zen

Simple Awareness – I Noticed!

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I was just standing there with coffee cup in hand staring out the window at the back yard – a behavior I’ve practiced thousands of times over many years. Suddenly and without warning, my mind focused on the amazing feat I was performing. An awareness swept over me that I was paying attention to life as it was occurring.

In all the universe, as far as I know, there is only one consciousness that I can identify as ME, experiencing what I am experiencing.

For a VERY short number of years, my life will have flashed upon the stage and gone. In geological time scales, I hardly exist at all – micro-time in comparison. Yet in that relative instant of time, everything that ever was or ever will be exists for me.

During my instant of time, I enjoy relationships with so many wonderful people I care about so deeply; I breathe, see, feel, move, emote, and so much more; I feel so grateful to be alive, to have experiences, to relate to others, and to enjoy some awareness now and then. It may be only a tiny instant in time, but it is everything – 100% of all time – to me.

For just a moment, sipping on a cuppa java, staring out the window, I noticed!

I’m still awed by it.

Seven Degrees of Illumination – Digest

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Seven Degrees of Illumination

Overview

An overview of the Seven Degrees of Illumination, by Joseph and Carol Bennette.

  1. My underlying belief is that I am separate from my environment and that I must compete and win against others in order to survive. This stage pits “me” against “you”, “us” against “them.” I am motivated by my perception of benefit vs threat. Duality.
  2. Based on benefit or threat, I install defenses against perceived threats and seek out that which I perceive benefits me. I use excuses and justifications as validation of my rightness and strengthen my position through agreement with as many others as I can convince. Motivated by my fear of the consequences of being wrong, I keep an arsenal of failsafe safeguards in place, just in case!
  3. When others completely blow my image of them, I cannot return them to their previous position. I’m at a Choice Point! It may hurt as I come face-to-face with invalidation of my vision of the world in this context. My image of myself may take a serious hit at this point. To move forward, I must accept death of my image as a viable (and maybe painful) option. I must pass through the death of my need to be validated – leaving my fear of being wrong behind.
  4. I recognize the competition and see it for the fantasy it is. I feel a need to balance the scales of justice I upset. I accept the cause and effect relationship my thoughts and actions have on what I perceive. I recognize the difference between honest interaction with my environment and the con game I was playing. As my mind begins to connect in balance with my heart, I close the gap of misunderstanding where I invented an ego to fill that perceived need.
  5. I intend to be aware of others as my mirror. I get it that my environment is me in disguise. I no longer feel the need to defend against myself. I begin to realize that everything I perceive is symbolic. It is not real. Everything has meaning to ME about ME. It is feedback. I have released my needs. My life sustains itself without effort. I am aware of how I manifest my intent. I experience intimacy with others around me in a new and profound way – as I become them and me – oneness – love.
  6. I appreciate others as a projection from within me – I accept and feel gratitude for the reflection life is to me. I gratefully accept myself and release the illusion I previously held that I could be separate from others. The real Self begins to appear as “others,” “ME,” and “I” come together in a realization of what is beyond perception – oneness.
  7. Awakened, I now consciously realize the full nature of my own creation. All illusion is stripped away – only truth remains. I pass through a gateway to what lies beyond – that beckons me to arise and…