Life's Purpose

It is echoed in today’s spirituality that the purpose of life is to wake up. What does this mean? How to understand this?

The suffering that humanity experiences can he immense. Some people ask; why would a ‘loving god’ allow such terrible suffering? What is the point? What is the purpose?

Remember, words are only pointers in this kind of subject.

Consciousness is born into bodies, comes to experience itself as a separate individual, believes itself to be that individual, works to strengthen itself to get its needs and wants met, to avoid pain and get more pleasure, to taste more and better. Consciousness goes around on the wheel of pain and pleasure through different experiences. After tasting these experiences for however long, there comes a point where there arises questions about the whole experience; what’s up with this? Why am I doing this over and over? What is the point? Who am I anyway? Is there a way out of suffering?

With hind-sight, one begins to see that; if those bad things had not happened, it would not have motivated me grow, stretch, look inward for guidance, and finally come to see that “who I am is vastly more than who I believed myself to be. That I am much more than this body, this ego, that I am never separate from limitless consciousness itself, that is free from suffering, separation and death – even while the human story continues, I recognize and realize that I am free."

This is the return home.

How to catch a monkey

There is a story I heard some years back about a strategy used in certain cultures to catch monkeys.

Tied to a tree is a ceramic jar with some fruit or nuts in it. The mouth of the jar is small, so that the open hand of the monkey can slip through. The monkey goes after the food, but while clutching it, his closed fist is too big to slide out of the mouth of the jar. Even when the people are coming to eat him, he will not let go of his favorite treats and run to freedom. 

This is an obvious metaphor for human tendencies as well; letting go of what ever we are holding on to is the key to our freedom. If the monkey saw that his grasping was the source of his bondage and ultimate demise, he would open his hand and live free another day.

But perhaps his ‘monkey-mind’ was telling him some story about what is needed now, or some promise of future fulfillment.

Here we have another metaphor of buying the thought stream - or shifting attention to consciousness itself, which is the source of clarity, insight, inspiration, truth, and freedom from suffering.

“Fear not”

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Luke 12:32 

‘Fear not’ appears many times in the Bible.

As one approaches one’s center of silence, fear may arise, perhaps a feeling of coming to the end. ‘Fear not’. Every exit door is an entrance to somewhere else. 'Lean toward' the fear, and it is reveled to be unfounded – just some old ego self preservation thing. 

Join us in the truth of life. Receive the nectar from your still, silent center, and let fulfillment radiate throughout the cosmos.

Creating a positive future

I want to address an issue that has come up a lot lately. Some people come to me echoing that the world is going to hell; radiation pollution from Japan, the economy collapsing, war, greed, corruption, 2012, Armageddon, the end is coming, etc., etc., etc. .

When you look at the news, whether that be TV, computer, or newspaper, you certainly get a fear based, adrenalin filled ride into the latest hell realm. But if you step away from the TV or computer and don’t look at the news, what then is your immediate experience? For most of us it is just another day. For many of us it is actually a good day, encountering good people, enjoying relative the abundance of our society. In other words, our present experience is quite different from what the news reports. Which is real; our present experience or what the corporate media empire says is real via some electronic box?

I am not advocating that we put our heads in the sand, but if we live in the fear-based mind and the adrenalin rush it produces, then we have lost our ability to live peace and thereby influence the collective human consciousness in a positive way. The fear-based mentality also lowers the immune system by adding stress to the nervous system, making it more difficult for the body to adapt to environmental pollution.

By recognizing the good in life and feeling grateful for it, having a good attitude, being present to the peace of the present moment, we add our light to humanity – one of the best things we can do. In the moments of having an 'attitude of gratitude' we can also notice the mind is naturally quiet and clear. "The point of power is in the present". What power is that? The power of the limitless dimension of consciousness itself, the power that gives rise to the manifest dimension of all form. This power should not be underestimated.

The more of us that come into the truth of life, the more we naturally create a positive future. Test this for yourself. 

The last place one would think to look

The mind is conditioned to search. In our search to find fulfillment we tend to look to things outside of ourselves; possessions, relationships, status, etc.. In spiritual matters also we tend to look outside of ourselves. So although deep down we know who we are, because we are, there is a tendency to cover this self knowing, habitually overlook our natural condition and look to more, better and different.

When we stop looking outside of ourselves, and turn to our deepest core, we can notice stillness. Self, (with a capital ‘S’ ) is that silent awareness. Living presence that has no name, no gender, no mission or purpose other than to Be. This is who you are. This is what you are at the core of your being, and if you stop looking for anything else, then this recognition will expand and deepen – for the rest of your life. The recognition, realization and acceptance of this is why we are here. When we share our natural condition with others, some call this Satsang, a Sanskrit term meaning in association with truth. From this foundation, the play of our lives continues with a kind of spiritual power added. 

Loss and suffering

Loss and the suffering that comes with loss is part of the experience of incarnation. Why? There are many levels to this, and often it is mysterious with no clear ‘answer’ in earthly terms.

Suffering causes us to stretch, and ultimately to wake up to realize that there is infinitely more than the needs and wants of the body. There is a saying; ‘people turn to god when their foundations are shaking, only to find it is god who is shaking the foundation – shaking us up’. 

By turning attention to one’s silent center of consciousness itself, one will come to recognize, realize, and fully accept one’s inherent unity - that in truth, one is never separate from the entire cosmos. Life is eternal and limitless and in life there are beginnings, middle and end of things, all manifest forms - and you are life.

When this is let in, then the suffering from loss has served, generating the ability to look deeper than the body and to our true home, and here is resolution and peace.

Finding inner guidance (in the new age)

We all know how important it is to find inner guidance in difficult times. And we have discovered that inner guidance does not come with the mind spinning. Often times, as I’m sure you have discovered, after struggling with a problem, finally you let it go, maybe go to sleep, then the answer, solution, guidance, pops in. This points to a system, if I can call it that. Like prayer, one first gets clear on the problem that one needs help with, then gives it over to a higher power - with faith.

What I say, is that instead of beseeching a deity separate from you, in some other realm, (even though it may appear that way sometimes) recognize that infinity and eternity does not begin ‘over there’, ‘then’. Most religious doctrines would say that you need an intermediary, a priest who is the link between god and the common person. This is clearly old school - “times they are a changing”.

What I recommend is to stop, and notice the field of living silence that is here. This can be realized to be boundless consciousness - that space/time exists in. This is who you are at the core of your being. If you are willing to keep your attention close to this, your own center, then a ‘channel’ will be established.

Nothing you can do to awaken?

Some teachers say that there is nothing one can do to awaken, that it is perhaps grace. Remember, words are pointers and not true reality. 

We choose where we want to put our attention. We can open the door of our mind. We can observe carefully where thoughts return to when they are finished. We can observe the silence that is always present, under thoughts, feelings and sense perceptions. We can turn our attention to our silent center and notice if it is separate from anything. We can observe our story, our motivations, what drives the ego/mind, and see if all that mental activity is successful in giving us what we truly want. And we can stop. We can align our consciousness with silent awareness, like a tree with its fruit exposed to the light of the sun, ripening naturally. This ripening goes a long way toward the recognition, realization, and acceptance of one’s infinite, eternal nature.

Choice

The ability to choose is crucial to living the truth of one’s self. We choose what we want to put our attention on based in what is most important to us. What is more important; freedom, peace, unity, the truth of life, resolution of your problems - or your problems, and fixing what needs to be different, better or more in the story of “me” ?

Probably everyone has heard the saying, “what we focus on expands”. So by focusing attention on what is wrong, what needs to change so that we can be happy, puts one’s attention on lack - and that becomes one’s personal reality. What in your life needs yet to be fulfilled? It’s pretty much in the realms of security, relationships, and power. 

Where is your allegiance? To what? Any notion that, “I must fix this first, then I can stop” – is a trap. Infinity and eternity does not start then, over there. 

“Every moment of this life you are presented with a simple choice:

Past or Present? Freedom or Suffering? Together, let’s strengthen your ability to choose what you really want.”  Neelam

Who is driving the bus of your life; your conditioned mind – or the limitless Presence, that you are? 

A quiet mind and self realization are two different things

Most people agree that they would be better off without all the mental noise. Typically, people on a spiritual path try to quiet the mind and that becomes the main objective of whatever methods and practices. A quiet mind does not guarantee awakening or enlightenment or what ever you want to call it.
In my experience, with lots of practice – and on a good day, I could hold out thoughts for a bit with will power and concentration. I would sit there, blankly – kind of like holding my breath under water. As soon as I would relax my concentration then thoughts would come flooding back in - and I was no more the wiser for all that effort.
By contrast, Self recognition, realization, and acceptance reduces mental activity naturally, because the mind is no longer searching for truth, peace, freedom, Self.
There is a huge amount of struggle, stress, and mental effort searching for that which is believed will bring fulfillment. With self realization there is a “laying down of one’s burdens”, a deep relaxation in the nervous system, an acceptance of this moment as it is.
Noticing silent awareness is the key to freedom from mental slavery.