When we shift our focus to this ‘spiritual’ life, we may hear, read or see how we need to be ‘liberated' from suffering. We hear about how we are caught in Samsara, how we need to ‘escape’ this endless cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death. We need to end the suffering.
Does this sound familiar?
In order to be ‘free’, we may start to take on a new spiritual practice, we learn prayers, mantras, do visualizations, and more. All of these, with the emphasis on freeing ourselves from suffering. These practices have their place and they can be very helpful.
Now, let’s have a closer look, and let’s consider the following.
When we take on this new mentality to free ourselves from suffering, we could be, without noticing it, reinforcing this idea of ‘me’ and ‘self’ and ‘I’.
Consider this. The harder we try to free ourselves, the more we are emphasizing this ‘separate self’ to be freed. Instead of going straight to the Source of the mind, we entertain more mental concepts of ourselves, our lives, our beliefs. Does this make sense?
We create a mental cage, through concepts of ‘Samsara’ and ‘Cyclic existence’ and such. Then, we fully believe that there is truly a ‘separate self’ caged in, and that we need to free this ‘separate self’.
Considering all of these concepts, it can easily appear that we are caught in an endless cycle of suffering.
But are we really?
Now, let’s leave the mind alone. Let’s stop paying attention to the coming and going thoughts. Let's stop, even just for a moment, to identify as this body, this person, these thoughts and emotions, and let’s acknowledge what is always Here.
We are all aware, aren’t we? Being able to experience these words on a screen, we need to be aware of them. Now, let's become aware of our own awareness. Let’s be aware of being aware. Acknowledge our own awareness.
We are not interested in the idea of awareness, or thoughts about awareness, no. We are simply interested in our Self, as Awareness.
Acknowledging our Self, we realize that thoughts of ‘liberation’ and ‘suffering’ fade, they cease to exist. What is more, is this idea of ourselves, this separate person, this also fades, this thought also gets dropped.
See, there is no need to entertain the notion of a 'separate self' and then free it. Let’s acknowledge what is already here, already free, and has always been, and will be.
We are not talking about anything that needs attainment or reached in the future.
We are talking about our True Nature.
Related articles on this blog:
Separation and Suffering - 04 July, 2021
Checking Up - 21 June, 2021
The 'I' thought - 21 March, 2021
Does this sound familiar?
In order to be ‘free’, we may start to take on a new spiritual practice, we learn prayers, mantras, do visualizations, and more. All of these, with the emphasis on freeing ourselves from suffering. These practices have their place and they can be very helpful.
Now, let’s have a closer look, and let’s consider the following.
An empty cage
This is a very subtle point that we are touching on, so please consider carefully before simply agreeing or disagreeing.When we take on this new mentality to free ourselves from suffering, we could be, without noticing it, reinforcing this idea of ‘me’ and ‘self’ and ‘I’.
Consider this. The harder we try to free ourselves, the more we are emphasizing this ‘separate self’ to be freed. Instead of going straight to the Source of the mind, we entertain more mental concepts of ourselves, our lives, our beliefs. Does this make sense?
We create a mental cage, through concepts of ‘Samsara’ and ‘Cyclic existence’ and such. Then, we fully believe that there is truly a ‘separate self’ caged in, and that we need to free this ‘separate self’.
Considering all of these concepts, it can easily appear that we are caught in an endless cycle of suffering.
But are we really?
Acknowledge what is Here
Seeking ‘freedom’, we know that we’ve considered countless ideas, we’ve entertained many concepts. Yet, we still feel unfulfilled. We are still not happy.Now, let’s leave the mind alone. Let’s stop paying attention to the coming and going thoughts. Let's stop, even just for a moment, to identify as this body, this person, these thoughts and emotions, and let’s acknowledge what is always Here.
We are all aware, aren’t we? Being able to experience these words on a screen, we need to be aware of them. Now, let's become aware of our own awareness. Let’s be aware of being aware. Acknowledge our own awareness.
We are not interested in the idea of awareness, or thoughts about awareness, no. We are simply interested in our Self, as Awareness.
Acknowledging our Self, we realize that thoughts of ‘liberation’ and ‘suffering’ fade, they cease to exist. What is more, is this idea of ourselves, this separate person, this also fades, this thought also gets dropped.
See, there is no need to entertain the notion of a 'separate self' and then free it. Let’s acknowledge what is already here, already free, and has always been, and will be.
We are not talking about anything that needs attainment or reached in the future.
We are talking about our True Nature.
 |
| The spiritual 'path' leads us to our True Self, it points out what is always Here. |
Related articles on this blog:
Separation and Suffering - 04 July, 2021
Checking Up - 21 June, 2021
The 'I' thought - 21 March, 2021
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