The moment is ‘NOW’.
Ordinary & Accessible Enlightenment
by meditative - January 18th, 2016.Filed under: Insights for Mindful Intelligence.
The Way of ‘mindful intelligence’ is first & foremost, ordinary and accessible. There is nothing extraordinary or mystical about aspiring to live mindfully. Despite the numerous challenges we face in our lives, we can only transform our world by how we experience it. A mindfully intelligent person is one who has the resources- the insight- the intent- the attitude to change the way he/she experiences, understands, and ultimately relates to their realities. In the face of difficulties and painful situations, we discover inner resolve with curious inquiry and open awareness to embrace the whole of our experience rather than withdraw and isolate out of fear and/or anger. It’s not enough to simply be willing to wake up– we need to care deeply enough about waking up.
In practice and in training, we learn how to transform our unwholesome habits of mind and being into awakening through right intention, free attention, and open awareness. The right intention encompasses the right outlook and attitude to frame our experience directly as it is, and to allow all that we see and come to know to arise and subside naturally as it should. This attitude and intention needs to be clear and fearless to be effective. Fear is at the very core of our lives and how we relate to it defines the quality of our lives- individually and collectively. A clear and healthy perspective calls upon our capacity of fearlessness… of openness.
Seeing and coming to know the many experiences of our lives directly, openly, and honestly requires a sense of courage, kindness, gentleness, and lightness of humor- our benevolent medicine for sanity and well-being. Confusion, difficulty, stress, and distress needs a brave yet tender heart to cradle our experience with free attention and open awareness. Resolve cannot manifest under conditions of continual resistance nor can transformation occur with avoidance. The best way to change the world is to change the way we relate to it- this is ‘mindful intelligence’.
Our journey together is about uncovering the inner resources we all inherently possess as human beings- the skillful means for aspiring a path of ‘mindful intelligence’. In practice and in training, we contemplate, reflect and assimilate the insight and wisdom of simply being- still, relaxed, focused & aware to help us work more skillfully and effectively with our inner & outer world- benefiting ourselves and all those around us.
As ‘spiritual warriors’ on a path to awakening- and an awakened state of mind/heart & body- we openly explore & examine the interconnected nature of our individual experience with the collective nature of others- and how our inner-measure of ‘being’ affects the collective well-being of all around us.
This journey brings us to the very core of how we live as human beings- in times of ease and dis-ease. In reality, it’s not about changing who we are- it’s about restoring our confidence in the true nature of our mind, in its awareness & wisdom- and in the true nature of our heart, in its love and compassion. We don’t need to be anyone else- happiness, joy, and enlightenment flows from just being who we truly are. We are all invited to join this insightful journey and to let our ‘true nature’ light our Way to a deeper, clearer, and more compassionate understanding who & what we are…