We have looked at this quote from Nisargadatta Maharaj:
The world you can perceive is a very small world indeed. And it is entirely private. Take it to be a dream and be done with it.
It’s important this quote isn’t misunderstood. It means that we shouldn’t take our life so seriously. We do well to let it come and let it go, as we maintain our true state of constancy.
However, it doesn’t mean that we should deny our experience or avoid our role in life. One who uses teachings such as this quote by Nisargadatta to deny their experience or avoid their role in life is listening to the ego’s interpretation of the teaching. A clear mind faces whatever is here now fully, and then it lets it go as that experience disappears into the past and a new experience comes into the present.
Today’s reading reemphasizes a point made in yesterday’s tip:
The mind resists truth by seeking to understand truth mentally. If you or I are satisfied with mental understanding, the desire to realize truth is quenched. In this satisfaction, the ego wins.
You could say that today’s reading is a call to stop trying to understand truth.
How do we proceed if we let go of trying to understand?
We proceed by following current moment guidance and by practicing the new habits, which purify the mind.
Today’s reading asks us to accept God’s freedom by:
… extending your trust and innocence.
To extend means to spread forth or to enlarge the scope or effect of. It also means to exert oneself to full capacity. So, if we extend our trust and innocence, that means we are making these a bigger part of our way of being.
Trust is “assured reliance on.” In this case, it is assured reliance on the benevolence of the universe and on the current moment’s guidance. Assured means certain and reliance means to be dependent. So, we extend our trust by feeling certain that all is well while being fully dependent on guidance.
Innocence in this case is “lack of knowledge,” which means we do not try to rely on our own thinking. We do not try to understand. We do not try to figure things out. Instead, we are certain that all is well without needing to understand, and we are fully dependent on guidance without trying to figure things out for our self.
Thoughts of Awakening # 86
Look carefully at your thoughts.
Look deeply at your thoughts.
Look honestly at your thoughts.
What are they bringing to you?
What is the experience they give?
Is this the experience you wish to have?
Are you willing to let go of the thoughts that hurt you?
If not, why not?
What are you holding onto?
~From our Holy Spirit
