The most important characteristic of awakening is the desire to awaken. Without a strong desire to awaken, one is drawn into the mind’s desires, which means one continues to identify with the mind and remains subject to the mind’s highs, lows, misperception and general agitation.
Today’s reading asks you to be “a conscious-minded teacher of yourself.”
What does NTI recommend that you consciously teach yourself?
It recommends that you consciously teach yourself what you want.
A conscious-minded teacher teaches intentionally and deliberately. The teaching doesn’t happen by accident. You are actively involved in helping yourself realize that awakening (truth) is the only thing you really want.
It is as Michael Langford teaches in Chapter 4 of The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss:
70. Thus the key to bringing the ego to an end is the intensity of the desire for freedom.
71. Eagerness for liberation must be equal to the eagerness someone who is being held underwater has for trying to rise to the surface.
72. Reflect on #71 above.
73. Eagerness is another word for the desire for freedom.
74. How great, how intense is the desire of someone being held underwater trying to rise to the surface.
75. He would like to rise to the surface, but he is being held underwater.
76. See how intense his desire is to rise to the surface.
77. Every second his desire to rise to the surface is becoming more and more intense.
78. After one minute, how the intensity of his desire has increased.
79. After two minutes underwater, the desire for oxygen and therefore his desire to rise to the surface, is ten times greater.
80. After three minutes underwater, his desire to rise to the surface is one hundred times greater.
81. After four minutes underwater, his desire to rise to the surface is one thousand times greater.
82. How great, how intense is his desire?
83. That is how intense your desire for liberation must become.
As today’s reading says:
Desire is the foundation from which all else springs forth.
Be true to your true desire, and it shall lead you truly.
As Nisargdatta Maharaj said:
The desire to find the Self will surely be fulfilled, provided you want nothing else. But you must be honest with yourself and really want nothing else. If in the meantime you want many other things and are engaged in their pursuit, your main purpose may be delayed until you grow wiser and cease being torn between contradictory urges.
Today is a good day to ask inner wisdom how you can most effectively teach yourself that awakening is all you truly want.
Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.
