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Teaching Ancient Wisdom for Today |
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Awakening in Silence
I want to talk about awakening. I want to talk about the kind of
awakening that is all around us, that doesn't require any special
effort or activity, the kind of awakening that exists as the inner
truth of all living things.of all things everywhere. I want to talk
about awakening as a fact of existence, the kind of awakening in which
that Silence that created the whole universe out of its own joy,
suddenly remembers itself in the midst of life, in the midst of
turmoil and confusion, in the midst of joy and prosperity, sadness and
grief, in the midst of cities and forests, in the midst of sirens and
traffic, in the midst of birth and death, in the midst multitudes and
stark solitude.
There is such an awakening. The kind of awakening that occurs in
parking lots and bus stations, in Disneyland and homeless shelters.
This awakening is waiting for us in our offices and cars, as much as
in a cave or meditation center. This awakening doesn't need any
particular conditions. We don't have to become ripe through years of
effort and toil. We don't have to climb into the high and rare
atmosphere of mountains hiding like myths in exotic countries. This
awakening is here, now.
Why wait? Are we not tired enough of sadness and separation, of
carrying ideas and beliefs about Reality, when Reality itself, pure
and shining, is but a glance away? Awakening means to awaken, to rise
up, whole body and whole mind, whole spirit and whole heart, to awaken
from sleep, from the slumber of past and future, from the deep sleep
of thoughts, concepts, and beliefs, from the tragic burden of me, me,
me.always me.awakening from all of this into the timeless beauty that
is here, now, here, now.the beauty that can be seen, can be felt, can
be known now, without any further preparation.
Whether you look inward or outward, left or right, above or below,
there is only one thing to see, one thing that sees.it is that
Silence, the true Self, the one in the many. How hard can it be to
wake up and live in this joy, in this lightness, in this freedom, in
this clarity, in this kindness, in this friendliness of the one Self?
How hard can it be, to see what is Real? It isn't hard at all. We are
doing it now, together, as we listen, as we speak, as we hear, as we
breathe, as we release our hold on thoughts, as we enter the Silence
between them, between thoughts, as we enter the Silence from where
thoughts come, from where questions come, from where the breath itself
comes. Together we are awakening into the fulfillment of our truest
dreams, finally fulfilling what our hearts long for, our souls cry
for.and in this fulfillment, we become truly alive.
The sound of things breathing is the sound of Silence coming
awake.opening its eyes.smiling.can you hear it? The one primordial
Silence shaking off dreams and nightmares, awakening to the morning of
its own glory.
Listening like this is magic. The deeper we listen, the more we become
awake.not listening to our own mind, to our own thoughts, to our own
compulsions, but deeper listening.listening to cells speak their
ancient secrets, to what is deep within all of life.the very force of
life, the very breath of life.can we hear this now? It is here.between
our own thoughts.between our breaths.in the vast spaces between. Can
we hear the deep movement of life now, in this moment? Can we give our
full attention to that Silence coming awake within us.taking
us.holding us.rousing us from our trances of self-interest into
something more magical.beyond words.beyond imagination.the simple
present.the awakened present?
Yes, it is like heat, like a current.a presence.listening to the
breath within the breath, we feel this.and this feeling, this
presence.this is Silence.creator of the universe.coming awake within
us, as us.giving truth to our lies.giving life to our death.giving joy
to our sadness.giving freedom to our bondage.giving ease to our
pain.giving love to our hate.giving peace to our conflict.
Can you feel this awakening of pure Silence now, where it lives, in
this moment? Nowhere else.just here, and now, within and without.
Don't be afraid of depth, of stillness, of Silence, of beauty.don't
turn away.don't be too busy, too agitated, too distracted.listen.
deeply.with your whole being.listen to what is moving in the still and
silent places where we can't see with our eyes, where we can't know
with our mind, where we can't control with our fear, where we can't
even speak.so still.so silent.as though love itself were speaking in a
whisper, softly, from the deepest part of our own being.speaking. are
we listening?
And when we hear it, when we hear this awakening of truth within us,
will we give ourselves to it, fully, completely, wanting never again
to sleep, but to remain awake, to become the awakened Silence that is
our true beauty, our true body, our true mind, our true purpose, our
true path, our true heart?
It is here, within. And seeing it within, it is everywhere. Only that.
Only that one reality, radiant, shining, beyond words, beyond thought,
beyond all concepts, dreams, and wishes. It is the simple, uncluttered
eternal present awakening within us, as us. Do not betray your own
truth, the deepening truth of this moment, the deepening truth of your
listening, the deepening truth of your loving. All within this moment.
All within your pure soul.
Listen to your own Silence. Love your own Silence. Share your Silence.
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