There is much talk in spiritual circles of practices, training, and the gaining of knowledge (often mystical or secret); that one must surely be better at meditating, or doing their breathing exercises, or must understand certain concepts, or carry out rituals more often or more skillfully. Perhaps one needs to fast; do penance? …or be more devotional.

In short, the seeker must acquire more skill, knowledge, or merit. These must be the pathways to awakening to truth.

But how could this be?

Oneness is whole. It is missing nothing. That is how it can be and eternally remain one. Anything besides oneness is not true. It is an illusion; a dream; a projection.

Thus how could it be that the seeker must gain something? Are they in fact missing something? Are they a small, separate entity, in a vast and harsh universe, required traverse all kinds of hardships to find a magic prize?!?

Good heavens, no! How absurd! How could that come from oneness, except in illusion?

How could Love require such pain and still be Love?

How absurd.

No… you already are, absolutely, that which you seek. You must be. Otherwise, oneness could no longer be one; Love would require pain, and separation would have to be true.

Alrighty then… what the heck do we do? What if one isn’t experiencing their own enlightenment?

It is not that you must acquire new knowledge, or become more skilled at practices.

It is that one must begin to remove the blocks to ones awareness of the Truth already present. This is the Truth that you are already enlightened. This is the Truth that everything you seek is already within you. It already is you. You are it.  Your true nature is this all-encompassing Love. You remove the blocks to this awareness.

Enlightenment is a demolition project.

And so we circle back once again to… well… how do we do that?!?

Will it not require practices of some sort?

Perhaps, yet… these are the practices that remove. These practices must raise to consciousness all things that seem to contradict this all-encompassing Love, so they can be gently released. These practices must allow for questioning of every belief one currently holds, so the falsehoods can be seen through and let go. One’s practices must ask “what is real?” down to the deepest nadir of what is believed to be your “self,” such that everything that is not you can be seen past. These are the practices that foster letting go. They lead to true forgiveness.

All the other practices – those that deign to add something – may make you temporarily feel better. And there’s nothing wrong with feeling better. But for lasting impact, for the pain or frustration to find its true end, to find Truth, then one must remove the blocks to awareness of Love, to oneness, to the peace and wholeness already and eternally present.

Enlightenment is a demolition project.

 

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