Tagged: empty
Enjoyment has no room for interpretation
There are 2 pictures in the image above. I took those 2 pictures one minute apart from the same camera while standing in the same place.
The only difference was the position of the camera being held in my hands.
What is the teaching of this uneventful picture taking experience?
The location of our consciousness is the camera. That we call “state of consciousness.”
According to that location, we will experience.
What is “reality” then?
The location of our consciousness. Collective consciousness in the same location will give as a result the belief that we know “what is real.”
That we call “normal.”
In Life, there are many types of artists. The one who paints what most are able to perceive is the “normal” artist.
“Look, a horse…” Yes… How do you like it?
However there are other types of artists, whose art is to show those things, which couldn’t be easily observed.
“I don’t see a horse in that painting? “… Perhaps if you look at it from my perspective (location of consciousness) you may be able to see it…
“Ah… I see it now.”
The second type of artist may need to explain every painting that they make for people to appreciate it. Without that explanation, the painting wouldn’t sell.
Here is another teaching I learned.
When you are truly an artist in Life, you express. That is all.
Those who can see, will see. Those who cannot, will not see.
The painting is not meant for others.
The painting has no ulterior motive but to bring the expression into Life.
Just like our lives.
I could write many things to get many “Likes.”
It is very easy. Simple stuff at the reach of the common “man.” Funny or drama. Show your emotions and ask for support. Get people engaged. Give them the opportunity to be “part of it.”
If I want to sell a book for $1.99, all I have to do is to keep it simple… The “artist” expression may be gone, but the profit may be coming in.
That is the typical dilemma.
That is how popularity of an artist brings his own demise as the expression has an ulterior motive: To keep customers happy.
The same is with Life in a bigger picture.
Sell yourself into a belief and the expression to be manifested through you will be gone.
That impossibility to be “yourself” brings the suffering of being empty while having achieved other things.
Look for the approval of “others” and the expression will be dependent on “others.”
Look for the approval of God and you will know someone else’s God.
Sell yourself for an ideal and your Life will be someone else’s dream.
Life has no further meaning, purpose or reason but to express your being.
Yes, everything changes including you.
Shall I be unhappy because of that?
There is an unique and delicious cake waiting to be eaten.
Shall I enjoy the moment of tasting the flavor of it as it happens and to eat as much as I feel comfortable…or shall I “think” about the “future” and save a piece?
Even though there is no guarantee that I will be hungry or that the cake will last that long, I can occupy myself with all sorts of thinking… and to get nowhere but to miss the experience of enjoyment of the moment.
Which of the pictures above do you like better?
🙂
Don’t you see that it is the same picture but taken from a different angle?
The Sun is always there just like all of us. We will be there. The form changes. The angle changes and the picture looks different.
What is the teaching?
Whatever we see. Whatever we perceive. Enjoy it.
Once it changes…keep enjoying it for it will change again.
When we learn the art of enjoyment, our life will be joy. Change the location of your consciousness if you could, or allow for that to happen naturally… as it should.
Integration means empty, to be fulfilled
Living life may be the experience of becoming one with everything that is. Living life encompasses the dance with everything. To move harmoniously under different songs played by destiny.
In life there are many dancers (seekers,) seeking different things.
Some look for riches, fame, God and even themselves… but paradoxically all of those “objects” are already present in the experience of Totality, of being life itself and not something separated, alienated and alone.
To be empty in order to be full, is yet one of the deepest paradoxes of Life.
Emptiness means to be open to life as an open door. That consciousness will give us the experience of observing and enjoying the different episodes which life could present. Nothing “good or bad” but just experiences, which arrive as consequences of our own intentions. An egotistical intention is not aware of the interdependence, inter-beingness of all.
That openness in life resides in clearing the mind from beliefs and preconceptions, that is to be “brand new” in the moment. It is not an intellectual “realization,” but the awareness of how the contents in our minds will strengthen the sense of “Me.”
Beliefs are very common. A tradition is a belief. A logical and reasonable perspective is another belief, a religious dogma is another belief, “my” own likes and dislikes, “my” own values, judgments, ideas, etc. are simple beliefs which could be dressed up with honorable words and “supporting evidence.”
“Reality” is a perspective; thus we are dealing with beliefs all the time.
The dance of life is on, and we could stop the rhythm for the sake of analysis and facts. To dance means to let go and to feel the music to move in balance.
Thinking will stop the “inner knowing,” the intuition of going with the beat of the song.
In the lack of an ample perception, resides our separation from life.
Those beliefs later will become emotions, as our innate feelings of Totality and oneness become tinted by a personality, ego. Those emotions will delineate what is acceptable, pure, pleasurable, good, godly etc. in our perception by rejecting that which is perceived as the opposite.
Then, paradoxically to embrace that which is considered “good” will strengthen our ego, our individuality for there will be a rejection of what is considered “bad.”
Our society for many centuries has embraced that duality.
Rejection is not the answer if we are aware of integration.
Let me put it in simple words:
The devil is not the opposite of god. The existence of god has created the devil under all circumstances.
A person believing that there are 2 opposite forces in the self, fighting for control may develop a schizophrenic personality.
That behavior could be labeled as “normal” in our society nowadays.
Integration means to embrace and re-direct all energetic forces in us. To do that, we need to be aware of the moment, circumstances and settings.
There is no rejection in integration, and because of that, wholesomeness could be experienced.
“Batman” embraced his fear of bats to become the “Batman.”
Every individual has a shadow. Through integration we embrace that shadow into our own light, rather than fight against it, deny it, repress it.
To integrate means to become empty in order to be everything, at every moment. It is in that consciousness of being One, when fulfillment arrives.
Darkness is part of the existence of light, not the opposite. When our darkness is integrated into light, the dance of life will continue to be experienced harmoniously in balance.
The virtue of Oneness
A virtuous life is the one lived with oneness.
Oneness in our personality. Oneness in our emotions. Oneness in our relationship with life.
Any sort of perceived separation and thus, rejection; will take us away from that Oneness.
The above is not a matter of belief. It is not a matter of being a “selected one,” it is not a matter of being an intellectual full of information.
It is a matter of being empty of all those things, which create a personality ready to reject, to separate, to analyze to live in duality, to live in the perception of a wall of insurmountable dichotomy.
Rejection of a religious group. Rejection of moral views. Rejection of people due to some belief. Rejection of any being, which we find “ugly,” “no good,” “despicable,” “abominable,” etc.
Rejection of any circumstance that is surrounding us at any moment in time.
When there is no rejection, then enjoyment is and in that enjoyment, oneness appears.
A collective consciousness which is fragmented, will see a set of virtuous living behaviors: Generosity, detachment, love, toleration, friendliness, compassion, contentment, joy, etc.
All of those dictionary words represent a fragment of Oneness. A particular person may exhibit what we call “generosity,” but that is a ray of Oneness in the vacuum of darkness of the fragmented self.
Love is a misunderstood feeling.
It is not a romantic trip to Disneyland where the lovers could love each other forever… A person exhibiting a fragmented personality cannot know what love is.
It doesn’t matter if the object of that love is the world, another person or God.
A fragmented personality is not able to become one… that means; to be empty of all beliefs, emotional traumas and fears.
How on earth a person could know about oneness, about love in that condition? 🙂
A typical person only knows about the “master and slave” relationship. It is “me” over you. It is “me” under you. That is all. There are no equals, because to be equal means to be empty.
Empty so we could listen. So we could provide emotional comfort to another, so we could harmonize… so we could be intimate.
Otherwise, our fragmented personality will not allow us to experience oneness with someone, with God or with the world, with life.
The above is not a religious belief. But it could be for those who are not looking to understand themselves, with honesty and with their whole hearts.
That is with passion.
When someone does not wish to understand himself, then to be lost in another is desirable. Whether that is God or another person, or a belief, the aim is for someone else to “drive” the car of our destiny.
The interesting thing is that nobody can do that for us. Not even God.
We live in fear.
Fear of tomorrow. Fear of the past. Fear of that person. Fear of God. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of pleasure. Fear of dying…. Fear of living life.
And then we wish to know love… 🙂
Isn’t that contradictory?
Love is Oneness.
Question: Dear brother Have not been successful to feel or experience ” the self”. Baba says its separate from the body and yet mind,intellect and sanskaras are faculties of soul, which means belong together. How do u separate them and still experience the soul. I have tried creating powerful thoughts but unable to generate and experience feelings of the self.. I saw an article where u have mentioned cut thoughts through awareness. What and how did you do that? Without experiencing the true self it’s hard to stay in that consciousness. Your thoughts please Thanks
Thank you for your great question!
Dear soul,
Congratulations for your efforts, but paradoxically there is no need for “efforts” but just to be relaxed.
Here is a simple answer. Sit there. Watch your thoughts. Go beyond them. Be empty. Feel. Smile.. 🙂 That is it!
“Pole, the arrow, the bow are all one. Not many things, not different things.”
In that emptiness, all that can be is you. Paradoxically. 🙂
Below one of my favorite all time videos. If you “understand this video without understanding” (paradox,) you are ahead of the game!
Best wishes!
Exploring the Depth of Living 