Doing something for nothing

“When someone seeks, then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal.” - Hermann Hesse

Meditation gives you what you need, not necessarily what you want, and definitely not what you expect. The same might be said about life.

The trouble comes when we’re not innocent, when we have a demand or an expectation of an outcome. If you become present and let go of your expectations, then the trouble goes.

You have a goal, you have an intention or whatever, but it’s almost like you allow it to fulfil itself. You dream, do, act, say, all of that, just let go of what happens next. Attachment to an outcome shrinks your perspective, creates resistance and then hurts.

So when you meditate, don't do it to get - anything. Don't do it to get rid of your thoughts, don't even meditate to have peace or to rest. Don't do it for any reason or for any result, just do it and see what happens.

In life, don't anticipate any result from anything that you do or say. Notice especially when you do or say something in order to get something for yourself. Instead, choose and let go. Act and let go.

Try it. If you do so, you will find it – ironically to the mind – very rewarding.

How to meditate simply and effortlessly

The overwhelming difficulty so many have with meditation is that they believe they need to empty their minds.

Meditation becomes confused with having an empty head, no thoughts, complete silence in the skull.

Rejoice! For I am to tell you this is not necessary. You can have the busiest mind in the world and still experience peace, calm and clarity. 

This alone will make all things in your practice super simple and easy. Maybe it will help you try again if you find meditation hard work. Draw in closer...

Meditation involves no force, no strain, no controlling, no trying whatsoever. So don't start.

Meditation is effortlessly allowing each and every thing. Being aware of all, and sitting in the middle of this awareness.

You don’t have to change a thing, simply change your relationship with everything.

Be totally okay with each thought, emotion, sound, and sensation as it passes through your awareness.

Watch it come, watch it go.

A child can sit and watch. So can you. And so you will, especially with practice.

Make yourself comfortable, close the eyes, take some deep breaths if you like that, and just sit.

Open your senses, be presence itself. Just notice.

Distraction is normal. No deal, come back. It is never a problem unless you make it a problem.

If you have a technique like the Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension, use that simply and gently.

Allow, allow, allow.

This moment is the only moment you can do anything. The past is gone, the future not yet here. Just be here, right in the middle of the moment.

All is well here. Enjoy.

The end of bad days, right here

Did you know that bad days don't just happen? The only time you have a bad day is when things don't go the way you planned them.  A bad day simply is that reality hasn't met your expectations of what "should" have occurred.

The degree to which it is a bad day, ranging from merely difficult to complete disaster, depends on how much you were fixed on sticking with your plan - ie. how much you resist what is.

Life isn't good or bad, it isn't out to get you sometimes, it just is what it is. Life is constant change. Can you be fluid enough and adapt?

How flexible and fluid you are with what is happening will determine how much freedom you will experience. If you can cultivate an attitude of "how fascinating!" to everything that happens to you, life will become an absolute adventure and never ever "bad".

The end of bad days is all in your attitude. You can step out the door with a plan, but surrender it to an attitude of adventure: "OK! what is going to happen today? Bring it on! I'm ready. And if I'm not ready, I'll just be surprised".

Do this and you'll never have a bad day ever again. I promise you.

Simple and joyful, all the way

The truth is simple, and the living of it will make you laugh. If it’s not simple, it’s simply not the truth.

What I love about the meditation practice I practice - The Bright Path Ishayas' Ascension - is that it is the most simple thing I know, and it isn’t serious at all. The living of truth is a serious business, yet anytime I get serious, there is no truth.

Every holy woman and man I have ever met have been remarkable in the amount of joy they exude. Even when talking about the most serious of topics, the lightness of their being infuses every moment.

No one who has a full and rich experience of inner peace takes themselves seriously for a second.

It’s funny how I thought in order to be free, it involved some complicated knowledge, the gaining of which was a serious pursuit. I remember when I met my first Ishayas. I was wondering about their integrity because they seemed so simple, so innocent. “What could they teach me?” I thought. It turned out to be a lot.

Seriousness and lack of simplicity has become a really good indicator of where I’m off, where I’m complicating things.

It is very very simple just to stop, be aware and sink into this moment. How wonderful is it to know that is all peace requires? It makes any hard work and struggling to seriously attain something just a little bit funny.

How wonderful is it that life can be this simple? How wonderful that experiencing peace in this moment is this simple?

Innocence - part 2

When someone seeks, then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal. - Hermann Hesse

Innocence is having no fixed expectations. It is being fresh, being free, being open. Innocence is the cornerstone of a full life.

Meditation shows you how to regain innocence. Meditation, just like life, gives you what you need, not necessarily what you want, and definitely not what you expect or demand.

In this regard, the path and the goal are the same thing. Innocence and meditation go hand in hand.

So when you sit to meditate, or you simply stop and rest your attention in the essence of this moment, don’t do it for a reason. Don’t do it to get anything. Don’t do it to get rid of your thoughts, to rest. Don’t even do it for peace. Just see what stillness has for you, right in this moment of time.

You’ll find meditation, and life, becomes simple. You’ll become open, receptive to whatever needs to happen. You’ll find contentment because you have let go of expectation.

Innocence means you meet life as it is, pure, without expectation, judgement, or filters.

Some confuse innocence with naivety. I say an innocent life is an authentic life. You are you, without masks or roles or old reactive patterns of behaviour. You are able to meet the need of the moment. You are untouched by change. Each interaction is fresh, new, alive.

Innocence has no agenda. There is no effort in innocence. There is no grasping there either.

Put down your expectations and demands. Rest innocently in the heart of stillness and in all moments all is well.

Innocence - How a fresh attitude changes everything

We do not see things as they are; we see them as we are. We do not hear things as they are; we hear them as we are - The Talmud

You see what you expect to see. The world is created by your expectations. If you wish to engage with the world fully, as it is, you need to drop these filters to reality.

Life is so much easier without expectations.

The Bright Path Ishayas refer to this as being innocent. I like that.

Innocence = having no expectations = no preconceived ideas = no prejudice

There is no better way of instantly experiencing more peace and joy. Having no preconceived ideas about any person or situation means that you can experience things exactly as they are. Instant freedom.

We only experience suffering in life when our experience of it does not meet our expectations. The stronger our expectation the greater the trouble for us. Recognise this?

Innocence has a sense of play about it too. If you're really being innocent and fresh, you cannot possibly be taking anything seriously. Taking things seriously is always the end of enjoyment. Also - If there is such a thing as an omnipresent cosmic intelligence taking an interest in my life, I've found it goes out of its way to poke me when I am being serious. How about you?

Innocence does not mean naivety. It means being open to life changing in unexpected ways. It means having the flexibility to accept this change, thus being in a position to cope, to react creatively, to enjoy the ride. It is an easy, fun, peaceful way to live.

Innocence and Meditation:

We all want something from the practice of meditation. However, what I've found is that meditation will give you what you need and not necessarily what you want. It definitely doesn't give you what you expect.

You are not in control of the experience when you close your eyes. A great deal of healing is taking place. Your meditations will be so much easier and fulfilling if you let go of control and allow whatever happens happen.

Take an attitude of innocence with what is happening. It just doesn't help to fight or insist on a certain experience, so you might as well sit back and relax. If you are using an effective meditation technique it will guide you to the best possible experience. It will give you what you need.

You be innocent and let go of any idea of what should be happening and all your meditations will be easy and restful and enjoyable. Anything else and they get harder and less fun. If you're just beginning, judge progress not just by what happens during your practice time but also in your wider life.

You may find that even though you might have a lot of thoughts when you close your eyes, when you open them you are at rest, you don't react so much, you are more calm and centred.

Give it a try.