Monday, April 12, 2010

Would You Believe This Post is About Suffering...?

First ... I want to thank everyone who has responded from such a place of love and acceptance. My heart is grateful ... In the past, I was certainly less than gracious and loving with those who I deemed to be "sinful". I'm grateful for who I've become (or who is being revealed, as that which is not-me is being shed). I'm grateful that we do indeed transform ... that we are here to learn ... and that nothing is ever, not *ever*, thwarted.

I'm watching a miracle unfold in my household ... and we're all, including Mark, astonishingly grateful for it. How the miracle manifests ... how this completely unfolds, remains to be seen. But we're trusting that we'll ALL be seeing together. Even in joy.

Meanwhile ... I'd like to get back to the book that I was led to read as this was happening ... and which Mark is now reading. And, I find it fascinating that the very next part of this book is about suffering ... coincidence? I think not...

Because much is going on here, and time is currently a precious commodity, I'm going to "cheat" and merely quote a bit from DeMello here ...

To what do you identify yourself? To what do you cling? You know what's going to happen ... you're going to cling to them, you're going to be worried that they may fall apart, and that's where your suffering comes in. "If you're suffering, you're asleep." Do you want a sign that you're asleep? Here it is: You're suffering. Suffering is a sign that you're out of touch with the truth. Suffering is given to you that you might open your eyes to the truth, that you might understand that there's falsehood somewhere, just as physical pain is given to you so you will understand that there is disease or illness somewhere. Suffering points out that there is falsehood somewhere. Suffering occurs when you clash with reality. When your illusions clash with reality, when your falsehoods clash with truth, then you have suffering. Otherwise, you have no suffering.


Whew...!

Taking this in ...

Shalom, Dena

10 comments:

Sue said...

Yes. Great quote, Dena. So true.

Thinking of you (and understanding somewhat the amazing grace dynamics when you least expect them) here in Oz, chicky babe.

Anonymous said...

yes - but what the f**k?

i have read this before ad pondered it and can't grasp it. i seem to come back to a place of "ok. so this just 'is' and my perspective is that it hurts / causes me to suffer. but does it need to? what's a different perspective?"

i find A de M so inspiring and challenging and such a freak!

i'm so glad it's speaking to you - really looking forward to hearing what comes out of the chewing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anonymous said...

post-yoga thought:

is pain (physical or emotional) equated to suffering or can you experience pain without suffering?

if suffering means you are not awake then was Jesus not awake towards the end of his walk on earth? you'd hope he was more awake than ever, but without going back to the bible and reading the text, it always seemed to me he experienced quite a lot of suffering during and after the garden of Gethsemane.

"Suffering is a sign that you're out of touch with the truth" - surely Jesus can't have been out of touch with himself? Or could he? thus showing how quickly we can become out of touch with Him and with our True selves.

this is what yoga does to me!!!

xxxxx

Deb said...

Hi Bea :-)

I want to comment on what you said about Jesus "suffering"....and how I am viewing it these days.

Personally, I don't believe Jesus did suffer....and I can't imagine anyone being more AWAKE than he was. I am seeing that being "awakened" is not anything we must strive for...or try to "get" to....in reality being awakened means nothing more than knowing WHO we are...realizing our true nature...and we are simply Awareness/Consciousness/Presence. We are the Observer of all that is happening....the "I AM".

So, what I am seeing is that Jesus didn't suffer because he walked and lived in his True Identity; Awareness/Presence....and tried to convey his message to those who had 'ears' to hear and 'eyes' to see. He walked in his True Nature.....totally transcending the physical realm. Kind of like those who walk on hot burning coals barefooted and don't get burned...they are not suffering either....ummm, that isn't a really good example since I believe many of them are doing that by their own 'mind power'...so I hope you can kind of see the difference. Our minds are very powerful...no doubt, but I am talking about Reality and WHO we really are....we are all One as Awareness...like a wave in the ocean is one with the Ocean.

LOL...sorry for rambling.....these things are hard to put into words!

Love,
Deb

Harry Riley said...

I'm coming to see that suffering is the sparks which fly when illusion and reality collide. And those sparks ignite the fire of Transformation. And that fire is cool, when we get over the initial impact;)

cwtpmom said...

Are you able to pray? Of course you are able to say the words, but are you able to feel them? Has the reality collided with the illusion and has God met you in the suffering? Suffering is a feeling. Cling to any genuine feeling, and write a parable about it to bring it home to you. It is important to own and claim your own feelings. Don't let them vanish.

(Harry I absolutely admire what you say and how you say it.)

Deb said...

I LOVE what you said...MysticBrit! :-)

Also I wanted to say that I am 'seeing' that ALL suffering is due to our "thoughts"....simply thoughts that come and go....but we get into judging them or dwelling on them and allowing them to take us on down the road. I've noticed that every single time I get caught up in my thoughts rather than just stand back and observe them come and go, I find myself in a place that I don't want to be...an unpeaceful place. Just sharing some of what I am seeing these days. :-)

Love,
Deb

Harry Riley said...

Connie, Deb - Thank you, and I'm glad my words resonate with you.

Deb, I totally get you. That fine fella Eckhart Tolle said that the condition of humanity is one of 'being lost in thought', and I've not seen it expressed any better. Identifying with and following our thoughts is what has brought us to this present state. Time to put the mind in service to the true self, and so heal the world of its illusions.

Let's go for it:)

Sue said...

Lost in thought. Oh, indeed. Great way to put it.

Deb said...

LOL.....yeah, let's do! I'm soooOoooo "going for it"!!! Wild horses couldn't stop me now even if they tried!!! :-)

Love,
Deb