I have defined the beginning of Wisdom-Intelligence-Love as the moment when a person discovers the nature of one’s own conditioning and that it is composed of all of the many thoughts, considerations, opinions, etc. which tie us to the past. It is composed of all of our belief systems and cannot experience anything new. This implies that human beings may have tremendous potentials if we find a way to access something truly new, something outside and separate from the centuries of personal and impersonal programming that have made us who and what we are.
I have also introduced the idea that our culture is constantly programming us to believe that we must not accept ourselves, that there is something essentially wrong with us and that it must be fixed, usually by doing such things as buying certain products, reading certain books, taking certain seminars, and doing certain spiritual practices. All of these advise us to change ourselves, no matter what it takes, as if this is actually possible. This is what ties us to the limited and conditioned beliefs. I am asserting that this cannot work and that further it only makes things worse for us, since it ends up validating the very notion that we are not OK as we are. As long as we engage in activities that are motivated by the perceived need that we are somehow not OK and therefore must change, we will always come up short. It creates an ever-increasing spiral of self-abuse which, of course will inevitably lead to our having to take even more courses, read more books, and engage in more therapy, etc. And if we get depressed enough, we can then become medicated, which can only make things even worse.
When we realize all this and see that what we really need to do is find a way to quiet the mind so that something new might occur, we have taken an important first step. Our focus changes from attempting the impossible of trying to change ourselves to working instead towards accepting ourselves. It is like the realization that one is doing exactly the opposite thing from what is needed. This clear understanding is also an indication that Wisdom-Intelligence-Love is beginning in us.
Acceptance of Self, Acceptance of Another
As we begin to learn how to work with our thoughts and conscious and unconscious conditioning, we find that gaining self-acceptance has the effect of quieting the mind. Meditation and the E.I. technique however goes beyond self-acceptance. It includes something equally important: acceptance of another person. Actually, acceptance of self and acceptance of another are reflections or mirrors of each other. It is analogous to noticing that there are two sides of one coin. They are part of the same coin. Every time we accept self, other, or both, we take one more step toward quieting the mind because we no longer are struggling with life. As the struggle dissipates, so does the internal dialogue. When this emerges our entire orientation to life changes both within our own consciousness and in our relationship with our outer world.
The Development of Presence
Meditation and the E.I. technique asks the participant to contemplate an essence question such as “Who am I?” This is also a technique that begins what I have also described as inquiry. We then communicate what comes up to our partner and in so doing we find that we are becoming increasingly aware of our thoughts. It’s not just thoughts in general, but specific thoughts and considerations are coming up to consciousness. We begin to watch or witness all these thoughts. We do not try to change them, but seek to observe them only. After all, if we are not our thoughts, why would we try to change them? Just let them be and observe them as they are. This creates distance. We see them better and better, which leads to being able to ask one of the most important questions of our life. “How can I observe these thoughts if I am these thoughts?” One can recognize that we cannot see what we are. We can only see what we are not. The more we observe our thoughts the more distance is created until we completely cease to identify with any of these thoughts which is, of course, the state of quiet mind.
Throughout this effort, something quite special has been developing, almost without any notice. Presence is growing in us. The Presence of what? That answer is known only by an experience as it is beyond words. As our awareness increases, what is growing is our awareness of ourselves as “That” which is able to observe or witness all those thoughts. We are beginning to experience consciousness itself. There is a process happening which can be likened to a spiral where as we observe our thoughts, we are evoking Presence, which in turn enables us to observe every thought with even more distance than before. At some point, all that is left is the experience of the eternal Now. That is what opens new doorways of perception. We haven’t changed ourselves at all, but are now open in a way that is completely new. We are able to connect with Life, with Spirit, or whatever term one wants to use, for no longer are we (our thoughts) in the way.
When we are open to the new, we have begun to experience what I’m calling Wisdom-Intelligence-Love. With this state, many new abilities emerge. We somehow know things in a way that is neither logical nor illogical. This happens without effort. We don’t need to take seminars that will teach us how to develop extrasensory perception (ESP) or some altered state of consciousness. When we are fully present in the now, or in Presence, as some refer to this state, life is experienced in a totally different way. The connection that already exists between us and the world can now be perceived and experienced directly. Our view of the World begins to expand to even include other dimensions.
From this new way of Being-in-the-World, we look at our old concepts and will begin to completely re-orient. One example of this is the concept of intuition. Webster’s dictionary defines it “immediate apprehension or cognition” or “direct perception of truth.” Let’s look at this in a bit more depth. This very definition implies that there is a direct way of knowing that is not related to the operation of the logical mind. This is why many scientists are criticizing the use of this concept, saying that it doesn’t really exist. What seems evident is that if it does exist, it must indicate a way of knowing that only becomes possible when the mind is out of the way and we are able to access an inner knowing that usually lies dormant in us. This new way of Being enables us to live in a life that is harmonious, joyous and in full participation with family, friends, our community and perhaps Life itself.
Please remember while you read this that until you experience this condition for yourself, that it will be mere hearsay, and can only be a part of your belief system. We need not fool ourselves about this for that would just be another example of trying to change oneself.
Soon you will find many articles on this and other related subjects in our Blog.
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