Beyond the Mind

So much of my journey has been about observing how my mind is constantly saying NO in one way or another to how things actually are, right now.  The more I notice this in myself the more able I am to embrace and abide in reality.  The awareness gives me a choice I did not have without it.  I see so much of our energy going into fighting with reality, we waste so much time and effort trying to change circumstances or ourselves.  Change is good but incessantly trying to improve or change the way things are at the expense of our natural enjoyment of the NOW is a cycle that never ends. 

We are deeply seduced by the lie - the idea that if we just tried harder we could actually make things perfect, then we could finally relax and enjoy the moment.  We need to wake up from this lie or we may find ourselves old and tired and still not able to enjoy our lives, still pushing and fighting with the way things are.  We can become forever entranced by our darkly shaded lenses, those that insist on seeing what’s wrong rather than what’s right with the present moment.  We don’t need better lenses, we just need to take our glasses off altogether, to see the miracle of NOW.

It’s understandable that most of us are hypnotized in this way, there is very little support in our culture for developing our ability to simply BE, we must DO in this culture.  Our success is measured not only by what we DO but how many toys or props we have to prove that what we DO is valuable.  Our BEINGNESS is not valued, and in the process who we really are is not valued.  To feel that who we are is not valued is deeply painful, perhaps the deepest pain imaginable and it is the plague of our time.  We are afraid of this pain so rather than facing it we try to FIX it.  We attempt to DO more, ACHIEVE more.  Maybe THEN we will feel loved and valuable.  Only YOU can get off this train to nowhere, you must step off of this train my friend, jump if you have to.

I want to point out what I call the pain gap.  We all have desires and we all have things we don’t like and most of us try to get what we want and stay away from what we don’t want.  This is the average condition for most people but it starts turning sour when we feel pain and unhappiness because we don’t have what we want or because we have what we don’t want.  We are in the pain gap.  This gap is as wide as the distance between what we want and where we are right now and as deep as how far we wish we were AWAY from the situation we are in right now.

Again, it is “normal” to feel this way, but to be human and on planet earth this scenario is unavoidable most of the time.  Buddha did a fine job of pointing this out, i.e. the first noble truth.  Buddha also pointed out that it is possible to step out of this cycle of suffering.  We can close this gap, we can start saying YES to the way things are.  We can even start to CHOOSE things to be the way they already are.  When we are not getting what we think we want we can turn to this situation and say “I choose this, this is the dish that GOD (or reality or the universe or whatever works for you) is serving me right now, so I choose it, thank you.” 

This radical and revolutionary shift may feel strange at first and will feel impossible much of the time.  It is a practice.  It is a practice that requires the humility to say “I don’t know for sure what’s right for me and I don’t know why things are happening the way they are but since THIS is what’s happening right now, I will choose it”.  Byron Katie says the way things are IS the way they should be simply because they are the way they are.  This is simple, elegant and profound wisdom from her.  Saying things shouldn’t be the way they are is insane.  To fight with reality is insane, and my friend you will NOT win that battle.  Learn to yield to reality, this is not passivity, this is wisdom in action.

I am now offering Realizing Freedom sessions for those interested in exploring issues like this within themselves on a deep level.  Think of the many ways you find it impossible to say YES to your life.  These are the portals through we which we can journey together, to find the YES that is already inside of you, that exalted warrior within you, already free and passionately alive.

Surrender my friend, victoriously to your true master - REALITY

Tags: Spiritual Enlightenment, Spiritual Counseling, Spiritual Health, Spiritual Health Coaching, Spiritual Journey, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Healing, Meditation, Life Coaching, Spirituality, Spiritual, Spiritual Awakening //