Well Being with Don Oakley Don Oakley

We can seek for a long time before it may occur to us to ask, "Who is it that is doing all this seeking?" Often, we are so convinced of the goal to be achieved that we never stop to ask who is the one pursuing it. But, in spirituality, that is the entire question. If we get that one, everything else falls into place.

Spirituality is simple. Not easy, but simple. It is difficult because the human mind is fascinated by and addicted to complexity. The thinking mind can be a helpful ally if used correctly, but it is essential to know when it is useful and when it is counter-productive. And it is easy to become confused when over-thinking something that couldn’t be simpler: be what you already are but be that knowingly.

We remember the past - parts of it at least - and we anticipate the future, but both have the curious characteristic of not happening since it is always now. The scenery is always changing, but it is always happening here and now. Time is a concept, but we generally live life as if we are on a one way progression from a non-existent past to a non-existent future.

The thinking mind likes its authoritative position. We have learned to defer to it to tell us about ourselves, others, and the world at large. We have learned to trust what it tells us; we may not always like it, but we tend to believe it. So, when we step back into awareness to watch the thought stream, the thinking mind doesn’t like it. At all. It will react defensively. Common tactics are boredom, restlessness, sleepiness, doubt, argumentativeness, and fear. It is useful not to be taken in by such tactics and even more useful to know how to work with them.

The concept of “no-self” in Buddhism can sound scary, nonsensical, or just plain weird, but it is one of the three pillars of Buddhist thought. The other two are much more readily understood: the impermanence of living things and the sense of unsatisfactoriness. But no-self? It sounds dangerous to even ponder. What makes it sound dangerous is the belief that we would be giving up everything that we take ourselves to be. But this raises the question about what we believe ourselves to be. We discover that what we give up is a fiction and what is gained is without limit. The only caveat: it’s not personal.

Don speaks about the metaphorical importance and similarities of silence, space and awareness.