Surrendering

The picture above depicts a person experiencing extreme despair. Many of us can relate to extreme suffering at some point in our lives, if we continue to live long enough. The universe itself can bring you to your knees and leave you feeling alone, wondering if it's worth it to continue living for another day. How will you respond when major disappointments come your way?

The poet, Rumi, has said:

"Learn the alchemy
true human beings know.
The moment you accept
what troubles you've been given
the door will open."

As long as we believe we can handle by ourselves the troubles we've been given, we will patch up our lives with temporary fixes. We often latch onto a new belief or idea that makes us feel better.

And what's wrong with believing in a belief? What's wrong with having faith in something that makes you feel better? Let's look at what a belief is. A belief is a fixation upon a version of the truth. When a belief becomes rigid, growth is not possible. The truth we think we've found is made up of self-projected thoughts that we say is a belief or faith. You can say the mind has found its own self-projection. An ideal or belief is self-projected, fictitious, and unreal.

A belief (even a religious belief) can entrap us in our own isolated bubble. It often separates us from people we view as either being different or those who believe differently.

Any institution or group can be used to divide people, whether it is a church, an exclusive club membership, a school or university, a city you live in, an organization, or a nation that believes it's better and more powerful than all other nations. When an individual believes he is superior to others, he becomes rigid, blocked, greedy, and often times, jealous. Or he may even have hidden emotions and thoughts of being inferior to others. When an entire nation identifies itself with an inflated ego or a belief, such as "we're right, they're wrong", the destruction that can and often does occur is tremendous. Wars are created or fought, and people think it's rational and even justifiable to injure and slaughter others.

Understanding and experiencing who you "really" are on a deep level is the key to the freedom of beliefs. So, how do you find the "real" you? By surrendering all beliefs, all thoughts and labels of who you think you are, and by tossing them away. "But then I'll be nothing!" you may be saying. Yes, that's exactly right! You are a no-thing, a no self. Only in your mind have you created a "false self" belief, which gives you the illusion you are separate from everything.

True freedom from suffering comes when you surrender the "false self" idea and realize you are so much more. You are Life, the beautiful Oneness, the precious "I Am-ness". Prana is a word that describes who you are so well. It comes from India, where "prana" literally means "life force". This life force is the flow of intelligence, this life energy, the source of all, is the essential core nature of who you are. There is no self, no need to find yourself, for how can you find yourself when you never were a "self"? Once you know this on a deep level, how can you then not experience the internal divineness within you and within all people and beings throughout the universe?

May you experience this for yourself now: peaceful, blissful, eternal awareness.

-----diane

The Ultimate Meditation by Owen Waters

from Owen Waters: The Ultimate Meditation

In meditation practices, affirmations are often used to focus the mind. By simply repeating the words “I am,” you affirm your true nature as consciousness. In the case of the Infinite Being meditation, we affirm our innermost identity as the ultimate, infinite consciousness.

The affirmation “I am Infinite Being” is the most powerful affirmation possible within the English language.

The phrase “I am Infinite Being” is an affirmation of your oneness with the ultimate potential, the source of all life, the consciousness from which all life sprang. You are one with that universal consciousness. Everything in manifestation is one with that universal consciousness. Now is the time to consciously affirm your ultimate potential. It may take courage to begin with, but the results are more than worth the effort.

If you find issues arising, such as a feeling of unworthiness in your alignment with the ‘All That Is,’ with Infinite Being, just let those thoughts go, then gently bring your mind back into focus upon the affirmation. You do not have to justify the words, or settle any internal argument about them, just because of some prior conditioning as to how someone said you “should” think in this life. Think independently, think infinitely, and you will connect with the consciousness of your ultimate potential.

Have the inner discipline to stay with the affirmation and let any issues fade away unchallenged. Your inner self knows the meaning of the words and resonates in joy with their exact and literal truth. Every time you make this affirmation, you become more connected with Infinite Being. Any lesser thoughts are then healed within the light of greater truth.

Find a quiet space to sit down for a few minutes, close your eyes, and start looking for the quiet space within. To keep your brain occupied with the task at hand, focus your attention on the slow, even flow of your breath as it passes in and out of your nostrils.

As you breathe each in-breath, mentally repeat the affirmation “I am Infinite Being.”

On the out-breath, simply allow your attention to follow the flow of air from your nostrils. To induce an immediate calming effect, allow each out-breath to take longer than each in-breath.

Life energy, also known as etheric energy, is conditioned primarily within the human spinal column. From there it is distributed to the rest of the body via the subtle nervous system. Most key functions in the human body owe their operation primarily to the supply of etheric life energy, rather than to the supply of electrical energy. Etheric energy, like consciousness, is non-physical and yet it is behind all life.

To help enhance the natural flow of life energy within your spine while performing this meditation it is preferable to sit upright in an erect chair. As you progress with this meditation, the natural flow of life energy within your spine will become enhanced, bringing an enlivened awareness to your consciousness.

When distracting thoughts arise - which they will - treat them with patience and understanding. Put each distracting thought aside so that you can continue with the Infinite Being meditation. If a thought seems important or urgent, then it will be sure to return later, after your meditation session has finished.

There are a number of ways to enhance your meditation experience. One is to reserve a small space, such as the corner of a quiet room, where only meditation is conducted. That space then becomes more conducive to a meditation environment. A small table or surface can be covered with items that you connect with spiritual practice. Candles and incense are especially useful as they provide some initial focus for the senses.

It also helps to always use the same chair, one that is constructed primarily of a non-metallic material. Metal chairs attract etheric life energy away from you, which is great for the chair, but not so good for the meditation session.

A small clock completes your setting, and clean, light clothing, reserved especially for meditation, further enhances the atmosphere. A shower or bath before meditation is very valuable, as water is a powerful cleanser. If, for example, you have just come home from a hectic day at work, then your energy body will be filled with the distractions of the day, stored in etheric energy form.

The water that cleanses you in a shower or bath not only cleanses you of physical impurities, but, more importantly, it also cleanses the etheric energy impurities that do not belong in your energy body.

The reason that water is such an effective energy cleanser lies in its chemical composition. Water consists of H2O - hydrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is not just a chemical that the body needs. Its greater role is to carry life-giving, etheric energy. When you shower, your etheric body is being washed with the water’s flow of cleansing, etheric energy.


Please enjoy this helpful article Infinite Being Meditation on how to meditate. This is the form of meditation I practice every day and I hope you will try it, also.
Namaste'

Infinite Being Meditation

Rules for Being Human