Two Certainties

From the time existence in this form begins change is constant, some glaring and some very subtle and it happens without permission. How this change is adjusted to determines how one lives.

There are certain things that will happen in life no matter how much one tries to avoid them. One of these certainties is the end of existence in this current form and the other is things will change no matter how much you try to keep them a certain way; both of these are certain and inevitable. There is no way around these two things, the difference is one happens once and when it occurs it will never be repeated as we know of. The other happens constantly and is repeated over and over. From the time existence in this form begins, change happens, some glaring and some very subtle, and it happens whether one wants it to or not.

Each day most of our waking hours are spent trying to arrange the day to our liking, but the only problem with this is most of our day is wasted trying to arrange the day to our liking. This occurs because we’ve been conditioned to believe there is a self that needs things to be different. This conditioning keeps the mind addicted to a self that is in a constant state of agitation and when the mind is agitated, it will use the developed tools, to not so much quiet the agitation, but to distract from it. The distractions in this case manifest as Conditioned Mind Patterns that are constantly trying to arrange life to satisfy this false self. When this is seen whether change occurs once or constantly, it’s allowed and this simply occurs because there’s not a self that minds the change that is happening.

Just See

There’s so much reaching in our society because there’s so much distracted energy and you can only be the energy that’s in place. Just see so you can be because the distracted self is never free.

This article coincides with and goes a little deeper than yesterday’s article. There’s seeing and there’s the one who sees, with the one who sees there’s attachment to self, in the seeing alone is where there’s liberation. Even if one says there’s no one who sees, it comes from the self. I don’t profess to understand what life is all about, mostly because it doesn’t matter, but I do have a reasonable understanding of why and what happens to me. It’s mostly because the distractions that distract one from their distractions aren’t prevalent in my life, this allows openness. My manifestation is no different than anyone else’s, the mind distractions in place are, this is the difference in being the one who sees, or just seeing. The one who sees always has the attachment of seer associated with it and this is the cause behind why one suffers. There’s no attachment to just seeing and because nothing is needed to see, there’s no association to the one who sees (self) so there’s no suffering; there can’t be because there’s no one there to suffer.

I know it may seem like a play on words, but it isn’t, if there’s awareness of the differences between who sees and just seeing, an understanding that can’t really be explained will arise. It happens on its own, it can’t be forced or attained from a book, although if one is ready “Pow” it will happen. I mentioned the distractions and to me that’s how one becomes ready. I don’t make anything happen to me directly, but without the daily distractions of the world, it opens one to free flowing energy. This is where insight and wisdom come from. Intelligence isn’t wisdom, anyone can read a book and memorize what some one else writes. Wisdom arises from stillness and when one has distractions in place, it leaves little room for anything but the energy of the distractions. Hence this is why there’s so much reaching in our society, because you can only be the energy that’s in place. Just see so you can be because the distracted self is never free.

Awareness Aware of Awarewness

The idea of self is so deeply engrained and subtle and it constantly reinforces itself. Self is not the doer nor is it the observer, there really is no self, there’s just awareness aware of awareness, that’s it.

At the core of all wanting regardless if it’s something being pulled in or pushed away is a self that’s only in place because the idea of it has been formed. This isn’t to say that the human form doesn’t exist, but it exist without the label of self being applied to it. This will not be something understood naturally because so much identity is wrapped up in the belief of this self. The mind will fight you on this and it reinforces self because the mind needs labels, but think of this, if your name was different or if all your memory was wiped away, wouldn’t there still be a body that existed? The idea of self you have spent your entire life forming wouldn’t, at least not to you, but the body would and if what is being said here is simply seen without labeling a self seeing, you will get a glimpse into the place of true liberation.

The idea of self is a prison because it doesn’t allow awareness aware of awareness, this is basically the space of I Am, but without labeling it. This space is always there without an idea, label, or concept being needed, it’s not even space because that’s a label. Think of awareness aware of awareness like this, instead of having the idea of a you (self) holding onto something, we’ll use a fork, can you just see the holding without giving it a label: just holding, without observation. This is either there or it isn’t, if it’s tried to make it be there, it becomes the self trying. The idea of self is so deeply engrained and subtle and it constantly reinforces itself. Self is not the doer nor the observer as there really is no self, there’s just awareness aware of awareness, that’s it.

Living a Lie

Problems that are based in lies can’t be fixed with the same lies. It’s not that truth has to be known to change this, but the lies will have to become known if they are to cease being in control.

It’s very difficult to explain truth because there’s so many different definitions of it. Instead of trying to prove what truth is, let’s explore what a lie is. A lie is something that has no real facts as its base. Perceptions aren’t factual, they are usually made up by the perceiver to suit some sort of belief. People ask me if I believe in God, I answer that I believe in what I know which is based in the facts of what I’ve experienced, and that’s why I share only what has been experienced. I don’t see the benefit of making up a story about something to suit a mind made need. In my case I know love is more beneficial than hate, patience more beneficial than being impatient, kindness is better than being mean so I learn what the blocks are to living my (factual) life so it’s of maximum benefit to myself and to all beings. Truth will be known when the lies are understood.

The biggest lie in place is that things will satisfy you, this is reinforced everyday. It’s an untruth which is at the core of our entire misaligned society. It creates all our issues as a society. Religious sects all claim to have the truth, no facts, just their truth. Politicians try to fix problems based in lies with the same lies. The entire entertainment and sports industry are based in lies that create the false impression of the haves and have nots, which creates separation in our society not unity. How can there be truth in that? There’s also the lie of social and career status. Lie after lie after lie, and what happens to a society when this is its base, we become a society of liars. Not because we want to, and not because we can’t know the truth, but simple because we don’t understand the lie in place.

Projected Energy

The present moment is naturally free flowing because there’s no resistance, there’s no trying to make it different than what it is. Projected energy stops the flow because it’s based in trying to manipulate what is.

Being mindful of what’s actually happening at this precise moment minimizes the projected stories that are needed to make life the way you think it should be. Mindfulness stops the projected story of the way you think something should be and allows the freedom of the way it is, this becomes the beautiful view of the way it should be. After all wanting the present moment different than what it is, is where all projected discontentment arises from. When one is simply mindful of what arises as it arises, there isn’t a need for a projected story and one’s selfish nature doesn’t come into play, as the love of one’s heart naturally becomes the beautiful operating energy of their life.

Our projections become a created prison because they don’t allow for a natural flow of life’s energy, we become entombed in the energy of projecting. It’s the Conditioned Mind that cuts off the energy flow as it becomes the energy of the lower nature of self centered nonsense. Why this projected energy causes issue is because it bombards the present moment with an unnatural energy flow and doesn’t allow continuity with it. The present moment is naturally free flowing because there’s no resistance, there’s no trying to make it different than what’s there. Projected energy stops the flow because it’s based in trying to manipulate what’s there’s so what’s there is resisted to the point where the natural flow of present moment energy is cut off. The only thing needed for liberation is the awareness of being aware of awareness, there’s no projected energy here, there’s just the present moment energy of what actually is.

Imaginary Puzzle Pieces

Through the way we become conditioned, we see life as if there are imaginary puzzle pieces that need to fit into certain spots, and because of this we are constantly working on completing the puzzle.

The issue with having to constantly arrange life as if it were a puzzle is it’s all imaginary, and even if one makes up a story the puzzle is complete, the mind begins a new puzzle almost immediately. Life is continuous, it’s broken up into segments (imaginary puzzle pieces) by a mind that’s in a constant state of agitation. If this wasn’t true, one would see the puzzle (life) as complete and life wouldn’t constantly need to be arranged to one’s liking. It isn’t because of anything right or wrong that makes one see things in this way, it’s because the mind has been trained to do instead of be, so it can only do what it’s trained to do. How can it not?

The Conditioned Mind sees imaginary puzzles all over the place. The shortest line in the supermarket, traffic, diets, to do list, and so on, all this manipulating is strictly done to put another piece of the imaginary puzzle in place; which one thinks will make life perfect. Let’s say everyday is a new puzzle, that would mean I completed roughly 21,000 imaginary puzzles, all for the sole purpose to constantly have life the way I think it should be. After all nobody purposely gets in the longest line at the supermarket, but if you did, nothing would really change except for maybe not having to constantly arrange life to complete your imaginary puzzles.

Mind Created Problems

The mind loves to create problems and until this is seen, it will continue to do so even though everything passes in life, especially the problems that are created.

Problems are created by a mind that doesn’t accept what’s occurring in the present moment. It wants the present moment different and it actually makes you believe if it was different all would be well; this is the fallacy of the Conditioned Mind. All is well right now, but because of one’s conditioning it’s not seen so the mind has to create a problem so it has something to do. I’ve always had a tendency to make everything that occurs is like it’s the end of the world, and although I don’t attach to this as I once did, many times the end of the world view is my first reaction.

Yesterday I was washing clothes and I put them in the dryer. When they were almost finished drying, I opened the dryer to pull out a shirt, there were red spots on it and also on some of the other clothes. I pulled them all out and found a red pen in the dryer. There was also red ink all over the dryer. The first response was my usual end of the world reaction, the clothes are ruined. I took a step back and took a deep breath. I grabbed a shirt and cleaned a spot, the ink came out. I then cleaned the inside of dryer. I rewashed all the clothes and an hour and a half later I folded all the clothes and it was like nothing happened. This notice happens with most things in life, and although I don’t concern myself too much with my reactions, the attachment to what occurs is what I watch now. In this case the clothes can be substituted with anything. The mind it seems loves to create problems and until this is seen, it will continue to do so even though everything passes, especially the problems that are created.

Karmic Results

Each of us gets back the karmic results of our actions. We are our own judge and jury and for the most part our verdicts are determined by the actions that are done in secret.

I remember cartoons from years ago when a Devil and Angel would pop up on the characters shoulders. This happened when a decision was needed about something. The figures that popped up were always the image of the individual character, it was because that’s who the real struggle and conflict is always with. Nothing outside of you can do you the harm as your own unattended thoughts, and this mostly occurs when things aren’t lining up with the story of the way you think things should be. Karma is something that’s real, I can make it like I’m this spiritual guru and behind closed doors be selfish and unloving, but I’m not fooling anyone because wherever I go there I am.

Each of us gets back the karmic results of our actions. We are our own judge and jury and for the most part our verdicts are determined by the actions we exhibit; its never about what I show you, but what is done in secret. What is done behind closed doors shapes one’s life. To thine own self be true.
I can preach love and recite all the airy fairy nonsense that fits nicely into a so called spiritual box, but if I’m not showing loving kindness to all beings, it’s all being done to for one reason and that’s to satisfy the Devil cartoon character (ego) on my shoulder. So many conditioned stories are made up about life and this keeps one in their own prison. You can get in touch with this simply by seeing how much love you show to all beings. Lip service means little here because it’s not only the world that gets hurt, it’s also yourself. So much arises throughout life as the Devil and Angel characters pop up, just make sure the one selected allows for the loving kindness of all beings.

Two Sides

One’s higher vibrational energy has to be understood so the bondage of self is truly let go of and one’s higher self can reach its true potential to be an instrument of love instead of an instrument to satisfy one’s lower self.

The are two sides to just about everything in life and although many times only the one side is seen, in order to go beyond the small self (one sided) the second side (love) has to be noticed. This is just about the only way one will be able to go beyond the limited view of one side. If your human existence is viewed only from the human side, the spiritual won’t come into play and life will seem very mundane. But when one starts looking at life from the side which doesn’t require human attachment, another view opens to the true beauty of what life has to offer. This beauty manifest in different ways for people, but what it has in common is it comes from the space of a higher self. We exist in the form of energy and one side is selfish, the all about me view. This is a lower vibrational energy that doesn’t allow one to reach their true potential. The other side or view is the energy of stillness which manifest as love, this is a higher vibrational energy which allows the beauty of life to manifest and thus our true potential is maximized.

Learning to understand these two sides will assist in truly letting go of the blocks that keep the lower selfish energy in place. The higher vibrational energy is always there to tap into, but if there isn’t alignment to it, it cannot manifest. This isn’t to deny our human side because it’s the form we are in, but attaching to it and making it an end to a means is where the expansion of one’s consciousness ceases. The tighter the grip of the human side, the less the higher vibrational energy will be operational. This is a Universal Law that has to be understood so the bondage of self is truly let go of. When this occurs one’s higher self reaches its true potential and you can be an instrument of love instead of an instrument to satisfy one’s lower self.

Storied Differences

Watch the moment to moment stories arise as they try to attach to whatever it is that’s occurring, if you truly see this, you just may be able to break out of the prison of needing a story.

The stories created become one’s bondage, this is what the Conditioned Mind does, it creates stories. When I look back the only differences I had with anything, be it something that happened or another person were our stories were different. This is also true today, although the story doesn’t usually come from me because I’ve learned enough to allow everything to be as it is and not want it different, for the most part. I say for the most part because I still have triggers that get activated, but it is more of a momentary reaction than one that hangs around long enough to create a story. I only created stories when I wanted something different so if I don’t want you, life, or what happens different, than I’m in a place of peace. This peace doesn’t seem to change one single thing that’s happening around me, but with me remaining unattached and at peace, it changes everything, at least for me.

Every disagreement one has with another is because their stories don’t match up. Everyone thinks their story is the right one, do they not? The fact of the matter is until you learn to stop making up stories, one will always be in conflict with something, but what’s not realized is the conflict is with yourself. This happened to me twice yesterday, it wasn’t me trying to change anyone, it was two people having strong opinions and them not liking that I didn’t agree with it. I didn’t disagree with it, I didn’t really care. The funny thing to me is, it doesn’t matter how anyone else sees things because we’re all conditioned differently, but to some they sure seem hell bent on making others see things their way, and when it’s not look out. It’s so freeing to live without needing a story. Watch the moment to moment stories arise and try to attach to whatever it is that’s viewed, if you can truly see this you just may be able to break out of the prison of your needed stories.

Conditioned Suffering

Everyone truly has the love in their heart to be free of their conditioning, but because it’s not understood how harmful the Conditioned Mind is, it locks one into their own suffering.

The Conditioned Mind is diabolical. It’s so cunning that it will make you prefer suffering over peace. It’s so sly and cunning it will use every trick known to keep one from looking within. It uses past beliefs and concepts to hold one in bondage to its lies. Although I know I can’t change anyone, this was proven again yesterday, I will continue to share what I know. I do truly love all beings, but I don’t love all the conditioning that’s in place. I understand how diabolical it truly is. It will tell you to remain selfish and hold on to the little self. Whenever I respond to someone it’s never about the person, it’s always about the conditioning and what’s best for humanity. Past conditioned energy is selfish and when one says something like I don’t want to be fixed, it’s not the person, it’s the conditioning in place making one say that. Everyone truly has the love in their heart to be free of their conditioning, but because it’s not understood how truly harmful and diabolical the Conditioned Mind is, it remains in control.

It breaks my heart to see a person unconsciously reinforce their own suffering, but there’s only so much me or anyone else can do. I understand it’s just the conditioning in place, but the selfish energy it locks one into is harmful to not only oneself, but to all of humanity. This isn’t even a choice for one to make and I get that, but it doesn’t stop compassion from arising for those who remain in their suffering. Someone responded to me saying they were in the process, and they are, but unfortunately if it’s the conditioned process, it’s the process of suffering. I cannot sit back and remain idle when I see this and although I know one will do what they do, when one’s life is by the Conditioned Mind, it truly breaks my heart because it locks one into their own suffering.

The Value of Mindfulness

It’s often stated and many have a belief that God is love, but if this is truly investigated, it may be revealed that God needs the story of love to exist, but love doesn’t need the story of God to exist.

Mindfulness is of value because it helps one overcome their selfish nature. This is what I discovered was blocking the love of my heart from being the operating energy of my life. I don’t know how it was for anyone else, but this is what was revealed to me. Why it was this way I don’t really know, but I do know most of my life was selfishly lived trying to grasp pleasure at all cost to satisfy a self that didn’t exist in the way it was perceived. The only mindfulness there was in my life was how to get more things to provide pleasure so this misunderstood self could be satisfied. It wasn’t that the self didn’t exist, existence just wasn’t what I was conditioned to believe it was. It’s one of the reasons I don’t attach to beliefs today because I see them only as a story. It’s often stated and many have a belief that God is love, but if this is truly investigated, it may be revealed that God needs the story of love to exist, but love doesn’t need the story of God to exist. Check it for yourself and see this truth.

Being mindful of what’s actually happening now, minimizes the stories that are needed to make life the way you think it should be. Mindfulness stops the story of the way you think something should be and allows the freedom of the way it is, which becomes the view of the way it should be. After all wanting the present moment different than what it is is where all discontentment arises from. When one is simply mindful of what arises as it arises, there isn’t a need for a story and one’s selfish nature doesn’t come into play as the love of one’s heart naturally becomes the operating energy of their life.

Three Mental Factors

Wisdom arises when one is fully mindful because the distractions of the unwholesome mental factors fall away, it’s in being fully mindful that the mind settles and allows one to truly see.

There are three mental factors in the way the minds view arises in each moment, wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral. The first description is the mental factor of the unwholesome view, this would be anything that leads to suffering. Wholesome mental factors are those that lead to peace and joy. The wholesome ones don’t need a belief to be true, they just needs to be investigated to see the truth of their wholesomeness. The third mental factor is probably the most difficult one because it’s strictly based in perception. It’s often confused with mindfulness. It’s neither wholesome or unwholesome, its neutral. It arises for everyone in the present moment and its function is to recognize a particular object. This mental factor interprets what arise by distinguishing the qualities of it, this is different for everyone. Think of a traffic light, whether it’s red, yellow or green, it doesn’t take a label to view and do what each color represents, there’s nothing inherently attached to any color, it just is. To some yellow means speed up, to others it means slow down, this is determined by one’s perception.

These three mental factors intertwine through mindfulness in some way. Ordinary attention, semi mindful (neutral) is like a cork in the ocean, it constantly wobbles. Focused mindfulness is like a rock, its has a non wobbling effect. Unwholesome mental factors arise and are attached to, although one is mindful of this to a degree because it is happening, it’s labeled and thus attached to basically unconsciously. It’s the focus of these mental factors that determine their effectiveness. Being fully mindful allows one to see, but without needing a label. Being neutral allows one to recognize (perceive) but not necessarily fully mindful. Wisdom arises when one is fully mindful because the distractions of the unwholesome mental factors fall away, it’s in being fully mindful that the mind settles which allows one to truly see. Wisdom isn’t something learned, it’s what arises when one is disciplined enough to remain fully mindful in the present moment more often than not.

Present Moment Peace

As one becomes more and more anchored in the present moment, the created stories are needed less and less; yours and mine. Without a story, there’s a peace the mind settles into because it’s the only thing that’s there.

There is surely nothing other that the single purpose of the present moment. One’s whole life is a successions of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do and nothing else to pursue. Unfortunately this isn’t the way it is for most, so the past and future are constantly drawn on to satisfy the mind agitation of not being in the present moment. Many different stories are used as an alternative to this way and it’s not my place to label them as anything. I’ve found something that works for me and that’s what I share. It’s funny because it’s not a concern of mine if one agrees with what I share or not. I understand we all see things as they’re revealed to us, but people feel the need to tell me how their way is better. There is no right way, there’s living in a way that only benefits oneself and there’s living in a way that benefits all beings.

About all that I know is this, at one time my Conditioned Mind controlled me as if I was a puppet on a string. Because of this, I lived mostly a self serving existence and my life wasn’t much of a benefit to anyone. Nine years ago this changed and the things that I did began to benefit others. I know I write a lot about the Conditioned Mind, but it’s what was revealed to me so it’s what I share; it’s the only thing I can share. As I become more and more anchored in the present moment, the created stories are needed less and less; yours and mine. Without the attachment to my or your story, there’s a peace the mind settles into because it’s the only thing that’s there.

Not Always So

Resentments and grudges last for years because of the energy they’re given and until it’s realized what you think is “Not Always So” they remain. All this does is cause harm because this energy has a beginning, but it doesn’t have an end.

What’s often seen as the beginning is also the path to the end, but only if it’s not attached to. This is not to be looked at as negative because without a beginning there can be no end. I once heard someone say that life’s greatest truth can be summed up in three words, “Not Always So” this resonated with me because it’s how it is with just about everything. Most of what is seen is interpreted differently than what’s actually occurring. One would be better off if “Not Always So” was applied to what was first seen, before attaching a label and running with it as truth. Most labels are applied without much thought and once this happens what is seen is given life. If you feel lost that’s not the energy given to you from life, it’s the energy of what the Conditioned Mind is projecting on you. If it was possible to just let things play out without attaching to them, life would be much different. There’s immense value in a “Not Always So” mind because it creates space so the incessant thoughts don’t control.

When a thought arises this is the beginning, but if it’s not given energy it’s also the end. This is how most of life is until one’s conditioning steps in and gives the thought life. The thing is when a thought is given life it takes on a story all its own, which 99.9999% of the time is not so. I won’t say 100% because not much of anything is 100%, but the fact is what one gives energy to is “Not Always So” and until this is seen there will be a beginning, but you won’t know when exactly there will be an end. Resentments last for years as do grudges because of the energy they’re given and until it’s realized that what you think is “Not Always So” it will be, and all this does is cause harm because this energy has a beginning, but it doesn’t have an end.

Consciousness

Not justifying everything that’s done creates the slightest of cracks in the unconscious armor that’s in place, this allows a sliver of consciousness in to change the way things are looked at.

When it’s said one is conscious, what’s meant by this? It can be described as being aware of all the different mental factors that arise in each moment. It’s the knowing why one sees things as they do. It doesn’t prevent what arises or what happens, but it can lessen one’s reactions and some of the consequences associated with these, if there’s awareness and there’s no attachment. Nothing inherently on its own causes problems for anyone. Alcohol has never poured itself down someone’s throat, it has to be reached for. Heroin never caused anyone to abuse it by putting it in a needle, it’s the individual alone who reaches for it; this goes for anything. Granted most of this self harming reaching is done unconsciously, but I do what I do today to try and shed light on this. I know a thing or two about this unconscious reaching because I did it for forty nine years.

So many things unconsciously controlled me and as long as I was unaware of this, they continued their onslaught of control. How this unconsciously gets deeply engrained is by justifying everything that’s done. From pointing out the faults of others, to being nasty to people, slander, and so many other justified behaviors, all they do is keep the unconscious mindset in place. Conscious that this is being done is the first step in breaking the chains of unconsciousness. Stop looking out there for answers, stop blaming and talking about others, in other words stop justifying everything you do as being right and this just may create the slightest of cracks in the unconscious armor that’s in place, which may allow a sliver of consciousness in to change the way you look at things. After all, if the way one unconsciously looks at things doesn’t change, the onslaught of being unconsciously controlled will remain.

Eye of the Hurricane

Even in the midst of a hurricane there’s a calm place which is the eye, but because there’s so much unawareness of it, most people are constantly stuck in the chaos of the storm.

An analogy that can be used in the waking up process is that of a hurricane. There’s the chaos that is going on all around you and the conditioning is what determines its strength and how far reaching it is. But in every hurricane there is the eye that’s calm, this is its center. If you were able to travel with the hurricane in its center, you wouldn’t even be aware of all the chaos. The hurricane is how many people live, but without realizing there’s a place of calm, the eye. The Conditioned Mind energy is chaotic and it doesn’t want you to know about the eye. Even if you are in the eye it tells you the storm is the place to be. It does this by becoming agitated and telling you there’s a need to reach out there for your answers, thus when this is done one finds themselves in the midst of the chaos.

The operating energy of the Conditioned Mind is chaos because it’s how it evolved and it’s very good at keeping one oblivious that there’s a place to go to get out of the storm. It tells you to reach out into the storm to deal with the mind agitations. It doesn’t want you to know there’s a calm place within yourself because once this is known, you will never willingly leave the calm. But because there’s so much unawareness of the eye, most people are constantly stuck in the chaos of the hurricane. Learning first there is a calm place and second how to remain there is key if one is to not get caught up in the hurricane. You’ll notice this doesn’t stop the hurricane from being all around you, but what does happen is one less person gives in to its chaotic energy which weakens the storm.

Desire

The desire of “I” is what traps one into the bondage of a “want of I” mindset and as long as this mindset is in place, there will be struggles in life because these selfish desires will always need to be fulfilled.

Desire arises, there’s no getting around this, but it’s not desire in and of itself that causes problems, its being controlled by it unconsciously that makes desire a problem. To follow through on all our desires isn’t always useful, but this isn’t to say there’s anything wrong with desires, it’s really deciphering which ones are useful and which ones actually cause harm; to yourself and others. The desire for sex is something that’s basically in our DNA, but to be controlled by the need to satisfy the desire for sex so it becomes the focal point of ones existence, is where issues arise from. Just take sex and substitute it with something else, working out, being successful, thrill seeking, golf, social status, ambition, hoarding, enlightenment, spiritual seeking and so on and see how the desire holds you in captivity. As long as one’s desires are unconsciously in control, they have to be followed, this bondage to desire is the foundation of the Conditioned Mind.

Looking back I can see how the attachment to desire is what allowed them to control me and why they were at the core of every issue I had in my life. Where the issues come from is the how desire is used to satisfy the “want of I”. I still have desires in place today, but for the most part they’re there to fulfill a higher calling than I. The “want of I” is the root of suffering and this is because one is entrapped to the bondage of self; existence doesn’t produce much harmony in a “want of I” mindset. By far does knowing any of this make life I free, but it does lead one in a direction that is much more conducive to love which in turns makes desire more about what’s better for humanity as a whole instead of fulfilling the desire of a “want of I” mindset.

Change is Natural

When one can truly be present for change that’s of the heart, all resistance falls away because it’s understood change provides growth and growth allows freedom. Make this the day that change doesn’t hold you back.

Although most change is resisted, the reason why is because it’s not understood that it’s needed. If you like chocolate you wouldn’t want to eat it every single day at every meal. Change has to be, but the resistance to it doesn’t have to. Make this the day that change doesn’t hold you back. See it as the opening of door to get you unstuck from the complacency of what’s familiar. Let’s face nobody really changes unless they’re forced to. The mind loves the familiar, even if the familiar isn’t the most advantageous to one’s life. I see it all the time in the responses to my articles. All my articles do is provide another way to look at things, but many times they’re just discounted for what a person has in place. I lived a conditioned existence for many years so I know what I’m talking about. Not many people truly understand their conditioning so when something new is presented, the resistance to change rears its ugly head and as it’s discounted, one remains locked in their conditioning.

Change is a natural occurrence of life, it happens constantly, consciously and unconsciously, but what’s not grasped is although the mind is conditioned to hold onto the familiar, change is needed to grow. For years I was stuck in familiar mind patterns that didn’t allow change to take place. Even when it looked as though change did happen, it was only on the surface level. Surface change is a society measurement and it’s mostly a facade, inner change is a transformation and can’t be measured. When one can truly be present for change that’s of the heart, all resistance falls away because it’s understood change provides growth and growth allows freedom.

Delusion

Understanding the nature of delusion is one of the attributes of waking up, but it’s not the delusion the world is entrapped to that one wakes up to, it’s the delusion that runs your own life.

What is the delusion that runs your life? The delusions manifest as one attaches to their thoughts. The first thought one has about something is inconsequential, it the attachment to the second thought that forms the delusion. To understand delusion one must be aware of their attachments, desires, confusions, and the way your mind works, without this the puppet on string pattern prevails. Certain practices turns one inward to see this, if what you are doing doesn’t turn you inward, you will remain entrapped to your delusional state of mind. This is why nothing from the outside truly changes a person because anything from the outside is part of the delusion. A broken mind can’t fix itself and as long as it’s reaching for something on the outside, it remains trying to fix itself and thus it remains broken. Until this truth is seen, things have to stay as they are because nothing is being done to change it.

We can only know what we know if there’s awareness of it. What this means is one has to develop mindfulness of what they are doing as they are doing it, so there is awareness of what is being done. If you know what you’re doing as you’re doing it, it leaves little room for delusion to arise. Mindfulness is probably the single most discipline to develop as it anchors you in the moment that what is being done occurs. Delusion only occurs when one lives in the story that there’s a past or future. These mind made constructs keeps the delusion alive. The present moment can be seen without making it a story, even though it passes as quickly as it arises. But the past and future can never truly be seen without a story, and because most lack the discipline to be present, most live in a delusional state of existence.

Perfectly Imperfect

There can be as much peace in perfect health as there is in perfect illness, the key is in seeing whatever is there as being perfect. When this is understood from the heart, one will be at peace.

The circumstances of one’s life only affects you as it’s allowed. Nothing inherently makes an person happy, or sad, those come from the underlying label attached to what occurs. A wedding is considered a happy event as a funeral is considered sad, but it’s only the label that makes it so. The happening regardless of what it is will last until it’s over and that’s it. On its own nothing truly has power over you. It’s often said about golf that one pure shot keeps a person coming back, so out of let’s say one hundred swings, one good swing is enough to endure the misery of ninety nine not so good swings. Does this make sense?

The mind has been conditioned to conform to and label whatever is there. It’s designed to form a mental fabrication of what happens, it then stores it to be used at its convenience. All labels are applied this way, but at the core of this is one’s attachment to “I”. Without this attachment no label would be applied and one would just be able to be with what was occurring. Weddings are supposedly joyful events and funerals are deemed sorrowful, I’m still trying figure out where golf falls. The main point is, a label and mental fabrication isn’t really needed for these happenings to take place, but why this is an issue is because when these mental fabrication and labels are formed, it takes one from the only place that exist and that’s the present moment. When one doesn’t have a head and feet connection the mental fabrications of the past and future are in control and this doesn’t allow one to see there can be as much peace in perfect health as there is in perfect illness.

Impermanence of Everything

Because everything is impermanent, the satisfaction associated with whatever is reached for is also impermanent and this is the exact reason why one is constantly reaching and remains unsatisfied.

Not being satisfied is so subtle, and how you will know it’s in place is by the next thing reached for. The misunderstanding of the impermanent nature of all things including life itself is what makes one constantly reach for satisfaction. If one knew the reaching wasn’t going to quench the satisfaction, it most likely wouldn’t be done. One reaches for whatever their conditioning deems as needed, and even though it temporarily satisfies the thirst, it doesn’t last and hence the reaching commences. When the impermanent nature of all things begins to be understood, one becomes aware of the nonsense of reaching. This doesn’t mean the reaching will magically end, but one does start to understand the true nature associated with reaching. If there wasn’t the satisfaction associated with food, dessert, drugs, alcohol, gambling, yoga, meditation, ad infinitum, reaching wouldn’t be done. Everyone who reaches for something assumes there’s going to be some sort of satisfaction derived from it. Do you not?

Existence is pretty stable as far as life being life, but the events that occur within life are not. There is constant change in everything, but the mind is mostly blind to this because it wants stability (permanence). It defaults to making you believe the next fix will be it, but I guarantee you the next fix only leads to the one after that and so on. It never ends because there’s nothing permanent that allows it to end. Because everything is impermanent, the satisfaction associated with whatever’s reached for is also impermanent and this is the exact reason why one is constantly reaching and remains unsatisfied.

Heart or Mind Living

When a person says I want peace, initially it’s from the mind, but for it to become of the heart, I and want have to be removed so all you are left with is peace.

There are basically two ways to view and live life. One is from the mind, which is the view of ideas, concepts, beliefs, and stories, and the other is from the heart which needs none of the things listed from the mind, especially the stories. When the minds view is in control it produces stress, fear, tension, greed, anxiety and a slew of other things that don’t necessarily add anything to life. When the heart is the controlling view, there’s a tendency to be relaxed, and as one learns to sit quietly and the mind settles, relaxed becomes one’s normal state. There are many preoccupation of a mind state that keeps one entrapped to all the things mentioned before. These preoccupations will only subside when something is in place that allows them to. Living from the mind is learned and because it’s so much more influenced by the world, unconsciously it becomes the normal view.

Living from the heart will have to be learned if this is to change. Any suffering that occurs is directly linked to one’s thought about it, so if you don’t have the thought of suffering than you won’t suffer. Simple, but this will only occur through understanding and learning what it will take to change the mind view. Mind and heart reactions are much different, and because the mind has been conditioned to fulfill I wants and desires, I becomes the core of the mind made suffering. When one says I want peace, initially it’s from the mind, but for it to become of the heart, two things have to happen. I and want have to be removed so all you are left with is peace, and until that happens the mind will continue its control of the way life is viewed.

Being a Lamp

Being a lamp to provide a light so others can find their way is important, but when the lamp is only lit to shine a specific light, it loses its illuminating effect.

There’s no such thing as one way to wake up from the sleep of unconsciousness and it’s just about impossible to see exactly what another person experiences because no one travels the same exact road in the waking up process. I find it quite amusing the way some people project their waking up process as being the way it is. This is not to say this isn’t the way it is for that person, but that’s their experience and it’s very unlikely that two people let alone many, travel the same road to waking up. I know for me I just try to direct people to look inward so the can come to their own conclusion to finding what will provide them their peace. I seriously doubt that anyone went through exactly what I did to get to the place I’m in now, so why would I expect anyone to see things as I do.

One site in particular always talks about there not being a self very matter of factually as if this is the only way one can experience peace. Many others use religion as the road to peace. I’ve found there are as many roads to peace as there people traveling and none of them are wrong. I don’t know and don’t really care what road one travels, it’s not my place to judge. I often say one of the truest statements ever made was “Paleface speaks with forked tongue” far to many say one thing and do the opposite. Although I understand the conditioning in place is in control, I really find it funny when someone goes against what someone says because “they put it out there so it’s fair game.” To me the bottom line is to show love and respect to everyone, even if their way is not something I’ve experienced. The only reason someone shares something is because it’s what’s in place, and its not up to me to judge it because it’s “out there” But it is up to me to watch my own tongue and make sure it’s not forked, as this will only dim the light of the lamp that others may be looking to.

Influenced Mind Limits

If you don’t take responsibility for how your mind is shaped, there are plenty of people and society influences that will do it for you. Whatever is thought about frequently becomes the shape of the mind.

Our minds are more like water than something solid like concrete or wood, but what happens is sometimes it gets frozen and becomes solid. Also water will take the shape of whatever container it is in and that’s exactly what happens to an unconscious mind, in this case the container is whatever one attaches to. The key when it comes to the mind is to make sure it’s in a container that takes on the shape of love. Water is very influenceable by many things, tides, wind, weather, and so on, and so is the mind influenced by many things. When one is conscious of this the mind is somewhat less influenced, but it’s totally influenced when one is unconscious of this. The unconscious mind will say jump and one will jump, and depending on the conditioning, one may even ask how high. If you don’t take responsibility for how your mind is shaped, there are plenty of people and society influences that will do it for you.

Look at the recent election here in the USA, see how one individual has influenced so many unconscious minds, and whether you are for the one who won or against him, it has been allowed to let him influence the shape of your mind. He is now the container whether you are for or against him and your mind has taken shape accordingly. Even though it seems like this was a choice, it really wasn’t? The question of any influence is does it have the shape of love? Whatever is thought about frequently becomes the inclination of the mind; it has to because that’s how it has been trained. This article is strictly to be viewed to see how all of this limits you and to possibly allow you to see what container (attachment) is shaping your mind.

Let it Be

Let it go or let it be, that is the question. If you can just allow life to flow and let it be, you may find to let it go will not really be needed as it’s much simpler to just let it be.

Let it go seems to be the catch phrase of what many get caught up in, but it’s much more beneficial if one can just learn to let it be instead of let it go. Let it be is much different and easier to grasp than letting something go. It’s not that letting go of something is hard, but not many know how to truly let it go, mostly letting go is just given lip service. Letting go by most becomes a doing and this is where it gets tricky. Let it be requires no doing, it’s what’s there and that’s it. Nothing has to be done when you let it be because it’s already done, one just has to be. Most of our struggles with things is because of the lack of understanding of what’s really happening. The dog only chases its own tail because it doesn’t understand it’s its own tail that is being chased.

The lack of understanding to let it go causes much suffering and in many instances it even kills. People stay entrapped to using things that causes their own demise and it’s mostly because one doesn’t know how to let go. People will say he or she just couldn’t let it go, but no one can if it’s not learned how to. Let it go isn’t really required if one can learn to let it be. There’s no pushing anything away, there’s just being with what’s there. Very simple, be with what’s there because it’s what’s there, nothing earth shattering here. No need to struggle with trying to let it go, just let it be and be with that. If you can just allow life to flow and let it be, you may find to let it go will not really be needed as it’s much simpler to just let it be.

Two Kinds of Suffering

There are two kinds of suffering, the kind you run away from that follows you everywhere, and the kind you are willing to face which is the one that will bring you freedom.

Suffering in this existence is pretty much inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be where it’s a hinderance. There are many lessons to learn in our life, until it’s realized there are two kinds of suffering and the one you’re most likely stuck in is your the suffering that follows you everywhere, it will remain in place. This is the dog chasing its tail suffering and it never ends because it can’t. It’s controlling energy is immersed in the attachment to “I” and as long as this is in place it will follow you everywhere. “I” keeps in firmly locked in place, nothing satisfies the unquenchable thirst of “I” so this why the suffering follows you everywhere; “I” is always thirsty. Even though this is the suffering that’s in place for most, there is another kind of of suffering that is actually beneficial to one’s well being and this is because it pushes you to a state where there is freedom.

The freedom I write about is from the attachment to “I” not the suffering, but without “I” there’s no one to suffer. This other kind of suffering leads to freedom because as this energy arises and it will, instead of attaching to it, one allows it to push you to new insights and revelations; you are with the pain of what arises instead of pushing it away. There’s no reaching to mask it, there’s no running from it or using something as a distraction. What happens when one makes a stand and is with what arises, the lies of “I” are exposed, and if there’s no “I” there’s nothing for the suffering to follow, liberation naturally occurs. Read this very carefully and if the full meaning of this can be grasped, freedom from the suffering that’s been following you around for most of your life will begin to fall away, but understand this will only occur when there is no “I” to follow.

Hate Needs a Story

Love doesn’t need thought to be as hate does. One can just love, but one cannot just hate. There has to be a story attached to hate for it to be and the story originates from one’s own mind.

All hate arises from within oneself. This doesn’t mean dastardly things aren’t done on the outside that allows hate to arise, but anything from the outside is only a trigger of what’s within. One of the most misunderstood things about hate is the one hated basically goes unscathed while the hater feels the full effects of the hate. This is the exact opposite of love, but because of the way we’ve been conditioned, the energy of hate seems to be much more prevalent. I wrote something on a post the other day about Hitler’s hate coming from his own heart, but what really happens is all hate is mind based so it comes from the mind. Although Hilter may have been driven by a passion which seemed like it was in his heart, it was misconstrued because it was mind based. The Pharisee’s hate from Jesus was the same, it had nothing to do with Jesus, it was triggered by the hate that was within themselves.

Love doesn’t need thought as hate does to be, thought actually blocks love. One can just love, but one cannot just hate. There has to be a story attached to hate for it to be and the story originates from the Conditioned Mind. True love needs no such story and if one thinks it does, it’s from the head and not from the heart. A story of love may seem like it’s the opposite of hate and although the results may be different, it’s still a story; it’s made up just like the story of hate is. Love is natural, it’s seen all around and a story isn’t needed to recognize it. A baby’s smile, a puppy or kitten, random acts of kindness, silence, the beauty of the world, all examples of love that needs no story to be. That’s how one will know when something is from the truth of love, because it wells up in the heart naturally without an attached story being needed.

Just Let Go

Truly letting go isn’t a doing nor does it take effort, it’s something that happens naturally by non attachment. The more one tries to let go, the tighter the grip gets.

One day a woman who spent years reading spiritual books, going to self help and 12 step programs, spending thousands attending seminars by all the so called experts, retreats, meditating for hours on end, doing chakra and kundalini meditation, reiki healing, yoga, therapy, and so on. I’m sure many will identify with the constant barrage of trying the flavor of the month. She tried everything and yet except for being more knowledgeable, she was no freer than the day she started looking into this. Part of her issue was she was stuck in trying everyone else’s method of what they said is needed to become enlightened, but most people’s method don’t even work for themselves, if they did a method wouldn’t be pushed. This woman who was at wits end, sat with this and what arose in her was this; she was going to walk up the highest mountain she could find and either become enlightened or die. The one thing that was very clear to her, she was done struggling so her journey up the mountain began.

On her way up the mountain there was a man coming down the mountain carry two large bundles on his shoulders, the path was narrow and she noticed he was wearing monk like clothing. The woman had heard in stories when one is ready to awaken the right teacher will appear. As their eyes met, she felt compelled to tell him where she going and asked him if he knew how to become enlightened. The man said nothing as he put the two bundles he was carrying down. Instantly the women saw the lesson, the man was showing her how to let go. She than asked him, is that it, just let go? The man smiled and nodded, again she asked, so that’s it, just let go, what happens next? Without saying a word, the man picked up the two bundles he was carrying, put the them back on his shoulders and continued down the mountain.

Running From Yourself

It’s a great relief to accept yourself the way you are because the only real misery is wanting you to be in some other way. When it’s realized one has been running from themselves, there is peace.

When one awakens, the great secrets of the Universe aren’t revealed, although in a way they are, what really happens when one awakens is you stop running. That’s the main attribute of waking up from the sleep of unconsciousness, it’s not knowing what life is all about, it’s more so not being concerned with what life is all about. The running, searching, reaching, need to do, ceases and it’s realized what you have been running from is yourself. It’s a great relief to accept yourself the way you are because the only real misery is wanting you to be in some other way. When this is seen needing subsides; the need to be right, and also the need for things to be different, especially yourself. This doesn’t mean you don’t move forward to be the change that’s needed in the world, but it’s done so in a way that it doesn’t cause the very suffering that one is trying to change. When one stops running, one stops chasing, this occurs naturally. I ran for forty nine years and it nearly cost me my physical existence, I didn’t have a mental existence because of how the Conditioned Mind controlled me.

Basically this was my awakening, to see that I was always running from myself. It was revealed to me that I could stop running and I was going to be okay. This is a beautiful space to be in, it’s the space where the peace that passes all understanding arises. It’s not a magical place for a select few, it’s a place where everyone’s heart dwells, one just has to stop running to experience it. The possibilities when one stops running are endless, there are no blocks here so one’s creativity arises. No one knows what might arise, but I can tell you this, when you stop running reaching for things stops and life is lived in the peaceful state of accepting yourself as you are as nothing more is needed.