Saturday, April 3, 2010

About Waking Up...

Y'know, probably the first thing we need to know about waking up, is that we really don't want to wake up.

Might as well be honest.

And why? Because we don't want to be happy. We think we're not *supposed* to be happy. That it's some sort of self-indulgent add-on ...

Here's a snippet of Anthony deMello's comments at a retreat some years ago ... listen to what he has to say(& please read the delightful quotes at that link!):

"You don't want to be happy. Want a little test? Let's try it. It will take you exactly one minute. Think of someone you love very much, someone you're close to, someone who is precious to you, and say to that person in your mind, 'I'd rather have happiness than have you.' See what happens. 'I'd rather be happy than have you. If I had a choice, no question about it, I'd choose happiness.' How many of you felt selfish when you said this? Many, it seems. See how we've been brainwashed? See how we've been conditioned into thinking, 'How could I be so selfish?' But look at who's being selfish. Imagine somebody saying to you, 'How could you be so selfish that you'd choose happiness over me?' Would you not feel like responding, 'Pardon me, but how could you be so selfish that you would demand that I choose you over my own happiness?'

[A Jesuit priest opened each of his conferences] with these words: 'The test of love is sacrifice, and the gauge of love is unselfishness.' That's marvelous! Would you want me to love you at the cost of my happiness? So, you would love me at the cost of my happiness, and I would love you at the cost of my happiness, and so you've got two unhappy people, but long live love!"


We don't want to be unconditionally happy ... we want to be happy only IF we can have things a certain way ... we've been taught to hitch our happiness to certain things. Certain concepts.

But if we want love, freedom, joy, peace and spirituality, we need to become awake.

You want to know one of the first indications that you're waking up..? You look around, and you ask yourself, "Am I crazy, or are all of them crazy?" Well, we *are* crazy -- certifiable. We've got all manner of crazy notions about love, relationships, happiness, joy, and everything. Truth starts out with a minority. A minority of one, or two. And every truth first starts out as a blasphemy ...

It's challenging, this new stuff ... we humans hate the new stuff. We don't want disturbing new concepts, or change ...

And yet -- we need an openness to the truth, no matter what the consequences, no matter where it leads, and even when we don't know where it's going to lead us. That's faith -- not belief, but faith. Beliefs lead to "security, but faith is insecurity. We don't know. We're ready to follow, and open ... wide open. Ready to listen ... but not gullible. Not swallowing whatever we hear, whatever we've long been spoon-fed.

The first step to awakening is to admit that we don't *want* to awaken, and that we don't want to be happy. And we can face the resistance within us ...

The second step is a willingness to understand, listen, and to challenge or WHOLE belief system ... not just religious beliefs, political beliefs, social beliefs, psychological beliefs ... but ALL beliefs.

I can't speak to you, or anyone, of truth. It's not about agreement, disagreement, concepts, theories or even words. Truth isn't about words -- truth is sighted suddenly ... it comes upon us, wordlessly. It just IS. It comes when we're open, receptive and willing.

No theory covers Reality.

Words don't work here ...

I can't speak to you of the truth, but I can show you obstacles to truth ... and I can describe them. But I cannot describe the truth. I can share my own obstacles, my own falsehoods, so that perhaps you can see your own, and perhaps choose to drop them. I can challenge my own beliefs ... and perhaps yours, particularly if I notice that your beliefs are making you unhappy. I can choose to unlearn, and invite you to do the same ...

It's always about choices, isn't it...?

Shalom, Dena

5 comments:

Harry Riley said...

No theory covers Reality. Yup:)

I love those quotes you link to, and the man who wrote 'em. Especially as his writings were banned, and he was 'excommunicated' (What a totally weird concept that is! It makes me giggle to think of the utterly futile arrogance of it. To adapt one of his quotes, it's like a frog in a well telling a dolphin in the ocean that it can't have any more water! Ha!)

The more I wake up the fewer words I find I need, and the fewer labels make any sense. Let everything Be As It Is, but be sure you're actually seeing everything As It Is!:D

Red pills rock, once you get used to the side effects;)

bea said...

'awareness' by antony de mello is one of my favourite books. i keep meaning to get it back from a friend so i can read it again! reading his 'the song of the bird' at the moment. so good to re-read his stuff on your blog this morning dena. xx

Anonymous said...

"You want to know one of the first indications that you're waking up..? You look around, and you ask yourself, "Am I crazy, or are all of them crazy?" Well, we *are* crazy -- certifiable. We've got all manner of crazy notions about love, relationships, happiness, joy, and everything. Truth starts out with a minority. A minority of one, or two. And every truth first starts out as a blasphemy."

This is SO undeniably true!
It reminds me of something I read the other day in (interestingly enough) Osho's book entitled, "Awareness".
Quoting Lao Tzu (the wise old sage who is supposed to have authored the Tao Te Ching), Osho has him saying, "If the majority doesn't laugh at you, be aware that you must be saying something wrong. If the majority laughs, only then are you saying something true. When the majority thinks you are a fool, only then is there some possibility of your being a wise man [or woman]; otherwise, there is no possibility."
Welp, Dena - I raise a glass to those of us, the Fools, who get to heretically live life on the edge, outside of town, experiencing and coming to know All That Is, while the rest watch tv.

Dena said...

Harry - yeah, having *been* once excommunicated, I sure nuff know the ludicrousness of it...! Your frog/dolphin analogy made me snort!

Bea - coolness, that you like the same author -- NOT surprised! You grow, girl...! And share your stuff! The world needs more of that stuff!

Tim - :) You've most definitely turned me on to Osho ... go that, and more, on my wish-list. And I drink to your toast ...!

Dena said...

And Harry -- about that red pill...? Yeah, baby!