Question from a friend:

Magdi, could you please talk about resting in discomfort when there is an opening. I struggle sometimes with resting in it. Tips?
~~~
Reply: Well, you are aware of the discomfort and therefore you are not the discomfort. Awareness is already on board and there is little left to do. Recognize the awareness rather than simply being concerned with the images that are appearing. Rest in the awareness. Awareness does not give a hoot about the images on the screen. It is unconcerned and untouched.
Also could you consider that what thought refers to as discomfort is a bodily sensation with a me-thought? The me-thought refers to a form of resistance: Thought wanting things to be different. The body, being very malleable and friendly, echoes that thought and expresses the discomfort of the resistance. It is a sort of love affair between thought and bodily sensations. A kind of a show.

What spoils the party is the impression that it is personal. The impression that something is happening to me, the impression that I am in danger.
You are not in danger. You are the awareness that, neutrally, perceives this show, perceives the dream characters and dream events.
Consciousness is effortless Yesness and is not an activity in time.
While you do not need to do anything since all activity is from the mind, you could help consciousness by fully opening your arms and heart.
A trustful and unconditional opening… Trusting God.

 

T.S. : This is most helpful to meditation practice i start today. Thank you M.
How about us that are following this try to practice meditation with this instruction and see how we are doing by the time we have another satsang? Or come back here and post what our experience is… Resting in discomfort, mind wondering, control, and letting things be as they are. As a matter of fact this is the very course i am presently taking..

Reply: Simple awareness of the discomfort without any personal agenda suffices. The recognition is effortless since the reality of consciousness is eternal and is what we truly are. A personal intention maintains the person.

T.S. : Ahhh. I am still controlling.

Reply: No, you’re not.
Consciousness, that which you truly are, does not give a hoot about controlling.

T.S. : The thought that comes to me, Is there really freedom, the pointers seem to capture something that cannot be captured so is it words that are meaningless M? What is it that keeps me so involved with efforting?
I know the answer you will give is that there is no me but i do experience me right now.

Reply: Freedom is a primordial quality of consciousness. Although the screen reflects all images, it is free of them. Words have a source. When the source is the limited mind, they are limited as well and do not express the clarity and wisdom of consciousness. But when they come from the source, they have a perfume of love, beauty, intelligence…
Consciousness does not experience a me…. That is the mind speaking. Consciousness is ever knowing itself

T.S. : In the context of self honesty what i see is that without me there is no need and what i see remains is laziness. That is a bugger. Pull “me” apart. My beliefs in me is like a tree planted by the rivers of water and cannot be moved.

Reply: That is a mind story that maintains itself when you give it your belief and importance. The me is a dream character and is not real. Therefore to speak of needing a me, gives the me a fictitious reality that it does not have.
Who would be lazy? The mind will answer: me!
If that is what you believe, then you will feel this in your body.
Leave the tree alone

T.S. : i do not want to believe that M but i am just saying this has become very illusive and i know that this will pass. i have seen many times when i feel stuck is because at the moment i get hang up. But it all passes. i will be still now and just B.

Reply:  All is well…

T.S. : Life with all its ups and downs are a real joy i would not give up any experience i have. i walk on the treadmill of life and go nowhere.

Reply: God’s love is infinite and her invitation eternal, extending in all directions. At some point in the journey, we recognize her call and are drawn to the home that we have never left.

T.S.  I have you etched in my heart. you brought a lot of joy with your lights shining away darkness. Your words and love are inspirational.. How can the beam of light you carry not B but a light to follow.

 

Photo by Sasa Gyoker