Distinguishing commentary from direct experience, Gil Fronsdal helps us break free from the conventions and comparisons that the mind makes. In this episode, Gil Fronsdal speaks to listeners about: - Paying homage to those who have purified their hearts - Direct experience versus attempting to describe things - The way that comparison arises - Self-image and appreciating our own suchness - Resting in the part of ourselves that is not an idea or a concept - The conditioning that can happen from society - Wisdom from sitting with physical pain - Living in the present moment instead of the stories we tell ourselves - Letting things be as they are - Seeing God in our simple, direct experiences - Coming back to the breath and practicing all throughout the day - This 1998 talk was originally published on Dharmaseed “Most of us know the wonderful smell of a rose, but if you could try to describe in words what that fragrance is, you’d have a hard time I think. The actual sense, the direct experience of smell, is something we can all experience – seeing this flower as it is. In Buddhism, there is a lot of emphasis on seeing things as they are.” – Gil Fronsdal ================ Big Flower, Small Flower with Buddhist Teacher Gil Fronsdal - BHNN Guest Podcast Ep. 168 - https://youtu.be/c7dijVa2ArE BHNN Guest Podcast - Ep. 168 - Big Flower, Small Flower with Gil Fronsdal - https://beherenownetwork.com/bhnn-guest-podcast-ep-168-big-flower-small-flower-with-gil-fronsdal ================ Make sure not to miss a single video podcast from Be Here Now Network! Click here to Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc1lvEoC5PZWm-MzgUfJQfg Follow Be Here Now Network: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeHereNowNetwork Twitter: https://twitter.com/beherenownet Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beherenownetwork ================ Be Here Now Network Podcasts, Courses, and Articles to help you live a Life in Balance. Heart-Centered wisdom from Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das + many more! Get a Free Guided Meditation from Sharon Salzberg when you first sign up at: https://beherenownetwork.com/