Knowledge and Religion

How to meditate in motion

If you ever heard the expression, “Enjoy the journey,” you have heard about the meaning of presence. At work and at play we sometimes focus so heavily on the end that we forget to notice the steps along the way.

For example, we live along a beautiful road going over a hill and into a valley. In the morning you can see the sun rising in full color and in the evening, the sun turns the bay into a sea of light. Every day I see commuters rushing by me on their way to work and when they return home. I wonder: Do they see the beauty that’s right before their eyes?
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Step by step, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive points you to the source of timeless Wisdom, the place of enlightenment; this is Bliss that does not depend on what you do or what you think; it is your natural freedom.

For more information go to:
http://www.light-up-your-life.com/wisdom.html

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Happiness is on the inside were you actually experience it
In the same way as I did, many people define work as misery. They can only be happy once the job is done. In my case however, even in a deadline driven pressurized printing job, I was able to discover the place where joy did not have to wait. The result for me was that I made less mistakes and I was energized instead of exhausted when I got home.

Now are you starting to get the picture; people rushing to work, rushing through each job, and then rushing home. I hope that they are at least rushing home to meditate. But even in their meditations they are thinking,”When I get enlightened then I can finally be happy.”

The secret to meditating while in motion is to notice that you find happiness on the inside. Happiness does not come from the completion of a job or from winning the game. It does not come from returning home either. Rather it comes from discovering that you are always at home. Knowing the real cause of happiness allows you to be present at each moment: To enjoy the ride to work, to enjoy the work, to enjoy the ride home, and to enjoy the home.

Deep connection is the secret of the universe
Once you find this kind of presence you will set yourself up to discover one of the most amazing secrets of the universe. The world that you thought was out there is really in here – right where you experience it. Here you will find the deepest connection to all people and all things – where we are one. You will see that the purpose of meditation is not to get to some future state. It is rather to fully experience the state that we are in now. Here separation is an illusion and oneness is natural.

Feel free to ask questions
Please feel free to continue asking questions. I’m always glad to hear your reactions and clarify my answers. Unlike the path of faith, on the path of Self-Knowledge it is curiosity that destroys limitation and allows you to abide in your natural freedom.

If the comment section of this blog doesn't work, please send your questions and comments to michael@ananya.com. To find out where this all leads go to, www.light-up-your-life.com. And finally, if you enjoy these blogs please tell your friend

Best Wishes,

Michael Gluckman

Why the ego?

I thought that you might enjoy a discussion that my wife, Brigit, had with Tom on Facebook. The question is: Why the ego, or what’s the use for the ego? Notice how clear Brigit is when she talks about awakening.

How can you destroy the ego?

Brigit wrote:

By seeing that the ego is unreal. If you let go of all definitions of yourself, the Truth of the unreality of the ego shines forth on its own. To recognize when you define yourself, just recognize when something feels limiting or uncomfortable, and let it go.

Then the Truth that you cannot be described in words or thoughts, that you are not even a separate entity, shines forth. Who we really are, can be called the "Source of Love". That's the closest description that can be given to what is indescribable.

Don't try to see the Truth with your mind. That would be like trying to see the sun with a flashlight. But the sun can be seen by its own light. Who we really are can be seen by the light of Love.

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Tom wrote:

Two things in response to your posting if I may:

One: "By seeing that the ego is unreal."

The ego is just a piece of software, a self-reflexive concept with a function related to survival. Although not ultimately true, it has relative truth and function to serve consciousness when we let it take a supporting role instead of center stage...when the software gets updated, so to speak.

Two: "To recognize when you define yourself, just recognize when something feels limiting or uncomfortable, and let it go."

When something is uncomfortable, feel it first. If you try to let go of the discomfort before it has delivered its message, it can easily become spiritual up-leveling - using spirituality as a technique to feel better.

I find it useful that when there is something uncomfortable, feel it first and then look at the belief that is at the core. And there you will see as you have said, where you are defining and limiting yourself.

This kind of self limitation is perfectly normal and innocent. It continues until we are willing to embrace the limitations of form and find the formless hiding there in plain sight!

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Step by step, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive points you to the source of timeless Wisdom, the place of enlightenment; this is Bliss that does not depend on what you do or what you think; it is your natural freedom.

For more information go to:
http://www.light-up-your-life.com/wisdom.html

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Brigit wrote:

Thanks for your reply!

One: However the ego is unreal and therefore cannot serve anything, such as survival. The ego is just thoughts and we are aware of these thoughts, whereas the computer is not aware. Sometimes there appears to be survival, and sometimes not. Only when we project our existence onto the ego are we are concerned about its survival. The real survival is seeing the Truth that we are just the awareness.

Two: Yes, when something feels uncomfortable, recognize it. When you recognize something, you are the seer and not what you see. So you are free to look at it in great detail and see what you are not and let it go. Then also see the belief that is at the core. It is probably the idea that there is something wrong with you or that there is something wrong with the world. Just let go of the belief that there is anything wrong and all your beliefs crumble.

Then the truth that all your beliefs about yourself or the world are just thoughts, will shine forth. You will know yourself by yourself. It is different than you think it is, because it is closer than all thoughts.

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Tom wrote:

On ego - what I mean is that in a relative sense, the function of the self-referencing in the mind which we call the ego, helps to preserve the body-mind for the human mammal. That is it's primary biological function. From the perspective of awareness, the ego is a temporary artificial construct, like your zip code. It helps to get your mail delivered. I am not suggesting in any way that it is true.

When this self-concept is imbued with identity, it is a restrictive structure in the flow of life and of consciousness. But then, life depends on the restriction of flow in order to exist. The flow of energy across a temporary structure is how the human body turns oxygen into fuel. Life is a way for consciousness to become self-aware in more and more ways.

Consciousness doesn't feel restricted by the ego. The personality is what longs for release from its own structures.

When one can sit with a close friend, a lover - or your sister who is dying and know that it isn't real at the same time the heart in all its brokenness is embraced, that is something.

In your second point - for many of my clients, recognizing that they are the seer and different from their inner structures, is not enough for their structures to evaporate. As long as consciousness wants these forms, we will have inner structures - temporary movements in consciousness that support life.

When structures don't seem to serve our deeper intention for complete liberation, they need to be seen, felt and known, with head, heart and gut. Then the structures that have served us and our ancestors can be updated to here and now.

Embodying awakening is a different task from awakening. Awakening is the first step, not the last step.

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Brigit wrote:

Thank you for continuing this conversation! If I read you right, you see the ego as serving the biological function of preserving the body of the person by causing the person to use it as a reference. You see it as a device like a telephone switch that helps people to survive as well as communicate and connect.

However, I see the ego as a construct that artificially limits our experience of life and of our self. It is just an assumption with no real function at all. First we project the ego out of our sense of reality, and then we take our self to be separate and limited. That’s why we feel that we have to preserve or defend our self.

But the sense of reality and connection actually comes from what we are, not from a thought or structure called ego. When we project our sense of reality onto an object, it appears as though we become many people in a real world trying to communicate.

We don’t have to destroy the ego; we just have to see that it isn’t really there. Our sense of reality never came from the ego. We just return our sense of identity to who we really are, which can be called limitless Consciousness or the Source of Love, even though it is beyond words or thoughts. Since we are undivided, here we are naturally connected in oneness.

In short, enlightenment is a journey where we start at the end. We just overlooked the place where we naturally stand and took our self to be an object. Once we begin to discover what we really are, we can easily look at our issues directly and honestly.

That's because we stand as the sun before the clouds that seem to obstruct reality and bliss. Our nature is freedom. It is a mistake to think that anything can limit this freedom. That’s why when we look honestly and without fear at limitation, we return to the freedom that we naturally are. It might help to be aware that we are the seer of limitation, not the one caught in it, because then there is no judgment and a lot of openness when taking a direct look.

There are no additional steps such as embodying Awakening. Any additional steps or higher levels would just be additional thoughts. Awakening is stepping closer than thoughts. It is taking off our assumed limitations like worn-out clothes. Standing naked we see what we really are and always have been, free of restrictions and limitations. Awakening can be expressed beautifully by expressing Love, but there is no one standing separate to express Love or to embody Awakening. The one standing separate who could take more steps is the one that disappears. Awakening is final.

Questions?

If you have questions for Brigit send them to me and I will make sure that they get to Brigit.

If the comment section of this blog doesn't work, please send your questions and comments to michael@ananya.com. To find out where this all leads go to, www.light-up-your-life.com. And finally, if you enjoy these blogs please tell your friend

Best Wishes,

Michael Gluckman

What is it that makes a person valuable?

When we look at the value of a person, we often ask: How much money do you have, or how much education do you have, or how smart are you? And yet underneath our measurements we feel that something is missing, that there is a beauty that we can’t quite grasp with our mind.

Somehow we feel that our value is invariable. That it is free from the ups and downs in life. But as we have seen recently, our wealth can fluctuate like a storm in the ocean. At one moment we can think that we have a lot; In the next moment we can realize that we were taken in by a scandal and now have nothing.

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Step by step, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive points you to the source of timeless Wisdom, the place of enlightenment; this is Bliss that does not depend on what you do or what you think; it is your natural freedom.

For more information go to:
http://www.light-up-your-life.com/wisdom.html

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Even our intelligence changes
On a more subtle level, we even see our intelligence changing. At one moment we feel sharp, like we have the ability to master even the most difficult concepts. But even when sleepy, we don’t feel that our value has disappeared

The reason for this is that our real value comes from our identity. For instance, if we stand as a body then our value lies in the condition of our body. But if we stand as the mind we can let our body go. That’s because we value the condition of the mind more than the body.

But the mystery of life is that we are even greater than the mind. That’s because we stand free of any state of mind. The proof is that we also see the ups and downs of our mind.

Your identity is not a thought
To find your real value, return to your original intelligence, which was there before your mind was. One caution here: you do not want to mistake your original Consciousness for a thought. To avoid this notice that you are aware of the subject, which we call the I thought, as well as the object. This means that if you say: “I am going to the store,” the ‘I’ here is just another thought, it is not you.

If you can find this place that is free from the presence and absence of your thoughts, you will find the peace that passes all understanding. Here you will find your true value. It is deeper than anything you can fathom and is not affected by the ups and downs of the world. This is your true home. You know it because it is just who you are.

Feel free to ask questions
Please feel free to continue asking questions. I’m always glad to hear your reactions and clarify my answers. Unlike the path of faith, on the path of Self-Knowledge it is curiosity that destroys limitation and allows you to abide in your natural freedom.

If the comment section of this blog doesn't work, please send your questions and comments to michael@ananya.com. To find out where this all leads go to, www.light-up-your-life.com. And finally, if you enjoy these blogs please tell your friend

Best Wishes,

Michael Gluckman

Where can I find security?

As I promised in my last blog, “A new vision for our economy,” I am going to talk about security. Often I say that when we want money, cars, houses, relationships, etc., we are really looking for happiness. Once we understand this, we can go to the place where we actually experience happiness and abide there. This is the secret for getting relief for the hit or miss sensation when we search for happiness.

But there is another aspect to finding happiness and that is security. When we invest in security we hope to have happiness tomorrow as well as today. In other words we hope to find lasting happiness.

This hope for security is so strong that we are willing to sacrifice our happiness now so we can have more happiness later.  This sometimes leads to a strung-out feeling: I’ll suffer through school so that I can get a good job; I hate my job but I’ll try to get a promotion and a new house too; in 5 years I’ll be able to retire; and then I die.

The world cannot deliver on the promise of security
If we look honestly we can see that no matter how rock solid it seems, the world cannot deliver on the promise of security. Our economy is a great example. By its nature it is rocky with lots of ups and downs. As we are finding out, what seems solid at one moment can disappear in the next. For instance, up until now, real estate investments seemed rock solid. But the collapse of the real estate market nearly caused the collapse of the whole economy.
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Step by step, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive points you to the source of timeless Wisdom, the place of enlightenment; this is Bliss that does not depend on what you do or what you think; it is your natural freedom.

For more information go to:
http://www.light-up-your-life.com/wisdom.html

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Security is a basic human need
But even if I reason with you I cannot wipe away your need for security. Like the desire for happiness, it is as basic a human need. So how can we fulfill this desire? In order to find security, we would have to find a place that doesn’t change, no matter what the ups and downs of the world may be, don’t you agree? If this statement makes you into a skeptic, I wouldn’t blame you. After all, have you ever seen a thing in this world that does not move and change?

How do you know about change?
But there is a secret and here’s where the fun starts. That’s because if you can find the place where these words point, you will find the place that most people in the world overlook. This place is hidden right inside of you. The trick to finding this place is to ask the right question: “Where do I stand so that I can see change?” You will not be able to answer this question in words. It is much too close to you for that. So you will have to go by your direct experience.

Right at our center there is a conscious stillness that is not affected by the ups and downs of the world. It is before the sense of ‘I’ that would benefit or suffer depending on the condition of the world. Although you can’t put your finger on it, you can know it directly because this is who you really are. It is profound and deep.

You stand as the still witness of change
When the clouds move across the sky, the sun seems to move. But the sun is still. Similarly as the events in the world move you stand as the still witness. Stand here and you will not be disturbed. This is so deep that it is not even affected by the death of a person.

But you will find that this is your real identity. Even now you stand as this stillness. That is how you know change. So return to your home and there you will find the lasting happiness that you are looking for.

Feel free to ask questions
Please feel free to continue asking questions. I’m always glad to hear your reactions and clarify my answers. Unlike the path of faith, on the path of Self-Knowledge it is curiosity that destroys limitation and allows you to abide in your natural freedom.

If the comment section of this blog doesn't work, please send your questions and comments to michael@ananya.com. To find out where this all leads go to, www.light-up-your-life.com. And finally, if you enjoy these blogs please tell your friend

Best Wishes,

Michael Gluckman

  

A new vision for our economy

Right now our economy is spiraling into a recession. We are losing more jobs everyday and with that comes fear. The normal way to deal with this is to start producing more stuff and selling it. The problem with stuff is that it has side effects including the degradation of the environment.

But the most important problem is that stuff cannot give you the happiness that you want. It’s not that you can’t obtain happiness. But when you take stuff apart to see what’s inside you may find nuts and bolts, steel, bricks, and plastic; but you will not find happiness. This means more stuff will not deliver on the promise of more happiness.

Happiness comes from the place where you experience it
Running after stuff to provide happiness is like running after a mirage to get water. You will never find it in a place where it doesn’t exist. After all, happiness comes from the heart of the one experiencing it, and that’s the place where you actually feel it. This means that you don’t feel happiness in objects that you have. You feel it in your own heart, the place where it comes from.
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Step by step, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive points you to the source of timeless Wisdom, the place of enlightenment; this is Bliss that does not depend on what you do or what you think; it is your natural freedom.

For more information go to:
http://www.light-up-your-life.com/wisdom.html

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When you experience truth and beauty, it acts as a reminder of that which is really important in life. It is not how much stuff a person has; it is rather how much we can appreciate the happiness and beauty that surrounds us. The source of this beauty comes from deep within our heart. Perhaps that’s why our ancestors spent so much time making beautiful and lasting churches and buildings instead of just slapping up the cheapest and most cost effective boxes.

New indicators for measuring our economy
So I think we need new indicators to measure how our businesses are doing. Instead of measuring how many units a person can produce per hour, we should measure the beauty of the results. How much will the results improve our culture by increasing beauty and knowledge? How much will our products help people to live better and more fulfilling lives? How much will our products help us get to the source, the place where you can find lasting happiness?

If employees have to work fewer hours by sharing the same job, this could turn out to be a real benefit for us, even if we earn less money. While people may have less stuff, they will have more time to pursue knowledge, love, and beauty. These are the qualities that make life worthwhile.

People hope to find these qualities in the things that they have. But they really come from deep within our own hearts, the place where we actually experience them. Although our people may be a little poorer, they will have a richer and more joyful culture to live in. The richness and joy found here will not be shaken by the ups and downs of the economy.

In my next blog I will talk about security. After all on of the objects of getting money is to find security.

Feel free to ask questions
Please feel free to continue asking questions. I’m always glad to hear your reactions and clarify my answers. Unlike the path of faith, on the path of Self-Knowledge it is curiosity that destroys limitation and allows you to abide in your natural freedom.

If the comment section of this blog doesn't work, please send your questions and comments to michael@ananya.com. To find out where this all leads go to, www.light-up-your-life.com. And finally, if you enjoy these blogs please tell your friend

Best Wishes,

Michael Gluckman