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The Practice of the Beautiful: Moving Beyond Fragmentation and Stability

With JD Doyle recorded on June 2, 2024.

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Allowing the beautiful to guide us in our practice opens up possibilities beyond our conditioned habits. Awakening to beauty involves being with the messiness and the challenges of our lives. Beauty does not belong to anyone. As we orient away from that which is pleasing to that which is beautiful in ourselves and in our communities, we align ourselves with a path that blossoms into liberation for all beings.

Listen to the audio version below, or click here to download the mp3.

Discussion

One thought on “The Practice of the Beautiful: Moving Beyond Fragmentation and Stability

  1. Thank you for this JD, listened to long after, I am touched by your reflections on the internal and external , the personal and the collective, and your comment on fire and anger that is grounded in love. So here I am, now, dedicating to all beings the merit and freedom that all beings need. A deep bow

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