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by Robert Rabbin
I want to talk about awakening. I want to talk about the kind of
awakening that is all around us, that
doesn’t require any special
effort or activity, the kind of awakening that exists as the inner
truth of all living things…of all things everywhere. I want to
talk about awakening as a fact of existence, the kind of awakening
in which that Silence that created the whole universe out of its own
joy, suddenly remembers itself in the midst of life, in the midst of
turmoil and confusion, in the midst of joy and prosperity, sadness
and grief, in the midst of cities and forests, in the midst of
sirens and traffic, in the midst of birth and death, in the midst of
multitudes and stark solitude.
There is such an awakening. The kind of awakening that occurs in
parking lots and bus stations, in Disneyland and homeless shelters.
This awakening is waiting for us in our offices and cars, as much as
in a cave or meditation center. This awakening doesn’t need any
particular conditions. We don’t have to become ripe through years
of effort and toil. We don’t have to climb into the high and rare
atmosphere of mountains hiding like myths in exotic countries. This
awakening is here, now.
Why wait? Are we not tired enough of sadness and separation, of
carrying ideas and beliefs about Reality, when Reality itself, pure
and shining, is but a glance away? Awakening means to awaken, to
rise up, whole body and whole mind, whole spirit and whole heart, to
awaken from sleep, from the slumber of past and future, from the
deep sleep of thoughts, concepts, and beliefs, from the tragic
burden of me, me, me…always me…awakening from all of this into
the timeless beauty that is here, now, here, now…the beauty that
can be seen, can be felt, can be known now, without any further
preparation.
Whether you look inward or outward, left or right, above or
below, there is only one thing to see, one thing that sees…it is
that Silence, the true Self, the one in the many. How hard can it be
to wake up and live in this joy, in this lightness, in this freedom,
in this clarity, in this kindness, in this friendliness of the one
Self?
How hard can it be, to see what is Real? It isn’t hard at all.
We are doing it now, together, as we listen, as we speak, as we
hear, as we breathe, as we release our hold on thoughts, as we enter
the Silence between them, between thoughts, as we enter the Silence
from where thoughts come, from where questions come, from where the
breath itself comes. Together we are awakening into the fulfillment
of our truest dreams, finally fulfilling what our hearts long for,
our souls cry for…and in this fulfillment, we become truly alive.
The sound of things breathing is the sound of Silence coming
awake…opening its eyes…smiling…can you hear it? The one
primordial Silence shaking off dreams and nightmares, awakening to
the morning of its own glory…
Listening like this is magic. The deeper we listen, the more we
become awake…not listening to our own mind, to our own thoughts,
to our own compulsions, but deeper listening…listening to cells
speak their ancient secrets, to what is deep within all of life…the
very force of life, the very breath of life…can we hear this now?
It is here…between our own thoughts…between our breaths…in the
vast spaces between. Can we hear the deep movement of life now, in
this moment? Can we give our full attention to that Silence coming
awake within us…taking us…holding us…rousing us from our
trances of self-interest into something more magical…beyond words…beyond
imagination…the simple present…the awakened present?
Yes, it is like heat, like a current…a presence…listening to
the breath within the breath, we feel this…and this feeling, this
presence…this is Silence…creator of the universe…coming awake
within us, as us…giving truth to our lies…giving life to our
death…giving joy to our sadness…giving freedom to our bondage…giving
ease to our pain…giving love to our hate…giving peace to our
conflict.
Can you feel this awakening of pure Silence now, where it lives,
in this moment? Nowhere else…just here, and now, within and
without…
Don’t be afraid of depth, of stillness, of Silence, of beauty…don’t
turn away…don’t be too busy, too agitated, too distracted…listen…deeply…with
your whole being…listen to what is moving in the still and silent
places where we can’t see with our eyes, where we can’t know
with our mind, where we can’t control with our fear, where we can’t
even speak…so still…so silent…as though love itself were
speaking in a whisper, softly, from the deepest part of our own
being…speaking…are we listening?
And when we hear it, when we hear this awakening of truth within
us, will we give ourselves to it, fully, completely, wanting never
again to sleep, but to remain awake, to become the awakened Silence
that is our true beauty, our true body, our true mind, our true
purpose, our true path, our true heart?
It is here, within. And seeing it within, it is everywhere. Only
that. Only that one reality, radiant, shining, beyond words, beyond
thought, beyond all concepts, dreams, and wishes. It is the simple,
uncluttered eternal present awakening within us, as us. Do not
betray your own truth, the deepening truth of this moment, the
deepening truth of your listening, the deepening truth of your
loving. All within this moment. All within your pure soul.
Listen to your own Silence. Love your own Silence. Share your
Silence.
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