Consciousness Rising and the Art of Being
by Susan Scharfman
In years of spiritual practice and study with various teachers, if I have learned anything it is this: The daily routines may differ, the attire may be exotic, the environment might be mountain cold or monsoon tropical, but the age-old message is the same. "He who thinks he knows, knows not. He who thinks he knows not, knows." – The Bhagavad-Gita ; Tao Te Ching
Hearts and Minds
I've always been curious about the mind/brain question: the concrete material brain versus the non-physical mind. Even scientists can’t agree on whether "the electronic processes of the brain create the mind, or the electronic processes actually are the mind." I don’t think anyone knows.
Pundits say the 'egoic' mind comments and judges. Thoughts, experiences and emotions happen on the mental level. But feeling is on another plane. When someone asks, "Do you love me?" The yes response comes from deep within the heart, where stillness resides. Check out the words Victorian poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning used in her "How Do I Love Thee" to and about her beloved Robert Browning. She had to dive deep to express those feelings in word forms.
On the other hand, if the response is no, instead of simply letting what is be what it is, the egoic mind conjures justifications and excuses for no. It has to make itself right.
Being in The Moment
This is not to say you must love him or her. It’s merely an illustration of what the mind does and will always do when we allow our thoughts to control our actions. When I find myself becoming overly emotional, I try to remember to breathe. Taking a few deep breaths allows me to be still and in touch with my inner self in the present moment–to be more conscious and to make more conscious decisions.
Courage Under Fire
Ever wonder what happens to soldiers in battle when events unfold so fast there’s no time to think? Spontaneous right action happens. The soldier performs from his or her inner source with unimaginable courage. The source is Being, pure consciousness. Many people are unaware of this natural phenomenon since until recently, only men have fought in combat in America’s wars. And unlike women, men don't air their emotions or talk about their war experiences.
In an early period of my life I was a civilian government employee in a war zone; I can attest to what occurs under those circumstances. Amid the fire and smoke of battle, humans perform extraordinary self-sacrifice without thinking about their own lives.
Perhaps someone reading this has rescued a stranger from drowning, or from a burning building without thinking of his or her own personal safety. The key is “without thinking” humans will do the right thing at the right time. The movie, "Crash" is a perfect example. When the chips were down, the so-called racist cop did the right thing spontaneously. He found his humanity, his source, which is pure consciousness.
"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." – Jesus, The Gospel of Thomas
Mood Making
When people go through the motions of being "spiritual" by acting a certain way, they are not honest with themselves, they're mood making. Consciousness is not concerned with how one looks or dresses, whether one sits in ramrod lotus posture twelve hours a day, repeats mantras, eats specific food, does or does not have sex.
Those are good practices when we do them for the sheer pleasure of it. I like hatha yoga. I know it's good for mind/body coordination and especially for my balance, which is not so good. But eating certain foods does not make us fully conscious. It's the other way around. When we are fully conscious, we instinctively know what foods are good for us. Refraining from sex is not going to enlighten us. Conversely, practicing tantric yoga or tantric sex might be fun, but it surely doesn’t create fully conscious individuals. So what and where is consciousness, and how do we get it?
The Oneness of Consciousness
Consciousness exists everywhere and in every thing. Consciousness has always been and always will be. A tree is consciousness. When you hug a tree and remain in its presence, it hugs you back. It's tangible, you feel it. The universe is consciousness. Our pets are consciousness. Often they're more conscious than we are! They live in the moment and never worry about tomorrow.
I am consciousness. You are consciousness. No one can give it to you. No one can take it away. A spiritual master can point you to what is already there within you. The peace, the joy that you might feel in the presence of an enlightened teacher or clergyman is simply your own reflection.
When a painting or a breathtaking sunset enraptures you, be aware that your mind has stopped ever so briefly; you are in the peace and stillness of the present moment. The bliss you feel is within you and without you. It is in the object, it is in you and there is no separation between the two. The more we practice the art of being present, the more we become one with our own Divinity. That is consciousness rising. And remembering to breathe helps.
In years of spiritual practice and study with various teachers, if I have learned anything it is this: The daily routines may differ, the attire may be exotic, the environment might be mountain cold or monsoon tropical, but the age-old message is the same. "He who thinks he knows, knows not. He who thinks he knows not, knows." – The Bhagavad-Gita ; Tao Te Ching
Hearts and Minds
I've always been curious about the mind/brain question: the concrete material brain versus the non-physical mind. Even scientists can’t agree on whether "the electronic processes of the brain create the mind, or the electronic processes actually are the mind." I don’t think anyone knows.
Pundits say the 'egoic' mind comments and judges. Thoughts, experiences and emotions happen on the mental level. But feeling is on another plane. When someone asks, "Do you love me?" The yes response comes from deep within the heart, where stillness resides. Check out the words Victorian poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning used in her "How Do I Love Thee" to and about her beloved Robert Browning. She had to dive deep to express those feelings in word forms.
On the other hand, if the response is no, instead of simply letting what is be what it is, the egoic mind conjures justifications and excuses for no. It has to make itself right.
Being in The Moment
This is not to say you must love him or her. It’s merely an illustration of what the mind does and will always do when we allow our thoughts to control our actions. When I find myself becoming overly emotional, I try to remember to breathe. Taking a few deep breaths allows me to be still and in touch with my inner self in the present moment–to be more conscious and to make more conscious decisions.
Courage Under Fire
Ever wonder what happens to soldiers in battle when events unfold so fast there’s no time to think? Spontaneous right action happens. The soldier performs from his or her inner source with unimaginable courage. The source is Being, pure consciousness. Many people are unaware of this natural phenomenon since until recently, only men have fought in combat in America’s wars. And unlike women, men don't air their emotions or talk about their war experiences.
In an early period of my life I was a civilian government employee in a war zone; I can attest to what occurs under those circumstances. Amid the fire and smoke of battle, humans perform extraordinary self-sacrifice without thinking about their own lives.
Perhaps someone reading this has rescued a stranger from drowning, or from a burning building without thinking of his or her own personal safety. The key is “without thinking” humans will do the right thing at the right time. The movie, "Crash" is a perfect example. When the chips were down, the so-called racist cop did the right thing spontaneously. He found his humanity, his source, which is pure consciousness.
"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." – Jesus, The Gospel of Thomas
Mood Making
When people go through the motions of being "spiritual" by acting a certain way, they are not honest with themselves, they're mood making. Consciousness is not concerned with how one looks or dresses, whether one sits in ramrod lotus posture twelve hours a day, repeats mantras, eats specific food, does or does not have sex.
Those are good practices when we do them for the sheer pleasure of it. I like hatha yoga. I know it's good for mind/body coordination and especially for my balance, which is not so good. But eating certain foods does not make us fully conscious. It's the other way around. When we are fully conscious, we instinctively know what foods are good for us. Refraining from sex is not going to enlighten us. Conversely, practicing tantric yoga or tantric sex might be fun, but it surely doesn’t create fully conscious individuals. So what and where is consciousness, and how do we get it?
The Oneness of Consciousness
Consciousness exists everywhere and in every thing. Consciousness has always been and always will be. A tree is consciousness. When you hug a tree and remain in its presence, it hugs you back. It's tangible, you feel it. The universe is consciousness. Our pets are consciousness. Often they're more conscious than we are! They live in the moment and never worry about tomorrow.
I am consciousness. You are consciousness. No one can give it to you. No one can take it away. A spiritual master can point you to what is already there within you. The peace, the joy that you might feel in the presence of an enlightened teacher or clergyman is simply your own reflection.
When a painting or a breathtaking sunset enraptures you, be aware that your mind has stopped ever so briefly; you are in the peace and stillness of the present moment. The bliss you feel is within you and without you. It is in the object, it is in you and there is no separation between the two. The more we practice the art of being present, the more we become one with our own Divinity. That is consciousness rising. And remembering to breathe helps.