Radical Inquiry?
Suffering is caused by the unquestioned mind, do you believe all that your mind tells you? If so, have you ever wondered why? It did not occur to me to ask myself this question until an interesting character showed up on my doorstep and introduced me to a model that transformed my world from top to bottom. This model cultivates a form of questioning that allows a break in the illusion of self-identity long enough to see that what is driving our actions is a continual strategy of defence, caused by a reaction to the belief that we are separate from a deep loving resonance of divine presence or in simple terms God. Our desire to survive fuels this illusion so much so that we forget we have created it in the first place and a spiralling of these patterns continue to create the personality.
As I began to unravel these misconceptions or false ideas what struck me was the self-inflicted prison that had become my reality. I was not free to live and create in the true sense, I was acting from the minds desire to avoid the pain and grief that arouse from the false belief of lack of love and unmet needs. With this knowledge I began a very uncomfortable excavation into the tombs of my complex and very creative mind. Sometimes it got very tight and restrictive, very dark and frightening and yet the rewards have been like a great archaeological find of the century and bountiful wealth has followed. When asked why I would choose to go into these places of uncertainty, I smile and say because I am here to learn and truly live, to explore this incredible mystery that I am and I want to do this in a way that brings joy and service to others, so why not?
You will have your own reasons to explore these rich regions of the mind and heart. I offer a very direct and enlightening structure to support you in this. For further information on Radical Inquiry see my website at
www.sacredchants.com.au
What affect do your thoughts have on your everyday life, how do your thoughts influence your bodies health? Are your thoughts helping you to establish deep intimate relationships, prosperous career opportunities, are they helping to build supportive friendships, encouraging creative expression? What if all that is occurring in your life right now is due to the thoughts you are experiencing. Would that not be reason enough to question and inquire into these very interesting waves of energy that move through you from moment to moment?
Questioning why we think what we think and why we believe what we think are two powerful keys in discovering true freedom. Have you noticed if you feel uncomfortable when thinking about certain things? If so I suggest it may be worthwhile to use time constructively and even if it means being more uncomfortable for a time the results will undoubtedly show their value in what occurs.
Let's have a look at a simple way that this can be put into practice.
Sit for a moment and breath slowly and fully, have you ever wondered about where your thoughts come from, do they just appear uninvited, and then just as quickly disappear? For five minutes each day sit in a quiet place and just watch what happens if you pay attention to the thoughts that come and go. Don't try to stop them or change them just watch.
If you find yourself wandering along with a particular thought notice the stream of thought and come back to just witnessing the movement of your mind, being aware of your breath.
This practise may be a little confusing to your mind at first but, like you would with a young child, be patient and relaxed about it and things will settle down with some consistent focus.
You may find it difficult not to be seduced by the wonderfully creative way your mind will try to engage you; it can be very convincing. You may suddenly remember a very important phone call you need to make, or the washing needs doing, in fact it could have you believe that you are wasting time and should be doing something else, don't be fooled. You may be very entertained by the diverse and profound ideas your mind will come up with to stop you from watching it, however don't let this distract you from your task.
If you do this every day for a week and then begin to slowly bring this practice into your daily activities you will be astounded at the crazy and often unsubstantiated stories that your mind is creating. What may be even more surprising to you is that you actually believe it! So from this simple beginning wondrous things are born, have fun and, remember, don't take yourself too seriously.
Jesus taught the importance of cultivating a compassionate environment for all to flourish, leaving no one on the outside, no one hungry, judging no one, welcoming all those with hearts desire to come and dine at loves bountiful table. This wisdom is brought to life in the direct translation of his teachings from Aramaic; The wisdom in these teachings can no longer be denied by those that would hold to ignorance and false power, not without dire consequences to their own awakening.
