This collection of quotes from various posts (mostly from last year) are meant to serve as reminders in my daily practice of letting go, remaining in the emptiness, and experiencing all of life in the purity of its momentary essence, without expectation, judgement or attachment. There are also quotes from the days in November when I was too tempted by my mind. They have been included here as a reminder to remain vigilant and not get cocky.
The Self
The individual is nothing more than a cloak worn over the true Self (consciousness) and in order to return to the vastness of who we truly are, we need only be empty (let go) of conditioning and identity.
All we can do is trust that when we rid ourselves of our attachments to worldly thoughts and experiences, something much greater is revealed.
Drop the past, the future, even the present, and be in the infinity which lies beyond
Every effort makes a difference, and eventually you will realise that you have always been where you are seeking to be.
Let Go Of Everything
Everything is a distraction. Always. If I am not empty, then I am distracted.
Every thought and feeling – every movement of the mind – is a distraction. Of no importance, other than to keep me from that state of peace and emptiness where nothing exists, yet where there is everything you need.
Here I was, contemplating the mandala of personhood. Years of painstaking work; meticulous attention to detail; seeking to place everything in perfect position to create a thing of beauty. Only for it to be swept aside, until nothing remains.
Not only is it okay to let it go, it has to happen. Beyond what we believe ourselves to be, lies an infinitely greater beauty. It feels like a natural step to take the product of all the self-development work, see it for what it is, and let it go.
In an instant, things shifted and I was in the state I had sought all morning. From there I was able to observe the unworthiness. It was effortless. It was almost as if my mind had got cocky and gone too far, too soon. It was out in the open, exposed, and I could plainly see that I am not the unworthiness. In that state of pure awareness (the is-ness), from where everything can be observed, I cannot be anything other than pure awareness. Everything else is a projection of my mind.
Silence, Stillness & Space
I reasoned that the silence might take a day or two to get used to. How wrong I was. I felt as though I had come home. Nobody talking, no eye contact, no communication of any kind. Just silence and an inward focus.
The stillness is the gateway to the is-ness. There is peace there. In the peace there is space. And in the space there is love in abundance.
In the calmness there was peace. And some relief. The excitement of the previous days had subsided. What remained was the space to be able to rest in a new way of being and to recognise the mind at work in subtler ways.
Effortless & Empty
I was deeply moved by the beauty and the effortless simplicity of the place I had discovered. Liberation. Furthermore, I had been shown that I could come here whenever I wanted. It is instantly accessible, always with me, and requires no effort.
Every time you are in that place of presence, awareness, is-ness, it will draw you more and more into it, without any effort.
Effortless and empty. That is our natural state.
We spend so much effort straining to achieve and accumulate. Yet everything we could ever wish for is right there, requires no effort, and is immeasurable and boundless.
From that place of emptiness, I could be whoever I wanted to be. I can let go of the negative, cynical, dismissive, judgemental, counterproductive elements of my behaviour and be more of what I already am: joy, love, peace, silence, expansive space, and compassion.
Freedom & Beauty
Located in the heart, the spaciousness is the first thing I notice, followed by the freedom from the weight of personhood.
This has changed everything. I will never be the same again. From now on, thanks to this experience, I will be ever-more peaceful, loving, spacious and free. The freedom comes from no longer having to strain to be anything. I am already everything.
From here, everything is easier, makes more sense, and is more beautiful than anything which might be achieved from the place of personhood. And there is love. Love for the Self, for the world, and for existence.
Don’t Get Cocky
I was dragged once more into the world of emotions. They are so unbelievably real at the time. There seems no room for anything else apart from the strength of feeling and the conviction of thoughts which support and perpetuate.
In the days afterwards, my mind dug itself in. I felt justified, self-righteous, even vicious and vindictive. It is not a pleasant side of me, but it fuels itself to the point where the only solution is to throw in the towel completely and walk away.
The shame, anger and sadness it caused felt like a sustained hangover. It went on for days.
My mind and my mood were dominating my entire being, and although she knew there was a very different person inside, she could not reach him. She summarised her own words beautifully: ‘This is not who you are.’
In squeezing myself so convincingly into one viewpoint, I had restricted the infinity of being to a single, destructive detail. And when challenged on it, I held on tighter, contracting further and further each time.
Each stumble brings with it the opportunity to stand up again and inch my way forward. During the difficult times, that’s all I can do.
Remember
The overriding lesson is to release myself from the restrictions of everyday influences. Be empty, free of conditioning; go beyond the reach of the mind, yet remain open to the splendour of life as it unfolds; and live in relaxed surrender to a force I can neither imagine nor control, but which is always on my side.
Re-focus again and again on the beauty which you know to exist. Even if thoughts, feelings, and emotions pull you down familiar avenues, stay true to the beauty of existence which lies at the core of everything. You included.
See the is-ness as the greatest friend you could meet, and simply spend time with it. Remain there.
Allow the fire of pure awareness to burn that which we are not, until only that which we are remains.
Karaj told me [in 2003] I need to win. He also told me I need to master one thing so that when all around me are losing their heads, I can calmly get on with what I’m good at.
He explained to me the nature of the struggle: insights alone are not enough; you have to follow through on them.
The time has come to accept that the world is different to the way I would wish it, and that the best I can do is continue with my commitment to my own insights about how I believe my world should be. I know what I need to do, and I know what is good for me. So, my message to myself is this:
Be gentle with yourself.
Take your time.
Be focused and clear.
Listen carefully to who you are.
Be in awe of your journey.
And use every opportunity to be quiet, still,
and at peace with yourself and the world.
Let Go. Be Empty. Breathe.
Related posts: The Conclusion Is Emptiness | When Mooji Came To Town |Deep & Profound Gratitude | Everything Is A Distraction | The Mandala Of Personhood | Observing From The Is-ness | Effortless & Empty | The Silence Was Beautiful | It’s A Game Changer | Update – One Week On | It All Feels So Real | Another Step Forward | Remember Your Starting Point | This Is Not Who You Are | A Mental Breakthrough | The Arena Of Transformation | One Year, Three Retreats | You Think Too Much | A Vision For My Future | Astonishingly Simple