The Open Secret

"I wonder how long enlightened people can keep thoughtlessness"

Pssssst! Lean closer and I will tell you an open secret ...awakening is a journey, not a destination!

Awakening is not:

"Yay! I got it! I am awake! I have succeeded, it's all over now. I am done …what's next?"


One of the main differences between someone who is awakened, and someone who is still a seeker, is that the awakened one has stopped seeking. The awakened one has discovered what they truly are. The search for truth is over. It's no longer a theory you read in a book, you now know the truth! You can't be fooled by the mind anymore!

Awakening is the end of seeking the truth of what you are.
You now know you are pure consciousness, empty awareness, or spirit, and this is where you put your attention, into this empty awareness. If you find you are entangled in a thought, then you simply return to emptiness. The emptiness is always here, waiting for you to return, you can never lose it. Just detach from the thought, and here it is, emptiness, residing in this eternal moment, here and now forever.

The seeker on the other hand is still identified and entangled with thought. The minds stories are a magnet that holds their attention in an iron grip.The seeker is really the thinker trying to "get it', trying to become the empty awareness s/he has heard or read about. The seeker is still entangled in thought, and has not yet discovered, that there is another way of being. They don't return to the emptiness, because they haven't discovered they are it yet. They haven't noticed what they really are. They don't return to emptiness because they are looking for the next thought. Looking for the next thought has become a habit, an obsession.

To the seeker empty awareness appears to be a goal to be achieved in the future. The seeker hasn't yet discovered that s/he is already that what s/he is looking for. The seeker doesn't rest their attention in the present moment, in emptiness, because all they know is thought. They want to think their way to awakening. They are thinking and thinking and...

If the seeker just stopped, and relaxed their attention into the present moment, if s/he just simply breathed in here and now, and simply stopped focusing on any thoughts that may or may not be there, if s/he just stopped all effort, they would discover the truth, they would discover the emptiness that is peace, the silence, and the end of suffering.

After awakening, one is not stuck in obsessive thinking, continuously chasing the next thought. Thoughts may still arise but you are no longer caught by them. You can give them your attention, or not, much like you can take you attention from the book you are reading, and shift it to the music that is playing. You can shift your attention onto whatever is present, here now, in this moment.

Awakening begins the art of living the truth you have discovered.

In awakening, one discovers, a new journey.
It is a new journey of disentangling from the thoughts and emotions that have held you in sway all your life.

Now begins the journey of stabilization, the journey of letting go more and more, of what you are not, and residing more and more in what you are. Your mind and ego have accumulated much momentum in your journey of life, and there may be much there to release and let go. Very few awakened people immediately awaken from the minds stories, never to be under its sway ever again.

Most awakened people enter a transitional period of emptying, and letting go of old "stuff". A period of becoming more and more established in presence, because for a while, the minds momentum may still be strong. They may sometimes find themselves lost in thought or emotion, or caught in egoic games. However they are not fooled for long, they don't live in the mind stories anymore. As old thoughts, or emotions, or egoic games arise in consciousness they are recognized, acknowledged fully and released. Then they return to pure awareness, to presence again, in this way emptying more and more until nothing is left.

Over time, as the minds thoughts are not fed with the constant churning of your attention, it begins to become more and more silent, and still. The mind begins to recede from the foreground of your attention and moves into the background. It stops trying to be the master, and moves back into its true role, as your loyal servant.

The awakened have found another place to be that is not mind centered, they have found the empty silent awareness that is at the core of everything, they have found the emptiness that holds all the planets, stars and galaxies in this infinite universe . There they reside, in the pure consciousness, in the spirit, that holds it all.

There’s nothing in it for you

Lets get one thing straight, there’s nothing in enlightenment for you!

If you’re searching for enlightenment for what it can give you, you are on the wrong path. If that’s the case, you are better off doing something else, take up weight lifting it will give you big muscles, or take up cooking; it will give you a big belly. But enlightenment will give you nothing.

Zilch …zero …nix …nothing!

Enlightenment, will not only give you nothing, it will take away everything you believe in. It will leave you empty. All your hopes and dreams gone! Kazzam! Just like that.

Are you sure that’s what you want?

Its not what most people want. Most people want big muscles, or a big belly, and all their hopes and dreams fulfilled, including their hopes and dreams of what enlightenment is. They want a candy store full of delicious wonderful experiences.

If that’s what you want, then forget this enlightenment gig. If that’s what you want, then forget all the meditating, and koans, and dharma stuff because enlightenment is not for you. Just go watch a movie instead, I’ve heard the Simsons movie is easy to relate too!

Enlightenment won’t give you anything! The only thing enlightenment does is take away, and I don’t mean Pizzas, so don’t any of you big belly people get any ideas!

“Well if that the case why do people make such a big deal about enlightenment?”

I will tell you why! …because it is the “End of Suffering”.

Did that get your attention?

Sounds interesting doesn’t it!

“The end of suffering, wow, I could use that!

You mean I will be happy, joyful and blissed out all the time!

Now you are talking!

Sign me up!”

Sorry wrong again!

I didn’t say you would be happy, joyful and blissed out all the time.
Only party drugs can make you blissed out all the time, at least until you become a burnt out zombie, and then you die. I said it was the end of suffering! That’s something else all together.

Well then how does enlightenment end suffering?

It does it by taking you away from what you believe is true!

It takes you away from the movies your mind is constantly playing!

It takes you away from obsessive thinking.

It does this by leaving you naked, like the emperor who had no clothes

Imagine if every belief you ever accumulated in your life was an article of clothing you put on. You would be wearing a lot of clothes right now wouldn’t you!

The belief for example that daddy doesn’t love me, or mummy doesn’t want me may be a pair of socks you put on as a child. The belief that you are not beautiful or smart enough is the undershirt you put on when you were young. The belief that other races can’t be trusted, or other religions will go to hell, is the pullover you put on long ago. The pants you are wearing may be the belief that happiness is found in getting more things, or that you always need to hide and protect yourself.

Inside you are wearing many different beliefs, like layers of different old clothes, and you keep adding more and more layers, more and more beliefs as the years go by.

Do you want to get the feeling of what its like carrying all those accumulated beliefs?

To see what it feels like on the inside, just go to the wardrobe and put on as many layers of clothes as you can. Don’t worry about will this match with that because your beliefs are often contradictory! Just put anything on at all. You may be wearing gloves and mittens, five pairs of pants or skirts, ten shirts or tops, 3 pullovers, 2 jackets 10 pairs of undies, 20 pairs of socks, hats , beanies, everything. Just put on anything and everything you can, until you can’t possibly fit another thing on.

Ok. You done!

Now waddle over to a mirror and take a look at yourself. Quite a sight isn’t it!

These layers of accumulated beliefs is the cause of your suffering!

This is how you are on the inside, wearing layers and layers of beliefs, ideas, judgments, prejudice and so on. In the end you may have so many clothes on that you find it hard to move, bending over may be impossible. Climbing the path up the mountain of enlightenment is impossible, its not an option, you will not make it. You have too big a burden to carry. You are rigid and stiff with your beliefs and judgments. Its not easy to feel free wearing all that baggage inside. Its hard work just wearing and carrying all that internal baggage. It’s difficult even to feel what’s going on around you, or really touch someone with all those layers between you and them.

This is how people meet each, other this is how they embrace, through layers of stuff! Through beliefs accumulated over a lifetime, layers and layers deep.

Well, enlightenment strips all that away and leaves you standing naked unprotected and free. On the inside, you will again be as naked as the day you were born, with nothing at all between you and the world. All the scratchy, heavy, old, baggage, gone! When you meet someone you really meet someone!

This is what enlightenment does, it takes away. It takes away your obsession with the egoic, thinking mind, and all its beliefs, judgements and commentary. it takes away the burden you have accumulated. It shows you an empty awareness that was once filled with thoughts, where peace, and stillness now reign. It shows you your true self.

It brings you home to what you have always been …under all those layers!

peace

Awakening is very simple

Awakening to the truth is as simple as taking your attention away from the mind. It is experiencing what is, directly, without looking through the minds filters. You experience everything directly, unclouded by thought. Your perception is uncontaminated, and pure. In the awakened state you experience an open, effortless, embracing of life.

This is sometimes called enlightenment.

It’s really just enlightenment to the truth that is revealed, when you let go of mind identification, the continual thinking, and the minds endless stories and analysis.
It is what happens when you let go of the dreaming mind.
It really is much like awakening from a dream.

How much effort is required to let go of dreams in the morning when you awake?
Do you have to make an effort to let go?
No you just let them go and they fade away.
This is awakening.

What do you find when you awaken from the noisy dream of mind?

You discover that you have been lost in a dreaming mind, and know that you are not who you thought you were. You discover the truth. At last you can see what you have been missing all along, while you were caught in thinking. In a moment you can see what all the awakened ones were trying to say. You see how all the words you read, or heard, were misinterpreted by the mind. You discover that you are, and always have been, the pure empty awareness in which the thoughts you have been watching, appear and disappear. You know that you are pure effortless presence, here and now, in this eternal moment. When you know truth directly you are no longer fooled by the mind, and its mischief.

It is the end of suffering.

Its too simple!
It is so simple that most people miss it.
I know, I did!
I missed it over and over again!

Why do you miss it?

You miss it because you are looking for something else!

The mind is always looking for something of interest,
...another story, another emotion, deeper understanding, another better experience or sensation. The mind is looking for something that it can take hold of, something it can control or experience.

But empty awareness is not an experience so there is nothing of interest there. Nothing to control or take hold of there! Empty awareness is what you are, but it gets overlooked all the time, because there are more interesting things to catch your attention. Emptiness can’t be of much use can it! It doesn’t look very interesting to your mind, so the mind ignores it.

This empty awareness is the secret you have been looking for, but you have been missing it all this time.

Don't complicate it ...it is simple!

Enlightenment is a done deal!
You are already it.
It is just your focus on thinking that is hiding it from you.
All you need to do is release your grip on the mind.
Just let go, and the secret is revealed.

The only reason you don’t awaken to the truth is because you continue with the mind’s story

You have lost yourself in dreams of yesterday and tomorrow.
Return to here and now, it is where your life is being lived.
The truth is awakening can only happen right now
Yes, this moment, now!

Let go of your grip on the mind and you are free.

Stop trying to get it!
Stop trying to understand!
Stop trying to find something!
Stop trying to work it out with your mind!

Just let go of all effort, simply relax and be what you already are,
…then you are free of the dream,
...then you have awakened to the truth!
...then you have returned home!

Non Dual can be very tricky.

The Tao of which it can be written is not the true Tao
...Lao Tzu

You think you know what they all mean ...but it doesn't help does it. The mind goes on, round and round in circles ...trying to figure it all out. The answers, that make so much sense, all seem to disappear when mind tries to use them ...and then ...where to go ...what to do...maybe another book! ...or another teacher! ...or if I just tried harder! ...or I relaxed more and just let go.

The truth is much closer than you think. It is what you are ...you are the one who is aware of the thinking ...you are the aware space in which everything happens

...the truth is not the thoughts happening in the space ...but you already know that too don’t you ...you read, or heard it somewhere didn't you!
It doesn't help does it!

The mind itself is what creates all the problems ...and then it tries to supply the answers to those same problems. How tricky is that!

The mind creates duality by its very nature. It divides reality into fragments. Its nature is to label all these fragments. It uses words to try and describe reality and label everything. It labels this good that bad. This right and that wrong. This love and that fear. This desirable and that undesirable. It creates stories out of these fragments. Stories about what was, is, and might be. You believe these stories of the mind, and so you get caught in duality. Some of these stories create great works of art ...others create endless war ...and all of them ensnare you in duality. All of them create a sense of separation.

…but you know that too don’t you! You read it somewhere didn’t you?

Words! ...words can be so inadequate ...words are like containers ...like cups ...with which we try to scoop up an experience. It’s like trying to tell someone who has never seen the ocean, what the ocean is like ...by scooping some ocean into a cup and giving it to them. This is the ocean we tell them ...but it doesn't really convey the oceanic experience does it!

We try to construct reality with cups of words instead of just directly experiencing it.
...this is what the mind does with words …you believe the cup is the oceanic experience of life ...that by swimming in the cup you will find the meaning of life.

...but don’t get me wrong, words can be very useful too, if you want someone to pass you the salt!

We try to understand non duality, and try to live in the heart of god …by scooping up reality into cups of words ...cups of experience …and then we try to arrange and mix these cups ...as if they had some secret formula ...to get the answer we are seeking ...and we then wonder why we feel something is missing! But you know that too, don’t you.

You puzzle why you can’t quite see the whole picture!

Why can't you see that you are aware emptiness?

...maybe another cup will give you the answer?

Do you want know why aren't you seeing it?

...It’s all those cups blocking the view!!!