The meditation masters of the ages have said over and over again, “We practice in order to come to the innate natural state.” So, we practice, learn technique and method, practice with diligence in order to come to that which is a natural state: the natural state of awareness as it dances through the contexts of the mind.
We are born with the natural state. From this natural state, our entire life is born. In meditation training, we learn various ways by which to undo the co-opting of awareness which the ego perpetuates. We learn how to notice the ego and its tricks, notice the ego and its needs, notice how it gets itself fed. But, and without judgement, a meditation practice will also bring us to the mirror of the mind such that we notice that the only one “doing” this ego is ourself; with that we learn to let go.
In meditation training, there comes a point where one must let go of the ego “learning to meditate” and realize that one already is a state of meditation as long as one is not distracted by the externals of life and ego. The natural state of awareness is natural; we are born with it. We merely have to sit down and get simple again.
The instructions for meditation are some of the most simple of all tasks, yet accomplished meditators are rare. One knows one by the peace that he or she exudes, by the presence that he or she commands, not by ego but by grace and gratitude. An accomplished meditator sees through circumstances, people, places, and things. To his or her sensibilities, nothing is only what it seems. All of this is possible because the person has established an open transluscence as the one’s natural state of mind, has awakened and is aware.
We continue with simple Instructions to advance the Intermediate practice in The Practice of Living Awareness.
*Thank you Adam DeFranco for posting this image. Thank you, also, to the artist.
Downloadable podcast: Intermediate: Instructiions 2