Inner Struggle

Life as form is continuous until one day it ends. Inner struggles occur because of the attachment to self. Without this attachment the beauty of life simply unfolds and the inner struggle falls away…

The real cause of any issue with what happens in life is not with what actually happens, but how there’s attachment to a self which causes an inner struggle with yourself. As long as there’s existence in your current form, every moment of every day is a life occurrence. It becomes an inner struggle once it’s labeled and a self is attached to it. This transforming energy from an occurrence to attachment happens because of who it is that’s doing the labeling. If the self didn’t label life it would still occur, there just wouldn’t be an inner struggle. It would just be a continuous occurrence without a self attaching to it, and giving it the transforming energy it needs for there to be a struggle.

This self seems to cause so many issues, but it only does so because of the attachment to it, that’s the cause of the struggle with ourself. Life occurs regardless of the self, but what attachment does is it makes inner struggles by isolating it and making life personal. Life is neutral until it’s attached to, it then becomes an event that’s all about the self. Without self, inner struggles don’t happen, life just occurs. I’m not insinuating a self exist or not. All I’m saying is the attachment to self is at the root of all inner struggles, so if you want to be free of this you will have to be free of the attachment to self…

Spirit/Heart Connection

The spirit and heart are the instruments we’re given to use in this mystery called life. If the spirit and heart aren’t connected with each other, it will make life much more difficult…

If a car is driven without the proper care and maintenance, eventually it will not work properly. It’s the same if the spirit and heart aren’t taken care of, they also will eventually not work properly. Whether it’s eating, sleeping, working out, recreational activity, and so on, there’s a certain way of doing things that allows both spirit and heart to be connected with life. When they’re connected with life there’s a connection with oneself. This maximizes the ability to reach our natural potential. Nature never lies so the more things are done that are connected to nature, the more natural life is. This involves all aspects of our life, garbage in equals garbage out as love in equals love out. If the spirit and heart are taken care of, one will naturally be taken care of. At least to the extent that our potential can be maximized, whatever that may be.

With a spirit and heart connection life takes on an entirely different meaning because it isn’t being lived from the mode of individuality. It can’t be because love embraces the spirit and heart connection, it’s just the way love rolls. There’s no such thing as separation where there’s love. This doesn’t mean the entire world will love you, but the ones who have love in their heart will because they’re connected to the Universal spirit and heart. A person has no control how others feel about them so don’t take it upon yourself that what others say is true. When there’s a connection with your own spirit and heart, there’s a connection with the Universe because it’s from creation. When there’s a connection with creation, there’s a connection with the spirit and heart that love springs forth from because that’s just the way love rolls…

Habit of What's Known

The same behavior is repeated again and again as one constantly responds to the same urges because reactions arise from the habits of what’s known; this is done without even realizing it…

Why it’s so difficult to awaken is because of many reason, but to me the one that sticks out the most is how the Conditioned Mind holds onto what’s known even if it causes suffering. When I was twenty five my oldest brother passed away from an addiction related incident, this forced me to look at my own addictions. His death opened my eyes to a degree, but even though my life was a mess it didn’t mean I was willing to accept the unknown without my pacifier coping mechanisms. It took another two years before I realized how my addictions were causing problems. At that time, even though I was going into unknown territory I figured it had to be better than the way I was living.

The reason it took two years was because although I was in extreme emotional pain, my conditioning led me to believe facing the unknown was too scary and staying with what was known was the way to go; the lies of the Conditioned Mind run deep. This is why the same behavior repeated, and it’s also why the same triggers constantly cause the same reactions; we react out of habit without even realizing it. The conditioning in place dictates what to do and it’s obeyed without question. Here’s the real irony in all of this, people actually believe they have free will and a choice. The only thing that’s done is you submit to what’s known because that’s what’s in place. Once there’s awareness of this, succumbing to the habits of what’s known can be stopped. This allows the possibility to live life freely, along with the ability to not give into the what’s known habits of the Conditioned Mind…

Present Possibilities

The more one is present of the moment the more cooperation there seems to be with life. This doesn’t mean everything will go your way, but being present makes the possibilities less limited…

Life will occur whether you’re present of it or not. What being present allows is the possibility of a different reaction to what arises instead of a conditioned one which produces a different outcome. Pretty much what arises arises, there’s no much that can be done in that regard, but how it affects you has many possibilities. Years ago for me these were limited possibilities to my conditioned reactions because they were based in a self serving perspective; this was just the way I was conditioned. I wouldn’t have allowed anyone to do half the things I did to myself, but yet because I didn’t know any better the self sabotaging reactions were normal to me. Without the awareness of the conditioning in place today it wouldn’t be possible to be anyway but how I always was.

Although today life is still life and what arises arises, without the self serving perspective being as prevalent as it once was, it has opened up so many more possibilities in my life. What’s truly beautiful about this is the self sabotaging reactions have become less and less on their own. Becoming aware of the way you react to what happens is where possibilities arise from. When you’re stuck in one view you‘re limited to only that view and the present possibility of reaching your full potential is nearly impossible. The more you’re in harmony with the present, the more life cooperates with you. It doesn’t mean everything will be perfect or go the way you think it should, but the imperfections (if life is labeled as so) won’t limit your present possibilities…

Belief Centered Mind

When there’s awareness aware of awareness and you don’t give in to what comes from a belief centered mind, it makes for a view of the heart instead of the head…

A belief centered mind is very different than what is seen from awareness; the belief centered mind has a different focus than awareness. Everything going on today is because of a belief centered mind. You cannot have hate when the space of awareness. Although awareness will give in to the world at times, it’s how lessons are learned. This is an understanding from awareness that the conditioned belief centered mind can’t grasp. The mind sees what its conditioned to see. Awareness arises from the space of the present moment.

Awareness doesn’t mean you are better than anyone, what it means is a clear path as been revealed to you. Awareness aware of awareness is difficult to see because of all the distractions in place. These distractions keeps you trapped to the belief that something is needed outside of you. Need, need, need, awareness doesn’t need, it realizes its divinity as it is. When you’re aware of awareness, you become the seer instead of the reactor. I had a belief centered mind for forty nine years and even today the old beliefs resurface, but because of awareness there’s less attachment to the belief centered mind. This naturally allows awareness to arise. When you live from awareness it makes for a much different life than living from a made up belief…

Quiet Mind Awareness

When there’s awareness of a quiet view and you don’t engage in what comes from a noisy mind, it makes for a view of life most people will never experience…

A view from a noisy mind is very different than a quiet one; the noisy mind has a much different agenda than a quiet one. Every conflict known to mankind has been because of a noisy mind. You cannot have a conflict when the mind is quiet. Although a quiet view will ache at times, it’s where compassion comes from. This is an understanding from a quiet view that the conditioned noisy view can’t grasp. The way the mind sees is strictly from the way one is conditioned. A quiet view arises from the space of Now. I can tell right away when someone comes from a noisy view because there’s attachment to what’s being said. Usually the sentences starts with me, I, my, or it will be said, I see what you’re saying, but.

A quiet view doesn’t make you smarter than anyone, all it means is you’ve been granted a vision that sees clearly. A quiet view is difficult to manifest because of all the distractions in place. These distractions keeps you trapped to the reaching of a view from the noisy mind. Reach, reach, reach, a quiet view needs no such reaching, it realizes its completeness as it is. When your view is quiet you become more of an observer than a reactor, at least that’s been my experience. I had a noisy based view for many years. Even today the old conditioning resurfaces, but because of awareness there’s less engagement with the noisy mind. This naturally allows a quiet view to arise. When you live from here it makes for a view of life much different than most people will ever experience…

Label Limits

The incessant need to label life limits life. Understanding is different than a label because it allows for the awareness of exactly what’s there instead of the thought of what’s there…

Most of what happens in life is unexplained, but that doesn’t stop the mind from applying labels or continuously trying to find one. I have found the unexplained is best left alone because an answer wouldn’t really enhance life. As things occur, labels that are associated with existence does assist to a degree, but only if they’re not allowed to control your life like a master puppeteer. Most people are limited by the incessant need for labels, but understanding something is different because it allows for the awareness of exactly what you’re up against (your own mind). This awareness allows the mind to settle and lessen the need for labels which aren’t truly needed. The label of addiction doesn’t stop one from being an addict, but an understanding of addiction may; as a matter of fact this is exactly what happened to me.

The Universe needs no labels in its process nor do the origin of our thoughts need to be labeled. The understanding of how thoughts are attached to and what behaviors manifest from their attachment is the difference between being at peace with life or struggling with it. Some will disagree with this and it’s their right, but I know by understanding my behavior and how it was based to self-serve, it gave me something tangible to use to see how much control my Conditioned Mind had over me. Past tense is used on purpose because its control is much less today. A label of why this occurs doesn’t enhance the ability to be free of the Conditioned Mind, but an understanding of this certainly does. It’s through the discipline of sitting that the mind can settle enough to become aware that applying a label of what happens in life will not enhance it in the way understanding our own mind will…