Friday, September 24, 2021

Letting Go and Owning Up One's Freedom




The light of consciousness that is self-evident, self-existent and self-revealing as 'I',  is always free. It is  limitless, independent, changeless, absolute. How can it be covered?   

It is never covered by either our feelings, thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, sensations, memories, ignorance or ego. It is our own belief that it is covered that as though covers it. It our holding on to our internal world, especially our disturbing emotions that appears to limit us.

Supposing there is a feeling of anger. Can this feeling limit the light of consciousness? Can it make it limited and incomplete? It cannot - because consciousness is an independent changeless reality in whose ever-presence alone the feeling of anger is illumined. It is the ego-me who is subscribing tothe anger. And as long as one subscribes or holds on to the emotion, so long it appears as though the consciousness that one is, is limited by that emotion.

So the trick is really in learning to let go of holding on to the disturbing emotion. When you let go, it's very much easier to recognize that you are indeed the limitless light of consciousness that is never affected by anything. 

One feeling can be connected to millions of thoughts. One does not let go the thought, one let's go the feelings ...it's much easier.

The first step in letting go is to focus on the feelings, not the story you have attached to the feeling. The second step is not run away from the feeling, not denying the feeling, not distracting oneself from the feeling. Usually if we feel uncomfortable, our immediate reaction is to distract ourselves somehow. Move into the feeling, not away from it...... Stay with it. It can take time from one minute onwards. Now ask yourself can I allow this feeling? The very asking of this question puts you on neutral ground...you have allowed yourself to rise into a different internal state, where you have now recognized that really it is your choice to allow or not allow the feeling. Next you ask yourself am I ready and willing to let it go, to stop holding on to it? The very asking of this question allows you to recognize that it is your choice to hold onto the feeling and consequently feel limited, or let it go and own up your freedom. You have the choice now of surrendering it to Ishvara ...letting it go...rising to sattva.

The choice is yours. When you surrender or let go the feeling, you let go holding on to the story, the thoughts you have attached to the feeling ...you embrace your natural freedom. The choice is yours.

I learnt this really simple method from Dr David Hawkins book Letting Go, the Pathway to Surrender 

Om Tat Sat