How to Rise Above Pain?

Last night in my dream state, it dawned on me that both the ‘experiencer consciousness’ as well as the ‘observer consciousness’ that dwell in me were the two oars that could help me row the boat of my soul across the river of life. While intellectually i was aware of this, i hadn’t quite experienced it as vividly as i did in that dream state.

freedom from suffering

I was shown that when i encountered a difficult experience, my natural tendency was to become acutely attached to the terrible feelings i was undergoing. I became my pain, my panic, my fear, my restlessness, my emptiness. But there was another way i could move through that experience, which was far less painful. This method involved going through the same experience, fully feeling and sensing the pain, but not identifying with it. When i did this, the difficult experience seemed less oppressive and terrifying.

Then if i was able to shift my attention to that in me which knew i was suffering, the pain and terror reduced even further. In fact by switching to the observer mode, the difficult experience lost its power over me and it no longer frightened me so much.

That’s when the penny dropped home. This is the real meaning of spiritual practice or sadhna. The conscious practice of feeling pain and pleasure, without attachment and identification, and the subsequent merging with the observer consciousness, allowing me to swim in the river of life with greater ease.

If i can practice this everyday, through every high and low, and through every good and bad experience, i know that in time, i will learn to swim from the ‘life is terrible’ bank to the ‘life just is’ bank. That is when i will truly claim my gift of being human and eventually become fully conscious and free.

Share

Leave a Reply

Ask your question

CLOSE

Your question has been sent!

Please fill out the form below.

Name *
Email *
URL (include http://)
Subject *
Question *
* Required Field