The
world may be in a total mess, and yet paradoxically,
everything is perfectly in its proper place.
This may sound absurd, and yet this is exactly
how one feels in the awakened state. One is
aware of this apparent dichotomy, not only in
the so-called external world, but also within
oneself. On the surface, there may be chaos, but
strangely, in the depths of one’s being,
one feels a wonderful peace and a sense of order.
And one can also see this perfection in nature
all around oneself.
There
is nothing wrong with our big dreams in life,
but it is wise to see them in proper perspective.
There is nothing wrong with planning for the
future, but it is wise to recognise that it
is worrying that often masquerades as planning.
There is nothing wrong with thinking, but it
is wise to be aware of the compulsive mental
activity that operates in the guise of thinking.
There is nothing wrong with judging, but it
is wise to discover detachment to one’s
mental positions.
There
is nothing wrong with anger or jealousy, but
it is wise to recognise that these are expressions
of one’s suffering. There is nothing wrong
with ritualistic worship, but it is wise to
see the deeper meaning in the ritual. There
is nothing wrong with disbelieving in God, but
it is wise to see that disbelief is also another
kind of belief. There is nothing wrong in keeping
secrets or telling lies, but it is wise to realise
that there is perhaps an omnipresent intelligence
at work, and the notion of privacy is but a
myth.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be important,
but it is wise to see the delusion. There is
nothing wrong in seeking fulfilment in the outer
world, but it is wise to see that true fulfilment
can be found only in one’s innermost being.
In the words of Jesus: The kingdom of heaven
is within you.
One
discovers the art of discriminating between
two different states of happiness: the joy that
springs from the lightness of being (enjoying
little things, like watching little children
at play or being stunned by a beautiful sunset)
and the ego-pleasure that arises from some accomplishment
(some “success”, like winning a
prize). One learns to value the former, and
to be wary of the latter (which is but an exercise
in self-aggrandisement). One also discovers
that the joy that arises from the state of being
does not have an opposite, unlike the ego-pain
associated with “failure”.
Having tasted the power and grace of the “meditative”
dimension, one trains oneself to return to it
again and again, and to be aware whenever that
dimension is lost by the movement of the ego-self
and drowned in the cacophony of mental noise.
One can actually observe this happening, for
example while getting drawn into petty gossip,
and one can see how one’s power and energy
easily gets “scattered”. One learns
the art of being aware of this and of remaining
detached and inwardly still, centred in the
state of being.
One discovers the extraordinary in the ordinary.
