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Seeing Behind Impermanence
By Barbara Berger
.jpg) Barbara Berger Here at the end of this very strange and very challenging year, it may be of some comfort to remind ourselves of the nature of this life existence which we all are sharing…. So if you can find the time to spend just a few minutes meditating… just sitting quietly, doing nothing… with yourself, by yourself, I highly recommend it. Just give yourself a few minutes to just watch… Because this is what meditation is – being present and watching. Not doing anything in particular, not wanting anything in particular, just watching. Not interfering, not doing, just watching. When you do this, you will see how the thoughts are just arising and disappearing. Just arising and disappearing until sooner or later you may ask yourself who am I beyond these thoughts? Who am I without my thoughts? And if you notice that, can you find that moment? That space? That experience? When you experience life without all those thoughts… for just a moment, for just a fraction of a second. What is this experience? What is your life without your thoughts? Who would you be without the thoughts that are arising, without untamed mind bubbling up, like a well within you creating stars and worlds and experiences for you to frolic and play with? If you stick with it, you might just get a glimpse of before or after or in between thoughts arising. That moment of here, now. And so it may happen that we discover that the thoughts arising are our life experience and since thought itself is impermanent, so is our life experience. This is something we all discover if we sit quietly long enough. This is just the way of it. As thoughts arise, our life in the world arises. They go together or you could say they are one and the same. And because thoughts are as impermanent as the wind, so too is our life experience – all the outer and inner comings and goings. All as impermanent as the coming and going of the wind. But let’s go back to that moment. That glimpse of before, after, or between thought – did you notice it? Did you catch a glimpse of it? Did you see it for what it is? Did you experience it for a moment? That space… that… what is before thought, behind thought, between thought, after thought? Did you notice the gap in between the thoughts? Like the moment of powerful orgasm when you just are – totally blown away – being or existing beyond thought. Can you glimpse it? No thought but just being. No thought but you – whatever that is – is still here. Existence. No thought but still something is. Some experience, something beyond words, because again words are descriptions of thoughts and thoughts cannot describe what is beyond them… thoughts/words cannot describe what is beyond, behind, before, around impermanence… Here we have what the wise ones have been telling us all along. Behind the magical mystical dance of impermanence that we think is so real and which gives us so much suffering and so much pleasure, something is. Something that is beyond the thoughts and words. Something that words cannot describe because thoughts cannot go there. In fact, thoughts can only distract us from seeing what exists beyond and behind the dance of impermanence, because we mistake our passing thoughts for reality and miss the real. But as we begin to wake up, we discover that our thoughts are not reality. They are just that… they are just thoughts. They are just the bubbling well, dancing and changing right before our eyes. But the real is beyond the bubbling well… the real is beyond what any words can tell. And so we reach the point where each one of us has to go it alone and find out for ourselves. Because words can take us no further, they can only suggest, they can only point the way. The rest is up to each one of us. Only you can go to the edge of the river of life and test these things for yourself. And so, in these strange and wondrous times we live in, it can perhaps bring you some comfort and some peace of mind, to sit with yourself and check this out for yourself. Test it. See how it feels, go slow and allow yourself to see, experience what’s beyond the bubbling well of mind and thoughts arising… The joy of it Once you get over the shock of finding out that you have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with this magical mystical quality we call mind and beingness, can you do anything but love it? Can you do anything but fall down on your knees and praise the greatness that has somehow brought about all this wonder and joy that is given to us in every now moment? Is any other reaction possible – past all our suffering and all our joy and laughter? What is left? Who can we be? Beyond all suffering and all pleasure? What can anyone be, beyond the thoughts that are arising? What is there in this territory beyond words? Beyond conception? Beyond space and time? Who and what and where? And still we find we exist, but not perhaps the self we once conceived ourselves to be. But a beingness that is beyond describing. A peace that is beyond understanding. A love that is beyond imagining… And when we discover this, what is there left to do but… Dream, play and have a happy life! About Barbara Berger American-born Barbara Berger is the best-selling author of “The Road to Power – Fast Food for the Soul” (published in 30 languages), “Are You Happy Now? 10 Ways to Live a Happy Life” (published in 21 languages) and “The Awakening Human Being – A Guide to the Power of Mind”. Barbara's latest book is "Find and Follow Your Inner Compass – Instant Guidance in an Age of Information Overload". All her books are available on Amazon.com or on her Web site. Barbara also works as coach and therapist, helping people around the globe come into alignment with their own true power. For more about Barbara see her Web site: http://www.beamteam.com Doing the Right Thing https://mysticlivingtoday.com/view_page.php?ID=2992 |
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