Enjoy this re-post and Middle Ground pause.
Place of silence Photography by Ingo Dumreicher
“There’s nothing to prove, nothing to figure out, nothing to get, nothing to understand.
When we finally stop explaining to ourselves, we may discover that in silence, complete understanding is already there.”
Steve Hagen
Within nothing is everything
Beyond everything is nothing
When the unknown becomes known there is nothing to know
Let it be found in stillness
“Pain is your best friend. It is infinitely more honest with you than pleasure. Despite what you might think, the painful experiences you have had benefit you far more than the pleasurable ones, even though most of us spend our lives trying to duck and hide from them.
But when you can center yourself and be open to look pain dead in the eye, then you have transcended the limits of your ego and this humanity. It is then that you enter into the possibility of becoming a great being.”
~ Swami Chetanananda
When I first read these words I wanted to reject them. How could pain be my best friend?
Yet, looking back on the painful, challenging and disappointing experiences in my life, I understand.
Through dark times we find courage and resourcefulness that we may not have thought we had within us.
We break open and feel into what matters.
We learn about ourselves and grow as human beings.
We are able to see the pain in others and feel more connected to them.
We enter the possibility of becoming great beings.
… and knowing this helps.
Namaste
The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow.
You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your inner enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.*
~ Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido
Peace is an art form.
It is created.
There has to be an intention behind it.
It comes from within.
It comes with some effort and skill.
It brings about transformation within you and to those around you.
Manifest your inner enlightenment and share it with the world.
Namaste
*Ueshiba, Morihei. The Art of Peace (Shambhala Classics) (p. 41). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.
All that you need, you have within you, waiting to be recognized, nurtured and allowed to grow.
An acorn contains within it a mighty oak tree.
You contain the same within you.
Just as the acorn is planted and tended to enable it to grow, so you must activate the dormant seed within you.
Are you ready to burst your bonds and become free?
To do so, choose the right environment and supportive people around you. Nourish your body so that it is a fit container for this emerging true self.
It doesn’t have to be a world changing thing to start to bring about this growing spurt, no matter what age you are!
Find the time, (and perhaps courage) to recall an earlier part of your life and see it as a compassionate observer. Notice how far you have come… and the fork in the road that you may have been ignored.
Buy that bathing suit/swimsuit that you know will allow you to feel the freedom of swimming or simply floating again. Let go of what other people might think!
Be curious to know more! Climb that tree to see what’s on the other side.
Take a moment to notice your breath when you become anxious. Then take a class to find out more about breathing and meditation and how it impacts your health and well being.
Turn off your smartphone.
When we pause and find our middle ground, we open the door to a whole new way of living life in balance, with creativity and never ending possibility.
“We can learn to transcend our ego, gradually, by placing ourselves more and more in the position of the transcendental Self, which knows no likes and dislikes but simply witnesses all experiences and states of existence. As our capacity for witnessing – mindfulness – increases, we automatically slip more and more into our true nature.”
Georg Feuerstein
When we have a mindfulness practice our ego begins to lose its power over us. We start to see ourselves as connected beings rather than separate.
What does this look like? We notice our self reflected in others. We have more compassion for our self as well as others. We become part of humanity and beingness. We learn to let go of expectations of how things should be and trust in each moment as it unfolds.
The more we practice and connect to our higher Self, the more we let go of the past and our worries about the future.
There is no need to escape, because we are already home.
We learn to trust and live in place of love rather than fear.
This is our true nature.
Some sages say it takes years of practice with discipline and willpower, while other modern sages say that we are able to open to it in the moment when we live from our true nature. Georg Feuerstein’s words capture both elements of the traditional long path and the modern short path on the spiritual journey.
I talk a lot about how we can all find time to pause, connect inwards and find peace; become aware of habits and conditioning; learn to let go; see things from different perspectives; be more compassionate to others and more loving towards ourselves; recognize ego and embrace the connections between us all and a universal consciousness; follow our heart and spiritual path … and along the way, not take ourselves too seriously.
Inspirations and insights can only go so far. At the end of the day we have to be ready.
“Ready” means that we open up to an expanded way of being. We begin to embody these messages and live them, rather than simply believing in them as good ideas. “Ready” is when they are absorbed into our mind, body and soul.
We may hope that others will change.
We may wish that we can change.
When we get frustrated with others who don’t get it, or want to change. When we feel loss and sadness for them. When we get dismayed with ourselves for not being able to make these changes ….
We must remember that we can lead a horse to water, but we can’t make them drink until he or she is ready.
All we can do is our best, coming from a place of understanding and kindness.
And recognizing that sometimes this isn’t enough.
Patience and acceptance are perhaps the most important lessons of them all.
Namaste
Our days can easily get out of hand when our mind is in overdrive. Its like driving a car with our foot pressed on the accelerator. Unsure where we are heading but driving hard to get somewhere.
Our ego is in command “Keep pushing you’ll get there!”
Its voice is much louder than the small questioning inner voice “Where are we going? … Is this the way to happiness?…”
In the state of overdrive we reinforce our habitual behaviors and thinking. There is no awareness of self, just a mindless mind running the show. Pretty scary eh?!
We have to pause in order to hear the small inner voice that comes from our heart and intuitive being. When we pause and become still we can hear it. As we listen, it becomes our guide on how to live our lives and find true happiness. The more we pause the more insights we have into ourselves and the world around us. The more creativity and inspiration opens up. We experience inner transformation and happiness.
So the next time you notice yourself as a mindless driver in overdrive, remember this mantra:
