## Resilient Koan 24 - Holding and Expecting ### _Koan_: How can you hold a neutral space for a process without expectations and sustain the direction and intention for specific and contributive outcomes? ### _Discussion_: This question seems to reflect two positions within the 'development' paradigm. I think one paradigm is about facilitating development simply being present, increasingly self aware (conscious) and appreciative with other's in a process. Perhaps the other is that there is intention to be expressed, a position to be chosen and actions to be taken in order to influence the direction and outcomes that result from (other's) process. To understand the dynamics of process, I contemplated this question in three contexts: the whole of the kosmos as a process, the urban form and infrastructure development of a city as a process, and a group of peers from different organisations meeting to co-create a vision and plan a way to achieve it. ### _Inquiry_: The idea of a 'neutral' space implies that there is a truly objective position in relationship to whatever is happening. The only position that I know of is that 'no relationship', 'non-dual' position where there is no object (only subject), no separation, no process and no direction. Apart from that, any position is not 'neutral' and has a relationship and an orientation to the object of attention. It seems reasonable to assume that the relationship and 'space' held is likely to be 'positive', not neutral. For example, a facilitator's relationship to a meeting is likely to be positive, as they are invested in a good outcomes resulting. The same could be said of a community's relationship to its city (if asked, most would only want positive outcomes, though they may disagree on the specific outcomes and the process to achieve them) and the kosmos' (or 'god's') relationship to the kosmos (own) unfolding. If that's true, then there are expectations (and they are positive), even though they may be general, principle- based, or just that 'whatever happens is the only thing that could have'. The question is then about to what degree the facilitator, community or 'god' (in the kosmos), is aware of the expectations it is trying to hold and achieve. The subject ('you' in the question) that hasn't disclosed its expectations to other's in the process, nor inquired into the expectations of those others, seems likely to contribute to a division and dynamic that undermines the potential for positive and contributive outcomes to occur. ### _Insight_: The 'you' in the question could be presumed to be an individual, collective, engaging some 'others' in a process. That is, there is some boundary or separation perceived. That (separate) individual may presume that their own expectations, directions, intentions and outcomes are separate from those 'others'. This is one perception or conception of the situation. A more useful or accurate conception may be to understand each instance of a process (even in the case of composing this blog post) to actually be some manifestation of the 'whole' participating in, experiencing, and reflecting on its own perspective. That is, there are no others, there is no process (meeting, city development or kosmic emergence) separate from one's own, there is only one, infinite process perceived as multiple processes. ### _Resolution_: Then the question becomes about 'my'/'your'/ 'our' relationship to, and meaning-making about, our own process. The only 'problem' is reducing the difference between one's perception and reality. ### _Practice_: The practice is: * continuously increasing your awareness of your and our intention, and expectations, * continuously inquiring into the direction of the (our) process, * observing our contribution to the process and outcomes. This practice means becoming as 'conscious' as possible of the expectations, intentions, contributions. That is, if we have unconscious expectations, to try and reveal them and become more conscious. Only when those expectations etc. become 'objects' in consciousness, can we actually choose. Without being able to 'choose', there is nothing to do in the process whatsoever: not potential to choose, hold a space, direct direction, express intention or contribute to outcomes. Without the awareness of and inquiry into self as (and contributing to) process, any action is simply what would have always happened anyway. --- This is one in a series of 25 'Resilient Koans' documenting "an apithologue into the koans of practice discovered while creating resilient sustainable communities", in 2010.