Brian D. Stephens's Blog, page 5

Limiting Thoughts

It has become clear that all my thoughts that put some sort of limitation on what I am capable of doing are a lie.

Any thought which appears in the mind should be viewed skeptically. At least ninety percent of them are negative in some way. They arise from the ego that is constantly attempting to keep my attention away from what Ramana Maharshi calls “the Self.”

Of course each person is burdened with an ego that uses thought as a way of maintaining it self identity. It focuses on the past, or the future, or some meaningless subject as a way of keeping your attention trapped in the mind. And when your awareness is freed temporarily from the constraints of the ego-controlled mind it feels as though you have been let out of prison. The spell has been broken. You are suddenly a conscious person instead of an unconscious one. You might even wonder how you could allow yourself to become so ensnared in constantly thinking. And then before you know it some thought captures your attention, and you may go for hours before realizing that you are no longer connected to the Self.

Love and fear are two opposite forces with creation creation. Love frees us from maya and the illusion of separateness, and fear keeps us trapped within it.

The ego is a part of maya. It is fearful that you will recognize it for what it is—a foreign life that creates only suffering. It uses fear to keep you from realizing your potential in this life and from connecting with your deeper nature.

We are manifestions of the infinite intelligence which creates and sustains creation. We are capable of great things. Ignore the limiting thoughts of little, fragile ego. Listen instead to the guidance of your soul’s intuition. It will lead you out of suffering. It will help you live at the highest level and become all that God wants you to be.

So I will create the habit of watching the mind. When it becomes active, I will turn my attention to the Self. When a thought captures my attention, I will discern whether it is limiting me in some way. If so, I will recognize it as a lie and dissolve it in the Paramatman light. Then I will consciously create my own reality—one in which I am living at the highest level both personally and spiritually.

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The Setting Sun

The Setting Sun

Tonight I walked along the beach for thirty minutes and watched the sunset. As it does every night, the sun changes its mood during the ten minutes before sunset. Instead of projecting its energy outward, it begins to turn inward, and as it changes so do I. By placing my attention on the sun we are able to connect with one another. We begin a conversation that has no words. At first the conversation is intermittent as my mind gradually quiets down. Then as the sun begins to disappear behind the ocean we connect more deeply. I express my gratitude and it expresses its love. My heart opens and the mind becomes quiescent. There is only this moment in which I am with my long-time friend. It says goodbye with a flash of green light. And suddenly the world is different. Everything has transformed from yan to yin.

I have done many things wrong in life. But in this one area I have done well. What better thing is there to do than to watch the sunset on the ocean in California?

Two Levels of Detachment

While walking from the ocean to the car, I stepped back to watch the world. I seemed to exist within the body as I observed the external world. Then simply by turning my attention to the formless reality, the sence of “I” temporarily vanished and there was only the one that exists everywhere and withing everything.

Many times I have read spiritual books that emphasis the importance of detachment. And yet I have not found a discussion about these two levels of detachment.

When a person is controlled by the ego and the thinking mind they become entranced by their thoughts. They appear one after the other in an endless chain.

If a person is fortunate enough to learn how to break free from the mind’s control, they can perceive the formless unity. It has always been there, waiting for you. But while a person can perceive the formless they still regard it as separate from themselves. It seems to exist out there, beyond the physical body. And everything within the body is you. Though the mind is quiet the ego remains.

If a person is even more fortunate they eventually learn how to step beyond the limitations of separateness. The ego temporarily vanishes and all that is left is the one.

The Infinite

The infinite is not limited by our perceptions of it. It includes all qualities. You may perceive it as the Paramatman light, or universal love, or Shiva, or Jesus. Each is the infinite. And turning your attention to any of them will free you from the illusion of separateness.

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