Freedom Beyond Belief

We begin with an informative talk, exploring the meaning of Spirtual Freedom. We then delve into a practice where we set the intention to live in our complete truth, as we utilise a deeply restorative body scan and breath awareness technique to bring about our True Nature.

Transcript

Hello and thanks for joining.

If you've been on a spiritual path for even a short time,

You'll have heard many references to freedom.

But freedom from what?

I recently read that freedom is found when we let go of who we're supposed to be and embrace who we really are.

But who are we supposed to be?

That implies that there's an identity that's learned or even imposed on us by society.

So what kind of identifications are we talking about?

This is a quote from Eckhart Tolle.

The most common ego identifications have to do with your possessions,

Your occupation,

Social status,

Education,

Physical appearance,

Relationships,

Personal and family history,

Belief systems,

And often political,

Nationalistic,

Racial,

Religious,

And other collective identifications.

None of these is you.

End quote.

So in a nutshell,

We're talking about ego identifications,

Right?

So why do these identifications hinder our spiritual growth?

Here are a couple quotes from J.

Krishnamurti.

There's only one central issue,

Crisis,

Or challenge for man,

Which is that he must be completely free.

As long as the mind is holding on to a structure,

A method,

A system,

There is no freedom.

And here's another one.

The moment we want to be something,

We are no longer free.

End quote.

The most fundamental message of the teachings of the Buddha is not about God.

He's not about soul.

It is freedom,

Absolute freedom,

Total and unconditional.

He doesn't want to give you an ideology,

Because every ideology creates its own bondage.

In other words,

Practice Buddhism without identifying as a Buddhist.

Practice the teachings of any religion or ideology that you choose.

It's only when you strongly identify with it that it becomes a roadblock to freedom.

When we become attached to any of the previously mentioned ego identifications,

It immediately creates a division,

Right?

I believe in this.

My belief is the correct one.

Therefore,

What you believe is incorrect.

So not only do we believe the other system is incorrect,

But if we're challenged in any way about what we believe,

The natural reaction is defend what we believe.

So you can see where this is going to lead,

Right?

Another aspect of identifying with the belief system is that you need to adhere to that system.

If the system changes,

You're expected to change with it.

Kind of the exact opposite of freedom,

Right?

So how do we achieve this freedom?

If we could just decide to give up all of our attachments,

We would be free.

But we know from experience,

It's not an easy thing to do.

The ego always fights back.

The ego always has a say.

Here's a quote from René Descartes.

If you would be a real seeker after truth,

It's necessary that at least once in your life,

You doubt as far as possible all things.

End quote.

So freedom must be earned.

It must be won.

You must overcome the other tendencies in your mind.

Guilt,

Obligation,

Condemnation from others,

The need for approval,

The need for financial security,

The need for social recognition.

Only then are you truly free.

Another aspect of freedom is its relationship to spontaneity.

These ego identifications we hold on to result in a habitual way of living.

You have this set of beliefs that predetermine a way of responding to most circumstances.

Therefore,

It becomes very easy to sleepwalk through your life,

Never truly present.

So true spiritual freedom is tied very closely to being in the present moment with a spontaneous response to every situation.

Every situation paired with its perfect response.

This is grace.

So this is where awareness comes in.

As you build awareness from a meditation practice,

The light of that awareness begins to shine into all aspects of your life.

You can't pick and choose what you become more aware of.

Greater awareness of your true nature will naturally lead to a questioning of everything you believe about yourself and even what you believe about your entire universe.

This is meditative inquiry.

Are you ready?

Every time we dip a toe into the waters of awareness,

Awareness builds.

So let's practice as we work with the body from within.

We'll now scan the entire body.

As I name various body parts,

Feel into them without thinking and without visualizing the body part.

Only sensing.

Feel them as a radiant sensation.

No need to try to relax.

Relaxation will come with sensing.

Starting with the inside of the mouth.

The ceiling of the mouth.

The floor.

The walls.

Left and right.

The back of the throat.

The tongue.

Sense into the jaw.

Sense into the left ear.

And the right ear.

Both ears together.

Sensing your nose.

The left nostril.

The right nostril.

The flow of air creating sensation inside both nostrils.

Move up to the eyes.

The left eye.

Right eye.

The eyebrow center point.

The forehead.

The top of the head.

And the back of the head.

Down to the neck.

Inside of the throat.

The entire head radiating outward in all directions.

Now move down to the left shoulder.

The left upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Palm of the left hand.

The thumb in all four fingers.

The entire left hand and arm.

Now the right shoulder.

Right upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Palm of the hand.

Thumb in all four fingers.

The entire right hand and arm.

The upper chest.

The middle of the chest.

Sense into the beating heart.

The lungs expanding and contracting.

Down into the belly.

The entire back of the torso.

The entire front of the torso.

Moving further down into the pelvic area.

The left hip.

Left buttocks.

Thigh.

Knee.

Calf.

Ankle.

The left foot and toes.

Now the entire left foot,

Leg,

And hip is radiant sensation.

The right hip and buttocks.

Thigh.

Knee.

Calf.

Ankle.

Right foot and toes.

The entire right foot,

Leg,

And hip all together.

And feel both legs simultaneously.

And now sense the entire front of the body.

The back of the body.

Left side of the body.

Right side of the body.

Both legs.

Both arms.

The head.

Now the entire body.

The entire body radiating sensation outward in all directions.

Radiating above the head.

Down below the feet.

In front of the body.

In back of the body.

And now draw your attention to the natural in-going and out-going breath.

Feel the breath moving along the passage between the belly and the throat.

On exhalation it rises from the belly up to the throat.

On inhalation it descends from the throat to the belly.

Be completely aware of this movement.

Belly to throat.

Throat back to belly.

Don't try to force the breath.

Just be aware.

And maintain your awareness.

And at the same time begin counting your breaths backwards as you say these words.

I'm breathing in 12.

I'm breathing out 12.

I'm breathing in 11.

I'm breathing out 11.

And so on all the way back to zero.

Count to yourself as you follow the rise and fall of your breath.

Total awareness of breathing and counting.

The breath is slow and relaxed.

If you reach zero start counting back up to 12.

And now release control of the breath and the counting.

Just be with the feeling of the body breathing itself naturally.

Note the deep relaxation you're feeling.

And now bring to mind what it feels like when you're feeling very compassionate.

A felt sense of compassion without the label attached.

Allow any images,

Emotions or thoughts to arise with this feeling of compassion.

And then perhaps a sense of what inner peace feels like for you.

Perhaps serenity.

And be aware if there's any resistance or refusing to this feeling.

Can you be with what is arising without judgment?

And then sense what open spaciousness feels like to you.

Let's feel back into the body once again.

Feel yourself as pure awareness.

Just being here in this room.

The feeling of your body in this intensely relaxed state.

Just be with what is right now.

What else do you need in this moment of your life to make this sense of being any better?

What else could you add to it?

Can you have a felt sense of complete freedom in your life as you let go of all the baggage?

All the habitual ways of responding to what arises in your life?

All the identifications?

How great would it feel to shed everything we've been carrying?

Just lay it down to feel absolutely free.

Free to just be with what is right now.

And does a feeling arise alongside this sense of complete freedom?

Perhaps it brings a smile to your lips.

Perhaps a feeling of your whole heart opening up.

Wide open to the universe.

Allow this feeling to spread through the whole body.

Perhaps joy spreading into each limb.

The entire body alive with the joy of complete freedom.

And now welcome every sensation that's now present in awareness.

Pure awareness in which all of these changing sensations are arising,

Unfolding,

And dissolving back into pure awareness.

Thanks again.

Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this recording may be reproduced without Mooji Media Ltd.

's express consent.

No part of this recording may be reproduced without Mooji Media Ltd.

's express consent.

Reviews

Such a lovely and deeply connecting meditation. The pacing and sounds were perfection. Thank you.

Wonderful meditation, thank you 🙏🏼

A wonderful meditation, so easy to enter into. A new favorite. Thank you!

Helpful to get back to Self.

Thank you, very nice!🙏💕

Thank you... Loved the experience

Really intense... Thank you

This was fantastic to come back to after having come to know me on a new level.
Thank you 💕

Fantastic! Thank you 🙏

Absolutely stunning! Thank you!

Very good and helpful. Thank you.

Best guided meditation i've ever come across yet, so relaxing, so freeing. Thank you!

Thanks, Chris, for a lovely and empowering way to start the day!

This is one of the best meditations I have participated in.
Loved the talking first, the feeling, not visualizing, and the shared wisdom.
Thank you!

Short talk precedes this wonderful 15 min meditation that starts with a body scan and ends with feelings of pure awareness and freedom. 🙏

Timeless message

Incredible meditation
So calming. Thank you. ❤

Interesting. I loved how the focus of the body was sensation, brought a greater level of clarity. Staying with the breath and counting felt a lot easier, there was a lightness. I will revisit this meditation. I really enjoyed it.

Absolutely grounded for the day. Thank you so very much.