Journey of self-discovery

I came across this book in 2012. I was in Federal Prison at the time and was 7 years into my journey of self-discovery. Being able to answer questions about myself, who I am, what makes me do the things that I do…

Fear of letting go

Motives. What drives me? These were all questions that I couldn’t even formulate, or precisely define back then, as I can now, but I knew I needed answers. I couldn’t continue living the way I was living. Looking back over my recent life, the years searching, sometimes begrudgingly because of the fear… Fear of fulling letting go, so many things, events, and circumstances happened at the right time, that it can’t be coincidence. I will share more of these details as time goes by, but all I know, is that I believe… I’ve experienced the evidence.

It sounds so simple now…

What’s interesting is that it really sounds so simple now. Letting go equals freedom! If something is holding you back, let it go! I was operating under a completely different paradigm. Holding onto resentments that were so deep-seated, that I wasn’t even remotely consciously aware of them. I won’t go into details here (It’s explained a little in the about me section). My focus is more about sharing the solution I’ve found that helped me change my life.

Nurture the seed of truth…

This gets to the book I’m bringing up here. The ideals presented by the individual and the conversations documented in this book really helped nurture the seed of truth we all have in us. It stuck with me. One of the core things was this- I am the witness to all that I experience. My experiences do not define me. I can attach myself too strongly to past experiences, good and bad, and in turn by doing this, be less present in each moment. What a freeing thing to eventually come to understand!

Unchanging force

The most important part of me is the core seed, that unchanging force that I disregarded for decades as I searched everywhere else for the answer. I looked in the bottom of many bottles, and bags searching for what I thought were the answers… But now I know that the answer was with me the whole time! All that attention I was giving external stuff, things, people… All I had to do was take that same attention and turn it on myself and I found what I had been looking for my whole life.

BE-ing

I want to leave you with a simple concept, a definition of the human condition that I discovered during a period of reflection a few years ago… We are defined as human beings. Human implies/describes predominately the physical characteristics and mental abilities, etc. The being is the part we miss or neglect the most. At least I know I did. The being is the ability to be alive, and aware, and present in each moment as it comes… The force, the energy, spirit, whatever you wanna call it, is not subject to the three dimensions. This includes time… My mentor helped me a lot here… I have to give the credit! BE-ing. I realized I am not a human WAS. Or a human WILL BE… I am a human BE-ing.

Right here, right now

Wow! What a freeing concept! Nothing from my past has to, or should define me, so let it go! Nothing in the future is here yet, so stop worrying or stressing it! There is only one place to BE! Right here, right now. If I allow myself to be too much of a human WAS or a human WILL BE, I’m less present in the place that actually matters…The MOMENT. Which means that I was at least partly living a lie… I wasn’t where I was supposed to be…

“Timeless teachings”

This description of the book I Am That is by Ram Dass. “This collection of the timeless teachings of one of the greatest sages of India, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, is a testament to the uniqueness of the seer’s life and work and is regarded by many as a modern spiritual classic. I Am That (first published in 1973) continues to draw new audiences and to enlighten seekers anxious for self-realization…

“Not being this or that…”

…Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj was a teacher who did not propound any ideology or religion, but gently unwrapped the mystery of the self. His message was simple, direct, and sublime. I Am That preserves his dialogues with the followers who came from around the world seeking guidance in destroying false identities. The sage’s sole concern was with the human suffering and the ending of suffering. It was his mission to guide the individual to an understanding of his true nature and the timelessness of being. He taught that the mind must recognize and penetrate its own state of being–not “being this or that, here or there, then or now,” but just timeless being” (Dass). A definite must read!

Sources:

https://www.ramdass.org/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj-2/ Dec. 30, 2014. Accessed July 25, 2020. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That. Chetana Publishing. India. 1973.

Author’s bio:

Eric Thompson, self-help & wellness blogger @ https://ethos1974.com/

I am currently a student at Long Beach City College working towards a degree in Counseling. Attached is a link to my “about me” section.

www.ethos1974/about-me/

Check out some of my most recent posts.

https://ethos1974.com/my-blog/