Hey Jake, yeah it would be lovely to see a few more folk taking an interest in these posts for sure.
For me, it feels like the illusory obstacle to ones true nature is nothing more than an idea or stream of thoughts which becomes identified with (somehow). It is a case of misidentification. I findmyself caught in these streams very often, but I would say their subtlety is less convincing.
As an example, I notice many behavioural aspects about this Deon character that I used to want to change, actions that I would berate. Now they are part of the expression of this character, they may or may not change, life will decide. I am happy to be the vehicle of life, and to begin to enjoy the unique expression.
A nice by-product is less guilt and judgement and an ease of being - even when there is not an ease in the charater, which sounds contradictory but life expresses exactly as it was intended.
I do think there is a resonance and it is beautiful to be in the presence of a loving environment and in that resepct we are like moths to the flame, again life directs this impulse.
I don't see the direct path as a process of stages. The investigation, for me, is seeing what we are not. As ACIM says 'Removing the obstacles to the awareness of Love presence.'
We need bring nothing into the world, we are already singing our song and dancing our dance, nothing need be different. Every aspect of life is divine, as indeed is every expression. Only thinking labels it otherwise.
The mind (thought stream) loves idea of strongest/highest, attaining through effort, but nothing is absent right now. The seeking creates the journey to.
Being is ever-present now. Its kinda lovely and kinda crazy too.
If any of this makes sense :) ???
Ya, you're making sense to me. especially:
I mean, that's the whole thing right there, and it seems so simple, like "I could stop identifing with thoughts if I wanted to," then I just keep doing it anyways... haha, getting much better though
I guess it confuses me from an intellectual standpoint how things change once we stop attaching to those thoughts and beliefs, which is exactly the point I think.
Well said, nothing is absent, so I guess my question is how to pose this to others in a way that they can understand. How to explain it in experiential terms in a clear way. Because if you tell that to someone on the streets they'll start thinking of all the things that aren't "right" or isn't here yet. It's like we don't know how to solve things without thinking... Like, years ago I'd have asked you: if we are all enlightened, why don't we realize it? and if it's because of attachment to thoughts, what does that attachment look like and how can we be still enough to let go of them, or how can we understand what we are doing wrong and see our misperceptions.
I think these books are good because they don't make sense in normal ways, yet they do. Like in making a claim we are "doing" something, but we don't know exactly what because the end state that we are claiming (being the Word) is not an experience we are familiar with.
I think that's what draws me to these books, they seem like something people can do(read) that will pacify the wandering mind. If I can put my mind on "I am word through my being. Word I am Word." I have no true intellectual understanding of the terms Word and being, so the mind has something it can't grasp but it can interact with. Does that make sense? Basically a loop[hole where we can use the mind while still allowing those obstacles to fall away. Sorry if I got overly complicated in my explanation before, it was unnecessary.
I think Adya steals some zen teachers line of spiritual teachings being thorns to remove other thorns.
Great comment, you're keeping me in line with how I talk about things, I don't want to stray to far from the direct teaching stuff. Would you say that your perception of life has changed since the realizations you've had?
I would say that it is very subtle and yet, paradoxically, highly significant. From my perspective the Deon character is still characteristically Deon. The behaviours and adversions still play out, but here's the thing, it's absolutely fine - all of it.
Nothing is at stake, and that's not an intellectual statement, it is truly felt viserally. The release of the need to 'personally improve or alter' has opened an avenue of deep contentment that accepts as an inherent way of being, strangely even when there is a flash of resistance. As weird as that may sound - resistance is accepted work that one out!.
I feel deeply blessed to be here and to experience this life, beyond that I don't know much. But I think the sharing of these explorations into existence is a deeply loving endeavour, and I think you are doing a really fine job - so big thanks.
Thanks for this response, really solid stuff, the whole everything is fine really helps stop the straining to achieve