Chasing Pleasure

For most, pleasure is something that’s constantly sought, this is a direct link to what keeps the mind in a state of agitation. When one can just be with things as they are, pleasure is no longer needed for the mind to be at peace.

We live in a pleasure seeking society, when it’s cold we want the pleasure of warmth and when it’s hot outside, being cool is the pleasure sought. Chasing after this pleasure is how many people spend their entire lives and if it’s not learned to just be ok with things as they are and not constantly have to alter the way that you feel, there will be very little peace in your life. We life mostly in a place where we’re afraid of the feeling of discomfort because it means looking at ourselves. Although our true essence is the love of all creation, this isn’t seen because the Conditioned Mind doesn’t allow it to be so.

Once a practice is developed that allows some discipline to at least slow the mind down, it can be seen how chasing after pleasure occupies most of our waking hours; we’re in a constant agitated state trying to have things the way we think they need to be in order to experience the pleasure of being at peace. The problem with this is nothing stays the same so we have to constantly make adjustments to experience this peace. It’s truly exhausting to live in this way, but it’s the way many of us spend most of our time. It doesn’t have to be this way, but the only way it won’t be is if one can be with what occurs and not want it any different than what it is. This doesn’t mean one can’t have pleasure, just understand pleasure isn’t what allows you to be at peace, only accepting things as they are will allow peace and that’s only because one sees the pleasure in that.

Ignorance Isn't Bliss

Truly diabolical is the Conditioned Mind and what makes it so is it isn’t seen nor understood that your enemies cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts can.

If you don’t learn to understand your own mind and the way it controls you, the control will never wane and although you will be alive, you will be no different than a plant which is basically controlled in the same way. A seed in its natural environment does what it’s conditioned to do to grow into a plant, but it just happens there’s not much else to it. People think they have free will and choices, but without truly understanding how the mind becomes conditioned so it can control, there is only bondage. This will have to be thoroughly investigated if it’s to be understood and even then it will not be easy to break the hold of the deeply engrained conditioning that’s in place. I know this from my experience and at least today by understanding the conditioning in place, its control has waned to a large degree. But make no mistake knowing all about the mind and understanding how it controls you are two different things.

Many are much more knowledgeable then me when it comes to knowing about the mind, but not many understand the conditioning in the way it has been revealed to me. There was total bondage for many years and because there wasn’t an understanding of this, it kept me ignorant to the control my own mind had over me. This ignorance was not bliss, it caused suffering to many, but nobody was with me all the time except myself so it caused the most suffering to me. This is what the Conditioned Mind does, it wrecks havoc internally which in turn manifest as unloving behavior externally. Truly diabolical is the Conditioned Mind and what makes it so is that this isn’t seen nor understood. And what truly needs to be understood is that your enemies cannot do you the harm that your own unguarded thoughts can.

Settled Mind Creativity

The world's rewards are not true rewards because the world only holds you in captivity to it. Sit often to develop the discipline that allows the mind to settle and watch what happens.

Prior to nine years ago I never wrote anything in my life. Today I'm a writer because that's where my creative energy took me. Regardless of your talent, musician, writer, singer, actor, good at your day to day job, a parent, or whatever, let your creative energy engulf you. It's what I do, it's how I see what I see. Don't fall prey to what the world offers, find what your own heart offers. Become the instrument the Universe plays its beautiful music through, whatever that music manifest as; mine manifest as writings. Understand though you don't need anything to complete you, you are complete as you are. Understanding this will help you to just watch your inner creativity arise. I know this from experience and only the tip of the iceberg has been seen for me. When my mind settled, writing arose. All I did was look inward. It amazes me to this day that not only was I used to write a book, but I'm also used to write a daily article that seems to touch lives.

I'm often asked if there is going to be a second book, I always respond, there's no need the first one says it all. Not needing anything different is where I have found my peace and it's not something that I'm willing to give up. I really enjoy what has happened to me. I've had the honor of connecting with the hearts of many people and it has been my greatest gift; it's only because of the creativity that has arisen from having a settled mind. The world's rewards are not my rewards because the world only holds you in captivity to it. Sit often to develop the discipline that allows the mind to settle and watch what happens. I would have sold myself short if I tried to do what has been done to me and it's just not something I'm willing to now try and take control of. I prefer to remain the instrument and it's because the Universe is doing a far better job than I ever did with my life. My part is to be willing to basically stay out of the way and watch the settled mind creativity arise.

Simply Turn Away

When you can truly see how beneficial it is to come from a place of love, you will want to turn away from unloving behavior as much as possible because to not will only cause your own suffering.

There's a flow to loving energy that's cut off when you want things different and if you don't learn to simply turn away it will be difficult for the flow to return. This doesn't mean everything that happens will be liked, but by simply turning away, wanting things different energy won't cut off the flow of loving energy of keeping your head where your feet are in the present moment. After all to simply turn way is where peace abides. It's very difficult to do this all the time and I'm not saying I can, but I have learned to do it more and more. I still react in unloving ways at times because of the conditioning in place, but slowly loving energy is becoming the default energy. I don't always do the loving thing, but I definitely don't act in the selfish way I did for the first forty nine years of my life, but by understanding this even when it occurs it can be accepted by simply turning away.

Learning from each moment is key, I know perfection is not something I aspire to, that's why for me to simple turn away is so much more beneficial that giving something I may not really be sure of energy. To simply turn away is the most difficult in dealing with people, but a pivot point in this is when I can see how "I" wants to make it personal. Only "I" attaches and simply turning away naturally takes away making it personal. In summary simply turning away may be one of the most difficult things to learn in life. This is because of the conditioning of our I Self, but when one can truly see how beneficial it is to come from a place of love, you will want to turn away as much as possible because to not will only cause your own suffering.

Wholesome Consequences

The consequences that arise from living a wholesome life naturally puts one in alignment with the loving vibrations and frequency of the Universe. Apple seeds can only result in growing apples.

Nothing has to be done for one to enjoy wholesome consequences, they arise simply from living in a wholesome manner. The definition of wholesome is: conducive to or suggestive of good health, physical and moral well-being. When this is one's direction, the consequences that naturally arise are love, compassion, kindness, understanding, non judgement, to name a few, you cannot be wholesome and have unwholesome consequences. The unpleasantries of life will still occur, but the way they're dealt with will not allow their suffering to engulf you. There will still be pain, heart ache, and loss of loved ones, but by living in a wholesome way, suffering will be much less than if unwholesome principles were in place. Planting apple seeds can only result in growing apples, but the seeds have to cultivated for this to occur. The seed only has potential, it is not the apple.

Our wholesome qualities will also have to be cultivated if there are to be wholesome consequences in our life. Most people intuitively know what is wholesome and what is not, but if there's difficultly in deciphering this, a great guide is simply, wholesome is of love as unwholesome is of selfishness. The me me me mind doesn't have many wholesome qualities or consequences to it. I always knew the difference between these two, but because of my conditioning being wholesome was beyond my capability. It was only when I began sitting and my mind settled did I develop the awareness to see and act in a wholesome way; this arises naturally as the mind settles. The more the mind settles the more wholesome are one's action and thus the more the consequences of those actions are of a wholesome quality.

What's Let In

When the “I need more” conditioning isn’t controlling what’s let in, there’s much more peace in one’s life, but this isn’t because peace is let in, it’s because nonsense isn’t let in so that naturally allows for one to be at peace.

Much goes on in one’s day to day living and for the most part there’s no control over what happens. Even if there was, with the way the Conditioned Mind has been developed, it wouldn’t change the way things are. The first thing that has to happen for the possibility of any change to take place is one has to understand what’s being let in to shape your day to day, even moment to moment existence. Much is viewed throughout the day, but it’s mostly let in through the default setting of the conditioning in place. It’s let in, but it’s not done with any sense of awareness so it leads one to being controlled like a puppet on a string. There’s no choice in this until there is, but unfortunately until there is, one will let in things that aren’t beneficial and hence if it’s not beneficial it will cause much trouble and suffering.

Think about the things that are attached to, the list is basically endless, the problem with this is not much that’s grabbed is beneficial. We are a species that has lost its way and it’s because of what we let in. There is a nothingness to life that has to be seen so one can decipher if what they have been conditioned to let in is beneficial or not. I let a lot in for many years that I thought was beneficial, but in truth it kept in bondage to the “I need more” conditioning. I always needed more so that’s what I let in, but it was never enough. Today it’s much different because to a large degree the “I need more” conditioning isn’t controlling what’s let in, so there’s much more peace, but this isn’t because peace is let in, it’s because nonsense isn’t let in so that naturally allows for one to be at peace.

Letting Go of Self

Seeking happiness makes it elusive so it will constantly be sought, and this is because the Self that wants happiness only knows how to seek it, it doesn’t know how to be happy.

Most people look at happiness as if it’s something that can be attained, but the only way to experience happiness is by letting it go, and what it is that needs to be let go of is the Self who wants to be happy. Everyone at some level understands that happiness can’t be found in things, but usually it’s discounted and one continues to pursue happiness as something to attained. In the process happiness will continue to be elusive, thus it will continue to be sought. There may be moments of happiness in one’s life, but only when things are the way that they are wanted. This is another trap (Mind Pattern) of the Conditioned Mind and it wrecks havoc because it keeps one entrapped to thinking life needs to be a certain way and this is where happiness lies. Many pursue this and cause their own death, but this is extreme. Happiness is mostly pursued by just about everyone and even though it’s not to the extreme of death, it is at the cost of one’s own freedom.

Happiness is always dependent on something that one’s Self finds appropriate. This appropriateness arises in many forms and it’s very difficult to spot because of the conditioning in place. It arises as any judgement you may have of another or situation, this is strictly the Self thinking that it knows what’s best for everyone. Really it all comes down to wanting whatever arises different and not being able to just be with what is and simply being ok with that. Until that time comes, happiness will continue to be elusive, but it will constantly be sought because the Self that wants happiness only knows how to seek it, it doesn’t know how to be happy.

Everything Falls Away

The more one allows things to be in control, the less one truly lives. You may be alive, but until it’s seen that everything falls away, you will remain in bondage to whatever you alone give power to.

Watch how all things arise and fall away. Seeing this is very valuable in the letting go process. What is held onto becomes one’s bondage, but it can simply be let go of, that is if it’s seen it is being held on to. Each moment arises and as it does it seems as if it’s there, but where is it truly. A vacation, a job promotion, birth, death, sickness, health, marriage, divorce, golfing, having a cigar, each day, going to work, going home from work, and on an on, all things arise and fall away, only attachment to them gives them the power to control. Nothing in an of itself has any power to control, it has to be given power. Before anything is attached to (society calls it addiction) it’s just there latent, lying in wait. Nothing has power until it is given it. The drug dealers can make all the heroin they want, but if no one needed to alter the way that they felt, it wouldn’t have the draw (power) it currently has. This is the reason so much money is spent on advertising, the advertisers know just what to use to entice people into unconsciously reaching for things .

Everyone gets caught by something, it’s just that some things have the power to totally devastate life and some are very subtle, but the common factor of everything is nothing has inherent power to control. Everything would arise and fall away if it wasn’t attached to and this is because nothing can control a person without the person allowing it; the given control can only come from the person. The more control is given away the less one truly lives. You may be alive, but until it’s seen that everything falls away you will remain in bondage to whatever you alone give power to.

Just Another Story

Your completeness is right here in front of you within your grasp, but you’ll never truly be mindful of this until you realize it’s not a story that’s needed, it’s what’s already here.

Without inner silence, it’s very unlikely one will have the mindfulness needed to not create your stories. Even this writing is a story of how not to create stories, but the mindfulness of writing it helps to minimize the attachment to it and thus once it’s written it’s complete. Non attachment is always the key. A story can always be added to, but once something arises ask yourself, is this the end of the story or not? That will depend on how one relates their “I” identity to the story. The more “I” needs the story for its identity, the more “I” attaches to it and the more a story is needed. This is the merry-go-round of the Conditioned Mind. No attachment, no needed story, no needed story, no discontentment of what isn’t, so all you are left with is what is, not the story of it, but the actual reality of what is happening now.

Story after story after story. The story of how I feel, or the story of what I think, or my life’s story, there is an endless creation of stories, that is until one becomes mindful enough that the story teller and the story are seen as one in the same. Being with what is instead of a created story will be the most difficult thing one when ever do in their life, but it will also be the most fulfilling lesson you will ever learn. Just be in the silence of what is, attach nothing and nothing will be needed. Imagine that, needing nothing to be happy, joyous, and free and understanding that you’re complete just as you are. It’s right there within your grasp, it’s right in front of you, but you’ll never truly be mindful of this until you realize it’s not a story that’s needed, it’s what’s already here.

A Worldly Perception

The more one’s thinking is in line with the world, the more suffering there will be. This is because the world only allows a surface perception, but beneath the surface perception is what’s truly going on.

Our made up perceptions when not seen in the awareness of mindfulness, solidify the delusions they arise from. This delusion is formed from the surface level of our perceptions which form the concepts that we live by which makes what is originally seen misunderstood as the deeper reality of what’s actually happening is missed. We get locked into the perceptions that form our concepts of what going on, this is also why there’s so much division amongst our species and why very few see the truth of existence. Mostly everyone has a different perception of the same thing so how can there not be division and strife amongst us? The greater good is very seldom considered, what’s mostly considered is the surface perception of the world and unfortunately it’s core is usually from the base of “I”.

It doesn’t have to be this way, but one will have to drop their perceptions to see beneath the surface. The world has perceptions on the material realm, it doesn’t really address the spiritual. Our internal longing though is spiritual and although at first many pursue the quest of material gains, at some point it’s discovered the material gains don’t produce lasting fulfillment. This is when at least the initial shift happens to make one look elsewhere for fulfillment, but unfortunately with the world’s perception in control, the material realm remains in place. It isn’t until one starts to look within that there’s the chance for real change, but this looking within can’t be superficial or true change won’t occur. What will need to change is the perception that what is seen on the surface of life is not what’s going on and then and only then will there be the chance of truly seeing what life has to offer.

Without Question

To love is to live. Without love, there is the constant need to seek answers to questions about life, but when you love the seeking stops because the need to ask questions stops.

Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is? There’s no way of really knowing this unless you make up an answer through the mind made concept of a thought. You can make up any answer you want, but know this, it isn’t a true answer, it’s made up by the Conditioned Mind because it needs something to latch on to. The Conditioned Mind doesn’t like it much when there’s no real answer to something so it will make one up. This is the essence of a Conditioned Mind, it has to have an answer, but having an answer isn’t necessary to live except to the Conditioned Mind.

The very essence of all that the Universe stands for is the very essence of what happens in each and every moment. An answer is not needed though, but if the mind isn’t settled this will not be seen. The answers to “What is the the meaning of life” is there is no answer, because an answer isn’t needed to live. A made up one is needed if you are living a delusional life, but if your mind is settled, an answered won’t be needed because the question won’t come up. With a settled mind questions aren’t needed because it’s known love is what exist and everything else is just a made up answer of the Conditioned Mind. When questions arise from the Conditioned Mind about this or that, understand the only answer needed is to be still and love. It is here that no questions arise and no answers are needed because you know, all you need is love.

Reworking Our Ruts

When one becomes rutted in their thought patterns, they're automatically defaulted to when triggered. Depending on what the inclination of the patterns are determines how much suffering they will cause.

Ruts and patterns are formed over years and are constantly reinforced so don't think they are just going to go away overnight. The default of the triggers can be changed, but it will take seeing them for what they are for this change to take place, and because it took many years to create them, it will take time to get out of them. The first thing that has to happen is noticing these ruts and patterns exist. Deciphering whether they are beneficial in your life will determine if they fall away or if they are continued to be held in place.

The tricky thing with the mind is regardless what these patterns are, they were initially deemed beneficial or they wouldn't be there. Think about it, smoking, drinking, drugs, over eating, sexually lust, gambling, tv, greed, hate, programs; self help and 12 Step, shopping, success, your favorite team, your Self, and so on, all things the mind has made you think are beneficial, if not you would have never used them to begin with and they would have never become ruts. These ruts can be reworked, but it will take a willingness to look within to see the patterns arise when they're triggered. No one can get you out of your rut, pointers are given and you will have to learn how to apply them, but as stated pointers only point. Ruts take a long time to create, remember Rome wasn't built in a day so be kind to yourself. Accept yourself as you are without wanting the moment different and eventually you will see the ruts simply fall away on their own.

Entrapped to Reaching

Anything that's used in the waking up process which points outside yourself will simply not get it done and this is so regardless of how much time and effort are put into it.

The waking process is only complex because of the Conditioned Mind. This is because it tells you your answers are out there somewhere, but this reaching outside is what causes one to remain entrapped. You become entrapped to the desire that's causing the reaching and reaching leads to attachment which leads to bondage, hence one is entrapped. Sorry, but this is factual even if it's ignored. What seems to be at the core of the misunderstanding is the reaching. You cannot reach without being entrapped. Prison is prison regardless if it's maximum or minimum security, or house arrest. This is easily justified because the reaching being the problem isn't identified and as long as it's not, one remains entrapped to it. There's no way around this. This isn't seen by many people so the reaching and one's discontents remain to cause more reaching.

I'm not a know it all when it comes to the waking up process, but I do know the reaching is what kept me entrapped for many many years. This conclusion wasn't revealed by reading someone's book or belonging to a program, it was revealed when I saw I didn't need the present moment any different than what it was. This is the key to the so called kingdom that everyone is reaching for. It's the only way one won't be entrapped to the prison of reaching outside. No where else exist except right now so you will have to come to terms that you are trying to live somewhere else. You can only discover this for yourself, my writings point to this as do many, but only you can see this so it takes hold. If not you will remain in the self created prison of reaching for an answer that your Conditioned Mind makes you think is out there somewhere.

Becoming Your Own

One day regardless of all the books you've read and all the sitting, what becomes knowledge has to be reflected upon so it becomes your own. Until that time another whatever will always be needed.

I don't offer a program as a way out, I point you to look inward to find your completeness right now. This is the reason I don't write another book, the first one says it all and even that is only a tool for you to look within so it becomes your own. There are so many books written and so many programs offered, but they all basically say the same thing. Everyone has to at some point find their own way by your knowledge becoming your own. Byron Katie and a slew of others offer programs which actually keep you entrapped to the bondage of self. You will never be totally free by following another's way. I'm adamant about this because I see the bondage this causes.

In the beginning of my transformation I read many books, but I saw that they all pointed to the same thing; the Conditioned Mind. They may have said it using different words, but it all pointed to the same place; my own mind. There's nothing special about me nor what I see, but the difference is I only look to myself for answers. Mooji, Anita Moorjani, Byron Katie, Eckert Tolle, and even myself, to name a few do not have your answers, only you do because only you can experience your life as it relates to you. I respect everyone, but not many truly understand this or they wouldn't be offering a way out through them. Spending hundreds even thousands on books, seminars, retreats and what not will not do what simply looking within will do. I'm not concerned if this is agreed with because I know what I know, and I have to speak up on what is seen. I searched for forty nine years until I stopped. I'm not saying don't use the tools of others, but becoming your own will never occur as long as you are relying on someone else. Follow no one but yourself and you will truly be surprised at what you become.

Double Edge Sword

Attachment is a double edge sword, not only does the original attachment get you, but when you’re attached to outcomes where they’re labeled as not liked, attachment to the attachment gets you.

The real issue with attachment is it’s not only the first thing attached to that causes problems, it’s the attachment to the attachment that makes it a real detriment in one’s life. It will take a concentrated effort to see this, but with practice it can happen. Let’s use traffic as an example. You’re driving in traffic and it’s annoying you because you have somewhere to be. That it’s annoying you is the first attachment, now you’re trying all kinds of maneuvers to get out of the traffic, but wherever you go there’s more traffic. That’s where attachment becomes reinforced and causes more problems than what it’s truly worth. It the same thing when you do something (you pick what it is) and then you go round and round with your thoughts on why you did it, or you should’ve did this or that. This goes for just about everything, it’s done all the time. Attachment to attachment is insidious and very harmful.

Do what you do and let it go. If the conditioning wasn’t in place to do what you do, you wouldn’t do it. Accepting yourself in your entirety is key if you are to be at peace. You will do what’s in place until what’s in place changes, but nothing has to be attached to and it won’t unless you put a label on it that it needs to be different, and once you do that a label will be applied to the label and a deeply engrained pattern will be formed that will keep you attaching to your attachments. This is the double edge sword of attachment, not only does the original attachment get you, but when what you’re attached to changes to where it’s labeled as not liked, the attachment to attachment gets you. A settled mind should pick this up, but it has taken me some time to accept my conditioning exactly as it is and not attach to it. This is where one will experience awareness aware of awareness and thus peace.

Endless Trying

There’s no reason to try and get what you want unless you are unhappy with what you have. This only happens because the mind doesn’t know how to just be with what’s here right now.

Endlessly trying to get what you want is the root to your suffering because even if what you want is attained, trying to get what you want will not stop there. Trying, reaching, grasping or whatever it’s called is at the root of suffering because it doesn’t allow one to be with what is actually here. What has to happen if this endless trying to get what you want is to ever stop is the need has to subside. This need is only in place because of the Conditioned Mind making you think you need what you want. There’s no other reason to try to get what you want unless you are unhappy with what you have. This is how we fill the empty spaces in our life. They have to be filled because that mind doesn’t know how to just be with what’s here right now.

One day the endless trying will end because life in this form will end, but you will be no more complete than the day existence in this form began. Think about it, most people spend their entire life bouncing from one thing to another in search of filling the empty spaces that arise, but only because it’s not known that this need is a delusion. It’s so subtle this need to fill, that most will die thinking it’s unfilled. If life isn’t filled right now what do you think will do it? Name something, go get it and in a short time the need to fill the empty space will return. Just remember, there’s no other reason to try and get what you want unless you are unhappy with what you have.

Exposing Your Lies

Those who don’t understand their lies cannot know truth and therefore remain a slave to the lies. You needn’t have all the answers to know truth, you just need to expose your lies so you’re not enslaved by them.

Nine years ago I began developing a practice of quietness because I started understanding and exposing the lies of what it was to be a slave to the noise, and I say “was” because in truth I am a slave no more. I know the poison of the lies of greed, hate, and delusion and have developed the discipline to not to allow them to control me to a large degree. I know how living selfishly and being judgmental caused not only my suffering, but it caused suffering to those around me as well. Because this is known today I am provided with tools so I can live differently. If there wasn’t exposure of the lies, there wouldn’t be awareness of truth.

The ultimate delusion is by the one who claims to know truth, but doesn’t even understand the lies, this is the place where the majority of people live. I ask you this: Is it arrogant to know the truth by understanding and not being controlled by the lies, or is it arrogant to claim to know truth, but remain enslaved the to lies? Many state that there are different versions of truth and no one can know all truth or truth of another, but it has been through my experience that I have discovered there aren’t different versions of truth, there are only versions of the lies, but a lie is always a lie. When your lies are exposed, you will know truth, and another’s truth can also be known because another’s lies can be known, but this can only be known by knowing your own lies. Remember truth is not about having all the answers, it’s understanding all the lies. The lies the world presents are the gateway to truth because they are the gateway of seeing the lies of greed, hate, and delusion, so it is possible to know all truth, but only when one exposes all your lies.

No Real Choice

When one’s unloving conditioning changes, the things being done that are unloving will also change, but this isn’t a choice to be made, it happens naturally because of what’s in place.

Making a supposedly choice is not as clear cut as it’s seems on the surface. It would seem when something is done that a choice is made, but in my case what I did for forty nine years wasn’t the result of choices because the conditioning in place basically controlled my every action. I’m not saying this to absolve myself of being accountable for my actions, but if I was conditioned to be selfish than how was I to respond to life other than that. An acorn can only produce an oak tree, there’s no choice in this. At times I hated how I was, but by not understanding why I did the things that I did, I was a slave to my conditioning. I know there’s much talk about people having a choice (free will) but this isn’t really investigated at the level to see there’s no such thing. To say one has a choice is really used to lay blame and hold people accountable for their actions. Do you really think those who act in unloving ways choose to do so? I know I didn’t, but I didn’t know how to be different until I did and even then the conditioning in place was and is in control to a large degree.

When one wakes up to see there really isn’t a choice, the inner tug of war ceases. Again this doesn’t absolve one from being accountable for their actions, but seeing this allowed me the freedom that occurs when one puts away the sledgehammer used to beat yourself up. So many people use this sledgehammer and it’s one of the ways one remains entrapped to the bondage of their own suffering. Live your life in anyway that arises, never regret the past nor shut the door on it. Learn from it and use it to see how there really isn’t much of a choice in life because of the conditioning in place. When the conditioning in place changes so your life is based in love, a choice still won’t be made to change, but the things being done that are unloving will most definitely change.

Made Up Answers

You can spend all your time believing and making up stories about being spiritual, but it won’t get you any closer to understanding spirituality than if you believed in the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus.

The peace that passes all understanding cannot be understood from the intellect, hence the phrase. Because of the conditioning in place mostly everything goes through the filter of the intellect and this is where the sticking points are when it comes to truly grasping what spirituality is. No matter how intelligent one is, spirituality cannot truly be grasped from the intellect because it is seen as the idea that one has about it and no idea is factual, it’s a story. I didn’t think my way to where I’m at today, it arose simply from developing discipline which allowed my mind some space between my thoughts for there to be awareness aware of awareness. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the intellect, but not everything can be figured out as if it’s a mathematical problem. There are many things that adding a label to don’t really do it justice. A label is like the title of this article, it points, but it doesn’t give you the facts of the content in the article.

So many people try to decipher subjects intellectually such as God, forgiveness, free will, Heaven, Hell and so on, but these can’t really be understood by the intellect because there are no solid facts to them. There are many stories linked to these subjects, but they don’t really mean much when it comes to living life right now. To try and make sense out of things that don’t have facts associated with them keeps the dog chasing it’s tail syndrome in place. You can spend all the time you think is needed on your belief, ideas, concepts, and stories on what being spiritual is, but it won’t get you any closer to understanding spirituality than believing in the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus and that’s because the peace that passes all understanding can’t be understood by a mind that needs to make up a story for its answers.

The Conniving Mind

Truly loving yourself is natural, but most minds are developed in such way that it constantly connives to satisfy “I” as it makes you believe you need to get yours.

It’s seems I always had a conniving mind that would always default to me getting mine (all about me). It was the way my mind was developed, and it has been in place for so long that it’s almost like I began my life with it in place. The difference today than how I was nine years ago when I wasn’t aware of the conniving thoughts that would arise and control me is, I’m mindful of those thoughts. Yesterday I returned two bags of mulch I didn’t need at the garden store and the cashier gave me my money back and told me to just put them on the pile outside. As I went back to my car to get them, there was nobody watching me. The thought popped into my head that I could just drive away and no one would know. The next thought was I would know and the need to (get mine) didn’t materialize. This article isn’t about anything other than not reinforcing “I” by attaching to the conniving mind.

There was a time when without a doubt I would have driven away with those two bags of mulch and the money, but not this time. To me this is how I can tell “I” is losing its hold, this isn’t because of a direct doing on my part, I didn’t choose not to do this. When the conniving thought to get mine arose, it simply and automatically wasn’t attached to because I love myself to much to cause myself harm. “I” wanted to take the money and run, but my true self would not allow it. You see this had nothing to do with the garden store that I was returning the mulch to, I’m sure they wouldn’t have went bankrupt, it’s not even about doing the right thing, to me the only thing that mattered was not causing harm to myself by attaching to “I”. This love for self arises naturally when the mind is settled. Although our first thoughts arise from previous conditioning, what is done next is dependent on if the mind set is to get mine or if it’s to truly love yourself and not cause yourself harm by feeding the conniving mind of “I”.

The Human Condition

As energy is compounded, it’s given the label of wanting what’s occurring to be different, this sets off a merry go round of motion that keeps one entrapped to this compounded energy.

People aren’t at fault for the way they are, the human conditioning is at the root of everything that is going on, what previously went on, and what will go on in the future. Until one awakens to the love within their heart, not much will change One can only act as their conditioning dictates so don’t be so quick to judge another regardless if what is being done is agreed with or not. This doesn’t mean you have to accept the behavior of another that’s unloving, turning the other cheek doesn’t equate to feeding into someone’s unconscious behavior, but an understanding of why it’s being done doesn’t allow it to become personal. It’s written that Jesus said as he was dying on the cross “They know not what they do” and although the Pharisees made it personal, Jesus did not. To make something personal it has to come from “I” so when one lives from “I” everything has to be personal because that’s how the energy of “I” operates.

“I” is the root of suffering and it’s because making anything personal compounds the energy of whatever it is that’s happening. As this energy is compounded, it’s given the label of not liking and wanting what’s occurring to be different, this sets off a merry go round of motion that keeps one entrapped to this compounded energy. A person who lives from “I” will remain in their suffering regardless of what happens because everything will be taken personal as if it’s happening to you. People do things, but when they’re not exerting energy to compound whatever it is they’re doing, one will be able to not set in motion the merry go round that occurs when something is given the energy to make it personal. And as this is seen and not made personal, one will be able to simply say “They know not what they do”.

Deluded Awakening

Most people are deluded what an awakening is, but for those truly awake they are awakened to the delusion, the mind that tells you to do something is the same mind that questions why it was done.

All delusions are created by one’s own mind and until there is awareness of this, the delusions remain. One of if not the most important thing to realize when it comes to breaking free of your delusions is, the mind that tells you to do something is the same mind that questions why it was done. Think about how it’s your mind questioning itself, so what you are basically doing is arguing with yourself. What’s crazy about this is it’s almost like there are two entity’s with different perspectives. This goes on in most lives every single day without ever realizing it, but don’t be fooled by the questioning because even our judgements that aren’t questioned create just as much delusion. To be awake is to be aware of this nonsense.

An awakening isn’t a magical state, all it is is becoming aware of the thoughts that hold you in captivity, that’s basically it. It’s in this awareness that one naturally stops attaching to these captivating thoughts. Being awake doesn’t stop them from arising, but with the awareness they’re there, the nonsense of when happens when there’s attachment to them is seen. Until this is realized the mind that tells you do something will continue to question why it was done, and there will continue to be judgements of others as your own created delusions hold you in captivity.

Clock Watching

By not attaching to time, breaking life into segments isn’t needed because it’s realized it’s always Now, but not the concept of Now, just Now as in where your feet are.

Always watching the clock is just like watching your life go by. Tick tock tick tock, those precious moments gone forever. They may survive as a memory, but a memory is only a story, once the moment passes it’s gone forever. I see people constantly wishing their life away by always watching the clock. I was once an avid clock watcher as I always wanted to be somewhere other then where I was. This was how life was broken up into segments for me as if work, play, chores, and whatnot were different. The only reason these were perceived differently was because of the conditioning in place that made it so. The fact of the matter is wherever you go there you are so from the time existence begins, to the time the vessel (your body) can’t sustain its current form, life is continuous. There is no stoppage of time that breaks it up into segments, it’s only the way the clock is watched and how one attaches to it that does this. To me whatever it is that’s occurring, I’m present for it. By not attaching to time, segments aren’t needed because it’s realized it’s always Now, but not the concept of Now, just Now as in where your feet are.

Days off, work days, vacation, retirement, Doctor appointments, general mishaps, shopping, play time, and on and on, in the blink of an eye they arise and are gone, but they events are stored in our memory to be used when desired. There is no reality to time except to be used for structural purposes. Time has its usefulness and is needed to plan things, but that’s about it. Watching time go by is like watching your life go by, it disconnects you from truly being with the moment as it occurs. The next moment isn’t truly better than the one right here, but the Conditioned Mind will tell you it is and if you listen to it, you will be lost watching the clock. Understand it’s your life that you are watching go by and one day there won’t be a you to watch the clock because just like that one day you will be out of time.

Reaching YOUR Potential

Everyone has the potential to be whatever it is that’s in them, and although it may not be exactly what’s wanted, the mind will need to settle so it can be revealed what YOUR potential is.

Everyone has the potential to reach whatever it is that’s in you, but you can’t exceed your potential because it’s what’s in place. No matter how much focus and dedication you have, if it’s not there to do a certain thing, it’s not there. If the potential isn’t in you to reach where you think you need to be, you will not get there and you will suffer. This is how one creates their own suffering; I know, I did this for years. I would say Minor League Baseball has many focused and dedicated players getting the max out of their potential, but it’s just not enough to reach the Major Leagues. This is only a problem if you think in order to be successful you have to make the majors. This goes for just about anything, there are many more people with balanced traits than those who have the potential to go to a higher level, but understand the potential to reach a higher level is already in them, they are just doing what’s necessary to maximize it.

Nine years ago I became a writer. I never went to school for it, nor took a course or anything else. It was never my aspiration or dream, it’s just something that arose in me when I put myself in alignment with my potential, I didn’t do this consciously, it just happened. This is where the value of the mind settling comes in, it allows you to truly get to know yourself so you don’t think you need to be who you aren’t. My greatest assets is in not trying to be anything but what I am. I don’t want to be anyone else nor do I need for anything to be other than what it is. Think about the peace in this, but it’s not peaceful because things are the way I think they should be, it’s peaceful because I know my potential and there is a focus and dedication that allows it to be. I’m not special, everyone has the potential to be whatever is in them, and although it may not be to write, the mind just needs to settle so it can be revealed what YOUR potential is.

Nothingness

Be the nothingness of who you are underneath all the noise so when it is time to pass on you will understand, all you will take with you is what you started out with.

There’s a very practical reason why we as a society are in the dire straights. It stems from the lack of understanding of the exact nature of our humanness. To much of what the world offers is held onto and glorified as an end to a means. Everything that has been put in place by man is geared towards keeping one in ignorance to the lack of understanding of our humanness and in the process what nothingness truly means. If you don’t think this is true take a look at what is taken with you when you pass away. You leave this world with what you have entered it with. This is nothingness in its truest form.

One of keys to understanding nothingness is to allow the mind to get quiet enough to see this. It will not happen by reading a book or doing crossword puzzles. It will not happen sitting outside on a star filled night smoking a cigar admiring all the stars. It will not happen even if you meditate, but are staying in your head. It will not happen regardless of what you do because to do is noise, the exact opposite of nothingness. Any doing is the noise that’s created which blocks nothingness from being understood. So do nothing and be the nothingness of who you are underneath all the noise so when it is time to pass on you will understand all you will take with you is what you started out with.

Nobody's Perfect

Loving energy not only changes you, but it also changes all those who are touched by it, so regardless of what arises move on and live as perfectly as you can, just remember nobody’s perfect.

One’s trek through life has nothing to do with it being done perfectly, nor does it mean it has to fall in line with what the majority think. As a matter of fact there’s no one thing in particular that makes life a success or failure except to accept that nobody’s perfect, including yourself. In this realization there’s a peace that allows one to not carry around burdens from the past or to not judge how others behave. There’s always what’s best for the greater good and being free of constricting energy, but this will only be seen when there’s acceptance of the way one is in this exact moment. When one’s anger arises it’s as perfect as when love arises. The other day I was on the beach and a family basically plopped down right on top of me and my wife. I got annoyed and said something to the father, a less than loving discussion ensued. Nothing major, but I got pulled in by the conditioning in place at that time. I quickly shut up and went up to the father to make matters right. Although I don’t condone behavior like this, I didn’t hold onto the residual energy of my conditioning.

Fast forward to an hour later and another couple sits near us, this time I just watched the mind try to make it a problem. I took a breath and that was the end of that. As they were close to us, I heard them talking as they were opening something to eat and they said they forgot napkins. I had some extra napkins and gave them some. You would have thought I gave them a million dollars. They said how nice I was and thanked me numerous times as they were very appreciative. I said to my wife amusingly, they should ask that other family how nice I am, lol. Learning to move on from something allows one to reflect and learn from it, and to me to move on allows the loving energy to continuously flow instead of the constricting energy of self loathing to be in control. It’s this loving energy that not only changes you, but it also changes all those who are touched by it, so regardless of what arises move on and live as perfectly as you can, just remember nobody’s perfect.

Natural Happiness

When happiness has to be manufactured instead of it naturally arising from the heart, there will be a dependency on needing to reach for it as the next fix and it’ll always seem as if it’s out there.

If the tools you are using to live your life don’t point inward, it just may be time to discard them for ones that do. I searched outside myself for tools to provide happiness for forty nine years and all I ever got were glimpses of it, it was never lasting because before long my mind became agitated and another tool was needed. Some people naturally develop tools from within, but this wasn’t to be so in my case. For whatever reason I always thought the grass was greener on the other side without realizing that grass had to be mowed also. This kept me locked into the need to reach. Happiness wasn’t fleeting because of not having the opportunity to be happy, it was fleeting because of the constant need to reach outside myself which didn’t allow happiness to arise. To me my happiness was always dependent on things being the way I thought they needed to be, but no matter what, I never really felt happy.

Even when things were exactly as I wanted, pure happiness was never experienced. A manufactured happiness was, but it’s not true because it’s dependent on something and as long as that’s the case, it will never be true. If you can’t at least be at peace with the way life is, you will never truly be happy because true happiness arises from the heart and doesn’t need anything to be. Trying to manufacture happiness is an issue because it creates a distraction that doesn’t allow it to naturally arise. When happiness has to be manufactured instead of it naturally arising from the heart, there will be a dependency on needing to reach for it as the next fix and as it was in my case, it always seemed to be as if it was out there.

Three Stages of Delusion

Everything passes in life that’s a fact, but delusions trait is to make everything permanent. Only when the mind is at ease will one see the delusion for what it is and only when this is seen will the delusion fall away.

Holding on to your view even in the face of evidence to the contrary is the greatest of all the delusions one can have combined. Basically delusion occurs in three stages, believing what is seen, the mental reactions to what is seen, and holding on to what is seen even though it’s proven not to be as it’s seen. These first two are the ones that occur mostly, and most people learn from these to a large degree, but the third one is where delusion becomes deeply embedded in the subconscious. It grabs hold of you and makes you do all kinds of nonsense. There are many ways that delusion manifest, just look at all the things that are reach for. The delusion here is the thing will bring satisfaction, but as soon as it’s grabbed it’s gone so the next thing is needed. This is delusion at its finest.

To me this is how delusion operates, you think someone is following you, that’s the beginning; it starts with a thought. Now the mind takes over and the mental reaction occurs or as I like to say “let the nonsense begins”. If the person thought to be following you passes you, the delusion will simply fall way, but if you’re in the grip of delusion, you will think the person passing you is just part of the plan. The delusion will always have to run its course before subsiding. No matter what it is in life, it will pass away, that’s a fact, but delusions trait is to make everything permanent so it can remain in place. Only when the mind is at ease will one see the delusion for what it is and only when this is seen will the delusion fall away.

Pleasure Seeking Intentions

One can only do what the conditioning in place allows and unless more people wake up to see what that conditioning is, it will remain in place and pleasure seeking will be the driving force behind one’s intentions.

Everything reached for is a coping mechanism one has been conditioned to use, and although using different things will produce different outcomes, the core of all reaching is the same, it arises from the lack of love of oneself. This lack is what causes one to constantly need to seek pleasure, the lack isn’t real, but the Conditioned Mind makes one believe it is and the ensuing behavior manifest to fill this need. The Conditioned Mind says, Hey, you have lack and you need to reach for something to fill it and according to what conditioning you have in place, that will be what you reach for; sit and ponder this for awhile.

Until this lack is understood and the diabolical Conditioned Mind is seen for what it truly is, suffering will remain because one will always have a need to reach for something to fulfill the arisen desire for pleasure. There’s nothing inherently wrong with pleasure, but when it’s the driving force of one’s existence, it will keep the mind in a constant state of agitation. This cannot be seen by a mind that’s locked in a state of lack, only a quiet mind state will be aware of this. The reason why anything is reached for is because one thinks there’s a need for the present moment to be different; this is the lie of the Conditioned Mind. One can only do what the conditioning in place allows and unless more people wake up to see what that conditioning is, it will remain in place and pleasure seeking will be the driving force behind one’s intentions.

Deluded Concept of Self

The awakening process is nothing more than to get in touch with the filter of self that’s in place and observe how it only exist because the Conditioned Mind makes up a concept that it does.

The basic delusion of our society is deeply rooted in the ignorance that’s there’s a self that everything happens to. This self is only a concept and it’s used as the filter in which everything that happens goes through. Why this is delusional is because nothing happens directly to you because this you is only a concept, an idea, so whatever happens is only the idea that it happens to you. Look at this as even this looking for most will be through the filter of the concept of self. When this self is used as a filter all feelings, emotions, sensations, mental constructs, material attainment, self consciousness and so on will go through this conceptual filter and thus here in lies the delusion. You know this is delusional because if this concept of self wasn’t in place things would still happen, there just wouldn’t be attachment to a self that things are happening to.

From the time existence in this form begins, the concept of self is being formed. The first thing that happens to solidify this concept is a name is attached the form. From there it’s basically the beginning of suffering, because now there’s a filter of attachment being applied to everything that happens in life. Only the conceptual self can suffer, and it’s because of using this filter that allows it. Without everything going through this filter one would be present to truly enjoy life. Everything passes in life, and it’s only the conceptual self that holds on to it; this is the one and only bondage there is in life. So the awakening process is nothing more than to get in touch with the filter of self that’s in place and observe how it only exist because the Conditioned Mind makes up a concept that it does.

Past Determined Future

If all we do is allow past Conditioned Mind Patterns to control our life in the present, our future is pretty much determined for us. It’s the fear of the unknown the keeps one stuck in the familiarity of the past.

What keeps the past in place is our fear of the unknown. It is much easier to remain in a familiar setting of the past than to venture out into the unknown. Although it’s not beneficial to live from the past, it’s our own mind that tells us to do this. There is no truth in the past, there’s only attachment to a lie. The Buddha called this lie Mara. He would say “I see you Mara” and just like that, the lie would give way to truth, but to see the lie one must know the lie is in place. To not know the lie, is simply to not know the truth. Only the truth can set you free, and only if it’s Universal Truth and not some story of what one thinks truth is. And how will you know this truth? When the mind is quiet truth is revealed and in this truth whatever it is you fear will fall away, fear can’t exist where there is existence of truth.

Our lack of truth is our down fall, not because it’s bad or good, but because it keeps us locked into Conditioned Mind Patterns that makes for the habit of repeating unloving behavior. To overcome this, the unloving conditioning in place has to be overcome. If this doesn’t occur, the squirrel cage mind will remain in control and the love that can overcome fear will be blocked as one will continue to live a lie and repeat the same unloving behavior that is harmful to all beings and our precious planet. This is the reason one is not happy and at peace all the time, if this isn’t known, the unloving conditioning in place will keep running the show; life can’t be lived any other way. This is what makes us remain attached to the familiarity of the past and pretty much has our future already determined. This can change, but only if you can say “I see you Mara”.