Emotion Is the Mind Seeking Time and Separation ~ Katie Davis, Author, "Awake Joy"

The human being is in constant search for stable happiness, whether one is conscious of the fact or not.

This search is often objective in that most still believe that their happiness depends on other people, life circumstances, professions, possessions or some other.

When the ego gets what it wants, it is relatively happier. For just one moment, it senses the illusion of completion and it finally rests free of desire. Yet, true fulfillment is not a possibility for a fraction. For the ego, completion is a delusion, since partiality can never be whole.

For the mind-made self, happiness soon wanes. Sooner or later, discontentment in the form of desire once again arises, since it still senses lack and the life situation within time is in constant change.

Further, the ego senses that it is separate from "those" people and its life circumstances. It is therefore under constant threat of loss or hoping for future gain. Most every moment is used as a means to some ego end.

When the ego does not get what it wants, it judges the situation and then blames someone else. The result is usually disappointment from false expectations or personal intention. My will vs. your will consistently ends in pain and suffering for all involved. Once again, we have the delusion of separation and its inherent opposition.

Of course, stable unhappiness is just as impossible as enduring relative happiness, since within time the life situation changes. When our happiness depends on other situations, our emotions fluctuate and follow our judgment.

Virtually everything within the world of form comes and goes. Everything is impermanent. When we seek permanence within impermanence, we suffer; whether we are seeking pleasure or trying to avoid pain.

Again, the life situation is in constant flux. Happiness will surely cycle to unhappiness and after certain duration, we will cycle to happiness. Furthermore, both polarities are dependent upon something or someone externally. In this manner, we are subject to the unending push and pull of ever changing emotions.

With certain maturity, we at last begin taking responsibility for our emotions. Our attention shifts to what is genuinely going on within us. When we watch carefully, we note that it is actually our judgment of people and situations that is causing our emotional changes.

That judgment is based on past experience and our conditioned likes and dislikes. In other words, the negativity is based on time and the suffering is actually self-inflicted. For the ego, everything would be alright, if only everyone else would just change.

This is an opportunity to be gentle and allow compassion, love and deeper understanding through watching our thoughts and how they are directly related to our emotions.

Unfortunately, the ego is more likely to cast its judgment and guilt upon itself. In resistance, it tries to change its thoughts into better ones in the hope that happiness will improve somewhat. For the ego "I," love and joy are always in the future, however never possible right now.

Even with positive thinking, within time everything changes. Nonetheless, this self-improvement project is actually quite important, since it is finally exhausted! Patience and tolerance emerge and we begin realizing that the emotional highs and lows are actually one continuum and only time separates them. In this, we begin waking up out of time.

Resistance transforms into surrender and acceptance as we begin allowing what is. The joy of being consciously emerges and spiritual awakening may be drawing near.

Every positive and negative emotion is based on the mind's idea of time and separation. By merely noticing, you will realize that all emotion is the result of memory, imagination and anticipation. All are factors of the time-based mind, that still believes that its identity is separate and exists within the mind's time.

It is not that we are attempting to avoid emotion or escape. That would be the mind's resistance and fear. In fact, by welcoming them, feeling them fully, observing how they operate in relationship to the mind that we are able to transcend psychological pain. You might in fact perceive that most of the suffering is within the resistance and in your imagination of how deep that emptiness might be. When we inquire into the depth of these emotions, it is the birthing of true compassion. It is also the realization of what lies beneath.

Of course, you are always welcome to continue surfing the waves of emotion, while the mind assists the spin or ... rest as the abode of wise love. 

The resolution is to realize the perfection that you are genuinely right now. You are completely beyond the mind and its emotional aspect; human emotion.

Unconditional love and pure joy are here right now and they are absolutely indestructible. They are dependent on nothing and caused by nothing. It is essentially who you timelessly are. The extraordinary opportunity is to realize what is already deep within, without trying to change a single thing.

You are the silence of the Heart that makes all things possible. This realization is complete fulfillment and effortlessly transforms the life situation. Rather, we are able to directly realize what truly is right now. You are inseparable from the Heart this very moment.

There is nothing wrong with you.

~ The question is who are who really right now? ~

Katie Davis Website www.KatieDavis.org

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Emotional Takeovers ~ Katie Davis, Author, "Awake Joy"

When we shift attention from compulsive thinking into the physical body, we become more aware of how we are feeling emotionally. The emotion that we are currently feeling is always a perfect reflection of our thinking.

The mind is more than our superficial thoughts. It also includes unconscious patterns, mindsets and tendencies. They may never surface in the form of an observable thought, so it may seem difficult or even impossible to bring them into consciousness.

Yet, the body is the perfect tool. If you are willing to feel the body, it never lies. We bring the feeling or emotion into the light of consciousness and simply allow it to be. I am not suggesting that you try to change anything. That is resistance and just another form of violence that will perpetuate more negativity.

Neither do we need to analyze or interpret "why" the feeling is here or "what" the feeling means. The analyzing and interpreting mind is a good tool for many things, yet not the right tool for Self-realization.

When the emotion is allowed, we are no longer controlled by it, just like when we are watching our thoughts, they can no longer use us. We no longer have emotional takeovers. Instead, we are the witnessing presence that allows everything to be as it is.

This witnessing is a harmonizing and unifying factor. In the light of attention, the darkness of negativity cannot prevail.

I am not proposing that you act the emotion out. That is the emotional takeover that will more likely than not cause another emotional reaction; causing more suffering for you and others. Nor am I speaking of repression. Repression is a form of resistance that perpetuates suffering. I am only suggesting that you consciously feel the emotion in the body and allow it to be. Be the space within which it is appearing.

In your willingness to fully feel the body, all that remains unconscious within you will be revealed until all that remains is the simple joy of being ... and that is love.

Katie Davis Website www.KatieDavis.org

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Awareness of Being Movement Meditation by Katie Davis, Author, "Awake Joy"

You are here now and the eyes are reading. Are you also aware of the breathing? How delicate the air feels as it moves in and out your nose! Breathing is effortlessly happening all by itself. Just rest here for a moment and be relaxed and yet alert. Take a deep breath ... and just allow the body to relax a bit little more. No need to rush on with reading or all the other things of the day or evening. Is it possible to stop a moment?

Do you note that silent space at the end of each exhale? Are you aware of it? Just listen to it for a moment. When I say listen, perhaps listen with every cell of the body. That silent and still space at the end of each breath is an opening into organic being. There is no doorway to open, it already is. Are you noticing this?

Are you aware of the simplicity of being? Did anyone ever have to teach you this fundamental sense of "I am?"  We may at sometime become confused with all of its attachments or extensions, such as I am a mother, I am angry, I am afraid or whatever the case may be. Right now, I am just pointing out that while all the roles, names, circumstances and descriptions change ... the "I am" is consistently the same. Not ... "I am this" ... or "I am that," ... solely "I am."

It may seem to some that these words, "I am," are only mental and therefore they seem flat and superficial. However, I am not pointing to the head. I am asking you to truly sense the aliveness that is existence. How does the body feel, when you are conscious of being? Just allow attention to rest as being. We are not trying to go anywhere or achieve anything. Watching is always enough.

Are you inwardly quiet right now?

Thoughts and emotions are welcome here as well. One could say that they are just Heart Friends passing through. Yet, I am not asking you to follow them. I am asking you to attend only the feeling sense of being that is within the body.

If the thoughts and feelings begin clouding the inner space, no worries. We allow that to be here as well. We are only being present with what is. In case you haven't noticed, thoughts and sensations always move on. They do so on their own accord. Trying to stop or control them is not the way. Just let go.

We are passively watching and relaxed, yet profoundly alert. What the thoughts are saying is not really important. Watch the analyzing and interpreting mind trying to go to work to figure out the thought content, judge and therefore try to change them or define what the thoughts means. So, we are just present with that as well ... and nothing more.

Since we are watching the thoughts, emotions and sensations, we are able to maintain a certain equanimity, so that we do not get carried away with them. Instead of jumping into the river of thought, it is more like just resting on the bank. The thoughts are more like autumn leaves floating on the surface of the river as they flow downstream and soon each one disappears. Then, we are present with that. Instead of attaching to thoughts or identifying with them, we allow them. We detach from them, so that they are free to go.

Are you still aware of organice being right now?

As you click out of this window, are you able to continuously be aware of being as you prepare this evening's meal or drive home from work? This is a simple movement meditation without anything to manipulate or become.

Katie Davis Website www.katiedavis.org

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I Love Heart Movies! ~ Just for Fun ~ Reflections of the Greater Awakening?

Below is a list of a few movies that I have enjoyed that are reflections (some more, some less) of the greater awakening story.

I notice today that most are comedy films and so perhaps this is a reminder that one need not take the daytime dream so seriously and that a sense of humor might indeed become handy during the awakening to the dream process; especially when observing the insanity of the dual mind.

Since I LOVE movies of the Heart, if you have a moment, I would appreciate your additional suggestions! :-)

Just the title of the movie is fine or you are welcome to share a comment why you feel this movie is a good parallel or reflection of the greater awakening or perhaps it is that radiant stillness became more consciously present through the sheer beauty ... as stillness IS ... sometime it writes and speaks in a mystical manner that carries the perfume of the deeper dimension ... that is beyond the superficial story.

Perhaps you have rented them for entertainment and as you watched, you began wondering whether the screenwriter either consciously or intuitively was using the movie it as a metaphor for spiritual awakening or was indicating a shift in consciousness.

Some of the movies, I watched before the awakening (now 23 years ago, so some are quite old!). When I watched them after the awakening, it was so surprising and quite humorous to discover that I had previously missed the truer storyline altogether!

Of course, none is more fascinating and adventuresome than the daytime dream of infinite possibilities that spontaneously plays day in and day out that some refer to as the "ordinary" life. It displays right before us as a mirror and can be free of the "star" of the show!

These are all Wikipedia links. Some trailers are on YouTube.

The Truman Show (Jim Carrey)

(Comedy) Even the title reflects the True-Man story. This is probably the best movie I have ever seen that reflects the entire awakening process; from the shift from real to the unreal and finally beyond, the unnoticed intermittent "commercials" point to the dream's unreality, the all powerful "movie director" above the stage setting dropping a stage light almost on Truman's head, the shift to self-observation, witnessing, sailing the sea of samsara (suffering) and finally falling out of his tiny boat of false identity to "walk on water" until Truman bumps into the screen upon which the movie is cast, opens the door and exits the dream to freedom.

The Wizard of Oz (produced in 1939!) (Judy Garland)

(Musical ~ Based on a children's novel published in 1900) Dorothy's dream-state throughout the movie, "don't pay any attention to that little man behind the curtain," the search for the Heart, the mind, courage in the search and the yearning and longing to "go home." The beginning is in black and white and then transforms into full color as they adventure toward "freedom." In the end, Dorothy merely wakes up and discovers that she had only been dreaming.

Being John Malcovich (John Cusack), Cameron Diaz, John Malcovich)

(Comedy) John Cusack gets spontaneously "sucked" into a vacuum that is the void located behind a secret door in an office (story) that is on a half-sized floor (the small daytime dream) and lands inside the head of John Malcovich. Here he is a witness to John Malcovich's dream reality. Each time, John Cusack is suddenly cast out of the dream, shoots into the air and lands outside beside the freeway; much as those who get a glimpse of the "real" suddenly fall asleep again in the dream and the ego begins a hopeless and almost addictive search to grasp it once again. I enjoyed the representation of oneness or unity consciousness when John Malcovich begins seeing John Malocvich everywhere; the diner, the waiter, even the menu items. Touches on reincarnation.

I Heart Huckabees (Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman)

(Comedy) Commercial exploitation by being asleep in the dream, Albert contacts two existential detectives (Tomlin and Hoffman) to realize what he calls "universal connectivity" that coincides with transcendentalism. The detectives spy on Albert, so he is always being watched (the witness). Albert learns how to disconnect his inner being from the problematic life situation, drama, misery and meaningless; climbing the ladder to pseudo-power to synthesize a non-thinking state of pure being. Albert "attains" enlightenment and the cosmic truth of everything. "We bring our own chains to human existence."

Pleasantville (Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire)

Fighting over the remote that controls the black and white television (daytime dream), Reese and Tobey "disappear" into the television and emerge in another black and white daytime dream reality named Pleasantville that is isolated from the rest of the world. The teens are unable to return to the "old world." A type of sexual revolution in Pleasantville begins as the characters discover sexuality and after their encounters, they emerge as full color beings, rather than as they were previously in black and white. I took this as perhaps a more commercially popular compromise to what might have been truly encountered ... the full color bloom of true love; such as when you get out of your mind and into the body, it seems like the body is sensing for the very first time and everything seems so vibrant and alive. The people in Pleasantville then begin to revel in new creative passions, new freedoms and hidden abilities. As the people transform, so does the world transform, as the entire environment begins to emerge in alive, full color.

Trivia question of the day ... are there others that you might recommend?


Katie Davis Website www.katiedavis.org 

The Self-observer and the Universal Witness by Katie Davis, Author, Awake Joy

In these teachings, I differentiate between the person (body), the self-observer (eyewitness) and the true witnessing consciousness that is the reference point "I am the witness only."

The self-observer is still identified with the body. Attention has shifted from projecting outward toward the world and has turned inward. The study is one of watching thoughts, emotions, body, physical energies and mental images. While it may seem that one is "inside," being inside the body is not yet inside. I guess we could say there is an inside to the inside! :-)

You see, the appearance of the body is also another worldly object. It is still a part of the dream of form. Self-observation is essential to the awakening process, yet this watching is not the witness.

At some point, a profound and radical detachment from both body and world will occur and this opens to the true witnessing consciousness. Some mistaken this with enlightenment since pure being-consciousness-bliss is so dynamically at the forefront.

The subject witness ... the true witness ... is totally free of the person. It is formless and has no identification with person and form. Its study is formlessness. It still has its object, but the object is the "dimension" of the Heart. While it is perfect for crossing over from the world of form into formlessness, it prevents Self-realization.

Once again, the profound surrender will happen by itself when the persistent duality is noticed. In the disappearance of the subject-witness, we have Self-realization.

Continued Self-inquiry will assist ... even when one is totally free of the ego and the body.

While the universal subject-witness is free of form, it is not yet free of the universal mind. In fact, it IS the universal mind. Nisargadatta calls the universal witness "God." In these teachings, I save that label for only the Supreme Absolute.

Since this is a "seasoned" group, I must quickly add of course that the Absolute (Self) is all there is ... everything "else" is only Self ... appearing as.

So why differentiate? Advaita is more than a philosophy, it is in fact a perfect road map. If there is not clarity at point A, point B will remain a mystery, etc. The outer layer of the onion is peeled to reveal the next layer. There cannot be clarity of what an onion truly is ... other than conceptually with mind ... unless each layer is realized.

Likewise, we shift from reference point to reference point until none remain.

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Presence is Natural ~ Katie Davis, Author, Awake Joy

Presence is natural and does not require anything more. In other words, Self-realization is not an attainment or something you strive for. This Being-Consciousness-Bliss that you are is ever-present. It is right now.

The situation seems to be that a the thought “I” arises. In the old world, out of habit alone, we misidentified with the concept of "me” that is the “I am the body” idea. When this misidentification takes place, the “dreaming” I has extraordinary pulling power and suddenly all the other thoughts appear. So the thoughts are really not problematic. It is our misidentification that is at issue.

“I” is just another word. Where is the word pointing? We were taught that it was pointing to the body. This is true on a relative level of course. But is it true that your identity is limited to the body? I say this is not so, but this will be for your direct investigation. It requires huge curiosity, because you want to know the ultimate Truth. Ideas and concepts remain philosophical … instead we need to notice directly through direct experience.

When this misidentification with the “I” thought occurs, a veil drops and we are unable to be conscious of the being-consciousness-bliss that we are. To remove the veil, it requires that you seek this “I.”

Sit quietly for a few moments right now. Just close your eyes and be aware of how exquisite the air feels as it moves in and out your nose.

Then ask this question, “Who am I?” and listen with every cell in the body. We are not looking for a thought in reply. If a thought arises, such as “I am my given name”, ask the question again, aware of your breath, “Who am I?”

That question alone with lift the veil to perfect peace. Where is this thought arising?

It is beautiful to practice being present. The best tool for this is attending the breath. Breathing is always occurring right now and the present moment is the portal to the perfect peace within.

The body’s sensing is another tool. What do you hear right now? Do you smell anything? The body is part of the content of the present moment and therefore the key to the inner body.

But let’s take this a step further. The “I” that is practicing is the ego, the separate sense of self that needs more time and experience to realize. This is actually a postponement strategy of the ego. The more appropriate question might be, who is practicing? Who am I?

You are aware when you are driving your car, aware when you are shopping, aware when falling asleep. Are you aware that you are always aware? You are this Pure Awareness that is closer and more intimate to you than the body. YOU are appearing within this Awareness. You ARE this Pure Awareness. Another word for Pure Awareness is Presence.

So we are naturally present all day long during everything that is being done. However, most often, we get carried aware by compulsive thinking and lost in the thought stream in the head, instead of consciously being in the body.

The resolution?

1. Bring the “I” thought home by asking “Who am I?“ and then truly listen.

2. Are you aware of breathing?

3. Are you aware of sensing.

It does not take much effort to become aware of breathing all day long. It is always happening in every day life.

This is a first step and perhaps even unwise to move forward from here. Eventually the outward going mind (on its own accord) will remain within the Heart.

Of course eyes are looking outward, the body is functioning and sensing as it does, we are just deeply at rest … being still … while the body does what it does.

Body movement and activity can become Zen-like. During the morning shower, be aware of every movement. If there is a set habitual routine, change it. How does the soap feel as you pick it up in your hands? How does the water feel? Are you breathing? You become consciously present without rushing to the future about anything. Even if you are rushing, we are consciously present with that.

You soon find that the real effort is the misidentification with thought, having to maintain all of the ego’s ideas; constant thinking is exhausting! Day in and day out, how tiring is it to maintain the story of "me?"

When we misidentify with “I”, we move into time and space and then are caught in the world of duality. Relative happiness will eventually cycle to the opposite duality of sadness. Sadness will once again within time cycle to happiness. Neither are stable … where the Bliss and unending Joy are permanent.

Now, don’t go looking for it. You ARE it! When you are seeking, it cannot be found, which is why I say be STILL and notice what truly already is.

Katie's book, "Awake Joy: The Essence of Enlightenment," is available by clicking:

Awake Joy

You Are the Goal of Self-realization ~ Katie Davis, Author, Awake Joy

You are the peace and bliss that you are seeking. You are the Self that you have been searching for. You cannot deny that you exist. Is this not so? Are you being right now? That existence is pure consciousness.

The notion of a goal is a false idea. A goal indicates that there is something to become such as some new attainment. It is only the ego that is in constant search. However, when we seek the dreaming "I" (ego), it is nowhere to be found. Surrender the ego and there is only pure consciousness.

The ego and evermore subtle layers of the intellect are like armor that only appear to obscure that which forever shines; much like clouds that block the sun. Even when ignorance seems to be appearing in the life situation as unhappiness or discontentment, there is something that is AWARE of it. You are that pure awareness. You are already THIS right now and at home as Pure Being.

The entire seeking process is a postponement strategy of ego. The mind-made self will always require more time and experience, since it cannot function without time. Remove the dreaming "I" and you will realize the perfect peace that is beyond understanding. The false perceptions of time and space are only due to the divided mind. That division and separation are also false notions. It will be seen that nothing has ever been anything other than pure consciousness.

The Self will never be realized in an objective manner. For example, if you have lost your eyeglasses, you may search for this object all over your home. That is an objective search. Since you ARE the bliss of Self, it is impossible to discover it as something separate from you. We can only BE the Self. You are being that now. Remove the false notion that you are not Self-realized and you will realize that which is already realized within you. What you realize is the mistake; the mistakened identity.

The appearance of unconsciousness will continue to rise for awhile. You do not need to become involved with it or change anything. Being aware of it, you look directly and recognize it as false as it burns into consciousness.

In the end, it is seen that ignorance never existed, but the delusion must be directly noticed. Ignorance appears to come and go, while you remain the permanent awareness. Pure being IS ... whether with form or without form. Pure Awareness and its being-consciousness-bliss are eternal which means it must be here now.

Katie Davis is author of Awake Joy: The Essence of Enlightenment:.

Awake Joy is a unique and comprehensive guide to awakening to the new state of consciousness that is currently emerging on this planet. It points to the discovery of the radiant joy that is beyond the thinking mind, the separate sense of self, its idea of separation and identification with form.

Awake Joy is meant to be your companion throughout your life’s journey to true and lasting fulfillment. It will be a trusted resource again and again throughout the years. This A-Z handbook stands free of concepts, philosophy and eastern jargon to point clearly and pragmatically for those who are ready to surrender suffering for themselves, their relationships, their families, the schools, the workplace, the world’s religions and the world.

"A powerhouse of a book! Katie Davis has captured the uncapturable: a clear view of enlightenment ... in plain English. Bravo!"
~ Chris McCombs, Author, Delicious Silence, Beloved, Lover's Road

To read more reviews or purchase Awake Joy click:

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Katie Davis Website: www.katiedavis.org

What is Satchitananda? by Katie Davis, Author, Awake Joy

When speaking of awakening and Self-realization, we often hear the Sanskrit term "satchitananda" or being-consciousness-bliss.

Reality is alway Real. It never changes and is free of names and forms. It is the only enduring, supreme Reality ... and you are That.

You are beyond your given name, beyond "me and my thoughts," "me and my emotions," "me and my form."

You are the single immanent Reality and it is being experienced within you right now. The question, are you conscious of it?

When speaking, I often refer to this Reality as the Self, Essence, Heart, Pure Awareness or Pure I. They are only words that point to the supreme principle that is ever shining within and available for direct realization.

The Self is pure being and this being is not personal. The Reality is also conscious, so we speak of Pure Consciousness. The direct experience of this Pure Consciousness is unbroken happiness, uncaused joy and Pure Bliss.

While being-consciousness-bliss may appear to be separate attributes of the Reality, this is not true. It is one homogeneous field of intelligence that is absolutely inseparable from who you are.

My invitation is to be still and notice what is shining deep within.

Sundance Burke - Feeling of Being Alive

Sundance Burke, author, Free Spirit, speaks of the Feeling of Being Alive that is associated with spiritual awakening and enlightenment on the Never Now Here television show. Enjoy the entire Free Awakening Videos Library on spiritual awakening, enlightenment, advaita, nonduality, meditation and spirituality at www.SundanceBurke.org.

Pure Awareness, Being Consciousness Bliss, the Fear of Death, Pointers and Practices by Katie Davis

Question:

As you have always said, I hear the call of the wild, not only the calling of Heart, but physically a call to the wilderness in the mountains. There has been much deepening and in the end, I only seem to know of less and less. I don't seem to really know anything! It doesn’t happen much any more, but sometimes I get caught up in sadness and I invite it to sit for as long as it seems to stay. Other times, a strange fear of death is playing. Instead of falling into the abyss, I am taking off for the wilderness to go camping and to just be alone. Could you offer some pointers or practices for during this time?

Katie Davis:

You are moving right to the edge of the cliff. For awhile, maybe you are feeling a bit vulnerable and precarious, but what a relief to finally say, I don't know! You don't know what you are looking at, you don’t know where you are going, and you don’t know who you are or even what is. “I don’t know.” Perfect! In this, you are sitting in the mystery, watching in wonderment as everything and everyone comes and goes; whether within or without.

We are conditioned to fixate on all of the objects that we see. Instead, letting all of the circumstances and life situations simple pass by. They appear and then they disappear. Be faithful to that flame in your Heart of all hearts.

This flame is the place of deep vigilance. It is a feeling of prayer; it is objectless worship and it is sacred. Perhaps we could call it adoration. Being vigilance is being devotion, until there is no longer any perception that there is "someone" who is separate from Truth. Be patiently and sweetly vigilant until the emotional pain body no longer has its way. You will see that you are not separate from Truth. You are the Infinite. Meet this divinity face to face … by simply being.

While you are camping alone, you will have the opportunity to observe your sleep. In a way, when we move into deep sleep, it is similar to dying and yet, we all adore it! In deep sleep, there is no point of reference (no you), no sense perceptions, not even a perception of the body. This is the bliss of deep sleep. Be aware of the many stages of consciousness as the body is going to sleep and aware of the stages as the body begins waking up. Right before the body stirs awake, the awareness that you are is purely being-consciousness-bliss; free of body consciousness. This is a brief passage, but it can be noticed. Then the body appears. Then suddenly the world appears.

I love the level of surrender that you are reporting. We used to get an idea of how we want our life to be and then we try to force life to be how we want it. We resist what is and try to bend life into our personal concept of life. We think that we are this independent entity and then try to get people to agree with our concept. When there is disagreement, there is usually fighting about it. All the while, life is passing and offering you everything. I wonder how it would be to be totally free of "me?"

This perception of yourself, as you used to think that you were, is surrendering. You used to believe that you were your thoughts, your emotions and your body. This preoccupation can only continue as long as you feed it. You have stopped feeding your mind and the related emotions. Now, simply wait and see without expectation, the destiny of this life.

Let the clouds of emotion pass by. The sky doesn't care about the passing clouds. You are the sky. You are not an individual looking up at the sky, you are the sky looking down at the appearance of body (ultimately, that isn't even true!). You are the sky of being. Isn't that beautiful?! This is a great contemplation for you as you sit restfully in the wilderness.

If suffering does begin to rise, it is a signpost that you are out of the moment. Stop for a moment and be vigilant to this flame in your heart. If you are looking to any past moment and trying to heal it, you are missing right now, where you are already whole, radiant and complete. If you are glancing to the future, where you hope to get such and such, in order to be happy, you are missing right now, which is always offering supreme happiness and the deepest joy of human experience. Often this game of past projecting a future will squeeze the moment of now out of conscious existence; well out of perception. The only place where true life takes place is right now. A life lived in the now is filled with joy and adventure. It is time to stop practicing for life. You can't practice for life. Live is right now. If you are practicing, you are not truly living.

So on this trip, instead of watching your mind be acutely present with whatever is. That attention stills compulsive thinking. While you are driving, notice an apple dangling on a tree that you are passing by; an apple on a sturdy, well rooted tree that bends with the wind; or a pretty crystal hanging from the rear view mirror in the car in front of you; every facet reflects the light. Concurrently, you are in devotion to that which does not move and that which is eternally present. Just let the Flame of Being burn naturally in your heart … as it always is. Awakening can be an ease of recognition. If you look directly, you will notice that life is now and that is is just naturally so. Wherever you are, the Flame is burning.

There are many great insights and profound experiences on this path, but to try to recreate them is a mistake. These revelations are part of that which comes and goes. Just let them go without the effort of holding on. When you are holding on, you miss it. Or maybe, you are contemplating a past, painful loss. Let the experience pass by without the fixation, preoccupation, compulsion and obsession. Instead, sit in not knowing, grounded in the now, Flame burning. Be true to That. Be That.

Have a wonderful trip. What an adventure. It is a blessing to see this willingness to surrender.

Katie Davis Website: www.katiedavis.org

Surrender, Resistance and Conflict by Katie Davis, Author, "Awake Joy"

Questioner: I want to share something that happened the day after Friday's Satsang. I had quite the day on Saturday. i was in the coaching seminar and the discussion was around our "inner saboteurs" Various people were sharing and I decided to share my feelings. I mentioned quite simply that I found that having/being invested in an "I identity" importance of "my Story" was the major detriment in my life and that allowing the possibility of being "nobody" was liberating.

A woman on the otherside of the room declared that this made no sense and was off topic, the group leader said few people and only "enlightened" masters can "achieve" such a state and moved on before I could finish.

This didn't feel right and the woman next to me felt this and we were sharing notes about this. Another woman across the room said we were distracting her by writing notes to each other.

I thanked her for noticing and said that there was an issue unresolved and I confronted the leader about not honoring the gift I was sharing and that his view on being truly who we are wasn't based upon an impossibility.

At this point the room went wild with intense energy and a woman panicked and said things were out of control and picked up her belongs and left and then other women went to console her.

For an hour there was chaos and it was directed primarily towards me as an agent of provocation. I sat with this energy and spent the rest of the day with a huge feeling in my chest and witnessing the projections in the room and changes in people towards me.

I was exhausted last night and couldn't get out of bed to go to the last day of this "movie"; my body wouldn't let me.

Today I am spending the day in silence, alone, writing and being nobody.

Katie: By now, your day of silence, being alone, writing and being nobody has paid off! Sometimes when we are in deep satsang, the life situation provides the immediate, perfect circumstances to ‘practice’ being only the Heart. Papaji once said that when someone awakens, every “demon” in the universe shows up to call us back to ego.

Only you know for certain whether you were in temptation to energetically react to the situation or in acceptance of what was and then followed by action. Energetically, there is a huge difference between the two. Your opportunity was to accept the situation, first and foremost … free of resistance and judgment. You still may have followed with appropriate action, but the non-resistance is primary. When we judge and resist, we suffer and the situation generally will escalate into more suffering and reaction/resistance from the other. Obviously, your intention was to simply share something useful. Someone reacted and that reaction/resistance was their work. How you receive the reaction is your work and only you can have the clarity of the situation. I know that you are familiar with the principles of surrender … allowing what is. In addition, we need to surrender the ‘I’ since that is prior. When we are truly nobody, there is no one here for reactions to stick to. It is as though you are transparent and rude comments simply pass freely by … perhaps even with a sense of compassion for the ‘other person’ who is identified with ego and therefore living in separation and limitation. Being the power, that is, resting in being, we are impervious to the conditional existence. Our inner space remains open, unprotected and free, regardless of any life circumstance.

In the end, I would also like to point out that the life situation is always a mirror of what is occurring within you. It is a self-projection. When we recognize this, it is our inner work. Trying to fix the mirror is impossible. Like I said at satsang, it is like waking up in the morning and looking in our bathroom mirror and then trying to comb our hair in the mirror. That would be impossible and we just wouldn’t even try. The mirror of the life situation is only a reflection of what is. So we have a willingness to look within to discover if any resistance persists or if there is anything more to surrender.

Stop telling the stories and discover who the storyteller is. Blessings to your work and this amazing journey to the Heart … that you already are.

Katie Davis Website: www.katiedavis.org

Awake Living and Economics by Katie Davis, Author, "Awake Joy"

Questioner: Thank you so much for your presence. Your words and being touch the heart deeply and I want to be able to live this truth in my life. You talk about the present and the infinite joy that we are. How to embody this reality in the midst of the struggle for an economic survival. How to trust and accept what is there in the moment, when is difficult to fulfill the basic needs in the material world? If we are not separate, if we are the totality, how can it be translated to the practicality of life? It seems that is easy to feel that spirituality, when there is no problem about money, specially in a world that requires so much of money even to partake spiritual guidance. Perhaps your reflection can bring a new and different way to aproach to this matter.

Katie: The only answer to your question is to realize who you really are. Your given name is the name of the body and your sense of individuality, but it is not your identity. This is the core of awakening. When you say "I", it is only a mental concept and when you were very small, your parents taught you, innocently enough, that "I" is limited to the body. This is not so and it only requires your direct investigation to discover whether this is true. We bring our attention to the present moment and we pay attention to the body's sensing. This sensing allows us to be more present, which is the portal to the inner body ... the inner sanctum of the Heart; our sacredness that is joyfully abundant. It also encourages us to be more now, if we are aware of our breathing.

The sense of lack that is appearing in your life is not the result of economics. Please imagine for a moment that you actually are the Heart that is infinitely abundant, cosmically intelligent and absolutely inseparable from all that you see. Then through some massive diminishment, you think that you are a tiny fraction of the Totality and limited to your given name that is the body. This is not so, but you cannot take my word for it. It requires that you examine the truth of what I am saying. The only essential question is, "If I am not limited to my given name, then who am I? When you discover that the idea of "me" is false, your investigation shifts deeper. Who you actually are is closer and more intimate to you than the word "I" and closer to you than even your own body. It doesn't exclude "you and the body." It is just that you are just so much more! Upon realization of the Heart, who you really are, the perception of lack disappears. The idea of separation is realized as virtually unattainable. We then rest as our wholeness with a sense of simple receptivity (not knowing). We surrender to the Heart that we truly are and Life just seems to live us.

Once again, the center of attention much be directly right now. You may have had financial problems in the past, but that past no longer exists when we are present. You may have financial concerns in the future (based on the past), but the future is not here now. The focus is on being the now and the present moment awareness is crucial. The mind would like to carry you into many future concerns and anxieties. However, in the present moment, there is never a problem. Do you have a problem right now? Any thought that comes up, if you will notice is about the future and not precisely right now. Isn't this true? Focus your total attention in this precise moment and you will notice that your body's sensing becomes so much more alive. Be where the body is rather than riding any train of thought into suffering. You are then HERE and present to receive.

I might point out that the form in which life provides is never quite what the mind thinks. For instance, if you needed money for groceries in order to eat, perhaps a neighbor would arrive with vegetables from the garden. Our job is to be totally present, keenly now and discover who we really are. Awake living is realizing that the practicalities of life are handled by the greater Life, when we are in alignment with the now and resting as the Heart of all being.

When the worries about money come up, please recognize that you are traveling in time. Time = suffering. Instead of continuing to tell the painful story that causes the pain, stop and bring your attention to the present moment. Who is worrying? "I am." Who is suffering? "I am." Who is the storyteller? "I am." We cannot keep telling the painful story and get rid of the pain. Instead, discover who "I" is.

Katie Davis Website: www.katiedavis.org