Let's close our eyes.
Imagine if you were sitting on the beach.
What would your state of body and what would the state of your mind be like?
You're not thinking about your body.
You're just laying there on the beach.
You're not worried about anything in your mind.
That's how we want to start today's meditation.
A complete disregard to your body and to your mind.
Being carefree.
Not ignoring the body and mind.
But your body and your mind are not causing any trouble.
So there's no reason to pay attention.
There's no reason to hold a posture a particular way or to focus your mind on a particular object.
Even hearing is automatic.
We don't have control over closing or opening our ears.
They are always open.
So this should be as natural,
As effortless as it gets.
Your attention is free to roam wherever it wants to.
Whatever incidents or thoughts coming up as incidents show up in your mind.
Just know that you are busy.
Busy relaxing.
They can come some other time.
When you're laying on the beach,
One of the key ingredients that is responsible for you to be able to relax so deeply is there is no lack there.
No sense of lack.
Nothing is missing.
So there is no striving.
One of the big reasons to tighten up,
Tighten up is this need,
This apparent need to strive.
Strive for something.
To get somewhere.
To achieve something.
To be someone.
To fix something.
Somehow the present is not perfect.
So we strive to make it perfect.
But right now,
Everything is just right.
Everything is just the way it is supposed to.
And you are just the way you are supposed to.
Once your body and your mind are no longer an issue,
And by that I mean,
You're not trying to fix any pains and aches.
You're not thinking about food or water or coffee.
Your mind is relaxed.
No problems to solve.
Nowhere to get.
No management to be done of any tasks.
No worries about what's going to happen.
No regrets about what has happened.
So once your body and mind are relaxed,
They're not an issue,
Then you can see this freedom that you have.
Freedom to just be.
Not to do.
Not to become.
But just the freedom to just be.
Without even being worried about who you are or what you are.
The only time we get this is when we are asleep,
Deeply asleep.
But then we don't know what we are experiencing at that time.
To be honest,
We have the same kind of experience when naturally our body-mind are relaxed.
When we are on a vacation at some point of time or when there is grief or shock.
With the mind and body just kind of melt away.
Even if it is for a few seconds,
We do get in this state.
Sometimes in awe,
If you see something beautiful.
And then sometimes it can come from freedom and wisdom,
Like right now.
And when you experience something like this,
You may realize that no matter how much you have strived for,
No matter what you have strived for,
To get something,
To become something,
To do something,
To take care of something or someone,
You still end up in the same place.
You still end up being who you are.
I had this weird realization once or twice where I had to drive a lot within Cincinnati throughout the day.
And as I thought about it,
I realized I had driven over 200 miles that day.
But it felt like I hadn't moved.
I came back to where I was or maybe I was where I was all along.
But only that thinking about it,
Quote unquote,
Confirmed that I had driven 200 miles.
If you know,
You know what I mean by this.
This is like poetry.
If you try to explain it,
You ruin it or a joke.
And while we are here,
We should clearly see that this state is accessible anytime we want.
I don't even know if this can be called a state,
This freedom to be,
Because you are always be when you are becoming something.
There's always being and becoming,
Being and doing.
You can't do something without being.
It's always accessible.
No special permission needed,
No auspicious day needed or a special place.
You don't even need me.
This freedom to just be can be accessed initially,
At least until we become familiar with our own freedom of being.
This can be accessed maybe at the end of the day,
Middle of the day,
After we are well fed.
All our responsibilities are taken care of,
At least for a for some time.
And you have two minutes or five minutes where you're not required.
And nothing is required of you.
Maybe when you're sitting down and drinking your coffee or tea in the morning or afternoon,
Completely carefree of what's happening around you.
Maybe you can drink your tea or coffee after closing your eyes and let that freedom nourish you.
As I'm talking about it,
I can feel,
Just talking about it,
I can feel it nourishing me,
Acknowledging its presence,
Its power is enough to nourish and to feel nourished.
We are all familiar with freedoms that we exercise externally,
But this is a very special,
Innate freedom that does not require any action,
No effort.
And because of that,
No one can give you this freedom.
It's there,
If you want it.
Thank you.
