The analogy of the movie screen is a beautiful description of our True Self, untouched by appearances of form and separation.
The Practice of Noble Silence
The Practice of Noble Silence
The Practice of Noble Silence is probably the most profound, useful, and beneficial spiritual practice there is. It begins with stopping the external doing in your life and slowly extends to stopping the internal chattering of your mind. When the mind is still and silent, a great clarity arises by itself. This is the way of True Wisdom. It is the way of Awakening.
These live Satsang videos are available every Wednesday at 7:00 pm and Saturday at noon Pacific Time on Facebook Live. They appear on the Facebook page, Satsang with Peter. There is a Zoom session after the Satsang for those who have questions or want to share their experiences. The Zoom meeting number is 983-208-8996. Some of these live Satsang videos will be posted later here on the YouTube channel as this one was. To see when new videos are posted, subscribe to The Enlightened Way YouTube channel and visit the website https://n-lightenment.com.
What is God?
What is God?
There are so many misunderstandings of God. Many of them coming from various religious traditions. I hope this video will give you a better understanding and perhaps a direct experience of what God is, which is the only way you can truly understand God. There is a short silent transmission toward the end because God is far beyond all thoughts and beliefs. Perhaps in this silent transmission you can directly experience God beyond words and thoughts. If this transmission is too short for you, I’ve created another video with just the silent transmission that you can access on The Enlightened Way YouTube channel.
The Miracle of Mindfulness
The Miracle of Mindfulness
Freedom from Suffering
It’s a strange word “mindful” because it really means a mind that is empty of thought. When a mind is empty of thought it is full of life. It is full of everything. It is fully alive. When a mind is full of thought it is cut off from life. When a mind is empty of thought all of life is available.
A mind that is full of thoughts is always living either in the past or the future. A mind of thoughts cannot experience this present moment, which is the only real life there is. So a mind of thoughts lives in a dream world of past or future. Since this is not real, the mind of thoughts experiences suffering in various ways (frustration, disappointment, confusion, doubt, fear, anxiety, grief and anger).
Suffering and Mindfulness
This suffering is a wakeup call to the mind. It’s telling the mind, this is not real. Suffering itself is not real. It’s only a message – sometimes a fierce message – telling you that what you think is in conflict with reality. The way to deal with suffering is not to run away from it, try to get rid of it or distract your attention away from it. The way to deal with suffering is to listen to it. If you don’t listen, you cannot know why it’s here. If you rely on your mind to tell you why suffering is here, you cannot know why it is really here. To deal with suffering, you must be present. You must be mindful. You must let your thoughts go and truly listen in this moment.
This is the only way to true freedom from suffering. The way to freedom from suffering is through suffering not away from it. When you listen to your suffering, without interpreting it through thoughts (as is our conditioned habit), you receive the message of this suffering. This message will lead you from what is not real to what is real. What is not real is your thoughts about life. What is real is life itself without your mental interpretations. Mindfulness is experiencing life as it is free of the distortions of mental interpretation.
Here is a video about the power of listening to our suffering: Listening – The Ultimate Healing
The Miracle of the Present Moment
Simply being present is a miracle. Without the mind’s interference, life is extraordinary, exquisite, perfect, alive and blissful. Simply being present with a mind empty of thoughts is wonderful beyond the mind’s ability to comprehend. Here is the source of bliss, happiness, peace and love beyond concepts. For no reason at all we feel blissfully alive, at one with all existence.
Sitting on my roof today,
the raindrops glitter like diamonds.
How extraordinary it is to be alive.
Conditioned thoughts have hidden this great miracle of life from us. They have hidden the reality of what we are from us. Conditioned thoughts convince us that we are a limited, independent being separate from all of existence. Is it any wonder that we experience suffering, frustration, doubt, sorrow, fear and anger? Caught in this illusion, how could we not?
Mindfulness, a mind empty of thought, is the cure for this illness of illusion and suffering.
Freedom from Thought
There are many spiritual practices that help us be free of attachment to thoughts. Questioning the reality of each thought is one of them.
The Work
Byron Katie’s The Work is a practice for questioning every thought we have. It begins with the thoughts that are causing the greatest suffering. Once we realize that this thought is not true, we experience immediate relief from the suffering that comes from believing it. Seeing the results of this often enough encourages us to do this with all of our thoughts. Eventually we realize that no thought that we’ve had has been true and we realize that no thought we ever will have can be true. This gives us enormous freedom from attachment to thoughts. If a thought isn’t true, why attach to it? When we realize this, we don’t.
The Work consists of four questions.
- Is it true?
- Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
- How do you react when you think that thought?
- Who would you be without that thought?
The first and second questions are similar. The reason for this is because questioning your thoughts is a practice. At first your thoughts are going to insist that this thought is true. After all, you already believe the thought is true. That’s why it’s causing you so much suffering. So you ask a second time and ask is there any possibility that this thought is not true? Is there any situation when this thought might not be true? You look deeply into this thought and question it. Eventually, if you’re honest about this, you have to reach the conclusion that “No, this thought is not always true. There are times when it isn’t true.” Your belief in the thought slowly begins to erode. As your belief dissolves, so does the suffering. Eventually you realize that the thought is just a thought, not reality. And that thought no longer brings you pain. When you are free of the suffering that comes from believing that thought, you already have the answer to the fourth question, “Who would you be without the thought?” You would be free of the suffering that comes from believing that thought. And you answer with your freedom from suffering. How wonderful! You’ve just saved yourself years of therapy bills.
Eventually you realize that no thought is true. This is wonderful freedom. You are no longer attached to thoughts. They no longer rule and control your life. Now you use thoughts (They’re useful.) but they no longer use you. You’re free.
Self-Inquiry
In Self-Inquiry, we question this “I” every time a thought includes this personal pronoun, which is most of the time.
“I like …”
“I don’t like …”
“I want …”
“I don’t want …”
“I think …”
“I believe …”
“I am …”
Who is this “I”? What is this “I”?
Most of us have not looked deeply into this “I” that we believe is who we are. What if it’s not? Self-inquiry is a practice, like meditation. Since we’re always thinking, we always have an opportunity to question our thoughts. This “I” thought is a primary thought, so there is a lot of opportunity to practice.
This is a very deep practice. You will discover that there are many layers to this self-identification. As you let go of one layer after another, you will experience an increasing sense of freedom, peace, joy and love. At times you’ll also experience fear and resistance. You’ve had this sense of self-identity for a very long time, even though without your realization it’s been constantly changing. Yet it still feels very familiar to you. You experience a reluctance to let it go. At this point, you either back off the practice or re-double your efforts. There are always periods of resistance in all spiritual practices. What you do at these turning points determines your success.
The Miracle of Mindfulness
In the end, there’s nothing more to all spiritual practice and teachings than being present. In presence we find the answer to all spiritual questions. Presence itself is the answer to all questions. Most of these answers are beyond the capability of the mind to conceptualize. These answers come in the form of our very being itself and the being of all existence. A thought cannot contain such answers. And yet presence contains all answers.
While our attention is limited to thoughts, we cannot experience presence. Perceiving life through the filter of thoughts is but a dream of past or future. Presence is far too full of life for a thought. When attention is set free from the confines of thought and opens fully to the wondrous reality of life, the miracle of mindfulness is directly realized. All questions are answered in this moment. All suffering ceases. You realize what you are. You realize what life is. You realize there has never been any difference. This is the Miracle of Mindfulness.
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Truth
Spiritual Truth
Shift your attention from words to silence and you will hear.”
Nisargadatta MaharajSilence is truth. Silence is bliss. Silence is peace. And hence silence is the Self.”
Ramana MaharshiBeing still and quiet is the ultimate spiritual practice.”
Adyashanti
Not nothing. Not everything. Not fullness. Not emptiness. Not two. Not one. Not dual. Not non-dual. Then what? It is beyond all words and thoughts. Even God, Self, Emptiness, Source, Truth, Consciousness, Awareness do not come close. These too are words and thoughts. So then what? What is this? What is Truth?
Only in the absence of all words and thoughts can it be found. Then what can you say?
Oh, there’s the rub. Saying something you fall into infinite error and destroy Truth. Saying nothing you leave those starving for Truth without true direction, lost in the dense weeds of their minds. This is the constant paradox of the awakened teacher.
This points to the elegance and wisdom of the silent transmission. Not falling into either trap, Truth shines forth without obscuration.
Such is the true value of Satsang.
In silence, the Buddha held up a single flower. Was even that necessary?
In Satsang, we explore the depths of this silence. Through simple practices and guided meditations we directly experience Truth beyond words and thoughts. We taste the great peace, love and bliss of our fundamental True Nature.
You can enjoy Satsang with Peter both online and at the Zendo of the Awakened Heart in Sedona, Arizona. Learn more and get directions to the Zendo or how to participate online here: Living Awake Satsang
Satsang meets online every Saturday at noon Pacific Time and every Monday both online and at the Zendo from 7:00 to 8:30 pm Arizona Time. There is also a silent meditation each Sunday from noon to 2 pm Pacific Time.
Sign up here and directions to the Zendo and online participation will be emailed to you as well as the schedule and any change in schedule.
The Birth and Death of Conditioning
A friend sent me an adorable picture of his new born nephew. My first thought, “Welcome to the dream, Little One.” Even at one day old, it is unlikely this little fellow will ever experience reality or what he really is. Before his birth, the conditioning had already begun in the fetus stage. The conditioned mind of his mother is transmitted without words to the growing fetus in the womb. And, as we all know, conditioning continues and is reinforced throughout our lives.This can give you some idea of your own conditioning, where it comes from, how pervasive it is and its effect on you.
Very few of us ever awaken from this conditioned dream. Very few of us ever experience reality, truth or what we really are. Yet some do. Perhaps this little one will be one of those few. I hope so. I hope it for you. I hope it for everyone.
Most of us don’t realize we are living in a dream. We consider it reality, life and who we are. But some do realize there is something more or feel there must be something more. That’s a start. Some of us have even had glimpses, direct experiences, of what that something more might be. And, far more rare, some of have awakened or are in the process of awakening right now. Perhaps this little guy will be one of those. I hope so. I hope it for you. I hope it for everyone.
As you can see conditioning is continuous in all societies. It begins even before birth in the transmission of the mother’s conditioned mind. It includes the conditioned minds of the father and everyone else connected to the baby. The conditioned mind is transmitted with or without words. Unlike what the conditioned mind perceives, there is really no separation anywhere.
There are many aspects that go into every awakening from this heavily conditioned dream. One of those is a time of isolation from human contact for a period of time after the awakening experience. Without this isolation from other conditioned minds, an awakening experience, no matter how powerful, will eventually be pulled back into conditioning again. You can see this time of isolation from other conditioned minds in the experiences of Mooji, Eckhart Tolle, Ramana, Papaji and many other awake beings.
Another aspect is spending time in the presence of one free of the conditioned mind. This is the purpose of Satsang, silent retreats, etc. Unlike the transmission of the conditioned mind which happens with most people and reinforces our conditioning, this is the transmission of a mind free of conditioning and helps free us from conditioning.
Today being in the presence of an awake being is easier than ever. You have access through books, YouTube videos, internet, retreats, Satsangs, etc. You are most fortunate.
Many spiritual teachers today believe and claim they are free of this conditioning but are not. Only a small handful are. It has been like this throughout human history.
You may feel it is difficult to discern who is free and who is not, but it is far easier than you think. Thinking is only your conditioned mind. Leave it alone. You know entirely and only by what you experience. If you experience a great freedom, peace, bliss and unconditional love for no reason at all, then you are in the presence of someone who is free of the conditioned mind, someone who is awake. They may speak or not. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what they say or teach or if they say nothing at all. You know by your direct experience. Leave the mind alone. The mind is only conditioning. Trust your direct experience.
Both Mooji and Eckhart Tolle are easily accessible and both are awake. You have access to Ramana Maharshi and Papaji through books and videos. They are no longer in a physical body, but nobody really dies. Remember, there is no separation. You may have to take this on faith until you experience it.
You may find yourself sitting next to a stranger and suddenly this great freedom, peace, bliss and unconditional love overcomes you. You are in the presence of one free of conditioned thought. That is enough. You don’t need to ask questions or imagine you found your teacher. That experience is the teaching. That is enough. Leave your mind alone.
You may be totally alone and find yourself overcome with this great freedom, peace, bliss and unconditional love. This is even better. You have discovered your True Teacher. The appearance of all awakened beings is only an illusion. Remember, there is no separation. Stay here in this great freedom. Allow it to overcome you, to overcome the dream of you. This is the only teaching there is. Your mind will never understand this. This is truth. This is reality. It is not conditioning. It is freedom from conditioning. You’re waking up. Welcome Home.
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