Kiki's Wisdom - Accept things as they are

If you just stop and think about it you'll realize that you've experienced presence throughout your life, although there may not have been a recognition of what it was. Perhaps it was when you simply sat and watched the sunset, a child play, looked at a piece of art, or listened to some music and every care in the world, every worry about the future or regret of the past disappeared and there was just the sun setting, just the child playing, just the piece of art, or just the music playing - "you" were nowhere to be found and there was a simple silence and peace within. Why? Because all internal barriers to what was being observed dropped away because nothing was being sought, there was no looking for something to happen, no wishing for things to stay the same or be different. Labeling, comparing, judging, analyzing, and thinking dissolves when nothing specific is demanded of a present situation.

That labeling, comparing, judging, analyzing, and thinking is what creates internal barriers to "what is"; it creates a "me" which has a certain viewpoint and it sets that me apart from everything else, and everything else is then put into a relationship with that me. When those barriers have been created and you get lost in them "problems" arise because your relationship to what is then can be seen as threatening. Then there is the tendency to live life in the mind rather than letting the flow of life's events move through you unimpeded.

The real you is the wide open space that allows for everything to arise, exist, and dissolve again. Manifestation is always doing that anyway, but when the "me" is out of the way it does so in a state of peace, stillness, and inner silence. So don't look for something to happen, don't wish things to be different, don't get caught up in the past or the future. Instead, just be with whatever is in front of you, and if it happens to be drinking a cup of coffee then just drink the coffee. Be fully aware of everything connected with drinking it - the warmth of the cup in your hands, the aroma, the taste of it on the tongue, the swallowing of it, the feeling of it entering the stomach. There is nothing that you can't do in this way, and starting with the "mundane" things like drinking coffee or washing the dishes will allow you to reconnect yourself on a conscious level with the inherent peacefulness and stillness of being found in the present moment. Starting "small" like this will prepare you for when events become more challenging by building a base of familiarity of presence that appears more readily available in other situations.

KiKi

Understand that ego is not real

To begin with, the idea that you have to kill the ego is one that is counter-productive because all such efforts only keep the ego going. Instead, come to see that the ego isn't real; when that is seen to be the case then there will be a dissolving of identification with ego. With that dis identification the ego will still arise but will no longer cause the trouble it currently does; one will no longer get sucked into it and get lost there.

Use times when you aren't feeling emotional turmoil to simply look at things without commentary - just return again and again to what's actually before you, the naked sensory input of it. When you find that you've strayed into thought return to what's actually real. This will be training ground for when you do experience emotional turmoil. When that happens, turn attention very closely to what is actually felt, the naked sensory input, and when labels about those sensations arise return again to the actual sensation. Do this again and again.

Kiki's wisdom

The Mirror of Consciousness

Remember, all you are is consciousness, everything that arises within it changes, but not what you are. Think of it this way: What you are is a perfect mirror which only reflects what stands before it. Does a mirror judge itself in any way? No, it just reflects. Does it lament the past. No, it just reflects the present. Does it fear the future? No, it just reflect what is before it. But the mind/ego creates goals, wants to "be something special" in its own eyes or in the eyes of others. It thinks about the past, it regrets its mistakes, it plans for what it calls the future, it feels anxious about that imaginary future, it feels somehow that it doesn't "measure up", that it hasn't made its mark in the world, and on and on it goes. All that does is allow the mirror of consciousness to reflect that as well - it's very good at reflecting illusions. But when the mirror of consciousness has been cleaned of those things which are illusory, what remains? Consciousness reflecting without the distorting influence of mind/ego, and that, whether your ego believes it or not, is pretty awesome.

This emerging consciousness in people, this ability to reflect without distortion is huge in terms of what it can mean for the world of form. Could there possibly be anything greater? Can anything measure up to this? So your ego feels "left behind", not accomplishing some idea it has of what should be. Big deal! That kind of thinking only contributes to the familiar world we find ourselves in. Being a true reflector of the world is the very basis of changing that world. Without "doing" anything other than consciously being what you really are you are changing the world. Magnificent! I bow to all of you. I salute the light within you and give you thanks on behalf of the world.

Kiki's Wisdom

Changing the world

Remember, all you are is consciousness, everything that arises within it changes, but not what you are. Think of it this way: What you are is a perfect mirror which only reflects what stands before it. Does a mirror judge itself in any way? No, it just reflects. Does it lament the past. No, it just reflects the present. Does it fear the future? No, it just reflect what is before it. But the mind/ego creates goals, wants to "be something special" in its own eyes or in the eyes of others. It thinks about the past, it regrets its mistakes, it plans for what it calls the future, it feels anxious about that imaginary future, it feels somehow that it doesn't "measure up", that it hasn't made its mark in the world, and on and on it goes. All that does is allow the mirror of consciousness to reflect that as well - it's very good at reflecting illusions. But when the mirror of consciousness has been cleaned of those things which are illusory, what remains? Consciousness reflecting without the distorting influence of mind/ego, and that, whether your ego believes it or not, is pretty awesome.

This emerging consciousness in people, this ability to reflect without distortion is huge in terms of what it can mean for the world of form. Could there possibly be anything greater? Can anything measure up to this? So your ego feels "left behind", not accomplishing some idea it has of what should be. Big deal! That kind of thinking only contributes to the familiar world we find ourselves in. Being a true reflector of the world is the very basis of changing that world. Without "doing" anything other than consciously being what you really are you are changing the world.


Kiki's Wisdom

Ramana's Primary Teaching

Ramana's primary teaching was to direct people to ask "Who am I?" This is not to be asked as though you are repeating a mantra, as some people mistakenly believed. Rather, it is to be asked in order to turn awareness back onto itself, thus revealing a conscious experience of awareness. To ask "Who am I?" is to reveal the in substantiality of the ego entity, the one who has been assumed to exist. When searched for, this ego entity will not be found. What will be found instead is the awareness in which the ego entity arises.

Kiki's wisdom .

Is having goals good ?

Having goals and dreams and working toward achieving those is fine as far as that goes. But ask yourself what is the goal and dream really about? Are they part of exploring what it is to be human or are they hiding another agenda, namely, satisfying a perceived lack?

If a goal is undertaken to make yourself more complete, to fill some idea of lack that you have then they become obstacles to happiness. This is because this sort of happiness is conditional. What if that goal isn't met, then where is the happiness? What if that goal is met, only to be replaced by the realization that the happiness doesn't last? A new goal will arise and the cycle will continue.

If, on the other hand, you have a goal in mind with no egoic investment then that's different. Meeting or not meeting the goal doesn't really matter then, so happiness or a sense of completeness doesn't rest on it. That sort of goal becomes a way of exploring what's possible rather than fulfilling some idea of need.

So when you do have goals keep attention on whatever the current step is in meeting that goal. In other words, make presence with current action toward achieving that goal the priority. Be wary of thinking that the goal itself has any answers for you in terms of making you better in your own eyes or the eyes of others. That sort of thinking arises out of the ego. Let thinking about the goal be absorbed in whatever the current action is and let the fruit of your actions take care of themselves.

Kiki's Wisdom
( Kiki is a moderator in EckhartTolle Discussion Forum )