One thing that we haven't discussed too much is the role of logic and rational thought on this path. Once we realize that there is only this moment, and that past and future are abstractions, we see the futility of spending much time fantasizing or reflecting, and attention is naturally turned away from those activities. Sure, we make plans for a future trip or look at the past in order to learn from it, but we see that a great deal of fantasization and reflection are nothing more than distractions from THIS.
In the same way, we see patterns of behavior and thought that are counterproductive, and we simply stop engaging in those activities. For example, some people have thoughts of jealousy in their relationships, but once it is seen that these ideas and feelings usually produce the opposite effects from what is desired, they are released. It is like opening a tightly-closed fist. We say to our beloved, in effect, "I love you, but you are free to do whatever you must do and be who you are. Whether you leave or stay, it will not affect my love. I love you, so I want you to be happy, but I do not NEED you. If you wish to be with someone else, I may not be able to stay with you, but I will still love you." By giving the beloved total freedom, it is more likely that the beloved will reciprocate love because freedom is a wonderful gift. This cannot be a strategy of control, of course; we have to be willing to let go completely and trust THIS. In this kind of willingness to be totally vulnerable lies great power. It is the mind of a warrior--fearless and open. It arises from the logic of seeing that any other way of being leads to constriction and limitation.
Similarly, once we see that a "comparing mind" leads to thoughts that often generate negative feelings, we turn attention away from ideas of comparison, because we realize that they usually cause psychological suffering. I had a good friend who did not feel sufficiently successful. Although he was highly talented, and was a wonderful person, he compared himself to several of his friends who had achieved greater financial success. Although he had a beautiful and unique personal home that he had built himself, and although he had a close loving family, and although his material success was vastly greater than the "average" person in America, he felt like he was a relative failure. One day an old friend from another city called him to say hello and arrange a visit. In the course of the conversation my friend learned that his old friend had been very successful in business and had accumulated a lot of money. One day after that conversation my friend committed suicide. This is what a comparing mind can do.
A woman once came to a sage and said, "I have many fears. How can I get rid of them?" The sage said, "Okay, summarize all of your fears in just one sentence." The woman thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid that I will be one day be old, ugly, poor, and alone--a total failure." The sage replied, "Excellent, but why wait for the future? Be that person now, and accept it fully. Feel it completely throughout your entire body. Be old, ugly, poor, alone, and a total failure. Do it now!" The woman was shocked into silence, but after a few moments, she suddenly burst out laughing. If we see that our headtrips are just headtrips, it becomes possible to turn attention away from fearful thoughts to THIS, which is beyond all headtrips. We see the logic of letting go of our ideas and relaxing into THIS, as THIS.
Finally, as we see that life is only alive in the present moment, intelligence turns attention to the place of life--NOW--and there is only the clinking sound of ice cubes (this is written while sitting at a McD typing on a laptop), the sip of hot coffee, the birds eating crumbs in the parking lot. There is only THIS, and THIS is more intelligent than can be imagined.
Have a great day, and remember to periodically stop and look around. Look at the wonder of your being. You are THIS.
In the same way, we see patterns of behavior and thought that are counterproductive, and we simply stop engaging in those activities. For example, some people have thoughts of jealousy in their relationships, but once it is seen that these ideas and feelings usually produce the opposite effects from what is desired, they are released. It is like opening a tightly-closed fist. We say to our beloved, in effect, "I love you, but you are free to do whatever you must do and be who you are. Whether you leave or stay, it will not affect my love. I love you, so I want you to be happy, but I do not NEED you. If you wish to be with someone else, I may not be able to stay with you, but I will still love you." By giving the beloved total freedom, it is more likely that the beloved will reciprocate love because freedom is a wonderful gift. This cannot be a strategy of control, of course; we have to be willing to let go completely and trust THIS. In this kind of willingness to be totally vulnerable lies great power. It is the mind of a warrior--fearless and open. It arises from the logic of seeing that any other way of being leads to constriction and limitation.
Similarly, once we see that a "comparing mind" leads to thoughts that often generate negative feelings, we turn attention away from ideas of comparison, because we realize that they usually cause psychological suffering. I had a good friend who did not feel sufficiently successful. Although he was highly talented, and was a wonderful person, he compared himself to several of his friends who had achieved greater financial success. Although he had a beautiful and unique personal home that he had built himself, and although he had a close loving family, and although his material success was vastly greater than the "average" person in America, he felt like he was a relative failure. One day an old friend from another city called him to say hello and arrange a visit. In the course of the conversation my friend learned that his old friend had been very successful in business and had accumulated a lot of money. One day after that conversation my friend committed suicide. This is what a comparing mind can do.
A woman once came to a sage and said, "I have many fears. How can I get rid of them?" The sage said, "Okay, summarize all of your fears in just one sentence." The woman thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid that I will be one day be old, ugly, poor, and alone--a total failure." The sage replied, "Excellent, but why wait for the future? Be that person now, and accept it fully. Feel it completely throughout your entire body. Be old, ugly, poor, alone, and a total failure. Do it now!" The woman was shocked into silence, but after a few moments, she suddenly burst out laughing. If we see that our headtrips are just headtrips, it becomes possible to turn attention away from fearful thoughts to THIS, which is beyond all headtrips. We see the logic of letting go of our ideas and relaxing into THIS, as THIS.
Finally, as we see that life is only alive in the present moment, intelligence turns attention to the place of life--NOW--and there is only the clinking sound of ice cubes (this is written while sitting at a McD typing on a laptop), the sip of hot coffee, the birds eating crumbs in the parking lot. There is only THIS, and THIS is more intelligent than can be imagined.
Have a great day, and remember to periodically stop and look around. Look at the wonder of your being. You are THIS.
