Your Mind is not Your Enemy

Bernard had the follow questions and comments:

Hello Michael,

     Slowly reading through the second part of your book and recognizing the same message coming through all the time.

I guess where I get stuck sometimes is the constant need it seems to use the mind. Just being the Self for a Picean like me is always restful and awesome at the same time but then comes a difficult patient that demands an answer or a challenge from my son or an old irritation that comes up or the need to make a decision around a contract. Now it seems the mind needs to make a decision or runs through a whole story stirring up emotions.

I see the story the mind is concocting and its limitation in making decisions and at this point there comes in a dilemma that goes something like this….

I can just let the mind run itself out but that can take forever especially if it managed to get an emotion going or I can just see the limitation of mind, the illusionary nature of its game and that everything is actually one and that this little self or ego and the other ego are all self and eventually the hold of the mind seems to dissipate.

Then the question comes up who was doing all this. If the Self is ‘non moving’ and just awareness who is involved in this whole story of dealing with the game of mind. There is still the sense that ‘I’ am doing something to deal with the Mind story .
I am trying to understand my own dilemma as I write this.
The Self is not on any journey because it is already home but there is still this ‘I” that seemingly needs to deal with the mind stuff, make decisions, decide on choosing a more creative approach than a self destructive way.

If my wife says something that is irritating to me. The Self is not really interested in the irritation but I can feel the irritation which does not feel great. I guess the truth is that I am not the irritation or the one that is irritated . To stay as Self unattached to the charge is perhaps the secret. I see how difficult that is because I tend to identify with the world of sensation , emotions and thought. From the place of awareness these are all illusionary and appear and disappear.

So the question left is the tricky one of decision making which I still have not resolved. Mind as you say must become a friend so that decision making is somehow a reflection of and inspired by awareness. Is that it!!

            Warm greetings,
                     Bernard

Hi Bernard,

Thank you for your comments and questions. Are still assuming that there are two of you in there? The Self, which is your real home and at peace, and this other thing called a mind, which is full of reactions and tricks. And it still plays out as which one is going to prevail: the heavenly self or the hellish mind. Now look again and consider if using the mind is opposite or different in any way from abiding in your Self Nature.

What makes you think that using the mind is so powerful that it can overcome the all pervading Self and bring your real nature to its knees? Did you ever notice that the sense of reality that the mind has comes from you, and not from the mind? In fact, without Awareness the mind wouldn’t even exist. It would just return to the place where it really abides anyway as no particular thing. One proof is that in deep sleep the mind is completely gone without even a trace. But it doesn’t feel as if anything is really missing, does it?

What is mind in its natural state?
It is worth spending some time in your meditations considering what would happen if you just let the mind go back to its natural state without making any effort to restrain or control it. Would it become a monster that destroys everything in sight, and with all its reactions and fears send you to the hell realms? Or would it return to its natural state of peace.
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Remember, your assumption about the natural state of your mind will determine how you practice. If it’s a monster then you would have to spend your spiritual practice restraining it. On the other hand if it is not different from your own Self-Nature, then it returns to its natural state of peace. When necessary, it becomes a tool that you can use to deal with the situations you face in the world. This is a clearer view of the mind as there is nothing that is opposite or outside the Self. So consider the mind a wonderful tool, here to do your bidding. It helps me to write this blog and you to read and understand it. When your patient has a question, it helps you to formulate a good answer, and when your wife irritates you it helps you to communicate with her so that you can resolve the problem.

The Mind partakes of the same Harmony as the Self
In fact as part of a great harmony when there is a job to do, the mind helps you to accomplish it. Just let the mind do what it's meant to do and you will find that the mind is your friend. It helped you to become a doctor and everyday it helps you to make decisions and resolve challenging cases.

When problems arise, the mind is a wonderful tool that helps you to find the best solution. You don’t struggle with your tools, do you? You don’t fight with your stethoscope, and scuffle with your EKG machine. When the need arises, you just use the proper tool, right?

The Mind is just another Tool
The same is true with your mind, it is a wonderful tool that can help resolve many problems if you are willing to let it do its job. The struggling part is optional. Whether you struggle with it or not, the mind will still attempt to do its job. But it is much more efficient to give up the struggle part. Then you will begin to appreciate how your mind isn’t different from the all-pervading Self, which is in perfect harmony. 

And do you know the best part of changing your approach to your mind? When you work out some of life’s most difficult problems, you will have the same feeling as when you take a walk in a beautiful forest. This wonderful sense of harmony comes from your own Self-Nature. And since there are no opposites for the Self, this harmony underlies everything that you see and think.

Tranquility is a state of being; not a state of mind
Now here’s another important question: Do you really want to eliminate the reactions of the mind? If the aim of meditation is just to eliminate the reactions of your mind, then a tranquilizer pill would be a lot more efficient than spending hours in meditation. 

But remember that part of practice is becoming aware of the frameworks that seem to keep you in limitation so that you can free yourself from their grasp. This means that when you feel suffering you have the perfect opportunity to look into its cause by asking, “What am I assuming about the nature of my mind, my self and the world?” Once you become aware of these assumptions you will be in a perfect position to experience your mind afresh.

The mind is your friend
Once you see the assumptions behind your suffering, you will be free to approach your mind in the most harmonious way possible. Not in your usual way, where the mind seem to send you tail spinning into the realms of struggle and suffering. From here you will know what I mean when I say, “The mind is your friend.” And most important, it will not make the slightest difference if you have to think a lot or if you get to spend hours in a thoughtless state. That’s because you will be the underlying Awareness that pervades any state that you may find yourself in. For more information on this reread "What is my mind anyway?" in "Making Your Wisdom Come Alive."

Feel free to ask questions
Right now we are redesigning Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, a book that provides a step by step approach so that you can find your natural freedom. It also gives you plenty of inspiration for your practice. Because we are doing a publicity campaign, there is a good possibility that I will have some radio and TV interviews. So look for them, and if you are allowed to, call in and ask questions. Remember, inner development is for the curious and this may be your opportunity to practice curiosity.

Now I want you to experience your true identity in its full glory. So 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 for Your Practice,

                        Michael Gluckman