The Reality And Illusion: Beyond The Law Of Attraction

In this talk, Keiko explores the relationship between the law of attraction and the Zen practice of SONOMAMA, or “as-it-is-ness.” You’ll be invited to look closely at the difference between direct experience and the stories the mind creates. Through this reflection, listeners are guided to recognize how attachment and interpretation contribute to suffering. The practice points toward meeting each moment as it is, without trying to control or change it.

Transcript

Welcome to the Inner Sanctuary Podcast. A space to return again and again to this breath, This body, This moment, Just as it is. I'm Keiko. Today I want to respond to a beautiful and important question from our community about the relationship between the law of attraction and sono mama practice. Sono mama, Meaning as it is-ness, Is a core of Zen teaching. You may have heard this idea that what you focus on expands, That your inner state shapes what you attract, And that by directing your attention toward what you want, You can create your reality. And perhaps you wonder, How does this fit with sono mama, As it is-ness? In sono mama practice, We are not trying to control or shape reality. We are not trying to attract, And we are not trying to avoid. We are simply meeting what is here, As it is. Now, If attraction happens, Of course, It happens. But we might ask, Can we truly control what comes and what goes? Can we only receive what we want and keep away what we don't? Or is that itself a kind of story? In Zen, We look very closely at this. We begin to see that much of what we suffer from is not reality itself, But the thoughts we build around it, Stories, Interpretations, Narratives that we come to believe as truth. This is where suffering begins, Because once we believe the story, We become attached. We want things to be a certain way. We resist what is actually happening. And in that gap, Between reality and our idea of it, Suffering appears. Sono mimi, A practice, Is very simple, But not always easy. It is the practice of clearly seeing what is a fact and what is a story. A sound is heard. A sensation is felt. A thought appears. These are facts. But the meaning we add, This shouldn't be happening. I need this to change. This is good. This is bad. These are interpretations, Illusions. Most of the time, We are living inside those illusions, Almost like dreaming while awake. So the first step is not to change reality, But to wake up from the dream, To see clearly. And when we begin to see this, Something shifts. We realize reality is already complete as it is. There is no other version of this moment. So in a way, There is no choice but to be okay with it. And when that is truly seen, Not as an idea, But as a lived experience, There is a kind of release. Like the bottom falling out of a bucket. Nothing to hold on to. Nothing to control. Just this. And from there, Something very light becomes possible. You can still enjoy the movie of life. You can enjoy the idea of attraction, Creation, Intention, But without being trapped by it. Whether things come or go, Whether you attract or not, You are okay. Because you are no longer relying on the movie to complete you. You are already complete. This is the heart of Sonomama. Not passivity, Not resignation, But a deep intimacy with reality, Free from the burden of needing it to be different. So we practice again and again, Returning to what is here, Letting thoughts come and go, Seeing clearly, And allowing this realization to settle in the body. This moment, Just as it is, Is already whole. Thank you for practicing with me.