Does the unawakened man who enjoys everything society offers–i.e., meats, travels, luxurious houses and cars, higher positions to make more money, and the rest–has really free choice, or is it just really an illusion of the ego of every man and woman out there…?? The popular lifestyles and material things society puts in front of us, in the nice advertisements, with the talented artists on TV, in the attractive magazines selling dreams of better lives–these are all ways of controlling you without making you aware of it, they appeal to your lazy and corruptible ego, they speak to your already programed subconscious. All this is politics, foolish games of control on the rabble; because if you follow society you are not healthy and you do not own your thinking and behaving–and now you are easily controllable.
Have you noticed that no ad ever tells you what is healthier for your mind and body–they just put taste in front of you. The hospital industry does the same to keep you coming back–they do not tell you to stop eating meat, they do not tell you to exercise, they do not tell you to meditate and spend time taking care of your mind. And people travel all the time as long as they don’t have to face themselves–alone, with their own demons. Etc. Until one sees this and more of the falseness in society, makes the right and better choice, leads his health and overall life forward, one remains without free choice because the ego–this thick veil governs him or her, and thus freedom is gone.
Who tells you that you are free to choose…?? Isn’t your mind, your ego, telling you that you are free to choose…?? The ego is this thick veil or screen that is fed by society and the whole world around you, influenced by it, programed by it–so it will tell you whatever keeps the comfort and the status quo unharmed; it will not tell you what is better for you but it will always find excuses of why you should stay without change, stay following your old lifestyle and your own mental conditioning. Why can’t you see this…?? Or perhaps you see it but you play the fool anyway…?? Are you free then…??
You ought to know that only a free mind can actually know the essence of freedom, love, God and peace. Why…?? Because when your mind’s content is what others tell you, what society gives you, what is not illumination to the very conscience, then you have blocked yourself from the deep and wise understanding; for you are corrupting yourself and living in the dream… And there is no free choice, there is no freedom in the dream…
The illusion of free choice is that your mind is allowed to retain all this influence and impressions from society, your ego accepts this as the norm because most ignorant people out there do it as well without an individual thought of their own, and as a consequence you become prideful, you make choices based on selfishness and hate, and you have no individual conscience–i.e., no wisdom but you follow others and the way they do things. This deceives you into thinking you know love, God, freedom, peace and harmony; but you actually live in your own selfish world blinded by the corrupted content of your own lazy mind.
Ever enjoyed silent nights out on the porch or the yard, just you and the stars above…?? Ever stopped your mind from rushing and thinking, and just enjoyed what is…?? We tend to keep busy with all these plans and activities, all this stress and frustration, ideals and work to do, but this is just avoiding ourselves, keeping ourselves distant. And yes, we all have our challenges, pressures, difficulties, and these must be attended and fixed; however, this activity is not creating energy but taking away energy, taking us away from ever finding that silent place within ourselves where true love and happiness live.
And most people is so used to running around and intensely thinking all day that they miss themselves, their attention is always on the world and on their problems and appointments. But is this all there is to life…?? Perhaps, to be one with yourself, recharge yourself, allow yourself to just be, and to let go of mind and all ego, one must stop for a moment and enjoy a moment under the stars or a moment of pure silence where your attention is on you and God’s nature, just being, just feeling yourself and nature without the complications of an unruly and rushing thought…
“The moon talks about us tonight.”
All I ever knew was how you felt, All my deep passions and desires, All my foolish wars and past hurt, All my selfish and worthless blurt. Tonight under the magic of the moon, As I allow myself to stop my thought And feel you without any mental holds, Away my ego as my dear you unfolds. I had searched day and night for you, But my search had been in great vain; For you were not in the world I knew, But you were within me in plain view. And the moon talks about us tonight, She says we are the greatest lovers; Its magical light bathes us in eternity, So we stay ever together in serenity.
That mysterious pull of the moon, influencing oceans and its tides. And the human body is made mostly of water also, so we may feel the influence of the moon on us when we allow ourselves to step out of our heads and in touch with our emotions, silently, just being, in touch with what is.
You know you’re eating too much and the wrong foods for your health. You do realize that you always try to win instead of seeing the truth and learning from it. You recognize your own stubbornness and yet you keep doing the same old things and remaining with the same thoughts and behaviors. And you do a lot of other nonsense you are aware you do, but still you tell yourself lies to cover your own weaknesses, don’t you…?? Why do you keep doing this over and over again, and then you read about how to be better, you watch enlightening videos, you talk about love and the things you have read, you share this stupid knowledge with people and arrogantly you make yourself a Buddha…??
Why…?? I mean, is this to be truly intelligent…??
You do everything, you seek everything out in the world–you go to yoga class in groups, you go to church, you read so-called “spiritual” texts, you buy the latest from the spiritual teachers in literary form, you ask people you trust how to live and decide better in your own life; but you never actually go to the root of the problem beyond your own ego–because all this knowledge you acquire from the world, as nice as it can be, goes to your mind, to your ego. But the ego does not know truth, love, or divinity–all that information you have is the program that enslaves you, that stops you from going inwardly. But you don’t think it does, do you…?? And that is exactly your greatest weakness, your downfall. The sacred road to self-discovery is the best and the most intelligent one can take in life, because life is all about inner growth, through self-awareness, by watching and realizing the activities of your own ego keeping you from experiencing true love, happiness, the truth in all things.
But not just self-awareness, which is the easy part; but by serious meditation through focusing on your breath with no-thought; for only meditation can bring you in touch with what lies beyond all that information/all that ego you have. Meditation shouldn’t make you feel like you cannot do it, for this fear is what keeps you away from ever starting; through meditation you must be patient because your rushing mind must get used to it first. You practice over and over again; that is how you become a Buddha and achieve a constant state of Illumination–i.e., you do not run away from the demons of boredom and anxiety taunting you and trying to deviate you from deep meditation and from staying on your breath.
Everything and the most important things, the basic things for a good existence as a human being–i.e., true love, wisdom, peace, harmony, freedom, great understanding–are inside you, not out there–i.e., not in religions, scriptures, governments, family, relationships, group classes of any kind. If you approach all these things without embracing the important things that are discovered inside you, then your life will be a hell, a confusion on true love and happiness, and all sorts of mental demons will cloud your thinking and behaving.
But you persevere, and persevere, and persevere… Don’t be a naive fool and think outer achievements, outer seeking, will make you a better, wiser human being, but meditate as the Buddha under that Bodhi Tree; and during your active day learn from your mistakes, pay attention to all you do to rise as a new being of illumination, as a very god of wisdom and great understanding.
What is it which you seek to understand…?? Why do you always want that control…??–to always know everything, to always fix everything. Can’t you see that freedom from all your pain, from all your problems, is in letting go…??
Your ego is not master of your house, only the moment is, the Now; thus, you must stop all thought and overthinking, allow the past to stay in the past, and you embrace the moment. No pain or suffering, no confusion or frustration lives in the moment. The heart lives in the moment. Love lives in the moment. And whatever lives in the mind, in the ego, as a thought or image, whether nice or not, is of time and space, chained to moods, likes and dislikes. Whatever the mind can tell you is memories, knowledge, beliefs, deceits; and that is why the mind and overthinking is addictive, and such addiction is misery, is more thinking, is more slavery, is continuous attachment, is not letting go…
“Letting go…“
Whatever I know is what confuses me, Whatever I seek is what escapes me, Whoever I am is far beyond knowing; My ego’s identity is always overflowing. When my beliefs and fears arise I am not, When words are appearing I am caught. Why should I follow this false name…?? The vapors of the careless mind to blame. The mind is misery away from a pure heart; The process of letting go is the soul’s art Through patience and faith I find me there, And if I pay full attention love is everywhere.
Letting go is to be highly aware of your memories and all thinking, to be aware of your own ego and its ignorant activities, to not dwell on hurt. You do not escape from memories, from thoughts, but you do not dwell and overthink either. Why…?? Because you love yourself so much that you shall not allow an undisciplined mind to ruin your mood and depress you, but you allow love to expand in you by focusing on living the moment with joy and ideas to better your future.
One cowardly person came to a master of martial arts and asked to teach him bravery. The master looked at him and said, “I will teach you only with one condition: for one month you will have to live in a big city and tell every person that you meet on your way that you are a coward. You will have to say it loudly, openly and looking straight into the person’s eyes.”
This person got really sad, because this task seemed very scary to him. For a couple of days he was very sad and thoughtful, but to live with his cowardice was so unbearable that he traveled to the city to accomplish his mission anyway. At first, when meeting the passers, he quailed, lost his speech and couldn’t contact anyone; but he needed to finish the master’s task, so he began to overcome himself. When he came up to his first passer to tell about his cowardice, it seemed to him that he would die from fear–he was trembling, anxious, and even feeling some physical pain out of his mental fear. But then his voice sounded louder and more confident with every passing day. Suddenly came a moment, when the man caught himself thinking that he wasn’t scared anymore; and the further he continued doing the master’s task, the more convinced he was that the fear was abandoning him for good.
That way a month had passed. The once-cowardly person came back to the master, bowed to him and said, “Thank you, master. I finished your task. Now I’m not afraid anymore. But how did you know that this strange task will help me…??”
The wise teacher smiled and said, “The thing is that cowardice is only a habit. And by doing the things that scare us, we can destroy the stereotypes and come to a conclusion that is actually real of who we truly are. And now you know that bravery is also a habit. And if you want to make bravery a part of yourself, you need to move forward into the fear. Then the fear will go away, and bravery will take its place.”
So, remind yourself always that habits shape who you are as a human being. As a spiritual being, obviously, you are perfect–strong, determined, wise, confident, talented. But as a human being only good, thoughtful and serious habits can mold you into this superior human being filled with confidence and bravery to do anything you desire with a good heart.
So, pay attention to what you do from the moment you wake up to the moment you close your eyes to sleep, be disciplined, do what makes your ego uncomfortable, do what is right for your growth and not what you desire on a stupid whim… Beat your fears. They are just thoughts…
Yes, it is indeed difficult to lose someone really special, someone you loved dearly; but life gives us meaning by change, by an old death and new birth, and so the cycle under time goes on and on throughout our lives. And exactly this should never be forgotten, that life is change; if you adapt to change, you may find strength to go on and become better in your life…
“I’ve lost my best friend…”
Ever lost someone, but someone extremely special to you, someone you carry in your very DNA, someone who made you into who you are today, someone who you feel in your very bones, in your very flesh, and someone who somehow in your each laughter and tear lights your way in this life…??
We would build trenches and castles in the sand, We would play video games and he’d let me win; Life was easy, without tears, perfect around him, He was God to me, no Devils, no demons, no sin… I wish I knew why, but I grew up and demons came. O how I wish I would understand why I went insane! O too many memories for I’ve lost my best friend! I always loved him but I did not show it till the end! If I could go back in time I’d tell you what I should, Yes, I would not cause you any pain and be good.
Once he called me in the room and sat me down, He smiled warmly, but very proudly I looked away; He tried to talk sense into me, guide me with love, But I remained distant, like I knew the better way… Jumping from school to school, I brought him pain. O how I wish I would understand why I went insane! O too many memories for I’ve lost my best friend! He was my dad, my very all, my partner till the end! He loved his family and brought us to new shores, In the new territory he taught me how to open doors.
In his last moments at the hospital I didn’t say much, He went somewhere and never came back to me. So cherish your loved ones, love all their characters, For after death they in your memories you will see… Yes, I learned from my father all a real man should. O how great he was even though I was not so good! O too many memories for I’ve lost my best friend! I always loved him but I did not show it till the end! Wherever you are I hope you see the man I am now. As you guide me forth I promise to make you proud.
Losing a loved one is always a tragedy, a moment of sadness no one can avoid; however, this is the beauty of life, all this change and pain is what makes us or destroys us–it is the challenges that which is the very heart of life. We are meant to live these challenges, not to turn away from them or denied them but to feel them, cherish them, learn from them, and rise from the ashes that live in you. That’s the secret: Rising from the ashes, not staying buried in them.
The sacred road to self-discovery is the best and the most intelligent one can take in life, because life is all about inner growth. Don't be a naive fool and think outer achievements will make you a better human being, but be self-aware, learn from your mistakes, pay attention to all you do to rise as a new being of illumination, as a very god of wisdom and great understanding.
Thanks to difficult experiences we can all learn from mistakes and from the very hell of our situations, our choices are meant to be superior each time; thus, you must pay attention to all you hate, all you dislike, all you suffer, find the illumination to your very conscience, even a tiny flicker will do–something which can help you expand your mind. Step by step you become awakened in your situations, and patiently you may really discover that you are as well a god…
“I discovered that I am a god…“
Such miserable night my heart felt broken, And after that great pain you left me in tears; Alive in me are the last words and bitter kiss, Cursed, alone, depressed, stalked by my fears. O there was time in silence which grew in me! Many days of blindness existing without glee! And in those moments of misery I saw a light, O ’tis was finding lovely heaven in my sight, You see, I saw the place where angels prod… Far my tears, I discovered that I am a god…
I felt empty around lovely flowers without you, I lived in hell even through happy memories; My desire consumed my freedom back then, Loneliness was death in my confused reveries. O there was time in silence which grew in me! Many days of blindness existing without glee! But in meditation I learned the magic of true love! O, Love, I was transfigured into a divine dove! Yes, I found perfection even though I was flawed… Saw the truth in me, I discovered that I am a god…
Nagging images in my mind kept me as your slave, I thought it was love the attachment to my passions; So cruel those minutes without my pride beautified, Then forgive me, Love, mine were ignorant actions. O there was time in silence which matured in me! I am not that silly boy anymore who took our glee! For that pain I caused was my blessing in disguise, And, O Sweet, I learned about my own ego and lies. I freed myself from the constant demon’s prod… I know love now, I discovered that I am a god…
The sacred road to self-discovery is the best and the most intelligent one can take in life, because life is all about inner growth. Don’t be a naive fool and think outer achievements will make you a better human being, but be self-aware, learn from your mistakes, pay attention to all you do to rise as a new being of illumination, as a very god of wisdom and great understanding.
What is justice…?? Is it the pompous and rash healing of resentment and anger…??–“an-eye-for-an-eye” type idiocy…?? Can justice become an art if we use greater empathy and less anger, if we follow truth and not society’s conditioning of what the proceedings of justice should be…?? Are you truly just in your everyday situations and relationships…?? Is justice born out of your ego or out of absolute truth (beyond any ego, revenge, or anger you may harbor within)…??
Society has taken sacredness and serious matters into mockery and corruption, like God, truth, love, freedom, peace, and justice; and so, this corruption has been conditioned into the weak minds of people like yourself, and now their meanings, their depth is lost and vanished for you, so you follow the news, the media, your family, your own ignorant and crooked beliefs on all of these. Individual thinking is no more, and yet you desire to be awakened, illumined without emptying your mind from all this nonsense; and so, you expect that by reading and hearing enlightening words you will become awakened and just in these matters. Is this your foolishness…?? Are you lying to yourself about this even now…??
“She hurt my feelings, so I must hurt hers!” “He cheated on me, so I am free to cheat as well and hate him forever!” “Immigrants are ‘stealing’ our jobs, so throw them out with ‘humane’ violence and break their families!” “My heart must be hardened when treating with any sort of crime.” “Animals are ours to eat and do whatever we want with them, they are not human beings like us so they do not deserve the same justice.” “My family does not have the same views I have, so I am building my own life away from all of them!” And more nonsense fill the minds of the stubborn, old fools who follow their egos and the garbage society has introduced in them since childhood.
And this is because societies, your family, you, have built and kept all justice distanced from truth and deeper understanding, thus you use your intellect/your ego to create meaning; consequently, you lose all empathy and understanding in love, in justice, in truth, thus you are confused and lost without the enlightenment of your very conscience. Is this the way you choose to live then…?? Nothing real in you, but everything borrowed and dead… Whoever amongst you understands this, do not just agree with me but CHANGE! Become better!
Memories exist for a divine reason. Your childhood was what it was for a divine reason, however painful, miserable, complicated. Your ego may choose to hate your past, hurt you further now as an adult, and make you hard because of your past; however, your ego is not divine, it does not understand why you lived what you lived. You cannot find God through your ego. You cannot find love through your ego. And you cannot find peace through your ego. You must embrace your childhood, your past, whatever you lived, and see the lessons with an untainted heart which knows no resentment and prejudice…
“Childhood.”
Do you know that rich earth and sacred sun…?? Do you know those little children having fun…?? Have you ever felt the mud here and there…?? What about such divine connection everywhere…?? Yes, I remember the land so beautiful and free, O my body and soul give thanks to thee! God spoke to me through ducks and cattle, Love was born via innocent play and battle. Days of wonder and joy built character thus, Friends, games, waiting for the school bus; Nights of weeping as I grew in responsibility, Exams, anger, moments without tranquility. What’s the world done, child, to hurt you so…?? Have you found the lessons in pain yet to grow…?? My youth was painful, difficult; but it brought light. Have you questioned yours beyond the fright…??
Ever feel lonely and seek distractions out there, solutions to this nagging feeling…?? When the seeking is pointless, which you must see; for the seeking can only exacerbate the illness brooding in you, thus create more desire over and over again as it consumes your very soul–i.e., your sane rationality, your honest hopes, your vital dreams, your own affections…
“The seashell.”
I found a seashell in the fair sands
Gleaming under the warmest light;
In it I found the whisper I thought lost,
In it I discovered what I had tossed.
The seeking had been the dark abyss, It had polluted my soul in darkness; I had lost myself in the empty desire Of a capricious nature–indeed so dire. O how barren what I saw in the world! Loneliness, frustration, anger held me; For I truly observed my own reflection, So I cried all the time without affection. But O how blind and lost in the senses! You were there all along, patiently waiting, Gleaming under the very warmest light, Blessed by Divinity–such glorious sight.
I finally stopped the search and contemplated The many tears in me–the suffering, the misery; Whatever held me hostage was my choosing, I stubborn was in my desire–how confusing! There was no end to the allure of the rabble, Empty words of romance and promises broken; Society had me as I desired what they had, But I saw through the vain deceit–I am glad! And it was the friendship with my very tears The one which liberated my trapped soul; And it was the seashell found under the sun, Yes, listened I the whisper–O misery undone!
- Asa Rodriguez - 