Not I, Not other than I: The Life And Teachings Of Russel Williams

by Russel Williams

We tend to cling to the things that bring us suffering, but not the things which give us freedom. When you are reasonably happy, you’re open-minded and would give anything away. But with a little depression, you close everything into yourself, and develop a bigger ego, because you’re so aware of yourself. When you are happy you aren’t aware of yourself; you’re so open that you don’t realise there is a self there. So being selfless means happiness. As long as you don’t try to contain it and leave it wide open, you will always be content. It means that you can’t get hurt, as if you’re so soft that things just bounce off you, or you just absorb them. Whereas in the other mode, you’re rigid and hard, so things strike against you and you do get hurt. Usually we grasp at our sorrows and our pains. We cling to them and make them us. I am suffering. When you’re content you don’t register them – you’re so open, at one with things, that there are no problems. If you look back over your life you’ll find there have been quite a few of those periods of contentment. They are not forgotten, although the negative periods may stand out because they hurt more. Many people today have a dim view of themselves because they identify themselves with the hardships rather than the lighter side of life. Look closely, and you will see that the lighter side is there. Many people don’t seem to understand that you can sit back and be yourself, and be content without grasping for anything. In fact, you’...