Loving Awareness

True Rest

Posted by matthew on January 30, 2008  |  7720 Commentshttp://www.loving-awareness.org/2008/01/30/true-rest/True+Rest2008-01-30+18%3A28%3A18matthew

As I’ve mentioned briefly before, I’m basically disabled now with a strange illness, one that doctors (so far) cannot diagnose. I cannot walk more than a couple blocks, clean my place, do shopping, lengthy cooking, etc, without getting a disorientation that lasts for hours. This doesn’t mean I can’t do all those things, simply that there are consequences which mean that if I do, I won’t be able to concentrate, talk without some slurring, or walk in a straight line.

Far from being resentful about this state, it’s brought to the surface a huge amount of insights surrounding how I live my life. The latest insight, which brought many tears, was simply how I do not let myself rest. There’s a strange guilt and defensiveness about letting myself truly do nothing. Like many, I defined my value in terms of the value I bring to others and to the world. A certain amount of repose may be necessary to “recharge”, but it was something to get over with quickly so I could get back to what brought goodness to the world.

What is enlightenment?

Posted by matthew on January 16, 2008  |  7016 Commentshttp://www.loving-awareness.org/2008/01/16/what-is-enlightenment/What+is+enlightenment%3F2008-01-17+03%3A28%3A18matthew

The following was a question received from Mary which is wonderful and brings a lot of common ideas out into the open:

Question: I’ve come across the topic of enlightenment so often lately that I’d like a clear perspective on it. I find the idea confusing because it seems to be a worthy aim for the spiritually focused, yet it is said that those who say they are enlightened are not, and others say that it is better to work for personal maturity rather than enlightenment. Others say that it’s no fun being enlightened, while others say it’s pure bliss. So what is it really? How to get there, what does an enlightened life look like in our here and now life?

The concept of enlightenment, I find with some humor, is one which is filled with much non-enlightened thought: that is, thought based in separation and “ego”. Firstly, the concept is a label for an experience decidedly without labels. It is an experience of utter freedom – but whatever thought you have of what enlightenment is will always be accumulated from others. It is again, something someone else tells you is a better way.

Letting go

Posted by matthew on January 8, 2008  |  64No Commentshttp://www.loving-awareness.org/2008/01/08/letting-go/Letting+go2008-01-08+11%3A15%3A53matthew

You may have noticed that amidst the bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to forget the turning of the seasons. Beyond gift giving and family, we have a fundamental connection as living being to this earth, and its movements move us. The wintry season with long nights, hibernation and repose, offer us time to reflect, re-evaluate, and release. Without dark nights, we would not awaken to a day that is new and transformed from those in the past. Letting go is emphasized by nature in this season, and listening to the nourisher of life on this planet provides deep nourishment in itself.

Trusting Perceptions and Higher Communication

Posted by matthew on December 26, 2007  |  636 Commentshttp://www.loving-awareness.org/2007/12/26/trusting-perceptions-and-higher-communication/Trusting+Perceptions+and+Higher+Communication2007-12-26+16%3A21%3A49matthew

One of the most fundamental aspect of any growth or spiritual path is the trust in one’s own perception. There is no question it is an incomplete perception; so long as you have a body, you will not see even a minuscule fraction of the totality of the universe, or that of your Self. But it is still your perception. It is your link to your soul. It is the basis for all growth, for if you rely on someone else’s eyes and intuition, you are not living your own life, discovering your own Truth, but are being a guinea pig for other’s experiments with Truth. As J. Krishnamurti said,

“All authority of any kind, especially in the field of thought and understanding, is the most destructive, evil thing. Leaders destroy the followers and followers destroy the leaders. You have to be your own teacher and your own disciple. You have to question everything that man has accepted as valuable, as necessary.”