What IS the Point?

The following is an email exchange from a reader.

To the sender of the question: I am sorry I was not able to respond to you privately via email, but the comment you left was anonymous. I hope this at least begins to address your question.

(Matthew): Nice post, Vince, but let me challenge you a bit. You say there's no problem without thought. Obvious enough -- but let's say I have a son with leukemia who is going through painful and sickening chemotherapy. Am I not going to think about his suffering, and therefore see no "problem"? So what is your point? Saying that there's no problem without thought strikes me as saying that there's no pain in the leg if you don't have a leg.


(Vince): Hi Matthew - thank you for your note. Let's see what comes regarding your question.

I know that when members of my family (and friends) have been very ill, I have certainly thought about them. There is a kind of thinking that is very functional and helps us deal with the present moment (and bake cakes, clean kitchen counters, organize the garage, create spreadsheets, etc.). This thinking simply arises, serves its purpose, and evaporates. "I" don't collapse around it.

My dad died from a degenerative neurological disorder that caused significant deterioration in nearly all areas of functioning for him. I certainly thought about it and thought about him. He died. I miss him every day. So, what is the point? The point, is bringing an end to psychological suffering. The point, in my experience, is that as long as I mistake myself (or my father) for this limited physical experience rather than this beyond-infinite beingness in which every thought, experience, dad, vince, son, etc. arises, problems continue to arise. Suffering is created and perpetuated by the collapse of a seeming "me" around a story - a story constructed completely of thought, completely conceptually. I see in my direct experience that there is never a problem now. Never. However, substitute this very life in this very instant with the pseudo-life of thought, then problems materialize in every direction.

So, if my son was living with leukemia and painful, sickening chemotherapy, I would do everything in my power to help rid him of the disease and the pain. I would think about him. I would probably feel sad and desperate and angry. I would feel like my heart was breaking. I would probably have the thought that this shouldn't be happening. All of this, is the livingness that we are. Where is the problem in this?

Where is the problem in going to the hospital, remembering to bring the clean pajamas, calling the pediatric oncologist, holding my son's hand while he cries or moans, wiping his forehead, giving him a sip of water, crying when I see him, holding my wife, and on and on? There is no problem in any of these moments - there is simply the direct experiencing of what is. This IS livingness. If we remain only with what is, there is a richness and depth and kind-heartedness that permeates all of existence - even pain, and tragedy, and death. We cannot point to "a problem." We can point to a boy, a hospital bed, a catheter, a nurse, wet hair - but "a problem" only exists in the realm of concept.

I hope this clarifies what I wrote and helps in some way. Please feel free to write again if I have only confused the matter or if you have other questions.

Love,
Vince

There Is Nothing to Be Done, and Yet...

There is nothing that needs to be done about “the world.” The world is a concept. It arises in this present awareness as various combinations of sensation (read “sensing”) and thought. Look into your immediate experience. Can you find “a world” anywhere other than in this present awareness? There is no world – there are old quilts, paper cuts, sleeping dogs, dry skin, train whistles, darkness, dandelions, purple paint, pagers, pain in the back of the arms, thoughts about the weather and the middle east and strawberries. What is your world right now? See that it has died and arisen a billion times. It arises from nowhere and dissolves back into nowhere.

There is nothing that needs to be done about “other people.” Other people are experiencing of combinations of light and shadow and physical sensation (i.e., seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting) and thought. “Other people” arise only as these combinations presently. What other people do you see right now? Do they come to you in any way other than as combinations of sensing-thinking in this moment? They arise from nowhere and dissolve back into nowhere.

There is nothing that needs to be done about thoughts. They are picture and sound. They exist for an instant and evaporate. They arise from nowhere and dissolve back into nowhere.

There is nothing that needs to be done about physical sensations. All sensing – seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling – is sensation. Itches, contractions, tingling, coolness, softness, pinching, heating - all arise from nowhere and dissolve back into nowhere.

There is nothing that needs to be done about emotions. Emotion is nothing more than a combination of thought and sensation. Notice that emotion is sensation linked with a story. The building blocks of emotion arise from nowhere and dissolve back into nowhere (see above). Emotion does the same.

There is nothing that needs to be done about “problems.” What are they? Can there be a problem without a thought? Is there anything, in your direct experience right now, which can be called a problem without the judgment of thought? Is there any “problem” that has not arisen from nowhere and dissolved back into nowhere?

There is nothing that needs to be done about “you.” What are you, anyway? Is there anything “wrong” with you without the judgment of thought making it so? In direct experience in this very moment, is there anything other than sensation and thought?

Yes, there is.

What is it?

This is not a game. Answering the question with your blood and bone will vaporize you.

Mistakes (In no particular order)

You mistake yourself for the sun
but are Space;

You mistake yourself for the wave
but are Ocean;

You mistake yourself for a body
but are Being;

You mistake yourself for alive
but are Never Born;

You mistake yourself for a seeker
but are the Sought;

You mistake yourself for a student
but are Knowing;

You mistake yourself for a name
but are Unknowable;

You mistake yourself for opinions
but are Silence;

You mistake yourself for imagination and memory
but are Thoughtless;

You mistake yourself for yesterday and tomorrow
but are Now;

You mistake yourself for here
but are Placeless;

You mistake yourself for a child
but are the Mother;

You mistake yourself for fears
but are Love.

Stop mistaking yourself for something!
Admit that you don't understand!
There is no map.
Live Not-Knowing.
You are already home.
Rest.

Some Advice When Drowning

Give up.
This body never
had a chance.
Born in the deepest ocean,
it began sinking
before its first breath.

Stop thrashing.
Sink.
Breathe in what you fear.
The water will dissolve
what you never were,
leaving only Love.

Something To Do

There is nothing to do.
Watch.

Watch the imposter's belief-thought that much can be done to "awaken." Watch the thought 'there are books to read;' watch the thought 'there are practices to do;' watch the thought 'there are films to view;' watch the thought 'there are conversations to have;' watch the thought 'there are tapes and talks to listen to;' watch the thought 'there are satsangs to attend;' watch the thought 'there are websites to search;' watch the thought 'there are techniques to master.' This imposter lives, moves, and has its being in, by, and as thought - nothing more.

Look. Can 'you' find the 'you' that tells 'you' that there is much 'you' can do to awaken anywhere other than in and as thought? Right now, awareness SEES the thinking that has stirred as a result of these word-thoughts. Is SEEING another thought? Can thought SEE thought?

Look; REALLY look. Watch the imposter's facile explanations and claims - all thoughts. These habitual thoughts are the story, the spell. SEEING does not require thought. No doubt, thought will continue to arise; but, what cares other than another thought that says "I care?"

What can be done? Some suggestions that may help, unless they don't...
Don't move, unless movement happens.
Don't talk, unless talking happens.
Don't eat, unless eating happens.
Don't breathe, unless breathing happens.
Don't sleep, unless sleeping happens.
Don't work, unless working happens.
Don't search, unless searching happens.
Don't read, unless reading happens.
Don't touch, unless touching happens.
Don't choose, unless choosing happens.
Don't live, unless living happens.
Don't die, unless dying happens.
Don't care, unless caring happens.
Don't be, unless being happens.
Don't do, unless doing happens.
Don't not do, unless not doing happens.
Don't think, unless thinking happens.
Don't you, unless you-ing happens.
Just watch, and nothing happens...
except for everything.
Watch that, too.

You Are a Finger in Your Eye...Seriously!

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?

Your Life is a Wreck

Life is a wreck. Nothing will ever go right - at least, not for long. Rain will fall on the picnic. The basement will flood. The car tire will go flat. The computer's hard drive will crash. The light in the kitchen will burn out. The ceiling fan will stop running. The refrigerator will stop cooling. The sidewalk will crumble. The roof will leak. The check will bounce. The shoestring will break. The pot will burn. The cup will crack. The shirt will shrink. The blanket will unravel. The garbage disposal will stop working. The dryer will stop producing hot air. The water heater will stop heating water. The boss will criticize the report. The kids will leave. The milk will spoil. The silver will tarnish. The cheese will mold. The ice cream will melt. The car lock will freeze. The brakes will squeak. The flowers won't bloom. The paint will peel. The photograph will yellow. The page will crumble. The house won't sell. Interest rates will fall. The market will crash. The flight will be delayed. The crop won't come in. The clock will lose time. The candle will melt. The chain will rust. The vacuum will clog. Partners leave. Hair will thin. Muscle will atrophy. Joints will ache. The dog has fleas. Eyes lose their focus. Ears lose their hearing. Teeth loosen and fall out. Kidneys produce stones. Bowels get constipated. Reactions slow. Arteries clog. Unwanted growths grow in the wrong places. Discomfort and pain become intimate companions. Waist lines increase. Sex drives decrease. Memory dims. Liver spots darken. Skin thins. Mucus thickens. Retirement income is too little. Loneliness is too great. Property values diminish. Friends die. Careers fizzle. Livers stop cleaning blood. Lungs stop charging blood with oxygen. Immune sytems fall into disrepair. Neurons fire haphazardly. Hearts stop beating. Money or no money, property or no property, health or no health, peace or no peace, it all falls apart. Nothing will go right. The imagined you will not make it. The imagined you is doomed. Doomed. The imagined you that struggles and fights and argues and works at it and analyzes and plans and postures and gesticulates and makes itself into somebody will blow away like a thin pall of smoke from burning leaves in an autumn wind. The imagined you will dissipate like fog on a summer morning. The imagined you will melt like the last patch of ice at the corner of the field at the beginning of spring. Everything imagined, thought, felt, seen, heard, smelled, tasted, sensed in any way passes away like the last beat of the heart. All hope, all fear, all ignorance, all knowledge, all ideas of a "you" die presently to blossom as this unborn, unknowable, unsensable, spacious clarity reading these completely meaningless words. Better to give up now - who you think you are doesn't have a chance. Go outside; smell the earth. Listen to the birds. Feel the breeze. Watch clouds.
You are the Livingness.
Isness being All.
Rest.