Enlightenment and Inner Division

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This wisdom from Adyashanti gave me pause for thought today.

Adyashanti on Enlightenment and Inner Division

“Most human beings spend their lives battling with opposing inner forces: what they think they should do versus what they are doing; how they feel about themselves versus how they are; whether they think theyโ€™re right and worthy or wrong and unworthy.
The separate self is just the conglomeration of these opposing forces. When the self drops away, inner division drops away with it.

Now, I canโ€™t say that I never make a mistake, because in this human world being enlightened doesnโ€™t mean we become experts at everything. What does happen, though, is that personal motivations disappear.
Only when enlightenment occurs do we realize that virtually everything we did, from getting out of bed to going to work to being in a relationship to pursuing our pleasures and interests, was motivated by personal concern.
In the absence of a separate self, thereโ€™s no personal motivation to do anything. Life just moves us.

When personal motivation no longer drives us, then whatโ€™s left is our true nature, which naturally expresses itself on the human dimension as love or compassion.
Not a compassion that we cultivate or practice because weโ€™re supposed to, but a compassion that arises spontaneously from our undivided state. If we undertake being a good, compassionate person as a personal identity, it just gets in the way of awakening.”

As we continue on this path, the inner conflict and critical inner voice lessens, then disappears. We come to a place of inner knowing and compassion for ourselves and the world. This is the motivation that will drive us for the rest of our lives.

Namaste

37 responses to “Enlightenment and Inner Division”

  1. Thank you for sharing those wise words with us, dear Val โค

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    1. Thank you dear Irene ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ’›

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Very beautifully expressed dear lady, that place of acceptance ๐Ÿ’œ

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    1. Thank you Mark ๐Ÿ’›

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  3. I appreciate you sharing these wise words, Val. โค

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    1. Thank you Jill. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by ๐Ÿ’›

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  4. It reminds me a little bit of French philosopher Sartre’s notion that if we are constantly trying to live up to some definition of ourselves (here, “compassionate person”) then we are never making free choices true to ourselves. That idea has always stuck with me, even as it differs here from Sartre in the belief that our human nature is by default compassionate (I agree). Thanks for sharing! ๐Ÿ™‚

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    1. Thanks for adding to the conversation Katie ๐Ÿ’›

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  5. Wise words dear Val from both of you.. โค Many thanks for sharing โค

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    1. Thank you Sue for your words and presence here. I hope youโ€™re wek is off to a good start ๐Ÿ’›

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      1. Wonderful thank you Val. Hope yours is too ๐Ÿ’–

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  6. Thank you ๐Ÿ™

    Like

  7. In stillness we find this beautiful space! Thanks Val ๐Ÿ™‚

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    1. Thank you Karen for pausing here ๐Ÿ’›

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  8. This is so good. Thank you for posting this Val. It’s very timely for me lately. You always post what I need to hear ๐Ÿ™‚

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    1. Thank you Michele. So glad this post was serendipitous ๐Ÿ’•

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  9. Thank you, Val. Namaste ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ

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    1. Namaste Betty โค๏ธ๐Ÿ™

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  10. “In the absence of a separate self, thereโ€™s no personal motivation to do anything. Life just moves us.” ~> so, then, maybe my complete and utter lack of motivation and ambition is a good thing? ๐Ÿ˜€

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    1. It is what it is Nancy…. I do however like the idea that love and compassion becomes a different kind of inner drive. ๐Ÿ™

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  11. Very thoughtful and thought-provoking.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you Fiona for reflecting on this. ๐Ÿ’›

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  12. So true, Val. What goes on in our heads can be extremely challenging at times! Ah…the human condition. ๐Ÿ˜‰ ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป

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  13. That’s good stuff, Val. โค

    Liked by 3 people

  14. Very interesting! With this perspective it does seem to offer a benefit to cultivate motivation towards peace and compassion; kindness and loving acts. Maybe that would simplify the competition of the separate self? Much to think about here, Val! Thank you.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Thank you Debra for pausing and pondering here ๐Ÿ’•

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  15. plantmomwannabe Avatar
    plantmomwannabe

    Definitely worth pondering on. Thank you! โค

    Liked by 4 people

    1. So glad this resonated. Thank you ๐Ÿ’›

      Like

  16. I love this man. Always have. Because, hey, isn’t this just … it … ” When personal motivation no longer drives us, then whatโ€™s left is our true nature, which naturally expresses itself on the human dimension as love or compassion. Not a compassion that we cultivate or practice because weโ€™re supposed to, but a compassion that arises spontaneously from our undivided state. If we undertake being a good, compassionate person as a personal identity, it just gets in the way of awakening.โ€ Amen to that. โค

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    1. I love him and this part as well. At one point I thought something was wrong that I didn’t have the same drive as others. He helped me realize that the drive is compassion and kindness instead. So powerful and freeing. Thank you Bela ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ’›

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  17. Just the message my self needed today! May I open to my true nature and life moving me…Thank you, Val.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. So glad you enjoyed these words Vicki ๐Ÿ’›

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  18. forgottenmystic Avatar
    forgottenmystic

    Thank you for this!! This speaks true of unconditional love in all its forms. Beautiful โค

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you fm ๐Ÿ’›

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I’d love to hear from you …

โ— About Me

My name is Val Boyko, a dual citizen living near Philadelphia, originally from Scotland.

This blog came to life one morning in 2013.  I woke up with these words in my mind:  “Life is a series of highs and lows. Be grateful for the highs. Be graceful in the lows. And find contentment in your Middle Ground.”

Find Your Middle Ground blog started to explore, reflect, ask deep questions, share insights about awakening, and connect with wonderful people like yourself. Thank you for being here and being such an inspiration.