An Urge for Peace

The inner urge that keeps one searching for something (peace) arises from the thought realm of I and keeps the urge in place. Only when the mind settles and I is let go of will the urge subside and lo and behold therein lies one’s peace.

Many people are on a so called spiritual quest to find something and for me this something was an inner urging to be at peace. I say was because the urge is no longer there. For far to many years I didn’t truly understand this urge and so it was always there as was the searching to quiet it. This searching manifested in many different ways and none were beneficial in living my life in a loving manner. This is because of the way I was conditioned, to self seek (quiet the urge) which kept the urge in place. What a merry go round ride this produced, hence there wasn’t much peace in my life. This lasted for forty nine years and then one day through a tiny crack in my ego, there arose the possibility of a different view of life which was revealed to me and gave me some real answers as to the true nature of the urge.

Nine years ago it began as just a crack, but has been expanding ever since. For the most part the urge for peace is no longer there because it has been replaced with peace, but when the mind becomes agitated and the urge does return because of the Conditioned Mind Patterns that are in place, I’ve learned to see it from the I perspective that it arises from, and not attach to it. Only attachment to I keeps the urge in place so one has to search instead of there being peace. The search for peace will never result in peace because the search itself is what keeps one from experiencing peace. In this moment right now is where peace is so there’s no need to search for what already is. So it’s only when the mind settles and I is let go of that the urge will subside and lo and behold it is then that one will be at peace.

Nothing Last Forever

Nothing last forever and as long as I isn’t in control there can be awareness that no matter what one thinks, the Universe is ultimately in control and regardless of what is deemed as so important, one day it will not be so.

Yesterday morning as I was posting the article I wrote on one of the many sites that asked me to post on it, I suddenly got a message from Facebook stating I was being restricted from posting anything for six hours because I posted my article to fast (???). Trying to contact someone from FB is impossible and although at first my I was annoyed, there was nothing that could be done except to wait the six hours. A few people contacted me to tell me the link to my article was down and all I could say was, yeah I know, this too shall pass.

My I wanted to attach to this and make it about something, but that’s just because that’s what I does. In being acutely aware this was happening, it afforded me the ability not to attach to I and thus there was freedom. I was perplexed and still am as to why FB would do this, but I knew it was temporary. I got in touch with some feelings that arose in me on how I think what I do is so important, but how it can be it changed as quickly as a snap of a finger. Although my intentions are genuine with the process that’s happening to me, it showed me how quickly it can change. I wants to make mountains out of molehill, but the truth of the matter is this, nothing last forever and as long as I isn’t in control there can be awareness that no matter what one thinks, the Universe is ultimately in control and regardless of what one deems as so important “this too shall pass” or as stated in my article from the other day about bubbles, this too shall pop.

The Great Illusionist

The Conditioned Mind is a great illusionist, and what it creates is the illusion that life is as it appears. One forms beliefs that reinforce these illusions, so much so that it keeps the heart closed and one constantly looking for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Life really isn’t as it appears. The Conditioned Mind constantly tries to create a world that makes one wonder if they're happy. This created noise is an illusion that blocks one from seeing their own innate goodness and all this occurs without permission. When there’s an understanding that we’re just a manifestation of Universal Energy and not much else really matters, we can become still enough to see our creation not as the Conditioned Mind makes it appear, but as it was meant to be, lived from out true intention to be an instrument of stillness. The only thing that keeps one in a state of unawareness of this stillness is the Conditioned Mind.

Stillness breeds truth, truth breeds freedom. freedom breeds clarity and clarity breeds stillness. One day you’re in this form and one day just like that, you’re not. The base of your life determines how you’re spending the time that you have in this form. If it’s to serve your I Self you will never come from a place of stillness and it will be very difficult to see truth and find inner peace. If it’s to be still with all you heart and soul, the mind will settle and it will allow inner peace to be revealed which allows unity with all beings. They may not be in unity with you and that’s because of their conditioning, but unity with oneself is what’s important and how you will know you’re in unity with yourself is by the unity you have with all beings. This is the unity that only comes from one’s own heart. Separation is an illusion that’s created by the great illusionist, the Conditioned Mind, unity is what occurs when the conditioning falls away and the mind is still.

You Don't Get Me High Anymore

When the mind settles it can be said to desire “You don’t get me high anymore” and that’s because the only reason something is reached for is to alter one’s mind state by getting high.

For most of my life I reached out for things because whatever I was reaching for, it was thought to be needed to get me high, and by high I mean it took me out of the present moment monotony that my mind was creating. This altered state was constantly chased after and an array of things were used to achieve it, from drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, food, TV, power, and whatnot, feel free to add your own. There was the constant mind agitation to get high on something because I didn’t have the ability to be with myself without altering my mind state. This is the root as to why anyone reaches for anything and without this need to alter one’s mind state, there would not be a need to get high and reach out for anything.

The present moment monotony that’s created is there because it’s not known how to just be and not need the present moment different. There are so many things used to get high that go beyond some of the conventional things like drugs, alcohol and gambling. Here are a few of the more subtle things used, speeding up to beat the yellow traffic light, weaving in and out of traffic, rooting for your favorite sports team or country, talking about others, cheating on a spouse, surfing the net and on and on, all these are used to alter one’s mind state to stay out of the present moment. When this reaching stops its because the thing used doesn’t get you high any more and either something else will be used that does or one will learn it’s ok to be with yourself because it’s who you will be with for the rest of your life and there’s no reason to get high anymore.

A Decision Not to Judge

Judging energy keeps the energy of what was done in place. I’m not saying love people who cause harm, just don’t judge them. It’s in the space of non judgement that love naturally arises.

What if you decide that every person you meet is perfect just as they are and although their behavior may not be to your liking or even to the world’s liking, they in no way need to be any different? How much peace would there be in your life because of this decision? It’s not like if you don’t like the way someone behaves that they are going to change, so why waste the energy on trying to change that which will not be changed. And since you can’t change the person or the unloving behavior exhibited, accepting them as they are will most definitely change you; after all you are the only one you can change and that’s only if you’re aware there’s something that needs changing.

This simple way of viewing people will have a profound impact on your life because it takes away the unloving energy of judging. How this impacts you is it stops the downward spiral of the judging energy which affects everyone. This is true even if the person does the most horrific act imaginable, judging them does nothing to change what was done, but it does keep the energy of what was done active; it’s actually all the same unloving energy. This occurs because regardless of the harm done, judging would just keep the unloving energy of what was done in place. I’m not saying love people who cause harm, what I am saying is don’t judge them. It’s in the space of non judgement that love naturally arises and it’s because of the decision made that every person you meet is perfect just as they are, no matter how unloving their behavior may be.

Only I Needs Forgiveness

Forgiveness is used so one can be released from (let go of) the hurt that’s being held on to, but regardless of what’s done, the hurt only hurts the person holding on to it, not the person who did the hurt.

Here is what I see when it comes to forgiveness, I’m not immune or insensitive to the hurts people feel, which are real to those holding onto them, so they can’t just be ignored. Why one uses forgiveness is to be released from (let go of) the hurt that’s being held onto. Regardless of what is done the hurt only hurts the person holding on to it, not the person who did the hurt. The only way to get beyond the hurt is to let it go, but the thing done isn’t let go of, it’s the attachment to I that needs to be let go of; I is what’s holding on to whatever it is that was done. There’s no getting around some of the horrible (non loving) things people do that surely cause hurts, but if there’s no I attached to it, there’s no one actually being hurt. So because of this, the hurt only hurts until I is let go of. You can say at this point this is forgiveness, but what you’re actually doing is letting go of an I attachment. Are you not?

It’s called forgiveness because of the lack of understanding of what’s actually transpiring; letting go of I attachment is what’s occurring. Sit with this and you will see it for yourself. I don’t make this stuff up, it takes a very settled mind to see what’s really going on in life. The conventional way of looking at things is deeply engrained and I challenge anyone to discount any of my writings, not because I’m a know it all, but because they come from a place that’s beyond me.

Here’s a short personal example, someone did something to me when I was young that I carried around for forty plus years. When I learned that I was conditioned to act in the ways that I did I also learned so was everyone else (they know not what they do). Although everyone is accountable for their actions, this understanding freed me from the attachment my I was holding on to. I didn’t forgive the person, there was no need to. This is how it works for everything that happens, you can say this is BS, but understand that’s just your attachment to I saying that. I doesn’t want you to know the truth because it will set you free and what you will be free of is I.

The Forgiveness Story

Regardless of what’s done that makes one think forgiveness is needed, it’s in the past, so forgiveness is just a story that keeps one entrapped to past Conditioned Mind Patterns.

I know many look at forgiveness much differently than has been revealed to me, and you can defend what you’ve learned, but if you haven’t sat and investigated forgiveness for yourself, you are going by someone else’s idea of what forgiveness is. It has been revealed to me that forgiveness is a story that keeps one entrapped to past Conditioned Mind Patterns. Regardless of what is done that makes one think forgiveness is needed, it occurred in the past. I know many like to hold on to the belief that emotions have to be felt, but I say who says so, the experts? Good luck with following the so called experts when it comes to living your life, besides do you really want to live your life by someone else’s ideas?

Forgiveness viewed in the conventional way actually keeps one entrapped to a story, because if there’s an I who either needs forgiveness or has to forgive, there in lies the story of entrapment. Round and round this goes and all without ever investigating the origin of the forgiveness story. Ok, so something happened to you at one time, but now it’s today and you’re still carrying it around, and the reason is because you have an attachment to I that needs to constantly make up a story. I state something and a lot of times the response is, I see but, or I get it however. Either truth is seen or it isn’t. Stick with the lies of the story, but as long as a story is made up and held on to, one’s life is a delusional lie.

This isn’t to ignore what happens to you, but if it’s not happening right now and you are still carrying it, it’s a story. Is it not? Create any story you’d like, but please don’t pass it around as if there’s some enlightening attribute associated with forgiveness, one doesn’t get to do that until it’s investigated and seen for the truth that it is. So run around and think you are better than others by needing to forgive them, but all I’m saying is if one knows not what they do, what is there to forgive but a story being held onto from the past.

Present Moment Obstacles

The more a person can remain and live in the present moment, the less obstacles there are that don’t allow life to be lived to the fullest. So to me, the key to any life is to be present or forever want your peace.

Whatever takes you from the present moment is the biggest obstacle you will face in having a peaceful and full life. This obstacle comes in many many forms and this is part of why they’re so difficult to identify. For me it was my inner feelings of inadequacy that led me down the road of never being able to be present for what was actually happening. This led me to a need to constantly search for something to quiet this inner void.

The obstacles will differ for everyone and will manifest as fear, envy, jealousy, anger, greed, lust, inadequacy, and whatnot, but what they all have in common is they take you from the present moment. With all the available obstacles in place, it makes it hard to pinpoint exactly why one can’t remain in the present moment. To me exposing these obstacles is the direction of my practice; to identify how they take me from the present moment. Although the present moment isn’t a magical place, it is the place where life actually happens and I’ve found that at least in this place I’m not living through a story of what’s happening, I’m actually present for life as it is.

The obstacles are plentiful and through a practice that develops discipline and concentration they can be revealed and seen for the blocks that they are. It will take a very disciplined and concentrated mind for these obstacles to be identified, but as they are, their control will lose its grip which will allow one to be in the present moment more and more. And simply put, the more one is in the present moment, the less obstacles there are that don’t allow a person to truly live life to the fullest.

X Marks the Spot

Our completeness is a well hidden treasure and although X marks the spot, for one to be aware of their treasure, it has to be known the spot that X marks.

I often speak of a completeness within each individual that doesn’t require one bit of doing for it to be, but it’s not known by many, even though it’s always there. There are reason it’s not known, these are the obstacles that must be identified or our completeness will remain as a hidden treasure. Knowing of one’s completeness is just that, a treasure and just like in the days of the pirates, a map is needed to discover it because it’s so well hidden. So much of the human psychic has to be sifted through because of one’s conditioning to even begin finding this treasure. The most difficult thing to understand about this is one already possesses the treasure, but because of all the false maps that are out there, obstacles are created so our treasure remains hidden. Without the realization of this, it makes the search seem endless.

As with most treasure maps X usually marks the spot and it’s no different here. The X in this case is on the heart and when one can see this they know they possess the true map, not one of the fake ones. The difference with this treasure map is X is the entire map, the beginning and the end, this is because the start and finish are the same. Once it’s known where the treasure (completeness) is, the obstacles (fake maps) are no longer followed, this leaves but one map and it’s the one where X truly marks the spot, right on one’s heart.

Is Suffering Necessary?

If a sentence is started with the words “I believe” STOP because an I story is being reinforced and when this occurs the only thing that can come of out of it is suffering.

A very important question to ask yourself – Is suffering necessary? The answer to this question is simple, for those who are awake, suffering isn’t necessary and for this who are asleep, it is. There has been much discussion lately about emotions and feeling and the suffering that’s associated with them. What I’ve learned is it’s the attachment to I that’s at the core of the suffering. I’ve developed a simple way to assist me in identifying when attachment is rearing its ugly head, I simply ask myself “Is suffering necessary” for me I’ve learned any attachment blocks my freedom to be present for what’s actually occurring, not an I story of what’s occurring. Not understanding how I is the core of attachment is why emotions and feelings are so difficult to accept and the lack of understanding impermanence anchors it.

When I finally understood the relationship between impermanence and I, it allowed the control that emotions and feelings had over me to fall away; there’s no resistance of them, they just aren’t there. Here’s how this works; my mom is eighty four years old, obviously I love my mother, but I don’t attach to her current condition. It’s inevitable that one day her passing will occur, as will everyone’s. This understanding has already allowed me to accept her passing so whenever it does occur there will be no I attachment, so there will not be the need to grieve or suffer. Everything is impermanent in life and the moment this is accepted the I lets go of its control along with its attached suffering. Look I know this isn’t the conventional way to accept emotions and feelings, but it’s what has been revealed to me and I’ve learned through self investigation that to those who are awake, suffering isn’t necessary and to those who are asleep, it is. Attach to whatever is needed, just understand suffering is optional.

Knowing What's Right

Just because someone else may not think what you do is right, it doesn’t mean it isn’t so. Through self investigation what is right will be revealed, but only if the mind is settled enough to see.

What many people don’t seem to grasp is in the space of silence is where one encounters the true essence of life, this doesn’t mean feeling and emotions are ignored, it’s actually just the opposite, the space of silence is the only place where one can truly be with their feelings and emotions, but not in the way that most of us have been conditioned to believe. Most people are brought up to believe you have to feel or be emotional when certain things occur, but I ask you if it causes you to suffer, is it truly necessary? I am speaking strictly from my perspective and what I’ve learned is anything that causes me to suffer is not necessary. So for me when feelings or emotions begin to arise, I notice them for what they are and allow to them to keep going by not attaching to them.

I know many disagree with this and that is each individuals right, but anything that causes suffering I’ve learned not to attached to it. I don’t push feelings or emotions away, I just don’t attach to them or anything else for that matter that’s going to take me from my place of peace. I’m not to concerned what anyone else thinks of this because I have found my peace is my responsibility, regardless of what anyone else thinks. For to many years I wasn’t at peace because I listened to what everyone else thought was right, but today through the discipline of sitting, I’ve discovered a place within where true answers of non attachment have been revealed. This has allowed me to be at peace more often than not, and just because someone else may not think this is right, doesn’t mean it isn’t so.

Seeing Life's Splendor

The splendor of life is seen in the splendor of what our view of the world is. The world is seen through our eyes and when the mind is settled, what is seen is the splendor of life.

The world’s splendor is seen only one takes the the time to see it. You don’t have to go to some wonder of the world to see it, how about your own back yard or just taking a walk in the park. But if the mind isn’t settled it won’t matter where you are, you will not the see the splendor that the moment has to offer.

So much of life is missed because of the noise in the head, take the time to smell the roses before the roses are gone. If you keep saying tomorrow, my heart goes out to you because literally tomorrow never comes. Regardless of what concept or belief you want to make up in your head, it’s always today. You may dream of tomorrow, but the dream can only happen today. You can hope or wish for tomorrow to be different than it is today, but at some point tomorrow melds into today. It’s always today and that’s where the mind needs to be if you want to be with the splendor of the Universe.

Take a step back before you miss one more second of your life. There are many many distractions, that’s why if the mind isn’t settled you’ll miss the splendor of life which is always right before your very eyes. It’s up to each individual to see the splendor that life has to offer, but if you’re to busy it’ll be over before you know it. You can accomplish many things in life, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to seeing the splendor of it. It may allow you to see how splendid you are, but it’s the Universe that gives a sense of awe, and it will only be seen by a mind that is ready to settle enough to see the splendor that life has to offer.

The Bubbles of Life

Each occurrence in life is as if it were a bubble, it arises from nothing and returns to nothing, but regardless of what occurs it will only last a certain amount of time as this too shall pop.

I can remember as a child being fascinated with blowing bubbles and even today if someone is blowing bubbles I will look at them. To me life is like a bubble, it begins its existence from nothing and through a process, a bubble is formed. It will last as long as conditions allow it to and then just like that it will pop. No bubble or life will last forever.

Each occurrence in life is as if it were a bubble and regardless of what occurs, it will only last a certain amount of time until it pops. This is one of the reasons a person always needs to look and reach for the next thing, whether it’s in the form of a book, promotion at work, lover, a degree, health remedy, some form of attire, food, drugs, alcohol, a bet, and so on, even when the thing is gotten (the bubble is made) it will soon pop. Everything reached for is as if it were a bubble and although one can be fascinated with them, they will not last, no matter how much one wants them to.

Just think about it, bubble after bubble (life occurrences) arise from nothing and pop as they return to nothing. This constantly occurs throughout one’s life until the last bubble pops which is life itself, but it’s no different than the other bubbles. It arose from nothing, manifested, and returns for whence it came. The key here is to truly understand the correlation between these two and to fascinated with each and every bubble (occurrence) knowing in one’s heart that although they’re all a part of the natural process of life, this too shall pop.

Creating Space

When space between our thoughts is created, one awakens to awareness, truth, and love. The more space that’s created, the more awareness, truth, and love there is, but there’s no magic here, just space.

Yesterday my article was about truth arising from the space within oneself. But how is this space created? A lot of times people repeat and post things that are profound, but few know their true meaning and how to actually implement them. It’s nice to say “Live in the Now” or “let go” but how does one go about doing this? Everything is learned in life so if one isn’t taught how to implement what they’re attempting to do, it probably won’t happen.

Here is one way to create space in your life so there’s the possibility for truth to arise. The first thing is to become aware of the constant chatter that goes on between your ears. If there isn’t awareness of this, it will be very difficult to create space. How one becomes aware of this is by looking inward and investigating what all the noise is about. Notice the stories that are being created and understand as long as they’re in place, space and truth will not be.

I had to start a practice of sitting and this is what allowed awareness as the constant chatter slowly subsided. This isn’t magic here, as the chatter subsided, space was created and truth began arising. This is the process that is still in place right now for me, but today the space created had expanded so there’s a lot less chatter between my ears and a lot more truth arising. If this space wasn’t created, I would be as I had always been and my book and all of the articles that I’ve written would not be. This is simple, when space is created what one awakens to is awareness, truth, and love and as there is more and more space created, there is more and more awareness, truth, and love, but like I said, there’s no magic here, just space.

The Space of Truth

The only way truth will be known is when there’s the space of needing nothing to prove, defend, or explain, and this is because truth doesn’t need a story. Why would it if its the truth?

Regardless of what happens in your life, at the end of it the most important thing is to know you lived in the space of truth and you have no regrets. To me this doesn’t mean accomplishing great things, but it does mean living from and understanding the spaciousness of unquestioned truth. Don’t allow anyone to deter you in what the Universe reveals to you as truth. Make sure it’s not something made up or something that someone else tells you or writes about, but that it’s the truth the comes from the space which needs no defending nor explaining. If someone has to prove their way is the right way, listen politely, investigate it, and I guarantee you will see the flaws in what they are saying. Truth doesn’t have to be pushed, proven, explained or defended, it’s truth, it’s self sustaining.

Deep within, from a place I know nothing about, things have been revealed to me that need no defending, explaining, or have to be proved or pushed on anyone. I share what I know, but I don’t know how I know it, all I know is that I do. Forget beliefs about something, forget all thoughts about what you think is truth because regardless of what the experts say, truth comes from the space that needs no explanation. There is no story when it comes to truth and there is no need to defend it. Why would something without question need defending? Say what you will, but if you think what you are saying is truth, but it doesn’t come from within yourself, it isn’t truth. You can’t learn truth from someone else, that would be like a dog chasing its tail. Truth doesn’t come from a book, it will only be revealed from the space within yourself when the mind settles. Many make up their truth because it’s all they know, but the only way truth will be known is when there’s the space of needing nothing to prove, defend, or explain, and this is because truth doesn’t need a story. Why would it if its the truth?