When we respond with attack, we perpetuate a system that is doomed to create suffering and dissatisfaction. From this, there is nothing worthwhile that maintains its value for the possessor. The fleeting rush of victory soon fades and our proceeds remain closely guarded while we constantly prepare a defense for the onslaught we imagine will come. We cannot truly find peace and enjoyment that would make these pursuits beneficial, we reserve this only for another day. We find ourselves, huddled with our bounty, worried of how it may be seized, while our minds and bodies fall ill from our fears of the very world that provided the now tarnished object of our desires. The end is always the same, we survive for a time in a world of “shoot first and ask questions later”, “kill or be killed”, and “he who dies with the most toys wins”. The vast majority of our moments are wasted in worry and dread as we grow old, become sick, and leave this place losing everything and everyone we loved in the few unwasted moments we allowed ourselves to enjoy.
There is another way, by letting go of our desires, focusing our awareness on acceptance of the world as it is in this moment, and expressing love and forgiveness through positive action we can escape the endless cycle of attack and realize true liberation. Although the yearnings of our will may go unfilled, we can learn to see them for what they truly are, a prison that binds us with fear and distrust of our brothers and sisters. From the vantage point of desirelessness, love, and compassion we can see the struggle as it unfolds for others and learn to gently help them realize the truth about the source of their discomfort. Do not fall victim to the longing to punish those who seek glory in attack. In time, all of these lessons lead the observer to their own truth. Who knows what treachery occurs inside the chrysalis before the butterfly is born.
The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:
The ego rejects what it cannot observe or measure. As it is a mind whose very nature is so closely associated with the world, it is only natural that it too would be constrained to the limitations this world expresses. Many who live relatively happy and fulfilling lives never venture past this limitation, accepting only evidence presented that is manifested as observable phenomena and that which can be explained, measured, and repeated through process.
Do not judge your brothers and sisters who limit their perspective to only what the ego can validate. Each of you in this delusion of separateness will approach perception and understanding from a different viewpoint. This variation of view is an integral part of this world. It is neither something that needs to be fixed or overcome by the perceiver, it simply is as it is.
Those among you who have chosen to remain constrained to what they perceive as substantive fulfill a role among all others just as you fulfill a role in your experience. It is still possible to effectively demonstrate love, compassion, joy and peace in a boundless form. Remember this, individual incarnations of living form are of limited consequence. The real truth as you and all others will learn is beyond your individual experiences.
It is also important to respect the experience of those who have perceptions beyond the substantive that differ in explanation from yours. Remember this, your mind experiences this reality in a way that is unique to your individual egoic instance. Do not hold an attachment to how you believe true reality to be in this moment nor hold hostility to the views of others as you are made aware of them. You will do well to learn and grow as new truths are revealed to you and that which you previously believed falls away. A firm footing in that which lies beyond your understanding of this manifest world will serve you well as you learn, grow, and change moment by moment. Remember to breathe and quiet your thinking. I am always with you in this journey, continue to love with me, forgive yourself and all others, have fun, be generous, forthright, patient, joyfully enthusiastic, thoughtful, and reflective. There is nothing to fear and nothing to worry about. Enjoy.
The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:
Devotion to your teacher, devotion to your parents, devotion to your friends, devotion to a stranger, devotion to a prisoner, devotion to your enemy, is devotion to oneself. Devotion to the poor is as devotion to the rich, your birthright and your refuge. Be devoted to improving the lives of others. Neither hinder nor prohibit their way on the path which they walk. Do not tear open the chrysalis of a being’s experience. The path must be walked fully for it to be understood by the traveler. Know that you are here to walk with your brothers and sisters; not to walk for them. In each case the end will be the same, the full telling of the story of awakening. Let’s read it together, have patience and take your time.
When we look at the path of others we are looking at our own path, the difference is a trick of perception; separation is magic of complexity and nothing more. Rest in the knowledge that you and I are with each other in the calmness of awareness as it has always been. Do not fear anything this world shows you regardless of how horrific it may seem. Feel compassion for the violent dragon as he will one day kneel and weep and know. Open your heart to the mirror gazers for they will look upon a withered face. Know that the ladder climbers will reach a summit and find the same hunger waiting for them there. There is no eternal joy in aspiration or attainment.
There is a place where joy never ends, beneath the façade of placement and acquisition. You will know it when you realize that you have always been there. Let go of your likes and dislikes. Let go of your restlessness and anxiety. Have no fear and release all doubt that you are joyful, content, peaceful, and complete in this moment as you have always been. It is only the illusion of the thinking self, its intent of mastery, its desire to extinguish, and its fear of loneliness and death which hides the true nature of our being. Rest in the understanding that the passing of these thoughts are only a novel dream of difference. You are beyond the need of healing, you are.
The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:
How do we advance spiritually? This is a question that presents difficulties in communication through the realm of language and symbolism of this world. For example, the word “advance” is used in the initial question, however, there is no place to advance “to” spiritually for we are already there as we have always been. This leads us to the first principle in revealing the truth of who we are; that principle is renunciation. To renounce is to give up, and in this context we are renouncing this world of material things, the ego mind, and its conceptual trappings. We do not judge as we renounce, we simply let the world and the ego mind drift apart from our true being. This includes all of the identities we have gathered which was discussed earlier in these writings. Think of this renouncing not as discarding, but a chipping away as a sculptor would do with a block of stone. In this context, spiritual realization can be seen as a dissolution of the ego and its attachments to this world. An important teaching is that renunciation does not need to be absolute. This is called the “Middle Way”. We renounce those “unhealthy” attachments that cause ourselves and others the most suffering with the least value gained and we leave the “healthy” attachments as is. Attachments come in the form of things we cling to, things we push away, and fantasies which we believe but are not true.
What defines a healthy versus an unhealthy attachment is subjective and requires further explanation. A simple way to make this discernment is to ask, “Does this attachment separate me from others?”. Examples of unhealthy attachments would be in the realm of prejudice, bigotry, racism, fear, resentments, rage, addictions, exploitation, gossip, attacks, duplicity, sloth, inconsideration, jealousy, greed, neglect, vanity, and pride. While not a complete list, asking oneself if an attachment, either material or conceptual, fits the description will help you decide if renunciation is in order. Examples of healthy attachments would be in the realm of parenting, honoring, teaching, learning, friendship, diplomacy, humility, positive activism, artistry, nourishment, hygiene, conviviality, and support. Healthy attachments we maintain as they allow our form to flourish in this world and help us to connect with others. There will come a time in this experience where all attachments to form will be surrendered, this is a big pill to swallow. By focusing on unhealthy attachments we greatly reduce suffering and increase happiness for ourselves and others without letting go completely.
The second principle of this process is to embrace the awakening mind. This mind is fully connected to the attributes of boundless love, endless compassion, unbridled joy and equanimous acceptant peace that we have discussed in these writings. The awakening mind is concerned with the spiritual awakening of all beings and how it can serve in the capacity of assisting this process in a positive and loving way. The sculptor will reveal this true Self. It cannot be chipped away as it is the essence of who you truly are and have always been. Even a partial realization of the awakening mind existing in the present moment will dissolve any fear that this process is harmful or dangerous. Know that this is who you truly are and join your brothers and sisters in the pursuit of our inevitable state of consciousness. One that we exist in now as we will always.
We have now arrived at the third principle of correct perception. Seeing things as they truly are without the distractions of this world and the ego mind which clouds our vision. Set an intention to help all others to see “past” this world and the ego. Speak, act, and live only from a place of love, compassion, joy, and peace. This defines our effort in this world. Keep your awakening mind centered through concentration on our true goals. This is how we will “advance” and bring about the change in this world that will lead us to a new age where the darkness of suffering and confusion will diminish and be gradually replaced by a true refuge for all beings as we continue our “progress” in this endeavor towards peace beyond all understanding.
Please help me to be most effective in the lives of others. What do people need to hear from you? What can I tell them?
The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:
In the copious amounts of written materials available in this world, you have the honor of reading one such. It will not bring you to the door of enlightenment unless it does. In which case who was the one who did the bringing?
How do we grow healthy beings in a world that is founded in conflict? It would seem that in order to survive, only those who are most adept at winning battles and vanquishing their opponent would flourish. While there is an element of truth to this, let it be known that the joyous broadcasts of the better way ring forth with such clarity that even the most brutal opponent can hear them upon quieting the mind. No one, absolutely no one, has ever been denied the truth that there is another reality beyond the realms of this world of separateness and delusion.
Before the very first moments of this world was laid the groundwork as such for an idea that is now known to be insane. Do not think of this as failure or success, it was simply an idea of special loveliness that seemed to be sound. The pitfalls of this approach must be experienced to be understood and that experience is happening all around you in this world. Approaching our situation here with a joyful laugh and a compassionate heart will work wonders in helping to cope with the suffering we observe around us. This was never the intention, nevertheless it is the inevitable result of heralding a world of the elevated and the fallen. Even if the concept remains subjective to individuals, the pain and suffering is experienced by every being resulting in a shared experience of grief and discomfort.
We now know that the better way exists. Without promoting and demoting based on desire and aversion, we can have a world that is free from this discomfort and suffering. To be free, release all preference and loathing. Simply allow them to pass unnoticed like the pebbles that gently roll across the bottom of a clear stream. Neither attach oneself to concept, word, or object nor reject them. Simply acknowledge what is, breath deeply and rest at peace with me.
Zen Momentum 