Originally published by Unity Magazine – Sept./Oct. 2015.
Seven potent practices for staying conscious in a world full of distractions
BY REV. PAUL JOHN ROACH
Can you recall a moment when you felt fully awake or alive?
A time when all the needs and concerns of everyday life slipped into the background and a sense of heightened joy, peace, and gratitude filled your being? These powerful moments may well come unexpectedly, but nevertheless, they are well worth cultivating because they carry the potential for changing the course of our lives.
These moments may come in a variety of ways, such as seeing a breathtaking sight in nature or listening to a piece of music that really moves you. They can arise at the birth of a baby, in the way light plays on an object, in feelings of deep love for our partner, or in the sweet and uncoiled sensation of relief that washes over us after a crisis passes. Each such moment inspires within us a sudden appreciation for the preciousness of life. When they happen, we cease seeing ourselves as striving human beings and instead connect to something eternal and universal within and around us.
These miraculous moments are visceral, not just intellectual. They can take our breath away, move us to tears, or cause us to simultaneously laugh and cry with joy. Whatever our reaction, each resonates deep within our soul. These awakenings affirm for us that all is well and well ordered. Each precious “aha!” experience shows us the far horizons. Yet, they fade so quickly, as the poet William Wordsworth put it, “into the light of common day.” They leave us with a yearning to reconnect with that feeling of being fully present and fully alive to the beauty and mystery of life.
So how then do we maintain this awakened state? How do we live a life of open awareness without giving in to the seemingly endless mundane distractions of our everyday life? To this end, the great masters invite us to ask ourselves some deceptively simple questions: Who is awake? Who is asleep? Who am I to determine these things? Looking closely at the nature of self, we may discover the key is not so much transforming ourselves from asleep to awake as it is remembering our true nature.
So much of what we think is important isn’t. We can spend our lives identifying with a self, a role, a desire, or a need to change that is actually quite illusory. These things are as futile to our true awakening as they are to the proverbial fish that endlessly searches for water. The water of life, the substance of God, surrounds us all the time, yet we fail to see it.
Here, then, are seven practices we can adopt to help maintain an awakened state:
1 STOP STRUGGLING
Most of us realize that if we get into trouble while swimming, if we start panicking and struggling, we are more likely to drown. Relaxing and trusting the natural buoyancy of the water to support us is the key to a successful outcome. When it comes to our spiritual lives, we often naturally resort to struggle in order to be free. “How long will it take me to become enlightened?” an earnest spiritual seeker once asked a Zen master. “Seven years,” he answered. “How long if I really work hard and strive for enlightenment with double the effort?” the seeker asked. “Fourteen years,” the Zen master responded. Struggling and intensity can be counterproductive and push our supposed goal further away from us. The better choice is to relax and rest in the natural state of our own intrinsic being, which is wise and intuitively knows the most effective path. Another Zen master once asked, “What in this moment is missing?” In the present there is simply the Presence. Hindrances and distractions show up only when we place our attention and focus on past and future fears and desires.
2 LET IT BE
Our mind is used to making assumptions and drawing comparisons. We can easily get caught up in its dramas, allowing attraction, repulsion, boredom, and restlessness to keep us from appreciating the moment. The practice of letting it be invites us to unclench and allow the moment to unfold free of our editorializing. Even if we are attracted to some things and repulsed by others, letting it be allows us to feel these feelings without being controlled by them. Make no mistake: This is not a passive stance of resignation but a spacious allowing—a generous attitude of welcoming that opens up room for wonders to arise.
3 DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY
Note to self: Remember, you don’t exist. The idea of an independent, separate self distinct from others is one of the greatest obstacles to enjoying our true identity. The human self identifies closely with its body-mind vehicle and can take situations quite personally when it perceives them as a threat or challenge. Dissolving the attachment to a separate sense of self requires daily practice. I like to use the Unity statement: “I am a spiritual being, living in a spiritual universe, governed by spiritual laws.” A similarly helpful statement is: “I am a spiritual being having a human experience.” These affirmations of Truth remind us that as spiritual beings, we have nothing to fear. Everyone we meet is a part of us, and we are all on this great adventure together.
A QUIET MIND IS ALL YOU NEED. ALL ELSE WILL HAPPEN RIGHTLY, ONCE YOUR MIND IS QUIET.
4 DECIDE TO ENJOY
Choosing to find meaning and joy in life does not have to be a burden, no matter what difficulties befall us. Claim the best. Decide that today will be a day of opportunity and adventure, and because of the powerful law of attraction and reciprocity, it will become exactly that. This step begins with appreciation for the small, everyday blessings we may take for granted—a good cup of coffee, a friend, a bird singing, or even a car that runs well. The feeling of wellbeing is then accelerated with praise and a thankful attitude.
In Teach Us to Pray (Unity Books, 1941), Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore wrote,
“You can praise a weak body into strength; a fearful heart into peace and trust; shattered nerves into poise and power; a failing business into prosperity and success; want and insufficiency into supply and support.”
The choice is ours. Awakening is not something reserved expressly for spiritual masters and so-called “enlightened beings.” It is our birthright, the natural expression of who we are created to be.
5 BE QUIET
All the world’s faith traditions counsel us to be still and quiet. “Be still, and know that I am God,” the psalmist advises (Psalm 46:10 RSV), while the late modern-day Indian teacher H.W.L. Poonja, when asked about the secret of enlightenment, said, “Just be quiet.” The witness itself arises from within the Silence, which is the stillness of being present, and provides a peace that is—as St. Paul once noted—beyond human understanding. As Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, the simple cigarette seller from Mumbai, India, whose profound teachings attracted many seekers, explained in his 1973 book I Am That:
A quiet mind is all you need. All else will happen rightly, once your mind is quiet. As the sun on rising makes the world active, so does self-awareness affect changes in the mind. In the light of calm and steady self-awareness, inner energies wake up and work miracles without any effort on your part.
No effort! Wonderful. Of course, we must exhibit the willingness to take time to be quiet if we wish to awaken these inner energies. The good news is they indeed already exist within us, waiting to be activated.
SO MUCH OF WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT ISN’T.
When I first began meditating almost 40 years ago, I needed outer stillness before I could find any stillness within. Now, after much practice, I can be still even in distracting surroundings. What shifted? My focus, I guess, from the rumbling world to a trust in the wisdom and peace within. When we lose this precious peace, Spirit is fearless in helping us recollect and find it again.
6 COMMIT
Have you ever achieved something of value with a half-hearted attitude? Probably not. To succeed in anything requires both commitment and a willingness to practice—and the same is true on the spiritual path. We must commit to our spiritual practice on a daily basis whether we see immediate results or not. In fact, seeing results is not the point—being a dedicated and committed person is its own reward. Yes, results will follow, but it’s better for our focus to be on our character than on some desired outcome. As Nisargadatta said, “There is only love in action.” That is who we are, because that is what God is, and joy is our blessing.
7 CONTACT THE WITNESS
Within us, at the silent core of our being, is the witness (or the observer), the presence of love that sees clearly and acts wisely. Some people simply call this the Christ. We cannot develop or perfect this being. It just is, and it’s our greatest ally. Jesus referred to this presence as the comforter and the advocate—terms invoking protection, care, and encouragement. This witness rises up within us when we have the willingness to simply be present and see. It contains a double blessing: The more we are present to see, the more there is to see. Wonders arise when we are open to them—and when we are not they are hidden from our view.