Inquisitiveness or curiosity involves being gentle, precise, and open- actually being able to let go and open. Gentleness is a sense of goodheartedness toward ourselves. Precision is being able to see very clearly, not being afraid to see what’s really there, just as a scientist is not afraid to look into the microscope. Openness is being able to let go and to open.

So the ground of maitri is ourselves. We’re here to get to know and study ourselves. The path, the way to do that, our main vehicle, is going to be meditation, and some sense of general wakefulness. Perhaps we will experience what is tradtionally described as the fruition of maitri- playfulness.

Life’s work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into the circle wake you up rather than put you to sleep. The only way to do this is to open, be curious, and develop some sense of sympathy for everything that comes along, to get to know its nature and let it teach you what it will.

~Pema Chodron

may the day be unknowable and deep with awe….

inquiry for today~ how will you use your tools of precision, gentleness and openness today?

the deep dark woods

And we: always and everywhere spectators,

turned not toward the Open

but to the stuff of our lives.

It drowns us. We set it in order.

It falls apart. We order it again.

And fall apart ourselves.

Who has turned us around like this?

Whatever we do, we are in the posture

of one who is about to depart.

Like a person lingering

for a moment on the last hill

where he can see his whole valley-

that is how we live, forever

taking our leave.

~Rilke