Bring a finger (your choice) up to one of your eyes - very close - notice that your entire field of vision is 'filled by finger'. There is nothing but finger. If you get it close enough, you will discover that it cannot even be recognized as 'finger' any longer. Slowly, move your finger away from your eye - notice that more and more objects are now seen - the finger is still there AND there is recognition that there is SEEING of the finger because it no longer fills the entire eye screen.
Thoughts are like fingers poking us in the eye. Until we recognize the fact THAT there is thinking, we (seem to) live in the dark with a lot of suffering. As soon as we recognize that thinking is always happening, identification with thought dissolves (the finger moves away from our eye) and in THAT instant a new Buddha is born. Notice that the finger may still appear in the SEEING, but at a distance; 'finger' no longer 'fills' the seeing (our world) or seems so important.
Enlightenment (finger-in-the-eye-free living) is available now…and now…and now… SEE that the word "I" followed by ANYTHING is just another thought (finger). Whether the 'finger in your eye' comes in the shape of 'I am enlightened' or 'I am the Light of the world' or 'I am horrible' or 'I am wonderful' or 'I am hungry' or 'I am smart' - no matter what - is thought(potential fingers in the eye) arising NOW.
Seeing thought as thought - not being hoodwinked by the finger in the eye - IS enlightenment, but only right NOW. SEE that 'you' (a thought arising now, a finger in the eye, arising NOW in SEEING) cannot be enlightened because the 'YOU-Thought' is just a shadow arising after-the-fact of SEEING (which only happens NOW)and is 'done by' no one. Resting as THIS (really, literally, THIS SEEING now, now, now, now, now!) - Right Now - is complete and full enlightenment - but ONLY NOW. YOU won't find it tomorrow, or ever again, but NOW.
Where is your finger right now?
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