Sound As A Reminder
Ever since I was a little kid, my human self has had a somewhat neurotic relationship with certain sounds, especially those which appear (in my judgment) to come from lack of awareness, any "excessive" noise...! (noisy eating, slamming doors, leaf blowers, etc.)
I have tried many different approaches to work with it, and although they are less strong than in the past, they still persist. Sometimes I can just allow these patterns to come and go as guests, without attaching to them, and sometimes I do attach more to them and create drama and suffering for myself.
Over the last few weeks, I have noticed a quite different relationship with sounds.
I have used sound as a reminder of the "diamond" space, the crystal clear space within which everything appears - stars, trees, the wind, rain, smells, cars, streets, people, and the sensations, emotions, thoughts and behaviors of this human self. This is the crystal clear, diamond space which is always there, no matter what the content is.
And there is such a relief in coming to myself as this space. Unchanging. Effortlessly allowing anything and everything to come and go as guests. There, completely independent of any content.
And one way I notice this space is through sounds - distant and near. I use the sound, no matter what it is, as a way to notice the diamond space throughout the whole field of what is.
So over the last couple of weeks, I have noticed a definite shift in how I relate to sounds. Even sounds which previously used to trigger aversion in my human self, now is a trigger for gratitude. It is of course a side-effect of just noticing the diamond space, it is merely a change in the always changing content of this diamond space, but also shows that habitual patterns like these can shift.
Of course, it may be temporary, who knows. And that is OK as well.