Stillness

In the flower of consciousness, you will find the sweet nectar of life that is stillness. Once you have tasted it, you will find yourself addicted!

Stillness is the backdrop from which all things arise to which all must dissolve. It is the space between thoughts. If you are lucky enough to have observed this space and you are aware of it, you will find yourself wanting to experience it again and again. It is a moment of complete peace in an otherwise maddening mind.

Imagine you are trekking up a great hill. You cannot see what is on the other side until you near the summit. The moment you get there you see the most beautiful view of the ocean. Even if it is just for a split second, in that moment you became awestruck by the inconceivable vastness of it. You are like a droplet in this vast expanse that is actually merged with the whole. In that moment you are fully present and so nature reveals its sacredness to you. That intensely alive moment is free of thoughts. A moment of total surrender. That is stillness.

For those of you who find it difficult to access this stillness, try asking yourself, "I wonder what my next thought will be?" and wait for it. It might take a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on how long you let it last. This is a trick I read in Eckhart Tolle's Power of Now. Another interesting read which inspired me to access stillness is Deepak Chopra's Buddha: A story of enlightenment.

Do not be hard on yourself if you find it difficult at first or if you cannot keep it for long enough. Meditation is a great tool, even if you are just chanting. But do not think you need a tool to access it. Stillness is always there and can be accessed at any time.

Our minds are constantly bombarded with images and sounds and all sorts of entertainment which draw it outward. "Not to be able to stop thinking is a dreadful affliction, but we don't realize this because almost everyone is suffering from it, so it is considered normal. This incessant mental noise prevents you from finding that realm of inner stillness that is inseparable from Being" Eckhart Tolle.

Go deep into the jungle of your mind. Slash away the vines of thought. Find a comfortable spot and just sit there. Your mind will tell you it is bored and wants to be entertained. Do not give in, if it can run it can sit still! Thoughts will arise, observe them and let them go. Slowly the mind gives in and peace will arise. Bliss always follows peace. They are close companions.

We are all capable of reaching this divinely aware place. Acknowledge your divinity and honour it. The best way to honour it is to be fully present. To be present is to know stillness.