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Getting it Back
Dear Nick,
After reading Eckhart Tolle's, "The Power Of Now", I maintained a state of
mind for a couple of weeks where I allowed the present moment to hit me as
it spontaneously arose in my thinking. This created the space in my daily
schedule to meditate successfully. I felt the sensation of my body very
clearly. The sensation at the very top of my head felt so tangible that I
was overcome with wonder at what was happening. I became rather pleased with
myself. I thought about my success at this practise, and, as a result, I
lost it. Since then I have become lost in thought again and haven't
meditated or stayed in the present moment since.
I want to get back to this state of consciousness. I want it very much.
Can you please give me your opinion about this, any advice or encouragement?
Kind regards,
Joseph
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Hi Joseph
Thank you for your contact.
With regards to your frustration, there is a very important point to grasp
here. An experience is only an experience while it is new. Just like walking
out into the fresh air, or some pain ceasing, it is wonderful for a while
until it becomes the norm. No experience lasts. Once you have it, you become
it. There are seekers who spend many years trying to get back an experience,
not realising they have become it or gone beyond it.
The second point, following on from the first, Self-Realisation is simply to
realise what you already are, and as such there is no 'experience' in it, in
the conventional sense. If anything it could be said to be the absence of
experience. I say I am Enlightened and therefore fit into all the
definitions of 'Oneness' and Non-Duality etc, but these labels are only
describing the first experience of it. Having lived in the state for a
while, there is only 'this'. It could perhaps be said there is not even
'Non-Duality' as that itself implies an alternative which is not the truth
here now. Simply 'I am this' (whatever 'this' is).
I don't meditate. I simply practised (while I did) being aware of where I
was and of what I was feeling. It doesn't matter what you are feeling,
whether it is being as peaceful as being alone on a mountain top miles from
anywhere with your mind as still as a frozen lake, or in a mental tornado of
emotion and struggles, it doesn't matter. The point is, you should be
conscious (as much as you can) of whatever is there/here. You can enjoy the
peace while it is there, but while there is disturbance within you it is a
chance to get rid of old emotion and thus you will be more conscious and
aware afterwards. As we know, every time we are emotional, it is stored
within the psyche to come up later each time we are hurt or disturbed. Being
conscious in these times will turn the emotion into consciousness (for want
of a better way of describing it) and you are less emotional and more
conscious from then on.
So keep well and keep going. All's well. You are always in the right place
doing the right thing. There are no mistakes here, though there are painful
lessons sometimes.
Hope some of this is of use to you.
Let me know how it goes.
Nick Roach
Nick Roach Teachings
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