An excerpt from the Dance of Dynamic Peace by Wayne Porterfield,
Narrated by the author.
The Dance Nothing troubles me.
I offer no resistance to trouble.
Therefore,
It does not stay with me.
Shri Nisargata Maharaj.
The Dance of Dynamic Peace is a continuous journey of self-discovery and exploration.
There is no final end-state that we achieve,
But rather the endless revealing of layers of deeper consciousness.
The idea of a utopian state of inner peace suggests a final destiny in which there is an end to the unfolding of life,
Yet conscious awareness cannot be created or destroyed because it is ever-present witness to what is.
It is the natural life force that is eternally present within everything and everyone.
At the core of our being,
Our true nature is inner peace and it is available whenever we are present enough to be in the experience of it.
Yet,
In our day-to-day lives,
We move between the grace of letting things unfold and the drive of purposeful action.
Ultimately,
Whether we are allowing things to unfold or driving toward a goal,
All paths lead to the same outcome in our journey.
The discovery of ever-increasing inner peace.
We are forever expanding and contracting in our consciousness as life unfolds moment to moment.
With every new experience,
We learn something new about ourselves that we then integrate into our conscious awareness.
Therefore,
Life is like a dance with movement,
Turns,
Swooshes,
And dips from which we discover different aspects of ourselves.
Each moment is unlike the last,
As we are never the same from one moment to the next.
Even the cells within our body are constantly dying and rejuvenating.
From an evolutionary perspective,
The changes are often subtle and we do not notice them day-to-day.
Over time,
Though,
Our face ages,
Our hair changes color,
And perhaps we move a bit slower.
We grow from an embryo into a child,
Into an adult,
And into a senior before the body typically dies.
Throughout this physical transformation,
Our conscious awareness is also transformed as we integrate all of our thoughts,
Feelings,
And experiences.
Occasionally,
There is a revolutionary change,
Usually after we experience a life-altering experience such as the loss of a loved one,
The ravages of war,
And tyranny,
Or the impact of a natural disaster.
During our lifetime,
We integrate,
To a lesser or greater degree,
Our life experiences into our consciousness,
Thus shaping and transforming us into the person we are in this very moment.
Even at the death of our physical body,
Our consciousness continues onto more subtle levels of awareness.
Einstein said,
Energy cannot be created or destroyed,
It can only be changed from one form to another.
So too is our energy constantly being transformed physically,
Mentally,
Emotionally,
And consciously.
We are dynamic beings,
Forever transforming in the stance of the expansion and contraction of conscious awareness.
Inner peace continues to transform us as we experience our dynamic lives filled with the myriad and varied journeys of life.
We cannot therefore view inner peace as a static achieved state.
Rather,
It is a state of being that changes and evolves with life.
As our conscious awareness grows and we integrate new experiences,
Our inner peace shifts and changes as well.
What was once challenging and difficult to face is now a momentary observation that passes like a cloud in a blue sky.
We are transformed as we face our fears,
Such as the fear of public speaking,
Living on our own,
Or jumping off a high diving board.
Eventually our inner peace is less disturbed by external factors and becomes a more constant state of being.
As our awareness,
As our lives transform before our eyes,
There remains the calm,
Wakeful observer that is at the core of our inner peace.
This observer is our conscious awareness,
The ever-present witness to the unfolding of life in each and every moment.
Our true nature is one of inner peace.
It is ever-present,
Alert and awake in the observation of what is happening.
A calm presence has learned to dance with the wind while remaining at peace within itself.
There is a grace in allowing whatever is unfolding to be revealed with acceptance and non-judgment.
At the core of our being there is an inner wise sage who knows that life unfolds as it should and that we are merely the observers.
With this awareness there is no rush to achieve,
To accomplish or to obtain.
All that is needed or wanted is provided in the present moment.
Yet we hear the voice in our heads calling us to walk down another path or climb another hill.
Our sense of inner peace shows us that if we move forward in action that is aligned with our core values,
We are able to do so in a way that fosters greater inner contentment.
We feel greater joy when we accept a job that excites us and utilizes our skills.
When we carve out time for those things that are most important to us,
Such as travel,
Family and exercise,
We feel happier and more content.
If we stay on the path that calls to our being,
We intuitively know it would lead to more joy and bliss.
Each person's path is unique to them and will have its own turns and crossroads to be journeyed.
Yet the dance between allowing life to happen and taking purposeful action still determines the degree to which we experience inner peace.
Experiential Knowing It is the contemplative man who is full of peace and joy.
Paramananda.
To know inner peace we must experientially know contentment and stillness.
It cannot be conceptually realized.
The degree to which we are willing to look deeply into our consciousness and unconsciousness,
With eyes wide open,
Determines the degree to which we can experience inner peace.
Courageously being willing to explore whatever thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions and beliefs that surface enables us to live on a strong foundation of inner harmony.
Finding our own answers by curiously looking at whatever surfaces allows us to make conscious decisions that are congruent with our soul's purpose.
Experientially knowing what is at the core of our being allows us to reside in a pool of contentment and peace.
Living in a state of greater inner harmony not only benefits us but it is of benefit to all beings.
Knowing ourselves better and living a content life we become like a flame drawing in the moth so that others can experience the contentment of a peaceful life too.
We can only obtain knowledge of inner harmony through an experiential event.
In the observation of a still and present moment the flowering of inner peace occurs.
Our attention becomes focused on the immediate moment.
A sense of calm and tranquility rises up in our being and we relax into the here and now.
The mind quiets and the space between our thoughts widens.
Our consciousness expands and we feel serene bliss embracing us.
Judgment and evaluation are suspended and surrendered gleefully.
Pause for a few minutes and take three slow deep breaths.
Listen to the sound of your inhalation and exhalation.
Notice the increasing euphoria rising within your body.
Feel a sense of calm and tranquility surfacing like a well of spring water rising out of the ground.
Become aware of the sensations of inner peace materializing in your awareness.
Inner peace is ever present and available whenever we take the time to be still and notice.
Periods of inner peace increase our willingness to face our fears and challenges with open curiosity.
The artificial walls we have created in our mind begin to fall and we are able to move forward in ways we never imagined possible.
Courageously facing our fears can be challenging and scary.
In many cases even though our walls may be self-imposed they can feel like towers and barriers too difficult to scale or cross.
Our thoughts,
Feelings and beliefs are deeply ingrained in our consciousness and can be tough to overcome.
Being aware of the stories and perspectives we have running behind the scenes in our consciousness allows us to see and acknowledge that there is a barrier.
In some instances when we immediately recognize an inner narrative is false we can easily discard the story that is running in our head.
However some long-held beliefs may be difficult to see and difficult to let go of.
It was Shakespeare in Julius Caesar who wrote,
The eyes see not itself but by reflection,
By some other things.
We cannot see ourselves unless we look in a mirror or other reflective surface and see the person who is looking.
The people,
Situations and events that come into our lives are our mirrors.
It may be difficult for us to see our held beliefs and storylines because we are so often right in the middle of them.
Yet it may be more obvious for others to observe who are not running the same story in their heads.
At times we may not be ready or willing to drop the storyline as our egos are caught up in upholding our beliefs as true.
The more we are able to step back and look at our thoughts and feelings from a meta view the easier we can truly see the implications and limitations of our long-held beliefs.
Somehow beliefs may not change immediately and may take time to overcome.
Beliefs build up over time and can take considerable time to dismantle.
For example,
Deeply rooted beliefs of low personal value,
Worth and esteem may take years to overcome.
In these moments it is essential to be patient,
Loving and compassionate with ourselves.
We are not broken or wrong,
We are simply holding a perspective that may no longer be of benefit to us.
The answers to our questions are always within us.
We just need to be willing to look with curiosity and be open to new possibilities.
From a place of inner peace there is spacious room for acceptance and exploration of whatever is surfacing in our consciousness.
Our walls are down and we are able to consider alternate perspectives from the view that we have of our inner and external worlds.
In seeing our storyline we can pause and see that it is in fact a narrative that we have created within ourselves.
Fearlessly with all thoughts,
Feelings and beliefs we need to ask ourselves,
Is this true?
Is it true that I will be a failure if I don't get the new job?
Is it true I am unworthy of love and compassion?
Is it true I have to be perfect for others to accept me?
In these moments our conscious awareness looking back on ourselves to see the reality of our own creations and to challenge ourselves to see what is truthful and what is illusory.
Reflecting on our inner response in a space of acceptance and non-judgment allows us to discover for ourselves the true nature of reality and to let go of the fictitious perspectives.
Only within this experiential knowing are we able to drop long-held beliefs.
We come to know the truth provided by our inner voice as it is profound in its clarity and honesty.
This journey to inner peace begins on the meditator's seat.
