“The ideal people are those who, in the deepest silence and seclusion, are capable of the most intense activity, and in performing the most intense activity experience the stillness and solitariness of the desert. They have learned the secret of self-control […]”
FOCUSING ON SELF IS SIMPLE and easy,
we do it all the time. Focusing on Self, however, is a different ballgame. Cultivating Self-awareness is tough. The correct mind-set within the given premise of an experienced and realised master, can surely enlightened the path, provided one is willing to make the journey.By accepting one’s existence as it is, through self-awareness, one is becoming more and more self-focused. As a precursor to that in certain cases however, one becomes self-centric. That is to say, one is putting oneself in the centre of this “Samsara”, this storm, this madness that spins uncontrollably, incessantly, intensely. But by not being overwhelmed by the chaos around is the only way to realise and appreciate the condition of being in the centre of the storm, being in the eye-of-the-storm, where, (ask any weatherman) the wind is not that intense, the spin is moderate, the mayhem is neither visible nor heard; being in the eye of the storm is in fact (relatively) peaceful, such as experiencing “... the stillness and solitude of a desert whilst being in the most intense activity...”
Why there is peace at the centre of a storm?
Why the core of a black-hole is called singularity?
The Master replied:
“whilst there is this empirical explanation saying black-holes are very powerful transitory routes that make matter travel from one state and dimension to another; the spiritual metaphor on the other hand recognises [singularity] with Oneness of everything…”
Well, let’s call it black-whole. Black-whole: Black, for it is darkness that everything comes from, and into which everything goes back. Whole, for it is the Wholeness that is to be realised; wholeness that is the Salvation (Salvation comes from the Latin root 'salvare', which means 'to save', to make whole). That is to say, when you find your Self and the wholeness, you attain your own salvation, so to speak.
What is the appreciation of light if it is not for darkness? Rather, darkness is the mother of light - to be conceived as well as to be consumed. We celebrate darkness by yielding to the light, by holding it, by spreading it, by propagating it. By worshipping light we yield to the reality that darkness is vast, all-pervading and overwhelming.
We have to resort to light, to un-darkness, in order to capture darkness and understand it. Celebration of stars in the night sky owe their beauty and realised existence to the landscape of the darkness; for the stars hold their positions even during the day, only to be undone by the “light” of the Sun rays. In its this universal format darkness IS reality.All beings want to feel the fulfilment. All beings thrive for it day in and day out, in multiple, unique, small and big ways at every step of every walk of life; thriving it with mind, and with matter. However, in the realms of time and space, among the pairs of opposites, this contentment keeps eluding us, making us chase it in and with mind, body and spirit; filling our lifetimes. Some know of this chase, some call it by different names - peace, light, realisation, purpose, meaning, love, or any other beautiful or intriguing “word”. The essence of the journey however remains the same: the contentment, the wholeness, within us, as manifestation of divinity within our physical and spiritual beings. The Atman. [Leading to an-atman...]
The unmovable centre within our being: Black-whole. One's own black-whole with the singularity within; and by turning inwards, one initiates this inescapable fall - drawing one inside of the black-whole, towards the core, to merge with one’s Self.
By turning inwards, the transitory journey begins.
A journey of experiences.
A journey that, as master says, would turn you inside-out.
(once again, turn you inside-out: first, it would turn you inside [towards your Self], and then it would throw you out towards the manifestation-at-large)
The journey that began with self-awareness has an accelerated speed now, with which one reveals hidden treasures of the Self and marvels at the changing perspectives of the persona and worldy outlooks. The whole world starts spinning at a speed dictated by her.
The journey is initiated within Self (Challenge met, adventure begins), barriers are broken (self-belief energised, weapons drawn), fears are faced and conquered (dragons slayed), guidance put to practice (secret help), transformation achieved (returns victorious).
When one comes out of the woods on the other side at the end of this adventure, one invariably finds oneself in the realms of meditation. A sereneness of stillness that has the whole universe spinning - as if capable of the most intense activity...