How to be?

 

How to be? True, absolute being-ness comes from beyond the thinking mind.

Thinking is always about the past or the future and never about the reality of NOW.

In the present moment, if we truly see it, we are meditating with whatever is here. As soon as we think about it, we are less present - unless, of course, we are aware of our thinking!

There are always two states we can live our life in: we are either thinking (and not aware but just following these thoughts sub-consciously) or we are consciously AWARE.

The more you live in awareness, the happier and healthier you become.

The more you live in thinking, the harder life is because we're always judging something, always wanting something different than what is here, always desiring more, always fearing something, always worrying, always doubting, always fixing...and so on, and so on. Too much thinking can lead to serious consequences in our health, our joy of life and our stress levels.

So...if you're thinking - first NOTICE you're thinking - then choose to let go of thoughts and come back to the present moment with your AWARENESS.

That is what meditation is.

Can you focus on what is happening now without thinking about it?

Let the thoughts be clouds in the sky and watch them go - why are you following them? What purpose do they serve?

The Practice of Non-Preference

The Practice of Non-Preference:

Life is always changing, always bringing something new to our door. It's therefore a wonderful practice to accept what comes, whatever it is, and allow it in.

When we prefer something over something, we're in our mind, and there's a judgment of what is here. We start to fight it!

For example, if you're having a lovely day, health is great, and then all of a sudden the next day you feel ill, we often go into our mind and judge: "Oh, but I was well yesterday, now what is this? I'm not better. I'm feeling worse. What have I done? What can I do to make myself feel better?" We instantly disapprove of the 'feeling worst' and want it to disappear.

You feel better by feeling the worst. In the universe's eyes, there is no better or worse, there is just now and what happens now.

It's interesting, but we're always looking to the future, to try and mould it, shape it and control it so we 'feel good, happy and healthy' and anything that runs contrary to this we object to.

Stop objecting. Just be where you are. Everything comes to you for a reason and everything is coming to stay just for a little while before heading off again.

Practice non-preference. Embrace all the highs, all the lows, all the 'betters' and all the 'worst'.

Miraculously, what seems to come after doing this is a peaceful equanimity, a joyful presence that is kind and compassionate to whatever comes.

What are you objecting to today? Can you embrace it, allow it to be, without judgment? See how this makes you feel.

Are you stuck in a box?

Are you stuck in a box?

Labels can put us in a confined space where we can't see other perspectives.
I am anxious you might say. The anxiety box. I am not confident you might say. The not confident box. I am hating my life. The hating my life box. I am fed up with this cold weather. The fed up with the cold weather box. I am a victim! The victim box.

Only, there are no boxes. There's a vast landscape of comings and goings, of impermanent phenomena that arrives for a little while, then moves on.

Your breath informs you of this. No sooner is there an inhale, there's an exhale. Movement.

Water flows. It does not stay still for very long. Sometimes it becomes ice, or vapour. It's always moving, always transforming.

We are the same. We transform, moment by moment by moment.

So, to label yourself in a box as "something" is not permanent - it's a mere transition. You might be anxious now, but it will pass. You might be unhappy now, but it will pass.

Being present, you go with the flow. You allow whatever comes to come. You also let it go over the horizon. We don't cling to anything.

What exists is THIS. Exactly THIS. Now.

Can you be with NOW? Everything that you are, without a box? Without judgment?

If you can enter acceptance of NOW, you are free. You are not in a box now, nor ever. You are part of the cosmic all, flowing, an aspect of the universe, forever changing, forever transforming.

Do not worry about time...

 

Do not worry about time.

Your mind will time-travel all the time into past or future concerns. "When will I succeed?" "How long can I maintain my mindfulness practice?" "I'm not doing good enough because I've only meditated once this week" are all time related mind concepts.

Remove time from the equation.

There is just NOW - this moment.

So focus on this moment.

Too much focus on time gives you emotional turbulence:

Bored? Looking at the past and judging it to be boring;
No confidence? Looking at the past and judging yourself;
Anxious? Looking at the future and judging the uncertainty;
Angry? Looking at the past and judging a person, event or object...

....and so on, and so on....

If you become dis-interested in time, you will automatically become present in the here and the now.

So, breathe now. Feel now. Listen now.
And if you do - you are there!
Simplicity itself.
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