The struggle to get better, the struggle to correct things about ourselves that we judge or don’t like, the effort to push up against perceived bad traits or laziness in ourselves and perceived “others,” while laudatory in many ways, keeps us firmly lodged within the world of resistance. Even if we resist for what we deem to be a “good” purpose, it is still resistance, and thus lies firmly in the world of the ego-mind. The core rationale of the ego-mind is that it will protect us by keeping us “safe” from perceived threats. Of course, these threats are not real.
The ego-mind does not know how to do anything except to draw attention to itself. That is its design function. These threats, in reality, only threaten our attachment to our identities. They have no other meaning.
Once we appreciate the joke of all of this – that we just are the way we are, that everything that was done has been done out of love (no matter how it may have appeared) – all efforting stops. There is no longer anything to maintain, to control, or to change. There is only our effortless flowing with what is. We see this all about us, in nature. This is our natural state.
How did things appear to get so “screwed up” that we spend almost all of our time judging and trying to monitor and control ourselves, the world and perceived “others?” At some level, we forgot that we are divine and, thus, can do nothing wrong, that we are innocent as playful beings in the universe. Out of this false belief, we created an entire reality based on fear. Once we realize this on a deep level, that there is no mistake that we can make, we can simply let go. There are no more windmills to fight.
Emerging from the world of resistance involves expanding our world view to include that of everyone else. We no longer come “first.” As our infatuation with our personal identity disappears, so does our seeing everything from an individual point of view. We now serve others, not out of a philosophy or moral ethic, but because that is our true nature. We are, in reality, all the same being.
So this realignment with the flow of the universe comes about through realizing that what we have been taught, our false beliefs and teachings, make little sense. They simply have no logic in them. By listening, by observing, we can retrain ourselves.
In this very special time, it appears to be far easier to make this jump. Leave the perceived agreements that are built on resistance, on effort, on control. Leave the world of struggle. Leave all fixed beliefs and philosophies and teachings, even “spiritual” ones. This is the invitation that has been offered to us in this time. For many of us, it may be why we came to earth at this moment.
This shift in perception may not happen in a day. But if you truly want it, it becomes inevitable. As you cease to effort, the ego-mind simply dies because it no longer captures your attention. There is no longer anything for it to do. It is then a matter of letting go of your habitual identification with who you think you are.
We are coming into a time of enormous change. The more baggage we may carry with us, the harder it may be to move quickly. Overwhelmingly, that baggage springs from our beliefs and resulting attachments, our identification and positions about ourselves and the universe. While these may seem to be incredibly important to us (and we spend most of our energy and time defending or expounding on them), they aren’t worth 2 cents. We make them supremely significant, and there are endless debates, articles, and even TV discussions about “contrasting” points of view. Yet, all points of view – if held as beliefs, positions or identifiers – are equally deceptive, for they can only spring from the ego-mind.
The universe doesn’t need our beliefs or our defense of them. But it probably would rejoice in a few more beings’ leaving these old ways of thinking behind.
There is something that is going on in the universe that we simply can’t fathom. Our perspective is too limited. We are being asked to trust in that which is beyond our understanding, even though western society remains largely embedded in doubt and the doctrine and false belief that the universe is only what we see. There is a huge world out there, the greater universe that beckons us, if we only give up resisting it. How beautiful!!
So, we embrace all of you. If you agree or disagree with what we have written, it matters not at all. You might notice any attachment to your position either way, and let it go. You are not the position, not the belief. You are a timeless being beyond definition and form.
We recently co-hosted the 1st Twin Cities Conference on Awakening as a vehicle for nurturing support for Minnesotans who might want to embark upon or accelerate this journey. Our intention is to create a catalyst for gentle transformation. We will be hosting, with others, biweekly meetings for those who might be interested, and Leonard Jacobson will also be coming to the Twin Cities from California on July 31 to speak on awakening. Please see the interview with Leonard in this issue of the Edge.