Shiny Objects

You are already what you're looking for. You can't 'become' it, 'find' it, 'create' it, or 'lose' it. All that is ever happening is that our attention gets caught by shiny objects. Misdirected attention.  When it happens - and it will - see that only the attention has moved. What knows the attention has moved remains here as always. Stay here. You're really never anywhere else anyway; you just think you are. There is no welcome home for you because you never really left.

Don't Be Fooled By Smoke

Regardless of our understanding, difficult states continue to come up, but we don’t focus on them. We just allow them to be there, allow them to arise and do whatever it is they do, but continue to practice short moments of resting as we are again and again. We begin to see that it all arises within this space and we are that space. The sky is completely unaffected by whatever is passing through it. The sky remains completely unaffected and clear and by taking short moments we get to know that and we gain confidence in it. We are that sky, too. We are not just the arisings.

We can’t hold onto any insight that might happen as a result of resting as the awareness that we are. These objects of awareness that we call insights arise only in the moment. Understanding only happens in this moment, now this moment and now this moment. None of it can be grasped. Any insight is just another object, another thought, no matter how beautiful. It can only be enjoyed in the moment. The smoke takes a particular shape in this moment and then it is gone.

We use the thoughts that arise to limit ourselves in many ways; we tell ourselves what we can and can’t do. What arises doesn’t really limit us in any way. It is like smoke taking the shape of steel bars and then we believe we cannot move through it. We forget that it is just smoke. Understanding, not understanding, getting it, not getting it – all of it is smoke taking one or another shape and it is just us forgetting that it is simply smoke and we can walk through it at anytime. We don’t need to do anything about it. We just rest as we are and it will clear.

This smoke is what we are dealing with in every moment of our lives. We believe we are dealing with reality but we are always just dealing with smoke. We let smoke stop us from doing what needs to be done in any moment. We just keep coming back to resting simply in this moment. As we rely on this open space of awareness; the shapes that smoke takes no longer hoodwinks us. Don’t be fooled – the smoke is still there and it will still make frightening shapes, but we won’t be thrown by it any longer. We know what it is and it can no longer scare us. By just resting in this moment, we have all we need right now. There is nothing special about this. Yet, it can completely transform our life.

No Separation

Awareness is present when the "me-sense" is present.
Awareness is present when the "me-sense' is not present.
Awareness is present when the sense of "beingness" is present.
Awareness is present when the sense of "beingness" is not present.
Awareness is present when there is a sense of "knowing."
Awareness is present when there is no sense of "knowing."
Awareness is not dependent upon anything.
Everything is dependent upon Awareness.
Awarenesseverything.

Stop

Wherever you are right now, reading this, stop.

What do you notice? Sounds, sights, sensations, smells...allow them all.

What notices? Thoughts probably stumble through that say "I do" or "me" or "my brain" or "my senses" or something similar.

What notices those thoughts?

Welcome home to the place you never left.

Isness Is Infinitely Is-ing

Being what you really are is not difficult. Being what you are not and then arguing for or against it is what is difficult.

Notice that right now, if you just rest and welcome everything (really - everything - including your rejection of anything), there is nothing else that needs to be done in order for Isness to Is (so to speak!). It is only a thought which says "I'm not getting it," or "I am missing something." Even these thoughts are Isness taking shape as particular thoughts. Isness is is-ing everything: Isness is-ing as this computer; Isness is-ing as the big blond dog on the floor; Isness is-ing fingers; Isness is-ing uncertainty and confusion; Isness is-ing a Vince and a Tom and a Sue and a Roberta and a Karl and... Isness is-ing is-ing!

No effort is necessary for Is-ing to Is. Rest and welcome the fizzing Is-ing.

Nothing to do.

Right here.

Right now.

Rest.

Awareness Is Stuff, Stuff Is Awareness

Even though Awareness cannot be "experienced," this doesn't mean that Awareness-Being is somehow separate from all of the stuff of life. On the contrary, life is Awareness/Beingness itself. Absolutely everything is known in, by, and as Awareness. Nothing is separate from this Everyday Awareness present here-now...It is never anywhere other than here.


A line from the Heart Sutra says that "form is nothing other than emptiness and emptiness nothing other than form." It is only thought that separates the two.  If you live in the middle of the cornfields of Illinois (as I do) you might say it this way: Awareness is full of stuff and stuff is full of Awareness!

No Experience Necessary

What you are can never be experienced.

Looking for a particular experience as confirmation of what you are - whether peace or love or anger or irritation or rain or cold wind or sand between your toes or terror or calm or equanimity or hunger or sublime spiritual visions - takes you in the wrong direction and will keep you searching forever. Searching, finding, celebrating, losing, and grieving - only to begin searching again and again - is samsara/suffering.

No experience is what you are (read that again - yes, I mean that in both ways). In fact, any experience can only serve to point you back to this present Awareness upon/within/throughout which this very experience, right now, is registered.

Beingness, as an employer, has few requirements: no experience necessary.