The Revelation of YOU: Unleashing Your Authentic Being into the World

Hi everyone,

the more I become aware of my thoughts, the more I notice many of them come from my "spiritual identity". It's too easy for me to recognise the mistakes of others and this leads me to think in a judgmental way. Thoughts like:

"watcthing TV is useless, you're wasting your time", "eating these kind of food is self-defeating", "there is no need to worry, just trust and let it be", etc.

These thoughts aren't filled with negativity, but it's like my mind wants to remember me the things I already know about the path - which is annoying! Fortunately, they dissolve when I become aware of them. But specially after meditation, they reveal themselves, as if my mind is also showing me that they do not serve me.

If I keep becoming aware of them, will they eventually cease to exist?
And can I apply the openhand approach specifically to the root of the these thoughts?

Thank you,
Eduardo

I love the story cathy. It really touched me :)

Vimal

I chuckled about your reference to "Groundhog Day", Kim, although I know how frustrating and discouraging it can be to feel stuck in conditioned habit patterns, longing to break free. I love how the character of Bill Murray finally frees himself when he opens his heart to love.

I was sitting with friends over lunch recently while traveling. They're not on a conscious spiritual path through the gateways to enlightenment, but I am always deeply moved by the depth of love they have for one another and for their grown children and grandchildren and how humbly they express their frailties and vulnerabilities with greater acceptance than I have felt for my own 'shortcomings'. As I sat there witnessing it all, the imperfections and gifts of beingness, theirs and mine, my heart was filled with such love that I truly felt at peace with all of it in those moments. The whole kit and caboodle. My friends are enough. I am enough. Just the way we are. Perfectly imperfect. I felt this so strongly. It's a new feeling for me. One that perhaps will grow and expand. And in that regard, I'm hearing the lyrics to "Let It Be" as I write these words.

It feels divinely ordained that my friends and I have come together through the Law of Attraction to help one other as we journey on by sharing our own unique frailties and gifts. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Good or bad. Right or wrong. Notions that have weighed me down. It doesn't HAVE to be anything. I don't HAVE to do anything. When I stop trying to control how I am being and truly accept how I am in any given moment, then I can let go of what no longer serves and express a higher way of being. It feels like I'm breaking through bit by bit.

I came across this story called "The Cracked Pot" by Sacinandana Swami. It speaks to what I'm feeling into these days. It feels good to share it here for all the cracked pots out there. I haven't met anyone here without a crack or two.

"A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on one end of the pole he carried across the back of his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream, the cracked pot arrived only half full. This went on every day for two years, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master’s house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment and saw itself as perfectly suited for the purpose for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived as bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself and I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“For the past two years, I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws you have to work without getting the full value of your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and out of compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the wildflowers on the side of the path. The pot felt cheered.

But at the end of the trail, the pot still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and again it apologized for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I knew about your flaw and took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them for me. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. If you were not just the way you are, he would not have such beauty to grace his house."

x Cathy

Great article and videos Open and fantastic video production Trinity! =)

The creative process has been having a shake down here. I am exploring some new ways for me to share and kind of go out on a limb in an independent venture...as I give energy to that and feel excitement around it, I am drawing circumstances around me that leave no time to actually commit attention to the "how" of what I feel to do. In the past I have allowed that to put me off of moving forward and when things clear up, the energy has dissipated. So I am taking care of the little fires that are going off (kids with broken bones and illness, etc) and still keeping an eye on that inspiration, giving it attention - staying open to how that wants to develop.

Over the last few days, I have noticed changes taking place in movement/yoga/dance - all of it shifting into a unique moment to moment expression - just really trusting the way the body feels to move, to breathe, to make sound. The breath is supporting me greatly in connecting to the world in a way that it feels like I can feel things to a greater or lesser degree depending on where the attention is and the fullness of the breath...loving that - like a dial on the exposure. I wonder where control comes in on that...but for now it feels amazing to breathe fully in the presence of loved ones and nature and suddenly I am here more and I feel the depth of them more as well. Playing with that...

Curiously, I have also been drawing mandalas...without meaning to go draw a mandala hahaha, it just starts with a point and then each creation reveals itself one stroke at a time. There is no pressure, there is no need for it to look any particular way, just one line and then the next and then I see it in it's fullness and it's just like wow! =)

It feels like the experience is helping to remind me to just make that first stroke and see what that creates and then the next strokes comes.

In Seattle I found a pair of silver keys on a ring, both marked with the word "Defiance" - days later in meditation I found a starfish and the word "rebel" ....the key is defying the conditioned ways of being/creating (or perhaps also it's pointing to identity defying or rebelling against the soul's path through gateways.

Well, either way, I am listening best I am able =) ...Just not letting the family needs give me an excuse to not express me fully - as I have done in the past. Those fires in my life must be a creation from my own doubt around what I have to share/my value "out there" in the world. I will keep dancing through the fires and letting me come through!!

Love you all, Jen

I think I was being shown this yesterday. While walking in the park I felt to sit and meditate. Fish kept jumping out of the water by me and I felt I was not feeling into something in my emotional body. Then my attention was drawn to the buzzing sound of a weedwacker or chainsaw. I sensed it was telling me about something buzzing in my head. It was definitely subtle but felt it is related to the voice in my head that seems to help urge me make unaligned choices in the moment. I think this is what you mean but maybe I'm wrong.

Hi Open,
Yes it helps, thank you. After I wrote before it came to me that "this is that perfection issues again". UGH!! After reading what you shared it brings up a deep sense of pain and wanting to distract myself from that but wanting to go into it more at the same time. It also feels like working with multiple things at once. Addictions, patterns and conditioned behaviorisms and how it feels to not get it right and how to be with those feelings as well. I have been working with feeling the need for an outcome and letting go. It's really a big sticky mess for me. A wheel that keeps going round and round, having to repeatedly let go over and over again.
What else is there though. Going to be with all this.
With love,
Kim:)

Great article and another amazing video, many thanks to you both. The video and article are so clear and straightforward BUT not easy just Iike you say. Things are coming together deeper in my understanding and application about shifting from doing to being, attuning to my soul and recognizing attachments and fears. I'm finding my compass. I am repeatedly at the end of the day, however, very judgemental about anywhere I made choices not aligned with my soul. Sometime the reason "why" I made those choices is not readily apparent. The feelings of guilt and sometimes shame come up with the judgement. Always looking at
How I can and could have done better. With this sense of commitment I seem to take on a seriousness. I then can get tight about the whole thing. I know I am hard on myself and perhaps it is a distorted aspect of commitment. I also feel like I do not ask "show me" enough, I often forget to put that out there but am looking for some answer. I'm not sure what the resistance is to that but I have always had a hard time asking for help. Part of me is getting tired of many of these limiting feelings and behaviors. I often feel like the character in Groundhog Day when I wake up. Here I am again in this life going so see how this shows up today and how better to work with it.
With love,
Kim