Valentine’s at the Post-Office

 I had just returned from a trip to the west coast and had fallen sick there and was tired and disoriented. Still, a friend’s birthday was coming up and I wanted to send her Suzhen Liu’s new book. “It will be good for her,” I told myself so I got up and headed to the post office. As I was at the check out counter one clerk said to the other, “Tomorrow is Valentine’s!” “Not my favorite day,” the other woman responded, “I date myself!” 

Due to the trip and the illness I had completely lost track of Valentine’s. A look at my watch told me that I had exactly one hour to go to my favorite card store. Just enough to make it to Cambridge and back to pick up my wife from work, assuming I would find parking on one of the busiest streets in that town. Well, I did and picked out a nice card. I was thinking to myself how one act of kindness leads to the other, just as one creative act begets the next.

Have you ever observed how the ego works? The ego is just like tunnel vision. You zoom into the object or the person of your desire and you block out everything else that seems to distract from this goal. Love and creativity have just the opposite effect. With every net we throw out, the following aims branch out wider and further. The only catch is that you can’t plan or will yourself to be loving and creative. It has to be born out of the magic of the moment. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The three pathways to return home: wisdom, devotion and action

 A part of our mind has diverted resources to define who we are; to look out for our interest and to make sure no physical harm or psychological hurt happens to us. In the early morning hours when everything is still and distractions are kept to a minimum, observe the stream of thoughts and associated feelings. “You” will find that almost every thought-feeling energy is self referential in one way or the other. This filter cuts us off from the universal energy and creates a lot of mischief in the process. What can we do to be one with “life as is” without getting our self in the Way?

 

This task is overwhelming if it wasn’t for the fact that the Force that has created this universe has carefully planned our homecoming.

 

Wisdom: we can learn to look at the self-referential thought-feeling energy as it arises and look right through it.

 

Devotion: we can wrap our heart around “life as is” and replace the narrow mind-driven energy with the much more potent energy of compassion.

 

Action: we can put our attention to “life as is” by showing up in life and doing what we need to do rather than getting caught in our little self-referential world.

The four pathways of leaving the self behind

 That inner filter that pretends to be us and that claims we are just one step away from wisdom is “you.” Trying to get your arms around it is as hopeless as trying to hug your shadow. The self cannot get rid of itself!

 

The teachers and teachings con only point toward the Truth. The filter is bound to hijack it for “you”. Truth has to be lived here and now with no psychological entity to speak of being around.

 

I discovered four pathways to lose this filter:

 

S (tillness)   The mind becomes still as we grasp our own agenda

 

E (nergy)     The seven chakras are activated and balanced

 

L (ove)        Heart energy sidelines the mind

 

F (low)        Oneness with life as is

 

 

Quenching the thirst for recognition in a Family Energy Workshop

 It was a rainy morning on Halloween. I was not looking forward to the 7th family energy workshop. The sessions working on my father’s energy left me exhausted. Just about as the session started, I saw a leaf sticking to the windowpane. It seemed relevant to the mood I was in, but what did it mean?

 

The meditation session led by Suzhen Liu was about our craving for love and recognition. She led a self inquiry meditation, “who is seeking love?” “Who is seeking recognition?” she kept asking. I suddenly felt it. The bottomless pit of seeking recognition and love from others when love resides within!

 

I cried and felt that loving heart next to the narrow-minded striving energy, which seemed pale in comparison. A heavy energy was leaving the body, and I understood the sequencing of her sessions. First the wound of my dad’s depression and anxiety had to be felt before her healing hand could be applied.

 

Germany’s folk hero Siegfried was invincible after he bathed in the blood of the dragon he slayed. Alas, a leaf landed on his shoulder exposing him to an Achilles Heel which later was ruthlessly exploited by a traitor who killed him. The symbol of the leaf is to open up to the wound. That’s were the Light comes in!

 

Suzhen Liu’s meditation session concluded that we have been doing this endless external search for love and recognition and never gotten anywhere. The loving heart energy is always present. Lose this connection as the the narrow-minded agenda kicks in or we will be caught in another cycle which ends in suffering.

 

Understanding and Surrender

 What distinguishes some of the spiritual thinkers from the ordinary folks? They no longer believe that there is anything specific on this earth that can bring about happiness. I will be happy when …

 

… I have children, I have my dream partner, I have sex, I have money, I have my dream job, I will be healthy again, I retire on an island, etc., etc.

 

The spiritual seeker who has reached this state may still be after a dangling carrot in front—enlightenment. That’s the twilight zone many of us still wander through. Subconsciously or consciously we still believe that there is a state in the future that can make us better off.

 

“This is it!” Is the insight. This is the moment Consciousness manifests this body, mind and world. The breakthrough is the understanding that all active seeking is meaningless and an opportunity for letting go. It’s a falling back into “Not my will, but Thine” and the quest is over.

 

Every moment is special

 The idea that enlightenment will make us happy is the ego’s fantasy -

a misunderstanding.

It wants awakening to be a spiritual reward.

 

But awakening isn’t an experience.

It’s the death of the one who was seeking.

 

Freedom isn’t about feeling good -

it’s being free from the one who wanted to be free.

 

You don’t wake up to be happy.

You wake up from the one who could ever be happy or unhappy.

 

“Through the door of the heart I entered the truth -

and now I live without distinction”

~ Lalla (Thanks Baerbel Marlena Simon for sharing)

 

How can I be that my memories regarding the children are all happy? I was there. I know that the past is not any different from today. I know that there were good days as well as not so good ones.

 

The problem with our concept of enlightenment is that we picture ourselves just as we are without the suffering. This is not so. It’s a completely different state altogether: engulfed in serenity but without today’s passion.

 

We are Consciousness manifested in a body, mind and world realizing Itself. Every moment is special. Falling in love is beautiful even if the bond breaks eventually. Following a dream is special even if it doesn’t come to fruition.

 

The good comes with the bad. It’s about the moment at hand. No matter what we do, there will always be an occasional boredom, disappointment, restlessness and annoyance sprinkled around the happy moments. It’s what keeps us going.

 

Happiness Is When the Love in Your Heart Appears

 What is happiness?

In summary, it can be said like this: I am loved. I feel a sense of belonging and safety.

 

Perhaps I think happiness means doing what I love with the person I love, or that my child gets into a good school, or that my partner treats me a certain way.

But when we trace it all the way back to the root, it comes down to just two words — being loved.

 

When we want to be loved, our eyes naturally turn outward, searching for it from others.

With that attitude, in relationships, we may experience brief moments of joy, yet rarely do we feel truly loved or happy.

 

Is it because we’ve done something wrong? Or not done enough?

 

No.

 

It’s because we’ve missed one crucial point — happiness is not something outside of us. Happiness is when the love in your heart appears.

 

Inside each of our hearts lies a vast treasure.

Resentment, pain, anger, grievance, sorrow, helplessness — all the wounds we’ve experienced are stored within this treasure.

 

When we begin to understand these feelings of sorrow and pain — no matter what our conclusions may be — through that attitude and process of understanding, happiness will naturally find its way to us.

 

Because in that moment, your heart becomes calm and harmonious — you understand.

 

So happiness is understanding,

It is realization,

It is insight,

It is the awakening of your heart,

not something you achieve by doing.

 

Let us call this state Love.

 

Suzhen Liu

If you like Suzhen Liu’s writings, please check out her latest book, “Discover Love Within—Release Your Suffering” available at Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Discover-Love-Within-Release-Suffering-ebook/dp/B0G4L29MVN