Buddhist Meditation Marin Sangha talk: The Ghost of Unfinished Business

The Ghost of Unfinished Business

A Talk by Phillip Moffitt

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Current triggers may cause unfinished business from our past to surface from our unconscious and cause us to feel haunted, disquieted, or inauthentic. Mindfulness helps us recognize our suffering and the ghost that has arisen. We want to bring these experiences to the forefront so we can respond in the present moment with compassion.

Date of talk: March 7, 2010
Length: 50 minutes

Home Practice:

This week, be aware how unfinished business shows up in your life-
See how it is affecting your life.
Not judging, but discerning.
Just looking. Noticing.

Observe how do you respond when this unfinished business comes up?
Does it give you certain privileges: a right to feel sorry for yourself, be in a bad mood? Do you respond by getting busy, collapsing?

When you discover a piece of unfinished business. can you say, in the moment, a few lines of loving-kindness, or phrases of compassion? Say it for the person who has been evoked, or you, now.

Not some theoretical idea, but right now, in the moment, as soon as you notice.

Phillip Moffitt

At the peak of his career, former CEO and Editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine, Phillip Moffitt, traded in his worldly aspirations to explore the inner life. He subsequently founded the Life Balance Institute and now teaches vipassana meditation with an emphasis on living the dharma in daily life. Phillip is a co-guiding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the author of Dancing with Life.