Tagged: awareness
The beauty of Change
We all know that change is “the only constant in Life.” Change is one of those paradoxical facts of life which we could mentally understand, but yet most are afraid of experiencing it fully and want to delay it as much as possible.
As we do everything in our power to delay the inevitable, and hold on to the “status quo,” our fear increases as well as our anxiety for we refuse to change.
Life has many forms of change, which we label as “good” or “bad,” but nevertheless, those labels only represent transitions for further change.
Our society in general has many taboos which will be challenged in the upcoming times such as our ideas behind death and dying, suffering and one of the most detrimental purposes ever invented in this society: “Success” based on economic status.
Going beyond those old paradigms will be of paramount importance for a new beginning, a new change of perspective for the end of something old, is the beginning of something new.
Life could be described as a roller coaster. Our perspective is what makes the difference. The roller coaster is fun for the child inside, but dreadful for the grown up who only dreams of going up all the time, forgetting that going down brings the necessary force to go higher upwards. That is the game of Life. Have you noticed?
Don’t we want to play that game? 🙂 Then, we learn to fly.
What do I mean? To explore the depth of Life, means to observe it from a high point, like a mountain. To climb that mountain is tedious, tiring, a very challenging task, but necessary. That is the spiritual journey. The mountain is what we call “self.” Flying means to go beyond that “self,” that “personality” in order to be able to see and feel Life from a different perspective.
The roller coaster will make us cry or make us laugh. But when we know that there cannot be an “up” without a “down,” then our perspective changes and then we will smile the whole way until we reach the mountain top. At that point, we may shed some tears of happiness. Crying will be the same as smiling! We have gone beyond duality.
Therefore no matter what Life brings; keep smiling!
Please note: From now on, I will only post when there is the feeling to do so. Therefore, this could be my last post or maybe not. It is that uncertainty, the one keeping things new and fresh. Certainly, this is a change! 🙂
Does good or bad luck exist?
No, they don’t exist.
As we begin the “study” of the self, and observe our mind and how our interpretations of the world are heavily affected by our conditioning, then we will perceive how what we call “Life” and what we call “I” are heavily intertwined in such manner that those “two” apparently separated entities are one.
When there is an observer (I) separated from that which is observed, then apparently there is someone operating out of his own volition. It is that collective “illusion” the one governing our general perception of the world.
Sentient beings (humans, animals, plants, minerals, etc) are agents of change just like cells of the human body. The “illusion” is that every cell has a “free will” to act, when in fact; their activity is in unison acting through the laws of cause and effect.
What we call “good” or “bad” luck are merely shallow perceptions based on what is apparently convenient for what we call the “I.” However, there is a gross ignorance of what lies beyond the surface. In fact, we label happenings as “luck,” when we do not know the causes underneath, that is the label “luck” hides our sheer ignorance.
How could there be “luck” in a world of duality which changes through cause and effect? Consequences and repercussions go beyond what we could perceive on the surface.
Observe your own lifetime. Observe the “decisions” we thought were “beneficial” for “ourselves” at first sight. Many times they will come true, but many times they will not. Throw the dice. Why is that?
There is a plot already happening which many times we label as “destiny,” “God,” “luck,” “fate,” “doom,” etc. Labels do not matter, what matters is to be able to observe without bias, prejudices, reasons, beliefs or expectations.
Is happiness a choice?
It is not. Happiness is not a decision as I watch such affirmations in “self-help” videos and spiritual/psychological writings. Although those things are produced with good intention, they lack depth.
It is amazing how little we know ourselves.
The mind, the will to make a decision (which is another mind driven activity) has nothing to do with FEELING happy.
Let us say that I make a “decision” to be happy. Then, as the day goes on many things will happen out of my control: Relationships, unforeseen circumstances, health issues, etc. Little by little, my “decision” will be forgotten and frustration will set in, for “my” control is gone.
Despite remembering “my decision” in the face of adversity; I will find out that I could look “cool and happy” in the outside but inside it will be a repression of a “bad” emotion. Many make themselves “believe” (mind) that they are happy when they “remember,” (mind) but that is a fake position.
Happiness is related with stable emotions. That is the outcome of having gone through the emotional healing process and the recognition of FEELINGS as the main engine of living Life.
Happiness then is a natural outcome, something which is experienced without reason, without a cause, without forcing a decision or a choice.
Happiness is the path of leaving the mind as the pilot of our lives, and embracing the “heart,” feelings.
As most individuals spend their times thinking rather than feeling, then unlearning that sort of “progress” dictated by our modern world, will be necessary to re-learn to feel.
The issues of judgment
Judgment separates. Judgment uses the mind to categorize people, actions, situations, etc.
When we judge, we take sides. When we take sides, we move in duality: Reject or Accept. We create feelings, as these feelings become stronger, we close ourselves to perceive other views, other ways which are valid in Life.
Perception is a keyword in Life. “My” perception is only a small tube, like a periscope, which will only allow me to see a limited part of Life.
Thus, judging based on a perception is incomplete. There are facts which are used to judge, but again; those facts cannot perceive the other elements which make the clock tick: We only see a hand of a clock moving to the right, that is the fact; but if we want to know how or why it moves; there is much more to it which does not appear in front of our senses.
When we are dealing with living things, there is way more complexity than what an object such as a clock could offer.
Observe a situation. Observe how the mind automatically selects sides with a small critique based on some previous conditioning, which we call knowledge or morality. Observe how we close and reject the side which does not fit our expectation or training. Observe how we protect that which we think is “right.”
Observe how our feelings could enter the picture. That is a dangerous situation! That intensity will manifest in some action even beyond reason. We are closed to anything new.
Living things, circumstances, cannot be dealt with based on some static never changing “code of conduct,” which only hides who we truly ARE. What is living needs to be dealt with in the moment that is occurring, then what we truly ARE will come out. We arrived at the kernel of BEING.
That observation is needed by those who are interested in self knowledge.
The power of unity
In the not too distant past, most individuals used to feel a “high” out of different simple activities.
What do I mean by a “high”? It is a “feel good” action when things in Life are not according to plan.
For instance, shopping. I buy something and I feel good for a moment. That is a “high.”
However, times have been changing and isolation has become the norm. How do we get that high now ?
At this time, it is through unity. That is unity with the family or with individuals with some affinity.
Isolation usually brings self absorption which deepens the sense of separation.
To deal with a challenging Life experience in a harsh manner, is a consequence of feeling isolated.
The power of unity is an umbrella for rainy days.
Saving the Planet
It is ironic how the most evolved species on the Earth, that is human beings; are at the same time the greatest cause of destruction of the planet.
Why? Many will come up with reasonable causes. But nothing effective has been done.
If we are looking for “solutions,” we will come up with laws, treaties, new behaviors to “save the planet,” etc. But again, very little is done.
It is sarcasm to believe that humans (as we are now) can do something to “save the planet.”
If action is not a consequence of BEING a different human being than what we are now, then any action will be limited; even though we may believe to have found a “solution.”
Why is that? It is not a matter of using logic or reason or money or technology. It is a matter of compassion and empathy. Compassion is not to be sympathetic for the misfortune of others. It is to feel that as your own experience, for we are all together in this. In that feeling action happens.
We cannot know compassion by thinking about it but by BEING it.
Contradictions in the perception of separation
There is the person, the “I,” which is mostly viewed as a separate entity.
That perception is the origin of our society, laws and views about Life.
We perceive Life as a set of separate things, circumstances or beings. Typically, we do not see the relationship, but Life is truly relationship.
Life is like a movie. A movie has different characters just like Life. A movie has a protagonist, the main character; the center of the plot. However, in Life there is no protagonist, there are different stories which could be weaved at one point in time just to be unweaved.
In the perception of separation, the end justifies the means. Nevertheless, what is the end to be justified if something is weaved to be unweaved again? Perhaps to control. That is usually detrimental for the common good.
In Life things evolve in a subtle way, little by little so change is not grossly perceived. In the Human world change is typically abrupt, violent, with hidden agendas.
The perception of separation builds division but creates the ideal of unity at the same time, which cannot be achieved. Laws will be created to support behaviors which call for unity but yet are contradictory to the essence of the perception of separation, which is egotism: We are taught to build our egos but yet “teach” Love.
We talk about Love, but we AREN’T Love: How could we accept someone at every moment just as that person IS, even ourselves (which is Love) without judgment, when we have different teachings and conditioning inside to separate, label and classify another?
In Life, every story is different although with similar plots. Each story is delimited by our ability to perceive relationships. Thus, someone could only see two people involved while others could see many more.
The ones who have been greatly influenced by separation, cannot see beyond themselves or their small group. Therefore, how could this person be concerned with the common good, Love and unity?
Exploring the Depth of Living 