Awareness

 A zen master wanted to retire and asked his monks to write a koan to find out who the most promising student is. Only the student who was apparently next in line dared to compose one:

Our body is the bodhi tree

and our mind a mirror bright.

Carefully we wipe them

and let no dust alight.

An unknown monk—Huineng—saw it and wrote his version at night when no one was watching:

There is no bodhi tree

nor stand of a mirror bright.

Since all is empty 

where can the dust alight?

The zen master didn’t dare to announce Huineng as the winner as he feared a mutiny amongst his students, even though Huineng was obviously the more advanced practitioner. Huineng left the monastery soon afterwards.

Both koans have their importance and downside. If you dust the mirror you don’t realize Awareness’ emptiness as Huineng rightly stated, but dusting may help the students discover emptiness for themselves.

Everything is connected. Who knows, maybe the runner-up may have inspired Huineng to write this well-known koan which has inspired zen practitioners for 1400 years. See the story in its entirety, that’s Awareness.

The imaginary mountain, the master, the competition, the striving participants and the awe-struck students are all part of a divine play. See the play for what is and there is no ego around to take issue with anything.

Every day is Easter!

 Resurrection takes place after the crucifixion. The real meaning of Easter is resurrection—and enjoying the sweet chocolate—not death. 

The spiritual quest is over once you stumble on “the space.” It’s not another fancy concept to project into—like the Holy Spirit or God—it’s real!

After the resurrection there is only S (ilence) E (nergy) L (ove) F (low) with no self around to do anything. Being is calling the shots outside of “you.”

Before resurrection there is the agony, the drive, the wanting and escaping, but there is also “the space” that opens up and invites us to let go.

Viktor Frankl described “the space” beautifully when he found: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Properly understood, Easter is every day, just as long as we remember to pause and “be still and know I am God”—let “the space” do its magic!

The vanishing observer

 The observer who applies mindfulness to the daily activities and thought processes is a fine methodology for a spiritual seeker just as meditation is—the temporary dearth of thinking—but it is not the real thing. “Being, Consciousness, Bliss” is a good description of the real thing—the screen on which existence is projected. There is observation but no observer!

I find it strange that no one ever mentions this: how is being mindful of the psychological self any different from the strive of modern man to be ethical? The enlightenment movement tried it since the 17th century, Christianity tried it over the last 2000 years, Judaism tried it for 4000 years, but no one succeeded. The ethical, religious and spiritual observer does not work!

“Being, Consciousness, Bliss” is a humming sound, a higher vibration. The statement, “wherever you go there you are” contains a lot of value. If the identity of personality that is perceived is flawed—and it is because it is a product of a corrupt “I perception”—no matter how high the ethical, religious and spiritual aspirations are—every observer will carry it with them.

Many spiritual seekers have experienced the vanishing observer in satori moments, but how to make observing, manifesting, being a permanent fixture of our life? As mentioned before, there is nothing wrong with mindfulness or meditation—these are fine techniques of spiritual doing. Spot the collapse of the identity on the inside, listen to the humming sound of the higher vibrations,

The worst interference is not the dark night of the soul episode where we know that we are caught on the wrong foot. The worst interference is complacency when we feel we have made it, or feel we are a cut above the fellow seeker who chooses a different path. True mindfulness and meditation is observing the observer until only observation remains. 

Choice-less awareness

 There are endless discussions in philosophy, neuroscience, spirituality and biology if we have free will. Why don’t we ask a different question, is there an individual who has free will? If the decision maker is part of the illusion, then how can something that doesn’t exist have anything? 

I once had a satori experience when “I” vanished and only a screen on which “life as is” was projected remained. I felt it, sensed it, knew it. Like every satori experienced, it vanished after some 20 minutes or so, but the knowledge remained, there is no “I” other than the screen. 

When “you” are part of the illusion of separation, keep inquiring and keep listening to the viewpoints of others until Oneness shines through. When the veil of separation has lifted, enjoy being carried by the energy of “life as is. Choice-less awareness then carries the day. Enjoy!

Freedom—Let go, let God (Video)

 We alternate between the materialistic state, the mindful and the meditative state. Freedom is always here now. Faced with the realities of life we can leave the “story of me” behind. Things just happen. There is no “me” around to mind either way. Let go, let God. Video presentation below:

https://youtu.be/sLnXG--VVJ8?is=v0JOoiPDNkETK3ha

Just follow the higher energies

 Life is a subconscious journey we all need to undertake in order to become aware of our inner programming. Knowing this, the spiritual traveler lets “choice-less Awareness” call the shots. It’s not that we do whatever we fancy. We follow the higher energies as they present themselves and pause if something seems amiss. 

A spiritual quest can be

summed up as this:

Normally it is bliss,

but we self-inquire

if something is amiss.

#awakening #spirituality #awareness #selfinquiry 

Your choice, be part of the creation or manifestation!

 J. Krishnamurti told this story. God, the devil and a human being went for a walk. Suddenly God stopped and picked up a stone. “Here my child,” God said, “this is the stone of wisdom, I give it to you!” The human being smirked at the devil and said, “What can you do now?” “Don’t worry,” the devil responded, “I make an institution out of it!”

Every moment we are connected to the “Field of Infinite Possibility.” Creation flows through us, but the moment we identify with a conditioned thought-feeling energy, we become part of the manifestation. The opportunity is to spot that energy, to own it, to understand it and to let go of it. Creation reigns when we step out of “the story of me.”