If we were honest, we would admit that we are never truly content, never really at peace with ourselves and the world around us. We strive, fidget, organise and fantasise for more things to occupy our lives, for more distractions, in our endless seeking after happiness and fulfilment.
We’ve read so much, listened to so many people talking about letting go, and living in the here and now, We think we know all about mindfulness, we persuade ourselves that we do actually live in this moment, or we try to kid ourselves that we do.
Yet… still, here we are still not content, still grasping after the elusive butterfly. As Chogyam Trunpa puts it, ‘when are we really going to wake up?’
I think the key to really making any sort of headway on this path, is that we really have to take note of the teachings when they advise us to just let go of our strivings, something many of us find extremely difficult to do! Conditioned as we are to always doing something. How preposterous then to be told, that really, there is nothing to do! But, as the old Zen master once remarked, ‘when you have finished your breakfast, wash out you bowl!’
Our problem lies in the fact that we have been too busy trying to secure ourselves, reassure ourselves that we are all right. We remain trapped in the desire to improve ourselves.
The whole point here, is that our constant desire to achieve nirvana, enlightenment, whatever we wish to call it, is the main reason why we can’t achieve it. Our search has become the main stumbling block to actually waking up from the dream.
Until we finally wear ourselves out in the struggle and give up our search out of sheer exhaustion. We come to realise that struggle is irrelevant to opening. Only when we give up the struggle, does the problem take care of itself.
Until we finally wear ourselves out in the struggle and give up our search out of sheer exhaustion. We come to realise that struggle is irrelevant to opening. Only when we give up the struggle, does the problem take care of itself.
You see, it is in this situation we find ourselves in at this precise moment, whatever it may be, that is where enlightenment is, no where else, just right here. And, this precise moment is full of the most wonderful energy. What a golden opportunity awaits us, when we at last come to really grasp this. Then all we can do is laugh the cosmic laugh of the Buddha, the amazing sense of relief fianlly dawns and we come to rest, after so many struggles and much turmoil. It’s finally sinks in; we don’t have to go any other place. We are at home!
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