The Light Within the Darkness

There are moments when people are unable to listen. These moments can last an entire lifetime. There are always reasons as to why some shutdown their awareness. Here, we are not attempting to ascertain these reasons. Learning to adjust individual awareness in an environment that is unable, for whatever reason, to be similarly aware is a constant struggle. This process must be adaptive and consistently applied, with awareness being reacquired in every moment.

We are unable to bridge the holes in anyone’s awareness. Certainly, we can shine a spotlight on these holes. If the object is unwilling or resistant to the light of awareness, then we must be cognizant of that truth. That is, after all, part of being aware. We must be careful here too. Often, the aspirations of people and their willingness to act on those aspirations do not overlap. It is far easier to say you want to be better than to actually do something substantial about it.

This is why we must always come back to our presence. It is worth our energy, our time and effort to continuously return to being present, to being aware. This may seem exhausting, to consistently keep our attention and awareness on the present moment. The mind wants to do what it wants. It wants to be distracted by the external conditions as a way to avoid internal exploration. And, there are so many external conditions to be distracted by!

As our presence in the moment strengthens, those around us can directly benefit. When we’re more present, we pay attention to the impacts of our actions and inactions. In fact, often those around are not aware of all that we do to alleviate their pain and suffering as they themselves are not present for each moment where we make a decision to think about others. We should not expect acknowledgment for anything we do or don’t do for anyone.

Also, the aspirations of others can feel our strengthening presence and opening awareness, conflicting with their willingness to change. It is these moments that maintaining your presence is most difficult. We can do this, though.

Sometimes, we don’t have a choice in where we are and who we surround ourselves with. Sometimes, we don’t get to affect our conditions in the way that is most effective. As we wrestle with our own ignorance, we must continually readjust and reacquire our presence and our awareness of others. We must always be able to take fresh observations. Everyone can change even if most choose to not.

We must be careful to not hold the past actions of others against them. This does not mean we forget the past, or that the past does not come back into the present. It means we don’t hold these actions against them moving forward. We can easily hold onto the past; it is part of how we got to today. Sometimes, we have traumas that continually need ventilation in the light of our strengthening presence. This is an aspect of awareness and presence that can be quite difficult to manage.

All of these internal nuggets our mind has been holding onto finally begin to feel the warmth of the growing light of awareness. It is only natural that the past begin to open itself up into our present. We’re stronger now; we’re more aware now; we can handle this. We can take care of these traumas in a way we couldn’t before. We’re here for ourselves now.

Our awareness is like a light, and ignorance doesn’t like the light. Ignorance is stubborn; it is dark; it is suffocating. It doesn’t want to breathe; it doesn’t want to change; it wants to persist. We have to be aware of this natural inclination in ourselves and within others.

We can do this. We can become aware in an increasingly unaware world. We can be a light in the darkness of ignorance. We can understand all reactions to the light of awareness, to the calm of presence. We can persevere, despite all of these internal and external reactions. In fact, these reactions are the source of our practice. We don’t have to perpetuate ignorance. We don’t even have to react to it. We can understand it as we ourselves are ignorant and have been for so long. 

Other Ridding of Ignorance Articles
Counteracting Awareness Shift
The Awareness in Vulnerability
Expanding Awareness, From the Source of Hope and Dream

Email me: radicaldifference@gmail.com

The Beauty of Irritability

Irritability is a different sort of energy than the burning singe of anger or the shining light of joy. Irritability has a way of seeping into every part of our day. It can certainly spark an angry outburst. It also can act to eclipse joy. Irritability is often an expression of our sub-conscience, that, when ignored, can become a behemoth. There is a beauty within the energy of irritability. It is an opportunity to listen to ourselves, to explore the language of the sub-conscience, to focus this energy productively.

The mind isn’t something we can just point to and know what we’re looking at. We experience life through the entire set of lens’ that compose the mind. There are elements of mind that make up conscious thought as well as large elements that remain mostly obscured, sub-conscious thought. Irritability begins in sub-conscious thought. Slowly, it seeps into our conscious waking states, coloring our perspective and shading our awareness until it breaks through into destructive states of mind.

There is a beauty within irritability. It’s the subtle language of our sub-conscience. If we pay attention to it, we can take care of it. If we ignore it, beauty becomes the beast of anger, resentment and aversion. If we work with our irritability instead of simply ignoring it, we really begin to listen to what our sub-conscience is trying to tell us. If we do ignore it, usually the volume of irritability increases, infecting more of our waking mental states.

There are so many pitfalls and whirlpools in the lands and waters of irritability. When we begin to pay attention to our irritability, our attention can act as fuel. This happens when our attention doesn’t explore below the surface of irritability to find its source. Instead of ventilating the irritability, it feeds it. Our attention must not simply be to focus on it; it must have the intention to alleviate the underlying condition. Our attention must be filled with compassion and understanding.

During a busy day, it can be difficult to find some space to take care of our irritability. Physical exercise can be a highly useful tool. This could be just walking around the office, the neighborhood or the house. Or, it could be a trip to the gym or the park, anything where our mind focuses on our well-being.

We could also read. This helps focus the mind externally, but through use of our internal world of imagination and exploration. The little books that fit in your pocket can be perfect in these moments, no matter where we are. Writing can also be a focusing tool.

And, as always, we can simply focus on our breathing. Our body is constantly breathing, and it doesn’t require us to go anywhere or do anything. Breathing is such a powerful vessel for transformation. We just do anything that helps to focus the mind first, and then focus the mind internally; this is the objective. We must completely embrace the irritability, not try to control it, but understand it instead. There’s so much that we’ve ignored, and it wants to be heard; it deserves to be heard.

There are days where we need to take care of our irritability from the moment we wake until the moment we go to sleep. These are blessed days, very workable. The beauty of irritability is the opportunity to focus on us, to take care of ourselves. Something within our sub-conscience is trying to express itself. It’s saying “look at me, I’m here and I’m suffering.” We can look at it, we can embrace it and we can do something about it. Our irritability can wake us up, not wake up the beasts of anger, resentment and aversion. We can do this, right here and right now.

When we’re irritable, it can be so easy to see the external world as the source. Our irritation simply makes our senses prickly, more sensitive. There are countless opportunities every day to lose it, but when we feel listened to, appreciated and embraced we’re less likely to. This is what we must begin to do for ourselves. We deserve it, and so does our irritability.

Other Related Ridding of Ignorance Posts

The Muscles of Mind

Irritabilities, Origins Within

The Blocks to Clear Vision

Strengthening Openness and Awareness

As our presence strengthens, our awareness broadens and we begin to finally see people. For most of our lives we’ve not really seen anyone. We’ve been seeing our idea of those people. As we open up, we see ourselves in everyone we encounter. Everything anyone ever does is something we’re either capable of doing or have done ourselves, and probably numerous times.

The process of becoming truly present impacts those in our lives. Awareness creates oxygen for the mind, and that oxygen can be ignited so easily by lingering ignorance. And, maintaining our presence and awareness as that oxygen ignites can be very difficult.

We’re going to lose it every now and then. We’re not going to always respond with precision, with care. Being open and aware while being present is not just a switch, it’s an atmosphere that surrounds us and grows as we become more confident with our practice. This atmosphere doesn’t have boundaries or walls; it has openness, it has the light of awareness.

And, when we sit still, when we listen, that can become the target for those around us. We are, after all, remaining stationary and non-reactive in a moving and highly reactive world. We must be open to this happening. We must be open to our presence and our awareness becoming the target. It doesn’t have to harm us. We can do this.

Instead, it can help strengthen us. It can help to expose our sore soft spots, those issues we have yet to resolve within ourselves. We don’t have to continue to be reactive. We can understand that mostly what people are doing is displacing their pain and suffering, perpetuating their ignorance. This is understandable. We’ve been doing that our entire life. It’s completely understandable.

Now, we’re doing something different. We’re determined to be open to whatever arises. We’re determined to be present right here and right now. We’re determined to be aware of what’s going on, not reactive to it. We’re determined to listen to those in our lives, no matter what. And, everyone deserves to be listened to. We all deserve to be heard.

We will have moments where we lose our presence, where we shut down as opposed to open up. We can have patience for ourselves in those moments. We can have compassion for ourselves in those moments. We can even celebrate these moments. These are the best moments to work with. These are moments of exposure that allow us to ventilate the pain and suffering we continue to hold onto, that we’ve ignored for all this time.

This, too, is a moment to open up, be present and be aware. Thank you!

Related Ridding of Ignorance Posts
Openness Without Regret
In-between the Bookends

The Weapon of Being Upset

People can easily and understandably become upset or frustrated. Sometimes, life doesn’t unfold the way we plan. Sometimes, people do not react the way we think they will react. However, people can use the idea of being upset or angry as a weapon to control others.

This is not about the reason for being upset; it’s about being upset with the purpose to get others to back down or shut down or to control a situation or people. This is the same reasoning children have a tantrum. Their parents don’t want their children to be upset, and so immediately react to rectify the situation. The child has become the one with the power.

Who wants someone else to be upset? Not many are malicious, wishing ill on others. Mostly, people don’t want to see someone upset, which is where the source of power of this weapon lives. Someone that is upset tends to shake things up a bit. The mind wants to preserve the status quo. It wants to remain static in an ever changing world. It prefers to be lazy as opposed to adapt, evolve or even just to listen. When someone becomes upset, all of these habits are jeopardized.

The way in which we react in these moments is crucial. We, of course, have the option of backing down from what we’re saying or doing. Often, this is the wisest course because mostly it’s not worth a confrontation or engagement with someone. However, this option teaches others that if they simply get upset or appear angry they eventually get their way. This lesson can be difficult to break once it becomes routine.

This dynamic can be highly destructive in families and small communities. We can see this same dynamic within groups of animals within nature. The loudest, most bombastic creature doesn’t rule purely by physical prowess, but more by intimidation and fear. If the pack leader had to prove his prowess to everyone within the pack, he would probably weaken and become defeated. This is a tactic.

We can also be very mindful in moments where people use this weapon of being upset. This is not easy. We must first know our thoughts and our feelings. These can easily be inflamed in these situations. Then, our reaction to the person who is being upset becomes the focus of attention in the engagement. This is a deflection and is highly common as it is very instinctual.

Whenever we expose this weapon in others or ourselves, we must be unshakable, yet remain open and aware. This can require so much effort if we’re not confident in our presence and actions. To remain still while still open and aware is something we must continuously reinforce within ourselves. As we face more intense situations, gradually our confidence will improve. We’ll be able to practice in the heat of someone being upset, or someone projecting their pain and suffering onto us.

Once the mind acquires a target, all the senses focus on that target and all the defensive mechanisms begin preparing to fire. The mind is very good at dismantling something or someone, determining the weaknesses of the target. This skill can either work for us and others or against us and others. Again, these are deeply ingrained, nearly instinctual responses. By understanding the weaknesses of others, we can work through these weaknesses or we can exploit them.

In these most difficult moments, we must return to patience, compassion and understanding. These help stabilize the mind, diminishing the chance of becoming inflamed as defensive arrows begin flying in our direction. The arrows are designed to pierce the stability of our presence, to shake us up and expose our own defensive mechanisms. Often, these arrows keep being fired until the desired effect is reached. We can even back down or retreat, and this can make the situation worse. The mind can go into auto-pilot, firing all of the arrows until the quiver is empty.

When dealing with someone in the throes of being upset, we have to become the true spiritual warrior. Our quiver is filled with patience, compassion and understanding. It is so easy to set up the person that is attacking us as our own target. Certainly, it is easy to do, considering the amount of pain and suffering that is being spread. However, by setting up the target, we’re setting ourselves up for continuing the cycle of pain and suffering. We keep these alive whenever we retaliate, whenever we don’t see what’s actually happening.

We can apply patience, compassion and understanding for not just the person that is being upset, but for ourselves simultaneously. This is how we respond. We break the cycle, not continue it. We open up, not shut down. We don’t let someone gain control over our hearts and minds. We become the light of our presence and awareness. We can do this.

When the weapon of being upset is being used, we must retain our presence and awareness and apply patience, compassion and understanding. These arrows, these painful words don’t have to damage us. We can remain constant; we can weather this storm. This situation is impermanent; the arrows are mostly words masquerading as actions. These arrows are covered in sorrow, fired with pain and burning with suffering. We can be the peace and calm that is desperately needed. And, only we can supply this. The quiver of peace and calm is infinite, whereas the quiver of anger and retaliation is always limited. We can do this.

Other Ridding of Ignorance Posts
The Cause-Effect Action-Reaction Existence
Tool and the Block
Blocks to Clear Vision

Taking Care of Joy

Joy comes from within. If we believe this to not be the truth, explore more. If circumstances are the source of joy, then why do some people in a group experience it while others do not? Why do some people seem to find joy so easily and yet it seems fleeting to some while others feel abandoned by it?

Joy is a natural spring from within us. It is an infinite reservoir, and, it is effortless to experience. We can all experience joy anywhere, anytime. Certainly, our conditions can help block or interrupt that joy from springing forth. Our minds, however, play an even greater role in blocking this joy-spring from opening up and flowing into and infusing our daily life. Understanding how the mind does this may help keep our joy light shining.

Joy naturally increases all types of energy as well as all types of awareness. Joy opens us up to the present and our presence. This is why it is such a powerful sensation. It can overwhelm us if we’re not open to this process.

The most contentious increase is in our personal mental energy. The mind attempts to hold onto the experience of joy because it just feels so amazing. If it achieves this, joy is transformed into elation or euphoria. These euphoric experiences can feel amazing, but the life expectancy is short. The energy simply burns up quickly and damages us in a multitude of ways; we wear out physically, we become frayed emotionally, our mind becomes exhausted.

Instead, we can allow joy to just be. Joy can naturally flow throughout our daily lives. Unobstructed and unhindered, joy can infuse the most simple and mundane of daily activities and elevate them to a level of open amazement. Truly, joy combines openness with mindfulness. If we’re truly present and paying attention, we can experience the everyday with exuberance. Joy can be found anywhere we are, we just need to get out of the way.

Even if we lessen our own interference, this doesn’t negate the potential interference from others. The reaction of those in our immediate vicinity can be highly destructive and obstructive to the natural energy of joy. This reaction is understandable as joy can often be as a blinding light to someone that’s been in a dark place for a considerable time. This is similar to having a bright light directed at your face after being asleep in the dark all night. It can sting.

Also, joy can appear confusing to others. The mind attempts to ascertain “what is going on here,” and depending on the person, this acquiring can be considerably damaging. Joy isn’t something that can be categorized, or really understood. It’s an energy that must be deeply experienced.

There is an even worse option. Some people actually don’t want to understand other people, instead seeking to snuff out the light of joy that emanates from them. We’ve all met someone like this. These people seek and destroy the joy of others. The joy and happiness of others is an affront to them.

Joy isn’t about anyone. It’s about this amazing experience called living in the present, being open to whatever is happening. It opens us up, and it makes everything we experience more workable. Joy is an amazing light of delight. We lighten up, and it’s like we’re dancing through life. That is what joy is. If we take care of our natural joyous state, we can do anything. The reactions of others may try to interrupt our joyous exuberance, but if we understand the pain and suffering and the ignorance that underlies those attempts, our joy can weather any storm.

Other Ridding of Ignorance Posts on Joy

Ubiquitous Joy
The Joy-Spring
Returning to the Seat of Joy