The most insidious agreement that we make is that things are real, that we are real, and that the push and pull we have with the world of things is real, too. It is not only an agreement we have with others, it is the deep unspoken agreement we have with ourselves. In our quest for security we have decided to find ground in a world that is never fixed and always open to interpretation. We can say this decision is not completely conscious—but it is a decision, nonetheless.

– Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, The Power of an Open Question

Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel’s Tricycle Retreat is happening now on Tricycle.com! Join the Tricycle Community to enjoy the retreat and get her book, The Power of an Open Question at 30% off.

[Image: Randy Weiner Photography]

Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! As a nonprofit, to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available.

This article is only for Subscribers!

Subscribe now to read this article and get immediate access to everything else.

Subscribe Now

Already a subscriber? .