I can relate to what you are going through. The sadness or suffering of what you mention is so very there in our lives. We feel haunted by thoughts - like a constant rambling of our mind. My dear, this is samsara - and suffering is never ending in such.
You know how I am always happy and enthusiastic to know, read and share about 'enlightenment'. What I truly feel at this moment, when I seem to be alert of my consciousness, being in now, is the suffering of this samsara is never ending rambling of the mind. We truly need to examining the nature of our minds, and free ourselves of these destructive and afflictive emotions.
I myself am so much pre-occupied with such continuous thoughts and ramblings of my own. A while ago, as I woke up, my mind was full of depressive thoughts dear. It wasn't easy, and I felt I was suffering from these continuous stream of thoughts. I then got out of bed, went to prepare some tea and snack. As I came back to my bed I still couldn't relax. Honestly, this book 'Happiness' by Matthieu Ricard has been like a drug - to calm my mind and rediscover my pure consciousness. Look at what Matthieu says -
Destructive mental factors are deviations that gradually distance us form our true nature, to the point that we forget its very existence. And yet nothing is forever and irreparably lost. Even buried in filth, gold remains gold in its essential nature. The destructive emotions are merely veils, super-impositions.
[Gold is Gold - pg 210]
From the point of view of absolute truth, neither happiness nor suffering has any real existence. They belong to the relative truth perceived by the mind that remains in the grip of confusion. She who understands the true nature of things is like a navigator landing on an island made entirely of pure gold; even if she looks for ordinary pebbles, she won't find any.
[Beyond Happiness and Suffering - pg 264]
My mind, since last couple of days, had been wandering over so many uncertainties, wishes, sufferings and ways out of such. Last evening and a while ago when I woke up, I was thinking strongly about how free I would be if I gave up my current occupation. I thought for real, and saw few options I had always been interested in - the idea of leading trips, sharing with kids and younger people love and spirituality through school programs and helping you with Creative Touch. Well, as I was thinking of this freedom from my current occupation - it occurred to me that I am already free. This was something magical - that I didn't need to rid myself of my current preoccupation to set free.
I started with the last chapter of the book. As I mentioned earlier, after I began reading I started to feel calmer and calmer. The words in the book felt like pills to settle my mind.
After finishing the book it felt really good. I was in the grip of pure consciousness, and all I felt was this amazing goodness or perhaps happiness or sukha as described by Matthieu.
I prayed and thanked Universe for such state of being, and realizing such pure state of being. I prayed for blessing me , those around me and all the sentient beings with such state of being.
I now know it is not the change in occupation that is going to make me feel freer; rather being in such state of pure consciousness without sufferings of mind is the ultimate freedom. This is such a beautiful moment to have realized this, and I am amazed by myself.
This is when I thought and recalled you - and how you had been suffering recently. I really felt like sharing this experience in as much detail and simplicity as possible - to share that my (new aim) priority is on setting myself free form suffering and meditating on pure consciousness within as much and as often as possible.
I love you!
And, just before I end my dear letter to you, some magical words from Matthieu again -
... ultimate well-being comes from fully eliminating delusion and mental toxins, and thus suffering. Enlightenment is what Buddhism calls the state of ultimate freedom that comes with a perfect knowledge of the nature of mind and the world of phenomena. The traveler has awakened from the sleep of ignorance, and the distortions of psyche have given way to a correct vision of reality. The divide between subject and object has vanished in the understanding of the interdependence of all phenomena. A state of non-duality has been achieved, above and beyond the fabrication of the intellect and invulnerable to afflicetive thoughts. The sage has come to see that the individual self and the appearances of the world of phenomena have no intrinsic reality. He understands that all beings have the power to free themselves form ignorance and unhappiness, but they don't know it. How could he fail to feel infinite and spontaneous compassion for all those who, spellbound by ignorance, wander lost in the trails of samsara?
While such a state may seem far removed from our daily concerns, it is certainly not beyond reach. The real problem is that it is so close that we can't see it, just as the eye doesn't see its own lashes. An echo of this Buddhist concept is heard in Ludwig Wittgenstein : "The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity." Enlightenment is genuinely within reach insofar as we all carry within us the potential of our true nature. ... Buddhism says that we are all born complete, since each being holds within him a treasure that needs only to be actualized. ... The qualities of enlightenment are revealed through transformation at the far end of the spiritual path.
The fact is, each stage is a step toward fulfillment and profound satisfaction. The spiritual journey is like traveling from one valley to another - beyond each pass lies a landscape more magnificent than the one behind it.
[Where the Path Leads - pg 263-264]
5:47
24 Feb '11
You know how I am always happy and enthusiastic to know, read and share about 'enlightenment'. What I truly feel at this moment, when I seem to be alert of my consciousness, being in now, is the suffering of this samsara is never ending rambling of the mind. We truly need to examining the nature of our minds, and free ourselves of these destructive and afflictive emotions.
I myself am so much pre-occupied with such continuous thoughts and ramblings of my own. A while ago, as I woke up, my mind was full of depressive thoughts dear. It wasn't easy, and I felt I was suffering from these continuous stream of thoughts. I then got out of bed, went to prepare some tea and snack. As I came back to my bed I still couldn't relax. Honestly, this book 'Happiness' by Matthieu Ricard has been like a drug - to calm my mind and rediscover my pure consciousness. Look at what Matthieu says -
Destructive mental factors are deviations that gradually distance us form our true nature, to the point that we forget its very existence. And yet nothing is forever and irreparably lost. Even buried in filth, gold remains gold in its essential nature. The destructive emotions are merely veils, super-impositions.
[Gold is Gold - pg 210]
From the point of view of absolute truth, neither happiness nor suffering has any real existence. They belong to the relative truth perceived by the mind that remains in the grip of confusion. She who understands the true nature of things is like a navigator landing on an island made entirely of pure gold; even if she looks for ordinary pebbles, she won't find any.
[Beyond Happiness and Suffering - pg 264]
My mind, since last couple of days, had been wandering over so many uncertainties, wishes, sufferings and ways out of such. Last evening and a while ago when I woke up, I was thinking strongly about how free I would be if I gave up my current occupation. I thought for real, and saw few options I had always been interested in - the idea of leading trips, sharing with kids and younger people love and spirituality through school programs and helping you with Creative Touch. Well, as I was thinking of this freedom from my current occupation - it occurred to me that I am already free. This was something magical - that I didn't need to rid myself of my current preoccupation to set free.
I started with the last chapter of the book. As I mentioned earlier, after I began reading I started to feel calmer and calmer. The words in the book felt like pills to settle my mind.
After finishing the book it felt really good. I was in the grip of pure consciousness, and all I felt was this amazing goodness or perhaps happiness or sukha as described by Matthieu.
I prayed and thanked Universe for such state of being, and realizing such pure state of being. I prayed for blessing me , those around me and all the sentient beings with such state of being.
I now know it is not the change in occupation that is going to make me feel freer; rather being in such state of pure consciousness without sufferings of mind is the ultimate freedom. This is such a beautiful moment to have realized this, and I am amazed by myself.
This is when I thought and recalled you - and how you had been suffering recently. I really felt like sharing this experience in as much detail and simplicity as possible - to share that my (new aim) priority is on setting myself free form suffering and meditating on pure consciousness within as much and as often as possible.
I love you!
And, just before I end my dear letter to you, some magical words from Matthieu again -
... ultimate well-being comes from fully eliminating delusion and mental toxins, and thus suffering. Enlightenment is what Buddhism calls the state of ultimate freedom that comes with a perfect knowledge of the nature of mind and the world of phenomena. The traveler has awakened from the sleep of ignorance, and the distortions of psyche have given way to a correct vision of reality. The divide between subject and object has vanished in the understanding of the interdependence of all phenomena. A state of non-duality has been achieved, above and beyond the fabrication of the intellect and invulnerable to afflicetive thoughts. The sage has come to see that the individual self and the appearances of the world of phenomena have no intrinsic reality. He understands that all beings have the power to free themselves form ignorance and unhappiness, but they don't know it. How could he fail to feel infinite and spontaneous compassion for all those who, spellbound by ignorance, wander lost in the trails of samsara?
While such a state may seem far removed from our daily concerns, it is certainly not beyond reach. The real problem is that it is so close that we can't see it, just as the eye doesn't see its own lashes. An echo of this Buddhist concept is heard in Ludwig Wittgenstein : "The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity." Enlightenment is genuinely within reach insofar as we all carry within us the potential of our true nature. ... Buddhism says that we are all born complete, since each being holds within him a treasure that needs only to be actualized. ... The qualities of enlightenment are revealed through transformation at the far end of the spiritual path.
The fact is, each stage is a step toward fulfillment and profound satisfaction. The spiritual journey is like traveling from one valley to another - beyond each pass lies a landscape more magnificent than the one behind it.
[Where the Path Leads - pg 263-264]
5:47
24 Feb '11
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| vista of Manang Valley as seen from shit camp while making this hike to Pisang Base Camp with beloved Hanna, Annapurna Circuit Trek |
