The ego, said a friend of mine once, is like an abandoned child, embraced again when it is seen that ego is this too. There is nothing wrong with your reactions and responses. There is absolutely no choice; the paradox of apparent choice, even carefully worked out decisions, gravely considered and deliberately executed, are the actions of a life lived. In the story of awakening - no more nor less important than any other story - this paradox is often the last thing the mind has trouble with, that it wrestles with, grapples with, frets over, and cannot make head nor tail of. Perhaps oneness is seen, and even understood a bit by the overtaxed and overvalued mind. Then why is the day-to-day, the mundane, the story of life dependent on time - why does that seem to still go on? Why do we encourage our children to get a good education and fulfill their potential if fulfillment is truly this, just what exists, right now? Why do we continue to sort out the admin of life, pay parking tickets, work for the mortgage or rent, question the systems of governance and do our best to make the world a better place, if the world is truly perfect as it is? Why is the story - duality - apparently still bought into? Why do we groom ourselves and educate ourselves and volunteer our time and try very hard to do the next right thing if there is nothing wrong with us? Why do we still meditate, pray to some deity outside ourselves, or have a heartfelt conversation with a troubled friend, if there is no state of mind or action better or worse than any other? Why don't we - as expected, as anticipated when awakening was sought - turn away from all this, and live only in this everlasting moment, completely unconcerned with the machinations of life, and the comforts of the material world? Why is it not turned away from, why does it not hold no appeal whatsoever?Because there is no choice. You do not choose what is chosen. You do not do what is done. This is the everlasting moment, whether it is apprehended or not. So whatever it is, it is; there is never any say in it; in this choicelessness is liberation. Gather up the ego-child and give him a hug.
14 comments:
I'll remember this when I'm ordering my next dessert. I'll ask the waiter to bring me whatever I am having. Being a chimpanzee, he'll understand.
If 1000 chimpanzees delivered 1000 desserts a day for 1000 days, awakening would happen, or else a very messy restaurant would seem to be the appearance.
Beautiful! How perfect it is, this play of choice within choicelessness; this telling of stories within the absence of story; this fullness of the emptiness...!
Hey Svante, totally, Dude.
I sit by your river's edge, observing a pair of docks.
And apparently some people do not want their children to get a good education or pay parking tickets or work to pay the mortgages or order desert and yet, and yet, is-ness still IS, whether that IS is actually seen as OK or not, whatever form the is-ness takes.
x
And I let the river answer...
Lune, definitely. Don't forget Hitler, is-ing away. Can't list every possibility, the writing is wordy enough as it is!
I've thought along these lines many times. I've pondered, and sometimes have come to live with having no choice, and later living with the thought of some limited choice. And now, who cares? True freedom does not know freedom.
We deal with what appears. Choices seem to appear, and although ultimately, it may, or may not make any difference, we take responsibility, "as if" it matters. What else can we do?
Nice writing.
There is no choice even in the taking of responsibility. We are lived. How fantastic is that?
It is absolutely fantastic. It seems maybe the only free will we have is in the noticing of this. But then, that has been called grace. So, we appear to have free will to accept grace. But even that assessment is absurd. It's all blown away.
Nicely put, Dude.
Can I kiss you? (Seriously.)
You seem like one of those women with a wicked sense of humor... But damn, you look good!
Let's go "toe-to-toe" (so to speak). Melt in my arms.
Love you,
Adolfo
Geez Adolfo, that's terribly sweet, but husband, dream-husband or no, might object!
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