The mind does not exist! Ok I know, that is totally out there to most of you but, if you understood how we abstract and generalize things you would totally agree. Mind is only an abstract word that represents something way more complex. Namely; the pattern and flow of thoughts. Mind is not a thing generating thoughts, it is itself a thought. But the way it works is, as soon as anything becomes an object, it automatically is believed to be aa real, objective thing. Give a listen. It wil make a lot more sense.
Episode 4: GP created an exercise that is quite powerful. it reveals that all of human suffering lies in the interpretation we give to events and not the events themselves. In fact, we have become so hypnotized by this idea that we really believe that our interpretation of an event IS the event. We don't recognize that the event happens first and then a story forms about it based on memory, experience, context and a 100 other factors. None of those other 100 factors have anything to do with the actual event. So try this simple exercise. When something happens and you experience a sense of discomfort or suffering about it, look at the thoughts you are having about the event and ask "What if that thought never occurred to me? Would I still be suffering?"
Episode 3: Anchoring in the Timeless Everything we experience in our lives is time bound. Only that which is aware of all the shifting experiences of time is beyond time. The good news is you are that! That totally contradicts our view of ourselves. We are so habituated into believing, firmly that you are the body, the mind, the memories, your beliefs and positions, your history and ancestry. So deep is this conviction, and so universally held, that it is never questions. Well, that is what satsang is for. To question that which is not questions and challenge eve our most cherished assumptions and to continue to do so until we arrive at the truth. Welcome to satsang.
"You need nothing to be happy. You need something to be miserable" - Papaji Have you ever stopped and questioned the assumptions we have about happiness? We have so many debilitating beliefs about it. The biggest one is simply the pervasive notion that happiness comes from what we have or do. That it is something you acquire. And so we spend our lives pursuing it and never quite attaining it. At least, not for very long. This has got to change! It's not that it is anybody's fault. We have all succumbed to this mass hypnosis. Let's take a closer look at happiness. And let's see if what we believe about it are really true. Because, if they're not, that means that happiness is available right here and right now, 24/7 and needs absolutely nothing to create and sustain it.
"Trying to understand spiritual writings as literal history is like trying to understand the Mona Lisa by examining the chemical makeup of paint" ~ GP Walsh The mystic is not weirdo wearing funny clothes, reading esoteric books in dark rooms with a raven sitting on his shoulder. The mystic is anyone who has come to trust their intuition more than their education. The mystical experience is the most blessed and powerful experience a human being can have. And, it is way more common that we imagine. In this episode G looks at the mystical tradition in Christianity and how it was actually Christianity's origin, that was eventually stamped out by the mainstream and its ongoing lust for power.
No matter where you look in the world, you will not find what you’re looking for. Bold statement, I know. But we have all been conditioned to look in the wrong place for the things that matter most: freedom, happiness and peace. You see, our world is committed to the pursuit of stuff. It is run by the market, by economies, but the basest instincts. Most modern cultures simply want more. Often at any cost. Is not the world suffering from this, deeply? But it is has not been the pursuit of stuff that has brought humanity out of the caves. It has been the search for truth. It has not been conformity, accepting the status quo, following the herd or conventional wisdom. It has been the search for truth.