KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PROBLEMS

                                         ILLUSIONS OF THE PROBLEMS

 

      IT FEELS AS IF A HEAVY BURDEN HAS BEEN LIFTED. A SENSE OF LIGHTNESS. I FEEL CLEAR. BUT MY PROBLEMS ARE STILL THERE WAITING FOR ME, AREN'T THEY? THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SOLVED. AM I NOT JUST TEMPORARILY EVADING THEM?

       IF YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN PARADISE, IT WOULDN'T BE LONG BEFORE YOUR MIND WOULD SAY "YES, BUT ,,," ULTIMATE, THIS IS NOT ABOUT SOLVING YOUR PROBLEMS. IT'S ABOUTREALIZING THAT THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS. ONLY SITUATIONS-TO BE DEALT WITH NOW, OR TO BE LEFT ALONE AND ACCEPTED AS PART OF THE "ISNESS" OF THE PRESENT MOMENT UNTIL THEY CHANGE OR CAN BE DEALT WITH. PROBLEMS ARE MIND-MADE AND NEED TIME TO SURVIVE, THEY CANNOT SURVIVE IN THE ACTUALITY OF THE NOW.

     FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE NOW AND TELL ME WHAT PROBLEMS YOU HAVE AT THIS MOMENT.

    ALL NEGATIVITY IS CAUSED BY AN ACCUMULATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TIME AND DENIAL OF THE PRESENT. UNEASE, ANXIETY, TENTION, STRESS, WORRY- ALL FORMS OF FEAR- ARE CAUSED BY TOO MUCH FUTURE, AND NOT ENOUGH PRESENCE. GUILT, REGRET, RESENTMENT, GRIEVANCE, SADNESS,BITTERNESS, AND ALL FORMA OF NONFORGIVENESS ARE CAUSED BY TOO MUCH PAST, AND NOT ENOUGH PRESENCE.

      MOST PEOPLE FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT A STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS TOTALLY FREE OF ALL NEGATIVITY IS POSSIBLE. AND YET THIS IS THE LIBERATED STATE OF WHICH ALL SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS POINT. IT IS THE PROMISE OF SALVATION, NOT IN AN ILLUSORY FUTURE BUT THE RIGHT HERE AND NOW.

      YOU MAY FIND IT HARD TO RECOGNIZE THAT TIME IS THE CAUSE OF YOUR SUFFERING OR YOUR PROBLEMS,YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE CAUSED BY SPECIFIC SITUATIONS IN YOUR LIFE, AND SEEN FROM A CONVENTIONAL VIEWPOINT, THIS IS TRUE. BUT UNTIL YOU HAVE DEALT WITH THE BASIC PROBLEM- MAKING DYSFUNCTION OF THE MIND- ITS ATTACHMENT TO PAST AND FUTURE AND DENIAL OF THE NOW- PROBLEMS ARE ACTUALLY INTERCHANGEABLE. IF ALL YOUR PROBLEMS OR PERCEIVED CAUSES OF SUFFERING OR UNHAPPINESS WERE MIRACULOUSLY REMOVED FOR YOU TODAY, BUT YOU HAD NOT BECOME MORE PRESENT, MORE CONSCIOUS, YOU WOULD SOON FIND YOURSELF WITH A SIMILAR SET OF PROBLEMS OR CAUSES OF SUFFERING, LIKE A SHADOW THAT FOLLOWS YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. ULTIMATELY, THERE IS ONE PROBLEM, THE TIME BOUND MIND ITSELF.

      I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I COULD EVER REACH A POINT WHERE I AM COMPLETELY FREE OF MY PROBLEMS.

      YOU ARE RIGHT. YOU CAN NEVER REACH THAT POINT BECAUSE YOU ARE AT THAT POINT NOW.

     THERE IS NO SALVATION IN TIME. YOU CANNOT BE FREE IN THE FUTURE. PRESENCE IS THE KEY TO FREEDOM,SO YOU CAN ONLY BE FREE NOW.