breathe deep. embrace simplicity...

[Sahaj Nath]

more than any other facet of one's practice, the genuine quality of self that one brings to their practice is the greatest deciding factor of whether or not authentic development will continue. there are thousands of techniques designed to accomplish common ends. most of them work. enough so that i feel fairly comfortable stating that, in general, all of them work. the tools of cultivation are plenty, but without a quality understanding of one's own being in terms of presence and motive, how can one expect to use the tools effectively?

 

here in the materialist west we seem to have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it is WE who use the tools; the tools do not use us. meaning that the tools may vary in efficiency, but even mediocre or bad tools can be used effectively if one possesses quality understanding. the beginning stage of practice should be geared toward refining this necessary quality. quickly moving past this foundation is one way to ensure that the highest stages will never be realized in this lifetime. one NEVER moves past the foundation! i should repeat this point: one NEVER moves past the foundation. it's not linear progression; it can't be. everything we seek is already here, right now. NOW is the only place where anything can ever be. this accounts for why devastatingly profound awakenings happen periodically to novices and non-practitioners, and often DON'T happen to seasoned practitioners even after decades of practice.

 

 

if you live the vast majority of your life treating each moment as means to an end, it doesn't matter much what you practice. you're lost. and if you choose to remain in that state of (un)consciousness, it will likely take an external circumstance, such as a tragedy or a near-death experience, to shake you up enough to even begin the process of opening your eyes. sometimes it's an experience immense beauty that triggers it, but not as often.

 

for the person who bypasses the majority of life as a mere means to an end, awakening only happens by accident. the best that they can hope for is that their practices will somehow make them more accident prone.

 

 

breathe deep. embrace the simplicity of now. do it this very moment, as you read this. do it now. and most importantly, never stop doing it! THIS is essential to cultivation and evolution. it's a state which one strives to make a permanent condition. one never stops breathing deep. one never stops living and moving and being in the present moment. now is all there it. now is all there ever is. everything that has ever occurred, or ever will occur, can only occur in the now.

 

through this understanding each breath becomes a universe unto itself. each moment of relaxation becomes a whole and complete healing. nothing is wasted. nothing is ignored or denied. this is the true state of cultivation, and it is also the state that one works to acquire until it simply IS. this is radical presence, and there can be now wakefulness, no evolution, and no high level of development, without it.

 

every action is a ritual. every motion is a dance. every thought and emotion is an entity that either nourishes or depletes us. on a more subtle level we begin to understand that the constant flux of energy (within us and around us) creates as well as destroys. all phenomenon contains both. but the profound simplicity of radical presence entrains us to harmonious resonance with each breath, in each moment.

 

 

if one were to understand only this in one's lifetime, one would not have lived in vain.

 

 

 

hsing is both form and force. it has no direct translation in english. but it can be understood. one of the many basic principles that can be derived from the notion of hsing qi is that energy follows thought. the unconscious state is one of reckless, toxic thinking habits.

 

breathe deep. settle down. keep it simple. if you're always in the past or in the future, if you're seldom or never right here, right now,

 

you're wasting precious time...

Edited November 10, 2007 by Hundun

[Cameron]

nice!

[zenbrook]

Bravo, Hundun! By jove, I think you've got it

'Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death.'

Gospel of Thomas v.18

Peace,

ZenB

[rain]

[fatherpaul]

"in singing and dancing is the voice of the law"

(some zen dude)

[Celtic Dragon]

I enjoyed your article Hundun, Thank You for sharing

Edited August 22, 2007 by Celtic Dragon

[loose tea]

May this message find you safe and happy.

May you meet the events of this day with ease of heart...

 

Excellent posting, Hundun ! I've been reading Eckhart Tolle's book "The Power of Now" and Thich Nhat Hahn's works. And now I'm reading your wonderful article. I feel like I'm in good company here. Thank you, you have brightened my day.

[Sucus]

 

 

breathe deep. settle down. keep it simple. if you're always in the past or in the future, if you're seldom or never right here, right now,

 

you're wasting precious time...

 

I couldn't agree more.

[mantis]

this article is the truth.

[TheSongsofDistantEarth]

Bumpin' for good reason...this is a nice article!