Moment of Contact

The moment of contact with life simply occurs because one is alive. As a matter of fact, it even occurs when one isn’t alive, there just isn’t awareness the moment of contact is happening.

Because of the way one is conditioned, each moment of contact with life is put into a category of pleasant and unpleasant, there are also times it seems the moment of contact is neither. The only reason anyone has an issue with life is because it’s desirable to have each moment of contact pleasant, but this is impossible because life isn’t designed in this way. Not that life does anything to anyone, but things do happen that can be considered downright nasty. Case in point, the on going recent events with my mouth, I can attach that the process going on as unpleasant, but it wouldn’t change what’s happening, it would only change the degree of suffering; the suffering would be a direct result of attaching to wanting it different. This doesn’t mean I like what’s happening, but I can be in a state of it being unpleasant and not attach the label to it.

Life just rolls along, it stops for nothing. The moment of contact is one continuous motion. It may seem like individual happenings, but that’s only because of the way we have been conditioned to use time and break life up into segments. The unpleasant is constantly pushed away to try and make room for the pleasant as if when one decides it’s pleasant, it makes life perfect. But for there not to be suffering, life has to be deemed as perfect with what’s happening right now, only because that’s what’s there. The Conditioned Mind wants life pleasant all the time and until one can be with the unpleasant the same as the pleasant, there will be self created suffering. This is because one will be always trying to arrange the moment of contact the way they think it should be (pleasant) and not be with what’s actually happening.

A Mother Loves Naturally

A mother’s love is special because of the bond she has with her children that is formed naturally. This is unconditional love beyond what words can describe. It’s a love formed because mom and the child are one.

A mother’s love is something that can be seen, it needs no words. It’s a love that’s forever binding regardless of what happens. Watching a mother care for her child is so beautiful and this isn’t limited to humans. Mom loves from instincts, it’s love that occurs naturally from the Universe. Watching a mother take care of her child is the love that everyone should have for each other. This love is the same love that the Universe has for each and everyone of us. A mother loves all her children the same as the Universe loves us all the same. Mom doesn’t see color and never puts conditions on her love, she just loves. If we are to survive as a species we will need to go beyond the limits of the mind and see how to love unconditionally. We’ll need to observe how a mother loves and mimic that with all humanity.

A mother’s love never wavers, there may be disappointment in her heart at times, but that’s only because she wants what’s best and it’s the love in her heart crying out. Mankind is on a course of self destructing and it’s because of the lack of love in their heart. If it’s not seen how the Universe is our mother and we are all brothers and sisters, our separation will be the end of us. Mom is always there for us as is the Universe, but unfortunately we are given enough rope to hang ourselves and that’s exactly what we as a species are doing. Watch a mother give birth and see the sparkle in her eyes, it’s the same sparkle that the Universe has for all humanity. This sparkle arises because there’s no thought of herself, the child born is just an extension of herself; they are as one. Only when we all see each other in the same way will we as a species turn our attention to loving each other unconditionally, seeing the sparkle of oneness in each other’s eyes.

Reflective Thoughts

The simple word “no” can be used to cut off attaching energy to a thought. In this is the infinite possibility of peace, but it will only occur when a thought is seen for its insignificance.

Thoughts will arise, that’s a given, but reflecting on them instead of applying a label is the difference in learning from them or allowing them to control. Why was I born, what is my purpose, what is God, these are simply thoughts, attaching your story to them changes their dynamics from reflective energy to becoming agitated by them and applying energy needed to search or reach for an answer. When something is unknown, the mind will make up answers, these made up answers are the base of how most lives are lived. We are bombarded by a barrage of daily thoughts, many arise, go away, and come back throughout the day. Not every thought is attached to, it’s the ones that are that cause issue; most just come in and leave, only to return.

Reflection is a valuable tool in developing the awareness to just see a thought arise and not give any credence to it. That is arises means nothing, what is done with it after it arises means everything. If a thought arises about something that happened in the past, it doesn’t have to be given attaching energy. It can be simply reflected upon and seen as a thought, nothing more. The Conditioned Mind is designed to make a story out of it, but with discipline this can be seen and the simple word “no” can be used to cut off any attaching energy. In the simple word of “no” is the infinite possibility of peace, but it will only occur when a thought is seen for its insignificance, that is unless it’s attached to, than all bets are off.

Mind Lies

When truth is revealed, no longer does one listen to the mind because it’s understood, you shouldn’t believe everything your mind tells you because it just isn’t true.

Don’t believe everything your mind tells you because it will tell you things that just aren’t true. It will tell you the past is real yet the only place the past exist is in the mind. It will tell you to fear, yet the only thing you have to fear is fear itself. It will tell you to hold onto the belief of a self that’s a solid entity, but the form that’s being occupied needs no such attachment to exist, as it is always changing in a constant state of flux. It will tell you I think therefore I am, but thinking has nothing to do with I am. It will make up beliefs that everything desired on the outside is needed, but if none of those desires come to pass, nothing happens. Even if they do get fulfilled, the satisfaction is fleeting at best. Then there’s the thing the mind calls ego, this is like the bogeyman under the bed, it exist until one looks under the bed. There’s also not a need to get rid of it because it never existed, except in the mind.

There’s the image in the mirror who was given a name for identification purposes, we think we are that name. If the name is different we think we are someone else, but that’s only to the mind because the form remains the same. There will be many lies held onto that just aren’t true, but unfortunately the more they are attached to, the truer they seem. To truly be free, the lies will have to be exposed, this doesn’t mean you find out you don’t exist, you find out you just don’t exist in the way your mind tells you. When this truth is revealed, no longer does one listen to the mind because it’s understood, you shouldn’t believe everything your mind tells you because it just isn’t true.

Programmed to......

If anything is ever going to change in our world, the programming in place will have to change. This will only happen when it’s seen the programming isn’t providing the most beneficial results.

An operating system is programmed to do certain things and it will do just that, whether one wants it to or not; it has to do what its been programmed to do. Our mind becomes programmed in the same way and unless the operating system is changed or at least upgraded to some degree, it will remain as originally programmed. It’s imperative to understand this so first the programming in place can be identified and second so the programming that may not be serving you in the most beneficial way, can be changed. The programming that ran my life for many years was a self serving one and after a long period of time (forty nine years to be exact), I realized the programming was not really benefitting me or anyone else for that matter. This realization is the beginning stages for the possibility of the programming to change. This will take some effort because of how engrained the programming is, but the effort is more of an awareness than an actual exertion.

Once one becomes aware there may be another program so to speak to live by, the process of changing it has started. This is difficult because part of the original programming is to hold onto the familiar even if it’s not providing much benefit. It’s how the dog chasing its tail syndrome remains in place; even at the point of its own destruction. It has many tools and influences to do this, some inner, some outer, it’s just part of the programming. This is why when a person acts in a particular way, they are more accountable than responsible for what they do. If anything is ever going to change in our world, the programming in place will have to change. This will only happen when it’s seen the programming although doing what it was designed to do, isn’t providing the most beneficial results.

Hearing Life's Moments

There’s no way one will ever fully understand life conceptually so answers are made up, but in the space of silence one hears what the moments of life have to say and answers aren’t needed.

Listening to the moment as it occurs allows for harmony with life so what’s not of the mind can arise; thought blocks this harmony. The silence is always there, but it’s not always heard because of the noise between one’s ears. We are mostly programmed to live visually without taking much time to truly see and this is because we don’t hear. This visual living is why one gets pulled around by the outer because hearing the silence underneath the visual hasn’t been developed. There’s no way one can fully understand life conceptually so answers are made up, but in the space of silence one hears what the moments of life have to say and answers aren’t needed. Listen to this silence and hear what life is saying. Develop a listening meditation where you just sit with the sounds of the moment. Add nothing, take nothing away, just sit, listen, be with what arises.

Listening to life’s moments is so different than being drawn in by the visual view. This is because through the visual a label of like or dislike is instantly applied and attachment follows to the point where it gains control. As this occurs the silence of the moment is missed. This is the beginning of how our stories are created, it’s because the space of each moment will be filled with something and it will either be a story or silence. Learning to hear what occurs in each moment is a skill few develop and until it becomes primary in the way life is viewed, the visual will continue to keep one in bondage to the senses as the outer control doesn’t allow life to be heard.

A Storied Truth

Until one can be with things as they are without needing them in a way that provides comfort, a made up version of truth will continue its control and unfortunately so will the suffering this causes.

Even thought a thought pops into your head, that doesn’t mean it’s associated with truth. It may be associated with what is thought to be truth, but upon further investigation it’s probably just a made up story providing you with some comfort of the way you think things should be. Don’t we use the story of helping others in this way, it’s really used to kind of pat ourselves on the back because we make up the story that helping others is good, and we get comfort out of anything labeled as good. We use God the same way, it’s strictly used to provide comfort, nothing more; like there’s really something that our there that cares what you do. All these made up stories block one from really seeing what the truth is. Truth as it is with love needs no story, and if a story is being used to formulate what truth is thought to be, I guarantee you it’s not truth, it’s only your story.

Truth is not something to know. It can’t be defined correctly with words because it’s only seen when the mind is settled. When you judge someone regardless of what they do, you are applying a version of truth of how you think they should be acting. This is the same with life situations, and these judgements are only there to provide yourself with the comfort of the way you think things should be. Life and the people in it are always as it is and until one can just be with the way things are, instead of always wanting them in a way that provides comfort, truth will never be experienced. Thus your made up version of truth will continue its control and unfortunately so will the suffering that this causes.

Matured Stability

Acceptance of the way things are goes a long way in providing oneself with the stability that provides the maturity of not needing to reach for a pacifier in whatever form it takes on.

Seeking self satisfaction is a sign of immaturity. It’s the I want, what I want, when I want it syndrome. Self seeking is directly linked to one’s level of maturity and if you don’t think this is so, what’s the difference in what you use now as opposed to the pacifier or bottle that was used as an infant? Only the object has changed, the same reaching is in effect. Stop and see the baby in place who doesn’t like what’s being written here. So your feelings may be hurt, who cares if this article allows you to see the truth needed to act in a mature manner. And how you will know immaturity is in place is by how you have to reach for things. This takes on many many forms and unless the mind is very settled, immaturity and reaching which go hand and hand, and the reaching will remain.

Acting your age (maturing) will only occur when seeking self satisfaction ceases. Judging is immature, jealousy also is. Greed, hate, and wanting life different (delusion) is immature. Relying on a program is immature, it’s no different than reaching for pacifier to provide comfort. Matter of fact anything that’s reached for is a sign of immaturity because it all falls under the guise of a pacifier. One is mature when nothing in life needs to be different or reached for and this is even if some of the things one does are not totally mature. Acceptance of the way things are goes a long way in providing oneself and humanity with the stability that provides the maturity of not needing to reach for a pacifier in whatever form it takes on.

Conditioned Development

As we grow up we develop in a way that the conditions in place allow for the development to be as it is. Simply put, if our development was based in loved, humanity would be much different.

As I look back, I see how many of the Conditioned Mind Patterns I developed were just a part of what was there growing up, nothing particularly right or wrong in this, especially because there wasn’t much that could have been done differently. It’s very difficult to act in a loving manner if that’s not what’s in place as one grows up. Some things are learned naturally, but everything takes some kind of practice. If you’re learning how to catch a baseball, at first it’s probably awkward with no knowledge as to the best way to do it, but the more you do it the more natural it becomes. This is a good thing if what you’re learning is based in love, but part of the problem is when what’s developed isn’t based in love because unfortunately it too becomes natural; this is why it’s so hard to change. I knew what was right (loving) and what was wrong (selfish) growing up, but doing what was loving was not what was developed so being selfish was natural to me and there wasn’t anybody who could tell me different because that’s all I knew.

To say the least, this selfish development caused much suffering because with this conditioning in place, there wasn’t any room for much else to be seen. This is the merry go round most people are unknowingly on and it’s a direct result of why humanity is the way it is. If we all grew up with our development based in loved, humanity would be much different, it’s that simple. I know this because nine years ago I began developing a different base (one of love) and lo and behold things began changing. It doesn’t mean it’s always this way, but just as it is with learning to catch a baseball, it takes practice, and in this case it’s done so the loving behavior becomes as natural as the earlier development of being selfish was.

Free Will to Love

A person can only do what the conditioning in place dictates them to do and although it’s looked at as having free will, without investigating if what you are doing is coming from love, there’s nothing free about it.

Acting unloving affects no one more than the one acting in an unloving manner. On the surface some are severely affected by unloving actions, but the long lasting affect of an unloving action goes deeply into the soul of the one committing it. The lack of this love is prevalent all around, at the water cooler at work, in the news, on the road, at home and it all has more to do with someone not getting their way through their conditioning in place and thus acting accordingly. This is what’s thought to be free will, but there’s nothing free about it because this behavior keeps one in bondage. To awaken is to go in the direction of love, when this is done one is truly exerting their free will. This doesn’t mean you will be perfect and love all the time, but it will be the direction you will want to go in all the time.

Nothing else can truly be called free will because there’s never a choice until there is. What I mean by this is for forty nine years I was in bondage to a self serving will and there was absolutely nothing free associated with it. I was told to jump and I did the only thing I could do and that was to jump. For me I stopped drinking alcohol at the age of twenty eight and thought this was a choice, but the only thing that happened was the self serving will was substituted for something different. Bondage is bondage regardless of what has a hold of you. It wasn’t until there was awareness of this that the self serving will slowing began its transformation to go in the direction of love and thus free will. You cannot be self serving and be free, you can tell yourself you have free will, but the only way one’s will will truly be free is if it comes from a place of love.

The Idea of Self

Nothing is the whole of anything unless it is labeled as so and who does this labeling, but the idea of an I that only exist to form the delusional concept of self.

The idea of self has kept you wandering helplessly for possibly countless lifetimes. The idea has done this, the concept of self is not the self, not the mind, not I, nor does it truly have anything to do with you. It’s just an idea that keeps you entrapped to “there’s a self” story. It’s always the story itself that keeps you entrapped and although it may seem as though what’s being used to create the story keeps you entrapped, it is not. It can’t be, because there’s no substance to a story and this is because it’s of the mind and there’s nothing solid when it’s from the mind; it’s as fleeting as yesterday’s dream. If it’s about something that happened, that means you are bringing the past into the present and this creates a delusional mindset. If you’re bringing the future into the present, again you’re creating a delusional mindset by not being with what’s actually happening.

This is what happens when the idea of self is put forth as the driving energy behind how one lives. If everything done is derived from self, than life will be delusional because the self is delusional; self is an idea, it’s made up. It’s not that there isn’t existence, but unless you can truly see where this self is, it has to cause problems if it’s attached to you. What I mean by this is if you take the idea away of what you think your self is, what’s left? You have been labeled (named) for identification purposes and all the other labels just fall in line, son, daughter, brother, sister, and so on. Without an applied label where is the self? You have a body, but you are not the body. Nothing is the whole of anything unless it is labeled as so, and who does this labeling, but the idea of an I that only exist to form the delusional concept of self.

A Hollow Shell

Everyone begins existence complete, it’s just that not many realize it so this produces a need to reach for it. Most people have a sense of lack in their lives so the reaching seems natural, but it’s not.

Constantly reaching for things on the outside keeps one in the grip of the need to reach because it’s as though it creates a hollow shell. The reason why reaching is done is to try and fill the hollowness, but the reaching for things on the outsides keeps the reaching in place, thus the hollowness remains; the dog chasing its tail syndrome. Only by looking inward does the hollowness begin to be filled, but what really happens is it simply collapses because the outside hold weakens. Years of conditioning makes the hollow shell almost impossible to crack and it’s unfortunate because many never get beyond the hollowness. I did say almost impossible because the slightest turning inward is all that’s needed. Once looking outside ceases because the lies are exposed, looking inward becomes the technique of choice and it has a snow ball rolling down a hill effect; it just naturally picks up momentum.

Outside reaching is used as a protection technique so one doesn’t have to go inward. The greatest lie that we tell ourselves and constantly reinforce it is, we need something to be complete, but there’s nothing further from the truth. Everyone begins existence complete, it’s just that not many really know this, hence the need to reach for it. Most people have a sense of lack in their lives so the reaching seems natural, but it’s not. We’re not meant to be hollow and it’s only so because of the conditioning we develop. Once the slightest crack occurs, everything changes because the inward view reveals truth and although we live a lie for most of our lives, when truth is revealed the hollowness implodes as the truth sets you free.

What's Your Story

To not create stories one has to not mind what happens. When one wants things to be different, your power is transferred to whatever it is that’s wanted different and hence a story is created.

If you don’t see the story that you live your life by, you become it and it takes you on the ride of whatever the story is. There’s the story of not feeling well, or of something that happened in the past. There’s the story of your favorite team playing or work. How about the family story, or the story of just wanting things different. The stories shape your life because of attachment, not because of what happens. These attached stories are where emotions arise from, they’re where fear, discontent, and anger form and gain their power. This is what attachment does, it takes the power away from you and hands it over to the attachment. Without attachment you have the power of how what happens in your life affects you, not so when there’s attachment. You cannot relinquish control without attaching a story to what happens.

This is how it works, throughout the day if there’s not some sort of technique in place to remain present, the story begins and your power gets transferred to attachment. It doesn’t matter what the story is, that you have transferred your power to an outside source is what matters. It’s outside because now objects, people, and circumstances control you and here’s the kicker, you alone have done this. So how do you not do this? The first thing is to understand what’s written here so you see what you’re doing. As summer approaches think of this, you may not be able to get rid of all the dandelions on your lawn, but if you learn to not mind them, they won’t be a problem. Basically what has to be done in order not to create stories is, not mind what happens. If you want things to be different, your power will be transferred to whatever it is that’s wanted different. So watch your stories, don’t mind what happens and even though you may have a lawn full of dandelions, it won’t matter to you all that much.

Who You Aren't

Learn to let what happens to remain where it occurs. Once something is done it is done, there’s no need to create a burden out of it, that is unless who you think you are needs to do so.

Learn to never hold onto the conditioning that arises which makes you act and feel a certain way. Who you think you are is not who you truly are nor is it who someone else thinks you are, so why make it so? This is a very valuable lesson to learn in this process of life, if one is to truly experience peace. We get so caught up in the nonsense of the Conditioned Mind that instead of being able to remain present and not attach to our conditioning, we actually give it the energy needed for it to remain in place and block out the underlying peace that’s available. Peace is always there, but it’s blocked out by Conditioned Mind energy that we ourselves allow. You may not always act in a manner that you or anyone else deems appropriate for a given circumstance, but it’s never who you are so there’s reason to hold on to it and make it so. Non attachment to who you think you are has to be the energy one is leaning on if there’s to be any semblance of peace.

Why is non attachment so critical? It’s because there’s so much non loving reactions due to the conditioning in place, that if there’s attachment you will keep going round and round in its circle. You do something, it’s attached to as being who you are, so now it’s labeled accordingly and hence there’s no peace. This is attachment energy and there’s no peace here because the energy creates bondage to who you only think you are; not who you truly are. Learn to let what happens to remain where it occurs. Once something is done it is done, there’s no need to create a burden out of it, that is unless who you think you are needs to do so.

One or the Other

It’s very simple to understand the mind, it can be broken down into two mind states, wholesome and unwholesome and everyone who is alive will be guided by one or the other.

There’s a lot of stuff (thinking) that goes on between the ears that determines what mind state one will be guided by and when broken down, you will be guided by one or the other. To me everything that happens is the result of something else, so the results of living in a state of wholesomeness or unwholesomeness are vastly different. This isn’t to apply a label that one is right and one is wrong, but if investigated it can be seen how wholesomeness produces results more in line with love, kindness, peace, harmony, joy, and unwholesomeness puts one more in line with results of anger, greed, hate, unhappiness, and discontent. I had an unwholesome mind for many years and this resulted in much suffering in the form of feeling isolated and alone most of the time. As a result of this, I used many different things to try and not feel this way, but to no avail because not matter what, the isolation would always return.

Nine years ago I begin understanding the different results of these two mind states and began developing certain things that put me more in line with a wholesome mind. An unwholesome mind is selfish in nature and produces selfish results, desirable results if you’re based in the material world. A wholesome mind has no selfishness to it and the results are accordingly. This doesn’t mean that the unwholesome conditioning is gone for good, but it has lessened to a large degree and hence there is literally no more isolation, or hate in me. If the difference of these two mind states aren’t seen, it seems the unwholesome state controls more. I would say it’s because of the influences of the material world that make this so. Even though by being alive you are part of the world, when you finally wake up, what’s seen is you don’t have to allow the selfish collective mind state of the worlds unwholesomeness to control you.