Breathwork
August 2008 
Grace And Grit
Posted on Mar 13th, 2006
by 
Scott Schwenk
Scott Schwenk
Against my ego's better judgement of a year ago, I'm becoming a huge fan of Ken Wilber's work...and, if one can begin to know someone through his work, of the man himself.
I just finished being rendered by his book GRACE AND GRIT yesterday afternoon...and feel like one of the callouses shielding my heart from what one teacher would call the everpresent "wound of love" was put through the paper shredder next to my desk several times over.
All told, I think it took me about 4 1/2 days to get through the book...and coming out the other side, I'm grateful for the process. And as raw as I felt yesterday, it was truly worth it.
At one point towards the end, I was trying to read on through the tears the were pouring down my face -- I became so acutely present to suffering, my own and that of all beings. I've begun to have a much more intimate relationship to the first noble truth of the Buddha, the truth of suffering. And from this experience, so much compassion is arising....and it's a bitter-sweet experience. This flavor of Love seems painful at the moment, but a sweet pain.
I've just started my 4th Wilber book, ONE TASTE, and am already floored.
Engaging with Wilber expands my capacity to experience life as it is....without mitigating any of the growing experience of Presence.
-Scott
I just finished being rendered by his book GRACE AND GRIT yesterday afternoon...and feel like one of the callouses shielding my heart from what one teacher would call the everpresent "wound of love" was put through the paper shredder next to my desk several times over.
All told, I think it took me about 4 1/2 days to get through the book...and coming out the other side, I'm grateful for the process. And as raw as I felt yesterday, it was truly worth it.
At one point towards the end, I was trying to read on through the tears the were pouring down my face -- I became so acutely present to suffering, my own and that of all beings. I've begun to have a much more intimate relationship to the first noble truth of the Buddha, the truth of suffering. And from this experience, so much compassion is arising....and it's a bitter-sweet experience. This flavor of Love seems painful at the moment, but a sweet pain.
I've just started my 4th Wilber book, ONE TASTE, and am already floored.
Engaging with Wilber expands my capacity to experience life as it is....without mitigating any of the growing experience of Presence.
-Scott
Access: Public
Brilliant post! I’ve been reading One Taste and Marriage of Sense & Soul… now I am curious about Grace & Grit … and I couldn’t have put the experience of reading his works near as eloquently than your last line!!!
I also like the analogy of “the callouses sheilding my heart” …. that resonates very well within me… I’ve never visualized it like that. Thanks for the insight!
Peace be with you!
Count on me to keep sharing the “shredding” process along the way…to some they may sound like music, to some mere grunts and groans of growing pains :)
Love,
Scott
Ah the art of dissolving those callouses… ever grateful to the teachers who guide us gently to go where we would normally avoid to go. :)
Those two books are by far my favorite of Wilber’s. They seem to cut to the core of who “I” and “we” are.
After One Taste, I’ve got Integral Psych and No Boundary wating for me