Holding the Frequency of Presence

It [consciousness practice]is always about falling asleep and waking up from your sleep."
-Eckhart Tolle

So I know I am going on and on about training the mind but I do see it as the answer for so many of our issues and so-called problems.  What is happening out there is seldom the cause of our "stress".  It is what our mind does with that information that causes us grief.

The most important thing in our lives, according to Tolle and many others (though different words or pointers may be used to make this point), is our state of consciousness right here, right now. Our ultimate goal is to stay awake but our intermediate and more realistic  goal is to wake up when we fall asleep. And we will fall asleep again and again. 

Unconsciousness

The untrained and easily distracted  mind will drag us into worry, complaint and drama.  It will pull us  into its snowball momentum and we will get lost in it.  It will tell us that whatever we got going on is more important than staying present and foolishly we will believe it as we are dragged along.  We will forget that we are  spacious presence and that the moment is the only Life we have.  This is where we slip into unconsciousness.

The Practice of Awakening

The practice, then,  involves waking up from sleep again and again until we stop losing consciousness all together.  It is not  just something we practice when we are seated for  meditation but something we practice every single hour of every single day.  We need to watch our minds constantly to observe when they are sliding down the Glascow Coma Scale. It is much easier to shake yourself awake  when you just begin to doze off, than it is to try to wake yourself up from deep unconsciousness.


Have an idea of how your mind works.

 Are you present?  Do you stay present(peaceful, calm, centered and clear) regardless of what is going on around you or "to" you?

How often do you feel stressed, irritable, depressed or annoyed during the day? Are you attracting into your life more of the same?

Do you chase after your thoughts and feelings like they were squirrels? If so, how often do you chase and what types of thoughts do you chase?

Do you find yourself reacting in defense and attack mode more so than responding with kindness to the behaviour of others or in the face of unfavorable life events? What triggers you to do so? What kinds of situations are you more likely to 'react unconsciously' to? What kind of people do you struggle to be peaceful around?

How often do you catch yourself straying and how easy is it to bring yourself back?  This will be the best marker for determining your learning and growth in this area. The more you are aware of your "thinking" and the less challenging it is for you to bring yourself back to the present moment, the closer you are to mastering the practice.

If you are still 'reacting' frequently, still feeling "upset" a lot, don't fret.  Don't attack yourself or struggle against your thinking and feeling.  Relax into the uncomfortable reminders and be grateful for the signs 'continued suffering' offer. Distress tells you that you are still unconscious or  falling asleep.  Use it as an alarm clock for waking yourself up.

The Classroom  is "out there"

The biggest part of the learning does not occur when you are on the meditation cushion, it occurs when you are out there dealing with Life and dealing with others.  Our relationships offer prime learning opportunity.We are going to find ourselves around people all the time.  Watch yourself as you are relating. 

How do you feel around this person or that person?  How does your body feel?  What are you thinking?

What is going on around you? How are the people around you feeling and behaving?  If you find yourself around  a number of angry people, there is a good chance you are angry.  If you find yourself around a group of peaceful people, there is a good chance you are feeling peaceful and centered, that you are present. 


Dealing with "Difficult"  People

Emotions, remember are energies. We are often drawn toward the same frequency that matches our own.  If you don't believe me, just observe it in your own life.  When you are feeling good and balanced, what kinds of people show up in your life?  When you are having a hell of a day and feeling miserable what kind of people and life events do you attract?


Who really "ticks you off"? What do they say or do that gets to you?  Why? What tender spots in you are they or their behaviour hitting?

Of Primary Importance

The point is that no matter what people or things are doing around you...:
What is of primary importance in every situation is the level of consciousness. Stay conscious.
(Eckhart Tolle)

Make staying awake more important than getting the last word, or sticking up for yourself, or being right, or putting him or her in their place. No matter how they are acting, no matter what terrible things they may be saying about you or someone you care for, no matter how "evil" and cruel they seem to be...the most important thing is to stay peaceful, to stay present.

Just remember that they are simply unconscious.  They have slipped away from who they really are too but who they really are is still there beneath the undesirable behaviour.  Remember that.

Also know that their egos and pain bodies may be trying real hard to lure you into the drama, into a reaction.  This is what unconscious minds  do. And your mind that has a tendency to like drama...the more negative the better...might be telling you to go for it...but don't. 

Take a step back, breathe and begin again (this is what I have taught my students as the 3 B's of responding) .  Don't suppress the emotion or a need for action if it is there.  Respond by all means, not from an egoic reactive state but from the calm, peaceful presence that will handle things much better than your reactive mind ever could.

So be aware of how your mind works.  Watch it carefully and learn to respond from presence when dealing with situations and others that seem to be "getting on your nerves."

Make staying conscious your priority.

Hold the frequency of presence no matter what.

If you can stay conscious...you will offer your calm centered presence to the world when it needs it most.

All is well.

Eckhart Tolle (2019) Awakening From Self Talk.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsB7f_pXu6I