the wisdom of insecurity

It is amazing how much one can glean from the titles of 'spiritual' books. Take for example Alan Watt's book: "The Wisdom of Insecurity". We don't need to read his book to guess the main point ... that trying to control everything and clinging to opinions about how things ought to be in the future is folly. Expectations and opinions are rarely in agreement with presently arising reality. Moreover, the only real security lies in knowing that there is none.

During meditation we ask the question "What is absolutely true right now" We turn our attention away from the past and the future". In the silence that presents itself during meditation we notice that we can't control anything that is happening. In that silence, we notice that we cannot predict which thought will pop into our heads next, or how we will feel in the next second, or what noise in the room might arise. We see that wishing for some better 'future' is to miss the wonder and mystery that is here and now. Is it not clear that our attempts to find security is what causes our feelings of insecurity and unhappiness?

I like the way Alan Watts states it:
"If happiness always depends on the future, we are chasing a will-o-the-wisp that ever eludes our grasp, until the future, and ourselves, vanish in the abyss of death."

What is your experience?
bob

everything belongs

Discomfort arises when we believe that "what is happening right now is not enough or does not belong". Think about it ... what is arising right now is enough and belongs because it is all there is (at this present moment). Things cannot be other than they are.

We habitually recoil from "what is" by expecting something else. This endless judging and comparing causes dis-ease. Judging, for some of us, has become a habit or even an addiction ... happily all habits or addictions can be broken. There is nothing wrong with judging per se: we could not survive for a day without it. But when it becomes an addiction we have trouble, trouble, and more trouble.

So ... give this a try. Next time you meditate just say "YES" to everything that arises in awareness. Just welcome every thought, every feeling, and every perception whether 'pleasant' or 'unpleasant'. When we welcome what is arising, we are affirming reality and subverting the ego's automatic recoil. Then life is seen to be free from 'me'; and desire-less, welcoming peace shines. By the way, you don't have to restrict this "everything belongs" practice to your meditation periods. You can do it anytime.

Enlightenment is effortless. It takes great effort to carry so many opinions about what belongs and what does not. Unburden yourself .... no one is forcing you to carry so much.

bob

everything points to truth

Have you noticed that everything that arises in Awareness is transient? Thoughts don't last, emotions come and go, our field of view and body sensations are always in flux. One day there is happiness and the next sadness, bliss, anger or whatever.

Are you seeking truth in things or thoughts? You will never find truth in anything objective because everything that is thought, felt, or experienced is temporary ... the Truth is beyond all that and is unchanging.

You are Awareness. The One who only notices, never judges, never condemns, and never changes. Awareness is not a thing, an idea, a noble being, nor can it be lost or do anything. It is what all appearances point to.

Everything that arises points to Awareness as "every thing" arises out of Awareness, abides for a moment in Awareness, and falls back into Awareness. Just stop seeking for truth in things; then things will lose their hold on you; and You will remain as you have always been: whole, eternal, and free.

bob

conditioning

You are not your thoughts. Herein lies great freedom ... freedom from the past and the freedom to act spontaneously in the present moment. Saying that you are not your thoughts is equivalent to saying that you are not your past, as thoughts are always about the past.

From childhood on we are barraged with thoughts about who we are, what we should believe, and how we should act. There is nothing wrong with all this conditioning. We need it to interface with the world's conditioning. Problems start when we forget that we are much much more than our thoughts. When we forget this, we unconsciously act out of our conditioning which is always a recoil from present reality.

This mechanical recoil causes needless suffering for us and others. Why? Because we are out of step with what is happening right now.

Daily meditation gently releases us from the tyranny of the past (our thoughts). It allows us to see that we are vast indeed. Moreover, we see that there is no need to rid ourselves of thoughts or even to change them because we are able to see that we have always been completely free of them. Do you see this?

bob

the first law of holes

The first law of holes is: "when you find yourself in one, stop digging!"

We bring our "doing more" attitude into our meditation practice. We are usually looking for results from our practice like: to get enlightened, to quiet our minds, to get closer to God, or to have some blissful experience. Though we may get these 'things' we will not find what we are really looking for because it can't be lost or found. The Divine nature of all things is only seemingly masked by so much seeking.

In meditation it is best to just relax, let go, and take what you get. Drop all techniques, drop your ideas about enlightenment, drop your ideas of what is good or bad. Just come to your practice empty handed ... innocently and effortlessly into the present moment. Let Love come to you.

bob

good news!

While meditating, guilt or shame may arise in your awareness. If shame or guilt is not 'your thing', substitute any other negative emotion for the purposes of this discussion as this post is not about shame or guilt per se. It is about the negativity that can arise during a meditation session.

Because feelings or thoughts of shame or guilt come and go during your meditation session, means that they are not real. That which is real does not come and go. So ... given that they are not real, there is no need to do anything about them ... we need neither engage them nor push them away. Just notice that all negativity is transient even the thought that this feeling will never go away.

I have been sitting in Silence for a long time and I have realized something that I want to share with you if you have missed it ... It's good news.

You are NOT GUILTY of anything; you are completely FORGIVEN. The separation from Life that you imagine never happened. You are WHOLE and always have been. You only imagine otherwise.

This week, while you meditate, I invite you to join me in the certain knowledge that you need do nothing; that you are totally FORGIVEN. When thoughts that indicate otherwise arise ...just notice that they disappear by themselves leaving you without thought and COMPLETE right here right now.

Can you see this?

bob

Review: Why meditate?

The purpose of meditation is to see the completeness of the present moment where it is noticed that what is arising is absolutely free of 'me'.

Discomfort (suffering) is caused by the gap between what we think ought to be happening and the reality of what is arising in the present moment.

Obviously, what we think ought to be happening comes from our past conditioning. It is this past conditioning arising in the present moment that creates the idea of a 'me'. Whatever is arising is not 'me'; it is only past conditioning arising as thought.

To illustrate all this consider the common traffic jam. During a traffic jam cars are moving slowly (if at all), the engine idle can be heard, and the scenery is more or less stationary. That's pretty much it! But what do we think 'ought' to be happening: cars should be moving at the speed limit or more, there should be fewer cars on the road, drivers should not be switching into 'our' lane, and our plans to be on time are intact. These fanciful ideas about how traffic should be clearly come from past conditioning.

So ...given such a big gap between our expectations and the reality of a traffic jam, it is not surprising that we get upset. Meditation practice shines a bright light on the gap between presently arising reality and our 'dreams' about how things ought to be.

Awareness is curative ... regular meditation practice affords us the opportunity to see with clairity our "ought to be" dreams. Simply seeing this recoil from reality melts the dream and reveals the completeness and peace of the present moment in which we always find ourselves completely at home. Next time you are in a traffic jam notice the staggering peace that is there.

bob