In our long human history of storytelling, there have been great beings with awe-inspiring stories that reveal the victory of self-discovery. What inspires us about these great ones is that somehow their lives turned toward and then reflected the sublime discovery of everlasting truth. I invite you to let your story be a contribution to the universal revelation of self-discovery, expressed uniquely as you.
This invitation is not as outrageous as it may initially appear. Even the greatest saints and realized beings had much that was ordinary in their life stories. They had pain and failure. Like us, they knew self-doubt and setbacks. When we are willing to recognize what was ordinary about those people, we can more fully embrace the possibility of our own lives turning toward and then reflecting direct and endless discovery of oneself.
It is possible to see underneath and inside your story. We have learned how to present ourselves, carefully covered both for protection and deception. To the degree that we are unaware of what is free inside us -- regardless of our presentations -- we suffer. As you either peel the layers off your story, or see through these layers, you stand naked to yourself, in silent awareness.
The thought of being naked to oneself can generate fear. Most of us are aware that we have a multitude of flaws, and to be fully naked brings with it the possibility of discovering yet more. We have both skillfully and unconsciously learned to cover our perceived flaws with layer upon layer of storytelling. Our internal images and narratives are only made of pictures and thoughts, but they wield mighty power. We may know them to be at least in part untrue, but most likely we fear that what is covered needs to be covered.
We have become practiced at maintaining the threads of our overlapping story lines, and we work to cover the unraveling holes that life persistently reveals. This is steady work, requiring our attention day and night. In an instant, if only for an instant, we can stop. When we are exhausted with our labor of covering what we fear we are, we can stop covering. When we are curious about what is unchanging in the midst of constant change, we can stop giving all our attention to what changes. When we are called to a life beyond our imagination, beyond our ability to construct, we can stop constructing our life. It is at this point that we discover that any thought of ourselves is only a thread that contributes to the weaving of a story, and that thread can be released. In this release we find the strength to view ourselves without covering. Our attention can return to the silent, aware core.
Silent, conscious awareness is naturally naked of phenomena and is nakedly present in the core of all phenomena. It is only our distraction with phenomena -- "clothing" made of thoughts, images, sense impressions and memory -- that keeps our core cloaked from recognition.
By inquiring into your life story, you can recognize the layers of ephemeral distraction that keep your attention busy with entanglements. When you recognize this, you can reclaim your attention. You can allow the distractions to fall away, or you can see through the distractions all the way home, to the silent core.
Gangaji will present her new book, "Hidden Treasure: Uncovering the Truth in Your Life Story,"at a series of book signing events and open meetings in the San Francisco Bay Area this month. In November and December she will hold retreats and weekends in Australia and New Zealand. Read more about Gangaji's events and catalog of books and videos online. You can also join Gangaji for a monthly Webcast/Conference Series which will begin an in depth study of Hidden Treasure in November.
Follow Gangaji on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Gangaji
What you have inspired in me, repeatedly, is a willingness to fully experience and simultaneously watch the many feelings, thoughts, and sensations that travel through me each minute. For many years I selectively amplified some of these expressions while overlooking others. As I enter into each one's personal flavor, a universal expression is alive.
As I continue to receive your invitation to be fully aware of existence in what is underneath all of these thoughts, emotions, and sensations, I find that neutrality holds everything. This neutrality is very simple. It is complete. It is kind. It is all forgiving and accepting. Love and sweetness grows out of it.
The motions of circumstance that forever change are waves in this vast nuetrality's creations. In the underlying Source of all this, is expanding light. I feel, hear, and see as this light gives impetus to each moment at play. The dance at play is a joy. Sorrow is within this joy as is delight and every other flavor of experience.
Thank you for helping me to turn inside out. This way the costumes are microphones for what is shared among them all.
Laurie
Just the word 'naked' makes one pause for a moment and evokes a certain vulnerability. And there is a certain nakedness to oneself, a vulnerability, required for 'uncloaking' from the story that can cause suffering. What amazes me is even in the awareness of the natural ability of mind to create or re-create a story that cloaks our natural essence, there are more subtle aspects of mind that become an identity, an identity that is so close that it is very difficult to see.
For me, spiritual identity was so subtle; it had in effect become my skin--it was that close--a kind of camouflage of mind. And when I undressed this identity--when I am naked to the identity--there is a natural clarity that arises; the most sublime freedom from this identity and its story. It falls away.
This realization was a deep humbling of mind. The recognition of just how easily we can fool ourselves. It amazes me how subtle the mind can get and also so amazing that there is no end to the deepening into the Truth at the core.
There is no end to the freedom once you are truly naked to yourself and let everything go--all identity--an allow the joy to just BE.
Your book is incredible; a great gift to the world.
In The Deepest Gratitude
Love
Kosi