Awakening - The Complete Road Map - Step 7

Join us for a transformative series of talks exploring the journey of consciousness as it matures and blossoms into its fullest potential. Throughout 10 sessions, we will delve into progressively advanced levels of maturity—beginning with a contracted sense of a separate self and culminating in a state of fully expanded awareness.

In this session, we will discuss the sixth revelation a maturing consciousness reveals- How to walk the Middle Path.

Transcript

So hello everyone welcome to this unique opportunity we give ourselves every week to stop the rush hold hands and walk the path together this time not only as individuals but also as a united consciousness that is developing while asking and answering so remember that your questions are part of this journey integral part i invite you to contribute your question so our journey can be more powerful and meaningful for you and for all of us and we are in the middle of a journey a very special journey that follows the evolution of consciousness the typical journey that our consciousness goes through as it evolves from a very limited perspective of life of itself to a fully blossoming of consciousness to a state of enlightenment or awakening and the idea behind this journey is to portray a road map that can help us navigate our own private journey help us realize where we are and where we are heading making this journey more oriented because spiritual journey as you know can be very vague so now we can really orient ourselves and put our attention where we want to go this is very powerful so let's quickly review what we've done so far and we can discuss the next step so it all started with the ignition of a spark a longing for the deeper meaning of life a longing to realize the truth to unveil the mystery why are we here what is the purpose of my life why did i come here hmm so without that spark you know there is no fuel in the engine that longing keeps us going especially when it gets dark glows and lights our path so make sure i'm that your spark is burning and cherish that spark nourish it and the first step after the ignition of that spark our consciousness is making is realizing that thoughts have no power events in general phenomenas have no power phenomena has no power thoughts included opinions included principles included and that reveals a huge space of freedom for us to start maneuvering otherwise we are so stuck in our position of what is right and what is wrong and what should happen or shouldn't happen yes and we cannot really progress because we believe we know we have an idea about it so now the first step is to realize that the idea is just an illusion it's not real it has no power if i choose not to believe it it has no power of its own my belief gives it power so once i stop believing it i find out it has no power so that's the first step and that leads to the second step which is a new alignment between our physical body and the physical reality it meets which was not available before because i never really met the physical reality that exists i met my ideas about it now my ideas are not so attractive anymore because they have no power so i'm more and more and more available to experience life and there is an alignment a harmonious enlightenment between the body and the reality it meets which is unique not many people can testify this type of alignment actually exists in their life and then what happens is that we develop what we call total listening whole listening we are finally available to meet that reality and to listen to it without reaction like a conversation where we usually hold just waiting for the chance for us to say what we think is right and true you know when two people talk to each other it's usually just waiting for my chance to say what i think about it don't really listen to the other person saying when i am free from my ideas about what should or should not happen i am for the first time available to truly listen to what has actually happened to meet that without reacting and the reactions that we mentioned are craving and aversions craving and aversions we immediately automatically react to whatever we meet with that this i want this i don't want this is good this is bad so that drops that frantic decision making process do i need that or not do i want that or not that drops my ideas about it doesn't matter anymore so a new kind of intimacy is revealed that was not available before simply because i was too preoccupied with my ideas about it do you see do you see also how important it is that the first step is to lose that identification between me and my ideas and opinions the whole domino chain falls once that falls and then the next step we described is what we call i am awareness what is that when when consciousness realizes that the identification it used to have around events is an illusion when it starts asks itself who is developing who is observing who is making judgment who is experiencing all that then what it recognizes at this point is that awareness itself experiences that and there's nothing personal about it the answer to the question who am i now becomes universal and eternal because consciousness exists before and beyond any event just like we did in the beginning of this class or in any other class for that matter so a new kind of identity is born that is not personal and not temporary and it cannot be changed nothing in the exterior realm of events can change that can touch that can threaten it in any way we've used the story of the theater hall no to explain that life and the realm of events is what's happening on the stage right now but consciousness is the theater hall that holds that allows that to be experienced i am awareness is the the next phase on our journey and then the next phase is is melting into one oneness awareness doesn't and cannot exclude anything once i realize i am awareness i realize that everything is included in that there is no border anymore that limits my self-identity there is no place where i can say okay up to here and from here onward that's something else that's not me i realized that that identity is expanding to include everything and exists everywhere that melting into oneness into a tantric union this is when spiritual teachers say things like crack a piece of wood and you will find me there lift a stone and you will find me under it because i exist in everything everywhere all the time because there's only one eye there's only oneness that melting of the eye into oneness is what happens next yes and then last week we started describing how all this new identity expanded identity translates itself into action how does it chooses the right action how does it make the right choice remember so what we said is there is no wrong choice there can never be a wrong choice but there can be a choice that is led by fear and there can be a choice that is led by love or fearlessness which is love same fearlessness and love are the same things like guruji says it love is feel standing on its head it's the same thing so when we choose because of fear this is when we create karma this is where we create disturbances in the force when we act because of fear we create karma and what kind of fear can we meet two kinds of fear the fear of not having what we believe we should or we need and that is called also desire right we have this image that if we have if we only have that thing we can be happy and fulfilled and contained and sustained and whatever enlightened so we we chase that image that we have in our head desire so at this point the desire drops there is no desire anymore that is controlling our decision making process of what to do what not to do free of desire and the other type of fear is protecting what i have so life will not steal it away hmm the little i have i have to protect this is mine what do i have doesn't matter honor status money relationships i try to protect it so it won't disappear you see it stands on the same craving and aversion matrix craving and aversions i want that i don't want that but at this stage that drops and i also explained how and it's so beautiful i'm going to explain it again two steps to enlightenment remember the first step is know that you are nothing and the second step is know that you are everything if i am nothing i have nothing so what am i protecting it's not mine to begin with how can i lose what i don't have right if i don't have that i'm free of that fear second step is know that i am everything if i'm everything that how can i hope for something it's already mine it's a part of me i am everything i am that so the second fear is dropped at this point only fearless action is possible so if you want to know if you've reached that level of maturity ask yourself did i make this decision because i was afraid and you have to be really painfully honest when did i make that decision because i was afraid or was i completely free of fear i wasn't hoping to protect anything or to gain anything i was completely surrendered to life and joyfully lovingly followed the harmonious stream of life as it leads me that's the flow of love that doesn't create new karma that's how we maneuver once we are developed in that sense so this is a short description of what we've done so far and i'm happy for your thoughts and questions before we continue to the next step anything are we ready i'm not continuing before i receive some feedback ready good okay so by the way if i didn't mention every one of these meetings is recorded and available in my insight timer page so if you feel you need to go back and review what we've done or there's a specific subject you are not completely sure about you can go and and listen melinda is saying i fluctuate between longing for awakening and fearing it now don't be afraid of it it's like waking up in the morning you are not afraid about waking up in the morning are you when you go to sleep are you afraid about you waking up in the morning so there's nothing to be afraid about this is the most most natural state of being the most normal and natural state effortless don't be afraid of it nothing to be afraid about hmm now she's saying if i have nightmares what to do if i have nightmares you know our dreams is just a way for our consciousness to digest undigested food emotions thoughts you know like you know a cow is eating grass and then it sits on the meadow and it pukes the grass and eats it again right in her mouth eats it again and again and again she chews that same grass again and again that's what our dreams is doing it helps our system to re-digest what's what wasn't digested so don't give it too much importance you know just let your system do whatever it needs to do sometimes it's pleasant dream sometimes unpleasant it doesn't matter don't don't don't put too much energy on it and sometimes you know it's good to if you are active during the day if you do some sport you know you eat healthy that also helps your system to be more healthy and mentally spiritually and physically okay are we ready to move to the next step yes good so next step is finding the middle path what does it mean finding the middle path this is one of buddha's teaching also he was talking about the middle path you know because buddha's life was a living example do you know the story it was so beautiful i'm not going to tell the whole story you can find it on youtube or whatever but as he was looking for answers you know as he was involved in his spiritual path he was very total about it very honest and he really went to it full on he left his family and he learned from all the teachers everything they that was back then considered to be the the path to enlightenment so he tried everything he he tried reading the holy scripture and meditating and eating specific diets and starving himself you know all kinds of extremes he tried he tried everything until he realized that all these extremities are just adding more suffering his suffering his body is suffering people around him are suffering it's instead of finding a solution for suffering you're just adding more suffering so he gave up he realized no this is not the right way choosing one extreme or another extreme it's not it's not how it's done how is it done finding the right path the middle path what does it mean how does an enlightened consciousness maneuver in life in one word i would say with no principles three words no principles two words free of principles think about it when we engage with life it's always in the context of a story that we tell ourselves about what is right and wrong what we should do and shouldn't do what other people should do and shouldn't do how it should be how it shouldn't be we have an idea i'll give you an example on the spiritual path is it important to have a guru on the spiritual path or should we find our own path and not rely on a guru to light our path what do you think truly i'm asking a question do you do you need a guru or should you actually find your own way find my own way okay anybody thinks a guru is necessary nobody a guru is not necessary but a good teacher is helpful a guru can be very helpful so you see you have all kinds of ideas about this question ramdas yeah many many teachers are there for us to choose living and dead i personally recommend living but many dead good good gurus are there but you see that question do you need a guru or not that's a classical question on the path and what happens we choose one or the other yes definitely you need a guru you cannot make him without a guru you know all the other no no no no you never you should never give that responsibility to anybody but yourself you have to go the path you have to find your way you know don't rely on anybody else it's very dangerous so you have an idea about this or that either this or that the middle path will tell you no no nothing can be excluded that the the right answer to the question should you have a guru or not is yes definitely you should have a guru and walk the path alone both are there both are available both are relevant both are acceptable both are accurate find your way and submit to a guru that's the middle path i'll give you another example on the spiritual path should i be avoiding having a sex or should sexual relationship be an integral part of your spiritual journey like tantric sex you cannot really experience oneness without that you must have a part of now so what do you think true enlightenment goes through sex or avoiding sex the answer is of course yes definitely definitely both are there both are available both are recommended nothing is excluded the middle path is all allowing the middle path is all embracing all inviting there is no position i have no position no agenda think about you meeting life free from agenda you don't know and you don't care what's important what's not important what is advisable or not this doesn't ring anything anymore to you it's just words ideas and you're simply not interested should you eat meat on the spiritual path or should you become vegetarian what do you think you already know the answer is yes 100 percent no principles and an awakened consciousness has no principles whatsoever that's why it's free you cannot have principles and be free you have to realize that you cannot protect your principles because life is guaranteed to challenge those principles guaranteed life will for sure challenge your principles i know what is right what is wrong what should be done what shouldn't be done i know i tell you an awakened consciousness is completely void of principles there is only one principle and it's not even a principle it's just a natural outcome of this state of consciousness and that is to keep an open heart a whole heart and a willing soul that's it marcy is saying i can't live without principles that's a valid statement and i urge you to question that question that i can't do it who will i be without my principles the my principles define me what do you mean how can i drop them are you crazy it took me 60 years to refine them now i want me to drop them remember you are telling yourself a story about yourself and about life and that story defines you and the element of freedom you have once you state in your story i cannot do that i guarantee you cannot do that once you state in your story this is too hard i cannot do it i guarantee you will not do it once you think and believe oh this is such a long journey it will never end it's too much work it's too hard i guarantee it will never end for you why because that's the story you believe not because that's the absolute truth there is no absolute truth you generate it you generate that truth for you because you created the story about it acting out of love feels like a principle is that a principle for you no acting out of love is your natural state of being love is what you are acting out of love is the most natural way for you to express yourself you are love you are that love that's it if you act out of love you just simulate your true nature you don't live it and it's okay i mean it's better to act out of love than act out of hate or fear right so you simulate your true self until it's actually realized and that's fine you know they say fake it until you make it but at least now your fake identity describes your true identity instead of contradicted and that's a big progress you see that i believe in standing up for what i believe okay you go girl stand up do it fearless do it with no doubt with no fear with no hate see if you can stand up for what you believe without believing that what you believe is true what do you think what i believe our thoughts and ideas and concepts and opinions yes this we dropped in the first step out of the cage that was weeks ago i believe this and that who cares what you believe today i believe this tomorrow i'm persuaded otherwise and i believe that third day life teaches me a new lesson and now i shift my belief to somebody something else thoughts have no power the middle path empties me from positions i have no position anymore you know my teacher always the perfect example for me and what's amazing about him is that he's so flexible like he's like clay in your hands you can make whatever you want out of him if you revere him as a god he will be a god for you if you treat him as a friend he will be a friend to you or a father or mother or a teacher whatever you need he will be that you create the teacher in that sense the teacher is the creation of the disciples the teacher doesn't have his own agenda if he has his own agenda you should run for the hills i tell you if you find the teacher that comes with an agenda and tries to sell it to you run for the hills it's not a teacher true teacher has no agenda just unconditional love that's it you see what i'm saying so you meet my teacher one day he's as strong as a mountain like his presence is so still nothing can shake him nothing is so masculine it's overwhelming and the next day you see him he's so soft and happy and sweet and so innocent he's so feminine and he can be both because he has no agenda he has no principles to protect self-image to protect and this is the ultimate balance that we are encouraged to find no if we really want to be on the middle path that balance between the masculine and the feminine is absolutely necessary and there is a whole talk about that you can find on my inside timer page go there listen to it i'm not going to spend another hour just talking about what we already discussed but finding that balance within we are all masculine and feminine we all are built by these two forces seemingly opposite forces which of course are complementing each other and finding the balance between them is so important once we are balanced within we become unshakable so walking on the middle path means that we are we are completely balanced unshakable do you see that there is no position anymore that we are trying to protect so we are free try to imagine yourself meeting life but void of any principle any position any type of duality it's either this or that binaric duality this order no it's not this it's this and that it was always this and that both are the valid and you are available to adopt and adjust lovingly harmoniously to the right expression facing a specific scenario sometimes you need to be more masculine because that's what reality requires sometimes you need to be more feminine because that's what reality requires both are both are valid and you have no position in it no preference you're comfortable either as this or as that at home what do you say time for questions no questions so i invite you to do this homework in this coming week see if you can meet life you know circumstances in life but holding to no position it should be this it should be that you don't know and you don't care this is right this is wrong you should eat meat you should avoid meat i don't know i don't care both are right you know completely balanced see if you can simulate that even if you don't feel that try to just play with it you know simulate that state of mind and see what what happens to the way you interact with life contemplate on that what do you say so next week we're going to meet again we are almost at the end of our journey so don't miss it and bring a friend i'll be very happy to meet you again here so enjoy the week don't forget your homework and we'll continue to grow together next week all my love bye