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Last updated on: October 24, 2011 at 6:41 am by David Matthew Brown
Movement 2011-10-24T06:41:26-06:00 David Matthew Brown
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
By David Matthew Brown
Q: So when I look out into the world I see conflict, what can I do?
A: Nothing. Doing is an action word that is used to mask self-will. Self-will is a conditioned reaction to that which we resist. Through the resistance, we push, and with the pushing we fight what is. The movement can be observed with the mind. The mind when unobserved moves from past to future and yet it is living now. So the movement of time is happening all at once which produces a chain reaction of time and thought, which equals fear. So in answering the question, “What can I do?” comes from this conditioned reaction to what it is seeing in time. The seeing is based conditioning of the past through memories, pictures, images, beliefs, traditions, and time. This type of seeing is normal for many people and this type of question has been asked for thousands of years. Perhaps the question can be seen in another way.
Q: Okay, the world is struggling, falling apart, searching…
A: Yes.
Q: So how can I change it?
A: Again, do see, do see what you are seeing, your seeing is looking out and wanting to change others, perhaps what needs to be seen is the movement of the mind, your mind. The “it” is in response to them, those, out there, separate. But we are in consciousness itself, all of us.
Q: Okay. How can I change?
A: Change what is?
Q: Change my life, what I see?
A: The change entails that something is wrong, and needs to be fixed. Lets look at the word “change”, what does it mean to change?
Q: Change, to be different, see in a different way…
A: Good, yes to alter what you are seeing. In order to alter something, you must first see it. So what are you seeing?
Q: Well I am seeing conflict?
A: Conflict? And is the conflict wrong?
Q: Yes it feels uncomfortable, lots of discord between my partner, and myself so how can I see this differently?
A: Well when we look at the word conflict, it is defined as war. Two opposing positions battling, correct?
Q: Yes.
A: What is your position?
Q: Well I am right.
A: But now our discussion stops. You tell me that you are right and so there can be no more investigating into learning about this “self”. Play with me here. Or this dialogue has stopped and nobody can learn. Do you understand? You are right and they are wrong, war.
Q: Well she doesn’t seem to tell the truth, and so she has been lying to me, so I feel betrayed by the lie?
A: According to what you are seeing, but what you are seeing is a conflict. You are playing out an image in your mind of a good partner and she is playing out an image in her mind of a good partner. So there can be no love here. You blame her for your betrayal of the image in your mind and she blames you as well. But the betrayal is from your ignorance of what is. You are both petty.
Q: I don’t understand, I was hurt, betrayed, and so she gets away with it?
A: What was hurt, betrayed, who is getting away with what?
Q: I was hurt.
A: As you puff out your chest, what is this “I” that gets hurt?
Q: What is this “I”?
A: Yes you are very much attached to this persona called “I”. So what is this “I”?
Q: Well this “I” is “me”?
A: Good and so this “me” has been hurt, betrayed, and hope that she gets what is coming to her? Correct?
Q: I sound like a jerk. But this “Me” seems so real, alive, but I follow the rules, play nice, I feel lost?
A: Again, the “me” has come back. I feel lost, confused, give me more information so that I can figure it all out in time, tomorrow, or year, right? The “me” reacts to what it feels like is nothing going on and creates something. So it creates images, problems, and wants to solve them. So what is problem here?
Q: The problem here is that I didn’t want to listen, things were uncomfortable, and so I shut down.
A: Which is okay. So what was uncomfortable?
Q: These feelings based on being betrayed.
A: The feelings that were betrayed, so can you live a life without being betrayed? Is that possible?
Q: I don’t know.
A: Good. Yes you don’t know. How does that feel not to know?
Q: Actually refreshing. I don’t know where I am going, or what the outcome may be…
A: Good.
Q: Yes.
A: We have to take responsibility for observing ourselves first. Keeping the attention inward and being with it all. Let the other person make choices as well. As far as if some kind of punishment happens to anyone based on a choice, well the unobserved mind is punishment enough. See when we are in truth all is well both inside and out. Now I use inside as reference to this mind. There really is no inside or out. That is a thought pattern.
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