible in as many ways to catch unexpected perspectives, insights, and dimensions of myself unknown but revealed through the insightful and revealing nature of such practices. It is a disciplined approach driven by something powerful, which is experienced as a desire, more important than anything else. Perhaps I don't seem such a bad guy after all, once a rapport is established with what only appeared to be.

From Tess Hughes:
How would you know if your were out of rapport with yourself?

Dictionary definition of the word rapport; a close and harmonious relationship, or as the Irish poet Brendan Kennelly wrote in a poem about his father, “always in tune with yourself”.

Stress, anxiety, fear, depression, anger, all manner of inner conflict, are the symptoms of being out of rapport with yourself.

To heal the inner conflicts is to become integrated, harmonious, in rapport with yourself.

*

Editor's comment: TAT Foundation Press publishes Tess's This Above All: A Journey of Self-Discovery.

From Len S:
(It should be obvious that the following is written through ego with obvious conceptual presuppositions.)

Is the question “rapport with myself” or “mySelf”?
Rapport with myself could be just a centered quiet alert state of mind … without many conflicted egos. If the question is “rapport with mySelf” then how can this even be possible? There can not be any rapport since the Self is One without a second (2nd or time). rapport with mySelf = I AM. I would have to Become mySelf … by subtracting absolutely all of myself.

I can’t say anything about rapport with mySelf, but I am familiar with rapport that goes beyond rapport with myself. I can only describe it as being in a place beyond the reach of the many things calling for my attention (and beyond most of my egos listening for them), outside of thought-interpretation & thought-feeling reaction … a “transparent” state that lies "outside" of myself. I could refer to this as Presence or ATA-T (Attending The Actual minus Thought). I refer to it as Clear Intuitively Aware Silence. No thoughts. Betweenness.

“Clear, intuitively aware silence”.
The Ocean is all around me but I remain dry.
Alone but not lonely.
Eyes open but nothing to see.
Ears listening but nothing to hear.
Mind clear with nothing to think, interpret, label or react to.
No faith but nothing is needed.
No hope but nothing is desired.
No fear because the shadows that are false evidence vanish in the light of the Self.
No "if only’s" because they can only be born in the projected imaginary world outside of NOW.

From Shawn Nevins:
Note that the phrase I recall is sit in rapport with yourself rather than get in rapport with yourself. I never thought of the experience as getting in rapport with myself. The experiential evidence I had at the time said my "self" was time-bound, limited in every direction, and had a short shelf life. By sitting in rapport with myself, I was seeking something other than my known self. Whether it existed, I didn't know.

However, both sitting and getting could be equally intriguing and if either gets one to try the experiment then so much the better. The experiment is to sit alone, extend the antenna of our receiving mechanism, and listen/feel for something other than our ordinary mind. "Is there anybody out there?" or "Is there anybody in there?" We don't know, and part of becoming open enough to discover is to admit the depth of that unknowing.

I'm not sure if the questioner wants to know "how?" when they ask "what would it mean?" We are meaning-making machines, yet meaning is a generally overrated and very human-centric framework within which to place experience. Caveats aside, maybe the meaning is we are not solely a one-way street that does nothing but continually spew our self into the world. Maybe we're a two-way street, both receiving and sending. And if you like imagery, maybe we're even a loop: no ending or beginning, apparent points along an endless strand, all sending and receiving our selves. Maybe.

*

Editor's comment: TAT Foundation Press publishes Shawn's Hydroglyphics: Reflections on the Sacred with photos by Phaedra Greenwood, Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment, and The Celibate Seeker. He also authors the SpiritualTeachers.org website featuring recommendations of teachers, movies and books along with The Journals of Spiritual Discovery podcasts.

From Rob-In Leeds:
To come home. Self aware of Itself.

From MT:
Being in rapport with myself seems to be everything in my being harmoniously tuned and at the time I am functioning at what is now my highest level. Fleeting moments or longer intervals are marked by attention and alertness. I may become aware of various aspects of myself that need working on but there is not a lot of lower self stuff going on in the background. I think the value of experiencing this rapport is it's a window of encouragement and a brief rest from all the hard work that is required ascending the spiral staircase. Just God, me and the desert wind having a little chat. Is being almost always in rapport with myself the next level up.... having left most of the useless aspects of self behind? Maybe just one aspect of the multi-faceted way of being called enlightenment?

From Chris P:
Consider the typical hold on the attention that the internal monologue seems to have. Now, instead of the attention being on the internal monologue, the attention shifts to a less verbal and more intuitional "being-there-ness." I might say, an intentional but quiescent attention. Experiencer fully present with the experience of self. No emotional flare-ups of judgment of the experience of whatever it is that's happening, whether it's sitting still or engaged in some activity.

From Art Ticknor:
I've experienced deep, unintentional rapport with others in two ways. One felt like we were looking into an infinite regression of mirrors of knowing that I knew that they knew that I knew, and so on ... almost as if we were one mind. The other felt like we were two minds experiencing the same changing moods.

I've also experienced more questionable, intentional rapport when sitting in small groups of people who met regularly for that purpose. Unlike meditation, the idea as suggested by Richard Rose was to let our mental antennas reach out and see what they could pick up from others. Afterward, we would talk about our impressions to see if we were picking up anything accurately.

Getting in rapport with oneself may hint at the absolute point of reference we find as our true source and identity. Since that occurred for me I haven't felt the need to touch back to it in order to reassure myself. But I find that occasionally when someone asks me a question, I don't want to give an off-the-cuff response. So I'll let the question sink in and wait to see what relevant response comes back. Sometimes that happens shortly, but sometimes it's later.

Thinking back about the intentional rapport groups, after the first few times I'd participated in one, I was quite surprised to notice that about the first thought that would come into my consciousness at the beginning of each sitting was a prayer that the other folks would find what they were looking for ahead of me. I didn't consider it until more recently, but I feel that it was a sincere form of friendship ... perhaps like what may have triggered the possibly misguided bodhisattva vow to put off one's self-realization in order to help other suffering beings become enlightened.

From Tina N:
What comes to mind about getting into rapport with myself is a phrase a friend said, "God, you waited on me. Now, I wait on you."

And the quality of waiting is like that of "waiting for a good friend to show up," as said by another friend.

From Mike L:
I joined a rapport group that meets virtually once a week close to a year ago. My experience with the group has been that a sense of resonance can build when we all sit together with the common goal of getting into rapport with each other. I never really understood what was meant by the term rapport. I had heard long time TAT members talk about direct mind to mind connections with other people, or picking up on subtle impressions that come up regarding individuals as instances of rapport. I’ve never had either of these experiences, but what tends to happen for me is a feeling of resonance with something deeper, a quiet presence that feels much more stable and grounded. The feeling is an impersonal one and comes across on a sense felt level. The experience of connecting with the feeling of presence initially was obvious during the rapport meetings. Over time that same sense of connection became obvious at other times as well. One thing that I have come to associate with this sense of presence is the longing I feel to connect with something deeper within. This typically gets expressed as a prayer to please help me to hear You. I have no idea if they are linked in actuality, but there is a sense that they are. It seems in my case, the group rapport helped me to tap into this sense initially before I was able to recognize it in myself.

From Topi P:
Sitting in the midst of a playground
the swing perpetually moving, making its rattling sounds in a silence that's too simple to describe

The children have been missing since the beginning, nobody's watching, the parents never stayed but still, there's a watching

A play goes on undepending, whilst I sit here watching its watching. Sadly there's no way to describe a place from which you are seen, but from which you know, you have always been in. How else could you ever know – you?

From Mike M:
Being in rapport with myself means a couple things to me.

It's being aware of myself in my surroundings. Not off in some thoughtful wonderland, but where I am, what I am doing.

It also means questioning things that come up in thought that may be "questionable." Such as catching myself judging or evaluating something that doesn't need to be looked at or is none of my business.

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?

We like hearing from you! Please your comments, suggestions, inquiries, and submissions.

Sign up for notices of TAT's four annual events and free monthly Forums by email on our contact page.

 

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.

* In the early years of the TAT Foundation, which formed in 1973, Richard Rose began giving public talks at a few colleges and universities to get his message out to young folks. His own realization had occurred in 1950, but until the early 1970s he didn't find people who were interested in "the highest form of Spiritual Work, the Realization of the Essence of Man." He had been invited to give a talk at the Theosophical Society in Pittsburgh, and a U. of Pittsburgh student showed for the talk, was inspired to start a philosophical discussion group at the university ... and that's what got the ball rolling. Social media for college students back in those times was mainly fliers posted around campus. So Richard designed some posters to get the attention of students who might be interested in the Grand Work. Thanks to Shawn Nevins for uncovering this example of TAT memorabilia and sharing it with us. And thanks to Bob Cergol for assembling a printing press from a box of parts and printing those early posters.

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. January 2022: First, here's a few notes to wrap up 2021 from our caretaker, Mark W.: I want to thank everyone who contributed their hard work and the funds needed to complete the projects and reach the milestones listed below. It has been personally very gratifying to finally see the TAT Center used for its intended purpose. - Held one open house, two small group retreats, and two informal TAT Gatherings - Purchased 2 refrigerators to accommodate TAT events - Purchased a speaker system for the large meeting room - Cut down trees and cleared area for a large parking lot - Large gravel parking lot put in - Upgraded front driveway entrance - Purchased a riding lawn mower and cart - Purchased various tools for lawn and trail maintenance - Completed and maintained trail system - Built and placed 3 meditation benches for trail use - Built one large picnic table with benches - Cut down and removed 4 dead trees - Built a fire pit - Planted 8 blueberry bushes and 3 fruit trees In addition to the donations above, in 2021, we received donations for the TAT Center from around 25 people and reached approximately 6.5% of our $41,500 goal. While it was a relatively small year for monetary donations, it was a good year for TAT overall with successful events, a growing social media presence, a solid core of volunteers, and numerous people from all over the world gaining exposure to our work. Shawn Nevins PS: Monthly contributions are a great way to support the TAT Center if making a larger one-time donation seems too much. If you're so inspired, click the Donate button below, then check the box for "Make this a monthly donation" as in the example below:   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 3402 Roxboro, NC 27573 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.