...or attaining ultimate peace, or getting free, etc. Imagine that for whatever reason you just started interacting with life directly and ignoring thoughts.
All day long you simply did whatever had to be done, without reflection. You didn't think about yourself because you were so busy washing the dishes, or walking in a local park, or watching birds or squirrels, or smelling the roses. If you lived life in this way, then you would be enlightened. What you see is what you get. No matter what kind of spiritual trip you take, this is where you will end up--right here and right now doing whatever needs to be done.
The only reason people go off searching for enlightenment is because they start thinking about the nature of reality, the truth, God, selfhood, etc. and become filled with existential questioning. If those thoughts never occurred, they would simply live life "just like this." Living life "just like this" is the whole shebang!
There is nothing to be attained other than what is happening right now in this very moment. For anyone who can accept this, without wanting anything more, the journey instantly comes to an end. Unfortunately, almost nobody can accept the simplicity and obviousness of what's going on.
Of course, most people are strongly attached to the idea that they are separate entities operating in an objective reality. This is what we call "the consensus trance." To break free of the trance, just go about your daily business like a little child, unencumbered by reflective thought. Now it is time to do the dishes. Scrub scrub scrub. Now it is time to pick up the kids. Drive drive drive. Now it is time to fix dinner. Cook cook cook. Smell smell smell. Taste taste taste. Now it is time to eat dinner. Slurp chew swallow. Now it is time to take an afterdinner walk. Look look look. Listen listen listen. In this non-conceptual doing doing doing subject and object cease to be imagined. Everything becomes condensed into just this, here and now---"what is."
Remember, "what is" cannot be understood; it can only be lived. "What is" is what you ARE.
All day long you simply did whatever had to be done, without reflection. You didn't think about yourself because you were so busy washing the dishes, or walking in a local park, or watching birds or squirrels, or smelling the roses. If you lived life in this way, then you would be enlightened. What you see is what you get. No matter what kind of spiritual trip you take, this is where you will end up--right here and right now doing whatever needs to be done.
The only reason people go off searching for enlightenment is because they start thinking about the nature of reality, the truth, God, selfhood, etc. and become filled with existential questioning. If those thoughts never occurred, they would simply live life "just like this." Living life "just like this" is the whole shebang!
There is nothing to be attained other than what is happening right now in this very moment. For anyone who can accept this, without wanting anything more, the journey instantly comes to an end. Unfortunately, almost nobody can accept the simplicity and obviousness of what's going on.
Of course, most people are strongly attached to the idea that they are separate entities operating in an objective reality. This is what we call "the consensus trance." To break free of the trance, just go about your daily business like a little child, unencumbered by reflective thought. Now it is time to do the dishes. Scrub scrub scrub. Now it is time to pick up the kids. Drive drive drive. Now it is time to fix dinner. Cook cook cook. Smell smell smell. Taste taste taste. Now it is time to eat dinner. Slurp chew swallow. Now it is time to take an afterdinner walk. Look look look. Listen listen listen. In this non-conceptual doing doing doing subject and object cease to be imagined. Everything becomes condensed into just this, here and now---"what is."
Remember, "what is" cannot be understood; it can only be lived. "What is" is what you ARE.
