In seeking, we find our true selves.“All self-liberates and returns to the Source. It is the bottomless ground, the conscious awareness of all existence, the simplicity of the present moment. It is the no-thing of absolute potentiality. This explains why Emptiness creates the space for all to manifest. An open void, a receptive vessel without boundaries, this is what we are." ~Bringing Home the Mountain-Finding the Teacher Within. Questioner: While I intellectually know this to be true, I have not experienced emptiness. What am I supposed to be looking for? Where is the Source, the Self? How can I experience emptiness? "No matter where we are or what may be happening, connecting with the Self, our True Nature, is readily available as the in-breath." ~Bringing Home the Mountain: Finding the Teacher Within. In my book, “Bringing Home the Mountain-Finding the Teacher Within,” I write about the specific practices and experiences that led me to these realizations. My journey to the Heart was devotional, and closely followed a path of self-inquiry as Ramana Maharshi taught. Know this emptiness, our true nature, isn’t complicated to find. The greatest challenge is to not miss it because of its obviousness. The paradox to the spiritual path is that our search for something greater than ourselves—for God, or an attribute we pray for Grace to bestow upon us—eventually brings us back to our true self, the Self, the Heart, the one that created the search to begin with. What we seek is our own awareness. This sense of awareness, of who we are, we already know. All we need to do is trust our own experience, drop below thought, and feel the expanse of our own hearts. By following our breath with single-pointed attention, slowly relaxing into the sense of our own being we can taste this emptiness. Seekers will often pop out of this space, thinking there is nothing there. This is when faith in the spiritual journey, the Mystery, is called for. This nothingness is emptiness and contains everything. It is the Self. The more we are able to find then simply relax into this space, we discover the Truth, which is our true nature just waiting to be recognized. |
Bringing Home the Mountain-Finding the Teacher Within unveils an intimate account of a path to awakening. The author tells of her retreat experiences as well as pilgrimages to the Sacred Mountain Arunachala in India, revealing both the struggles and rewards faced on the search for enlightenment. Heart opening insights, teachings, and specific meditation practices are weaved into the book to help the reader develop or deepen their own spiritual practice.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Recognizing the Self. Questioner: What am I looking for?
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