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A sampling...
These writings are a result of decades of reflection, and listening to and learning from many people. I am profoundly indebted to all those who've helped guide and inspire me. So, as I have been influenced by a wide variety of people, my words aim to return this favor in kind, and speak to the most common ear--in this world where divisions and divisiveness and people struggling are ever so apparent.
In This Moment is written in a dialogue format, which I find most useful in conveying the book's message and helping others receive it. These talks, therefore, simulate meetings I've had with friends, fellow teachers, clients, and students throughout the years.
Thus, in attempting to stay true to what I've learned and to my own experience and voice, this book emerges from what I see as the wellspring of genuine happiness, inner peace, and overall well-being. There is value, then, in slowly reading and re-reading what's presented here, and letting it sink in, in any instant and over time--all for the sake of bringing this to any and all aspects of one's life.
In this or any moment, it's so good to relax in and as the whole body, open to what is, and fully alive in all our senses—being with our breathing, feeling each breath in and each breath out. Awareness of the breathing's flow—with the belly naturally rising on inhalation and falling on exhalation—is a most beneficial, ever-available way to center our attention, calm the nervous system, and sense the connection with our life-giving Source.
So, right now or at any time, we can simply be present, and attuned to what we might be seeing, or hearing, or feeling, thinking, or doing—open and attentive to all that's going on. It's so good to be this way—consciously relaxed in the body, breath-aware, and likewise, aware from scalp to toe.
All the while, we can give ourselves permission to think and feel whatever we do. We can simply be with what is, mindful of what is. We can freely allow any mental-emotional activity that's arising within us.
And how good it is to be simply be in the moment, conscious of being right here, right now. And how good it is to just stop at any time, and be still, even for just a few seconds, a few moments. Such is a way to be more awake to the beauty and wonder of life.
We can even let a hand rest on the belly, or in the center of the chest, and feel into the breathing, the beating heart, and our union with What is giving us life in every moment. What a wonder that our every breath, our every heartbeat, is coming from out of nowhere, where all inhaling begins, exhaling disperses, and nothing real ever leaves us.
Such is the all-pervading Energy sustaining us, and what the body-mind naturally passes into upon its dissolving. We can call this God, or Spirit, or the Source, the Oneness, or anything we choose. Such is the vastness that permeates everything, and provides all the room in the world for everything to be as it is. Even our form's eventual non-existence abides in God's never-ending reach. No matter what, we're here, we're home--already and always.
We don't need any concept of what this is, or have to try and get connected, or struggle to recognize this, our very substance, our very essence--the great Life-stream that floats us all, and flows through our every nook and cranny!
So . . . . Welcome Home. Welcome to being where we truly are--ever-connected to our Source, and what is pulsing life in our every molecule and cell, heartbeat and breath, and bit of consciousness shining through our eyes, and ears, and skin . . . . And while every form is impermanent, our very being is anything but, as each of us is stemming from, sustained by, and passing back into the all-pervading Energy, the Spirit, that is eternal.
Home is where we always are, but may not realize it or live like it; and thus, our ongoing opportunity: to thoroughly investigate, and clearly recognize what our true nature and real contentment is. This is our Source-connectedness, and being settled here—in God's endless domain, and the happiness, the love and peace, that's free of any need to seek it.
What grace and good fortune that we're never apart from this abiding, this Presence, and the greatest of all intimacies and our purest joy and serenity. What welcoming arms to trust falling into, and how open the heart that's ours to give. Any moment, then, is a chance to convey our being home, as a simple attentiveness and caring, kind-heartedness and giving, complete with sighs of genuine relief and gratitude.
And what better way to better our world, than by treating each other more as we really are--one with God, with our Origin and Sustenance, and what unites us all amid our diversity . . . . Such is the love, the open-heartedness, revealed in our truth-telling's deepest and most expansive reach—where life's blessings, essential meanings, and purposes are understood. Such is, purely and simply, the happiness of a life given to love, and being at peace in the Oneness, now and forever . . . . home.
(Participant): How great, that in this life we get to endlessly acknowledge both our union with the one Source, and the deep happiness of surrendering to this oneness.
Yes, how magnificent, that we, in all our multiplicity and individuality (with all our problems and flaws), can simply look to and open to our oneness, our common Origin and mutually shared essence, to find our greatest satisfaction, our truest love and peace, our true home.
(Another participant): Speaking of flaws, I can see a pattern in my thoughts and feelings that seems to have been engrained since childhood. What's fueling it, or behind it, is a seeking for attention and approval; and the fear of being disliked, disapproved of, criticized for not being good enough, for being unworthy, unattractive, unsuccessful, etc. So my whole life feels like an attempt to prove myself, and uphold a certain self-image, or protect myself from feeling put down. It's like a tape that keeps replaying in my thoughts and emotions in various forms.
For each of us, there's much to see through in any moment. We can't change what's happened in the past, the traits we've inherited and how we've been conditioned; but we can change our relationship to any of it right now. In this instant, we can be willing to let any of the old stuff come up, and it's likely it will, perhaps forever. It's okay. Whatever our story is filled with, like wanting attention and approval, or to not feel “not good enough,” we can give ourselves permission to think and feel whatever we do. We can see it all, meet it all, be free to contain it all. We can fully accept ourselves.
Such attentiveness and acceptance is, in essence, love. In this moment, no matter what's gone on or not gone on before, or what we think will happen or not happen in the future, we can simply be with what is. An instant of this, of openness, of letting be and letting go, of love, can transform our relationship to our “stuff,” our story, our habit-patterns, loosening its grip on us.
(Participant): Sometimes I just feel so stuck in what I'm feeling. Whether the emotion is one of fear, or sadness or anger, I can seem to get bottled up by it. Lately, I've been experiencing a lot of sadness regarding a loved one's passing and the prospect of my own someday.
So, right now or at any time, if we're feeling any such sorrow, we can let ourselves be completely sad without trying not to be, without resisting how we're feeling. Even if it seems like a dark cloud weighing a ton, we can let any grief rain on us in a complete downpour, with nothing to stop whatever's washing through us.
(Another participant): It's very freeing to just plain ol' feel how I'm feeling, and to give myself complete permission to do so. Plus, I only create more stress and suffering for myself when I avoid, deny, or resist meeting what's arising in the mind, and feeling its emotional counterpart in the body.
Yes! If we simply and fully experience whatever is coming up, and not try to change it, but be with it, go right into it, there is, like you say, an energy that is open and free. Even tension itself is like this: If we squeeze our fist hard enough and long enough, at some point the hand relaxes, and we find that in the core of tension is spaciousness too.
When we're no longer avoiding or resisting the thoughts and feelings arising in us, we're being just like we are at our innermost: open and free to meet our every part. Even our worst fears (including our fear of death and the destined vanishing of these bodily forms) are best met like this.
(Participant): Yeah, it's clear, when I really look at any thought, or feeling, or physical form, there is, at its core . . . . no-thing. As science actually confirms with the most penetrating microscopes and keen understanding: At the innermost of anything or anyone (even what I might resist the most) is nothing but space, pure energy--all matter being, in essence, energy. This, it's clear, is the same all-pervading Energy sustaining us, and what the body-mind naturally passes into upon its dissolving. And like you say, we can call this God, or Spirit, or the Source, the Oneness, or anything we choose.
This is the vastness that permeates everything, and provides all the room in the world for everything to be as it is. Even our form's eventual non-existence abides in our Source-connected home—in God's never-ending reach--and is nothing to resist at all. No matter what, we're home.
(Another participant): Couldn't this, too, be called just another story?
We can call it whatever we want. What story, then, do we want to tell ourselves? What is most conducive to real happiness and inner peace? What fills each of us with the most joy and allows for life's greatest enjoyment? What is most worthy of our attention and devotion? Honestly! Don't take my word or anyone else's; but investigate for yourself. What is most true? What provides us with the best sense of direction in our lives? What do we want to teach our children and leave behind for them? Each of us must see and decide for ourselves.
As I see it, when I tell the whole truth and go to the deepest places inside me, I realize I am inseparable from my Origin and Sustenance. This is what's most real. Thus, what an ongoing opportunity is ours: to be open to our very essence, and settled in this most genuine love and peace, even as all the turbulence of mind, body, and circumstances inevitably occurs.
And how good to be conscious of this at any time—the Life/Energy/Spirit creating us, sustaining us, and receiving these bodies upon their passing. How good to be rooted, and rested and relaxed here, in our essential reality, right now--being aware of this in the belly, groin, legs and feet, solar plexus, chest, arms, throat and head, all over. And how good that we can meet any thought, or feeling, or circumstance here, let everything be and everything go here.
(Participant): What a play this life is: that our true nature is perfect and always, already here, and most humans don't really know it, or live with a real sense of it.
That's why we're here having these considerations and contemplating this--to really look into our heart's truth. In fact, this is what the mind is most wonderfully intended and suited for: to be attentive to what we value the most, and intend to grow and evolve in, like our being evermore settled in the certainty of our Source-connectedness. And, likewise, how good it is to use our attention and intention to express this core-peace as love, purely and simply.
(Participant): So, it seems we would naturally want to be as aware as we can, to better see through anything that would try to stand in love's way.
This awareness is openness, the freedom to feel, and the willingness to meet and keep meeting whatever's occurring. Such is unconditional acceptance, unconditional love, the light of awareness which sees that nothing, in fact, can stand in love's way.
(Another participant): Speaking about growing and getting better at things, what about setting goals in our lives and trying to achieve them? You speak so much about being in the present; don't we have to be future-oriented in order to attain our goals?
The attaining of a goal like learning a new language, or new occupation, or a musical instrument (or writing a book) may be seen to happen someday down the road, that's true. And, what we want to take place someday may be a primary motivating factor; as we focus on what we really and ultimately want, and do the necessary things to fulfill those aspirations.
Still, our goals will only be attained if we take care of business in the present—if we do what needs to be done right now—putting our attention on what needs to be learned and accomplished first, before the next thing, and so on. We can't get ahead of ourselves. Before we can flawlessly play a Beethoven or a Bach piece, we need to master very simple songs first, and then more and more challenging ones. And all this learning and practicing happens in the here and now, and if it doesn't, we won't continue to improve.
The same with love and realizing our true nature, our true identity. We can appear to get better at these, but only if we are being attentive and caring, and inquiring into our very essence right now.
We can more consistently accept ourselves, forgive ourselves, let be and let go; we can more deeply rest in all that our core-truth implies, all of which we do in this moment, and over time, as best we can. And this is why we're repeating the same fundamental themes here, as repetition helps our understanding of anything sink in more thoroughly and saturate us more completely.
But let's not forget, that the full recognition of our Source-infused essence can happen in the heartbeat and breath of any moment, no matter what's gone on or not gone on previously. That is the fundamental difference between “self-realization,” or awakening to our true nature, our true self (or whatever we might call it), and any other goals we might have, where step-by-step learning has to take place. Whatever's taking place is our chance to realize and convey our heart's truth in this moment.
