Wanting What Is

One of the most profound (and simple) effects of various forms of inquiry is to arrive at an natural alignment of personal and universal will. Of the will of this small self (Per in my case) and of the rest of Existence, or of God if you will.

It seems that the inquiry process of Byron Katie, Douglas Harding as well as the Big Mind process all can help us into this. Help us with this gentle and simple shift which has profound consequences for how we live our human life.

Through Byron Katie's process, I see that any resistance I experience is self-created through attaching to an abstraction, a thought.

Through the Big Mind process, I see that everything is Big Mind. It comes from Big Mind and is an aspect of Big Mind.

And even being familiar with this, when I tried Douglas Harding's experiment on this, I experienced a profound shift. One that opened up for deep gratitude - for all that is - and for a tender heart.

Douglas' Experiment

His approach is simple. First, familiarize yourself with the basic experiments, such as the pointing experiment: Point out and see what you find (I find objects of all sorts). Then point in, from where you are looking, and see what you find (I find nothingness amazingly filled with everything out there).

Then the alignment of will experiment. First note that there is your personal will, attached to this human being called [name], and then there is the will of everything else - of the universe, of Existence, of God. Note how they sometimes align and (most likely) sometimes do not align, in your own life.

Then look at something in your life that does not align with the personal will. Look at this, and whatever comes up for your human self. Note how they are all objects out there, including the emotions and thoughts that come up. They are all objects in your awareness. It may help to hold out your palms and imagine everything there: the situation, your human self and its reactions.

See how it all exists in you as pure capacity for the world (I find it useful to repeat the pointing experiment here).

Now ask yourself, what is the source of what you see in your palm: this situation, your human self, and its reactions?

I find only one source: this capacity for the world. This emptiness filled with all there is. Where else could it come from? And this is me as well.

It is all coming out of this, which is me as well.

For me, this is a shocking revelation. I see how unnecessary it is to attach to a personal will that wants it different from what is, because what I really am - the context for all experiences - is the same source of everything I know.

It is the one and same source of everything I know.

Whenever I repeat this, over the last day, it is the same shocking revelation - and a sense of deep realignment occurring from it.

It seems that it is so shocking, and has such a deep effect, because I find that what I am most intimate with, what I truly am - unchangingly - is the same source as for all I know. It is the undeniable source of all situations, of this human self, and anything coming up in this human self.

Of course, there is a possible concern here: will I end up as a content vegetable from this, not care or do anything to change situations? I find that it the exact opposite occurs. This releases a great deal of energy tied up in resistance and struggle, and makes it available for me to be more fully engaged in life - including in acting to change situations. That too comes from this same source.