Behind all the drama of our lives, there is something unchanging and ever-present, for everyone to discover. Our methods and practices point us in the direction of this awakening, as we move from reaction to compassion. Nothing left out, and no one to blame, perfecting only our loving awareness of it all.

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• Caught in the Externals – We sometimes get lost in the forms, words or even the gifts of the practices we engage in. The essence of the teachings is to return to a freedom of heart that is impervious to external circumstances
• Become the Awareness – It’s not about the experiences, but to whom they happen. Turn your attention away from the screen, and become the witness, the one who knows
• Spiritual Ideals – It’s not a self-improvement project, or dogma in thinking. When we are quiet enough, we no longer have to question or doubt our motives and responsibilities to the world and ourselves. Seek only to perfect your loving awareness
• The One Who Forgets – We are happy to lose our identity when we sleep, but terrified of the prospect in our waking reality. We get caught up in our lives and often lose track of our deeper intentions. We must make time in our lives to ask the bigger questions, to reconnect with our true nature, and recognize the impact of our choices
• Sitting (With everything) – In meditation we allow all our thoughts and fears to arise, acknowledging their presence and recognizing them as phenomena rather than something to feel threatened by – We attempt to listen, as opposed to react
• The One Who Knows (Rests in the mystery) – We recognize that things change and are comfortable with uncertainty. It doesn’t lead to apathy, but actually generates a deep appreciation for each moment, as we come to understand that nothing can be repeated. ‘The mystery of life is not a problem to solve, but a reality to experience’
• There is No Past (The future is an idea) – They are both here and now, in the present. Your being present is the Universe; it unfolds through you, not as a separate experience. The more you trust in the process, the more you are pulled into the center of it – this is where you truly come alive
• Nothing Left Out – Life is woven of pleasures, pains, joys and sorrows, it’s the very fabric of our being. The experiences are unavoidable, but the reactions are our choice to make
• Nothing to Blame – ‘When we realize that the source of disharmony and misery is ignorance and blindness, we open the door of wisdom and compassion’
• Rest at Ease in the Present (This is wisdom) – It’s all just happening, and we get to go along for the ride. Let go of the illusion of control and move into the state of compassion

Photo  by David Goehring via Flickr. Used under the creative commons license.