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Life Situations - The Usual Mistakes (and how to avoid them) Part 2



Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2009

by e
Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation


2. Using logic instead of intuition.

Without logic we could not find our way home from work. And without intuition, our innate capacity to create (not just move some logical thoughts around, but to experience true epiphanies, such as Einstein's Theory of Relativity; "It just came to me out of the blue!"). It is through intuition that we acquire that mysterious insight which has the capacity to unlock new doors for us.

Logic makes us restless, but you must see this for yourself. So it is important to learn the difference between common restlessness, brought on by logic, and inner guidance, brought on by intuition. When we know the difference, then we can see that inner guidance will lead you to freedom and contentment, while restlessness will only lead to recurring delusion. The inner voice in your heart will many times conflict with what your logic dictates, resulting in indecisiveness and a kind of restlessness, and although you might think this particular restlessness is a weakness, it might not be. The path to freedom is never direct, and we must always heed that small, still voice in our hearts.
 
But how can we be certain that we are doing the right thing? Sometimes we think that we should stay where we are and not risk another adventure, but then we think that we would be holding ourselves back.
 
 When we do leave a situation, however, and are able to see with insight, we will be able to contradict everything - our conclusions, our desires, our pursuits  - and believe it or not, our pursuit of psychological freedom. We will want to turn our backs on everything, because it is things that keep us imprisoned. Our ideas, our learning, our history and our heritage, our hopes and dreams; we will discard it all. We will find ourselves emptying out entirely of security, fear, attachments, and even both fond and destructive memories.

Our "self" will slowly and imperceptibly begin to slip away, as the mind is increasingly able to watch everything with clarity as if for the first time, without the burden of past, stored impressions of memory.
 
Then, you will finally face your greatest fear - emptiness, the emptiness that in the beginning was so frightening that you had no choice but to run and hide from it with your various escapes conveniently provided by the logical thinking mind. While at the same time, even while escaping, knowing deep inside that you could never flee the truth of emptiness.

You were frightened of the only thing that would set you free, but now you are ready to see it, because until you see it, you will not accept it. That very seeing and acceptance is the only thing that will keep you anchored in the emptiness until emptiness's exquisiteness reveals itself as the Source filling your being with light. Then, in this indescribable moment when everything is gone . . . you will discover freedom, freedom in the form of inexpressible love within the context of eternity. And the "self' will suddenly be gone as well.

A barrier will no longer exist between what you experience and the one who experiences. You will become whatever it is that is in your field of consciousness, because you will know the oneness of all things, and you will truly be free, free of yourself, never to be shackled again.

(Part 3 coming soon: Trying to understand life).

anagarika eddie is a meditation teacher at the Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation Retreat Sanctuary (www.dhammarocksprings.org), and author of "A Year to Enlightenment." His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk.

E. Raymond Rock (anagarika eddie) is a meditation teacher at DhammaRocksprings Theravada Buddhist Meditation Retreat Center: http://www.dhammarocksprings.org and author of “A Year to Enlightenment: http://www.amazon.com/Year-Enlightenment-Steps-Enriching-Living/dp/1564148912

He lived at Wat Pah Nanachat under Ajahn Chah as a Buddhist monk (novice) and at Wat Pah Baan Taad under Ajahn Maha Boowa and Wat Pah Daan Wi Weg under Ajahn Tui as a fully ordained Buddhist monk (bhikkhu). He was a postulant at Shasta Abbey, a Zen Buddhist monastery in northern California under Roshi Kennett; and a Theravada Buddhist anagarika at both Amaravati Monastery in the UK and Bodhinyanarama Monastery in New Zealand, both under Ajahn Sumedho. The author has meditated with the Korean Master Sueng Sahn Sunim; with Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia; and with the Tibetan Master Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. He has practiced at the Insight Meditation Society and the Zen Center in San Francisco.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by David Tanguay
 2 years 281 days ago.
189 fans.
I look at intuition as the little voice within that speaks to us and logic as the scientific reasoning.
» left by e 2 years 281 days ago.
133 fans.
Hi David,

Yes, that is a good way to put it. Beyond reasoning is where the ultimate freedom lies.

Metta, anagarika eddie
» left by Camille Strate 2 years 278 days ago.
60 fans. Follow Camille Strate on twitter!
This is beautifully presented. Have you read my book yet? It's all about intuition...and you may just find it an enjoyable read!
» left by e 2 years 277 days ago.
133 fans.
Hi Camille,
 
I think that I would find your book quite interesting, many of your articles hint at eastern thought. With running the meditation center and now in the middle of building small meditation huts in the mountains for meditators, I can't promise when I will have the time. But I want to thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your feedback very much.

anagarika eddie
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