Be the Cause

Resting here as this, what difference does it make? As I sit here, there is awareness of profound stillness within this unknowable source of being. When thoughts arise characterizing the experience or recalling some interpretation that has seemed real to me, one of three things seems to happen. The thoughts may pass through unimpeded, just noticed and leaving no trace, like a bird through the sky. They may be recognized as thoughts and then they unravel within the vast, open sphere of conscious awareness, like a snake untying a knot in itself as it moves naturally on its way. Thirdly, thoughts may become engaged with, imbued with reality, meaning and significance.

For me this has been like boarding a train as it is pulling out of the station. Once I have climbed aboard the train of thought, I am on ’til at least the next station. More often I have gone to the end of the line before I remember that I am not a separate character in the apparent drama, I am the awareness in which the whole movie is taking place. Each such fresh remembering brings fresh peace as the chemicals of my identified state subside and I gaze into and out of the vast, mysterious emptiness which is our intrinsic awareness.

Resting here as this, there is no agenda or expectation. There is peace and a sense of well being. There is a stillness at the core of everything; this cognizant space of being pervades everything; this is the source and substance of all that appears. I thank God that this is what we all really are. Only goodness and mercy, warmth, kindness and wisdom can come from consciously abiding here.

And that is what I find. When I am with another and resting here as this, there is delight discovering a warm human connection. I find that being loves quickening the heart and mind of the one appearing over there. I find myself spontaneously saying and doing things with others that we both enjoy and feel good about.

As we awaken and get used to resting here as this, there are many things that we have misunderstood, that get rearranged and reversed in our new way of being. As we begin afresh in any moment, we start to notice that we are always here and it is always now. And so, as our attention is increasingly opened into here and now, we spend less and less of our time in projecting our ideas from the past onto present and the future.

Rather than it appearing that we move through time and space, it is recognized that time and space appear to move through this awareness of now. Wherever you are as you read this, in your own experience, you are here and it is now. In any moment of your life, if you simply look for yourself, you will notice, “I am here; it is now.” If you look for yourself as you are walking or driving, you can readily notice that what you are is actually still, right here, right now. As you notice what you are actually experiencing, the scenery is moving through your field of vision, space is passing through the awareness you are. If you are walking, in the lower periphery of your vision, you can notice the ground and your arms and legs moving. But you, yourself are still, the present, open space of awareness. When you look past the furthest stars and behold infinite space, that experience of end less space occurs within the inclusive space of awareness.

We can never leave here and now, except in an abstract imagination. When we are caught-up in our story, we have lost touch with our actual being now. We have focused all our attention into our mind’s interpretation. This happens when we react to avoid a sensation or to avoid the sensation of our estimation of a sensation’s meaning.

Look for your self. Is there not awareness of whatever you think is going on in this moment? There is an inclusive presence of awareness which is aware of your sense of your self, your sense of everything you place your attention upon, your labels, your associations of significance and thoughts and evaluations, isn’t there?

If you are aware of your sense of you, if you are aware of your story of you, which one are you? Can you possibly be a character in a story appearing in your awareness?

What is this, really? Awareness is here. Awareness includes every aspect of our lives. Every moment, every place, every other that we experience happens within the actual now of awareness. But what is this that is aware? Whenever we care to look we find nothing whatsoever and we know that nothing is found. Awareness is simply space with a capacity to know. And this nothing which includes everything that appears within it is what we most fundamentally are.

Resting here as this reveals the mystery of life, of ourselves and of one another. Resting here as this is peace beyond understanding. Resting here as this is our inevitable destiny.

Copyright 2002
John Lumiere-Wins
Author of The Awakening West
E-mail: awakenow@pacbell.net

Ik Onkar. Satnam.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa.
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

“There is no such thing as a Hindu or a Muslim, there is only one religion: Humanity” – Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

There have been many spiritual teachers that each have prescribed a path of unity to us all. Each teaching us that there is no reason to divide us as humans. To live as one, to live as truth, to live as love.

So why do my Sikh leaders always ask me why I trim my beard, or why I don’t wear a turban. Why do they state that I have to become a Sikh because of what Islamic extremists did to “our” people hundreds of years ago? Don’t they understand that my people are all people. Don’t they understand that my soul has no religion, that my soul knows no history. Before I was born, I was not a Sikh concerned about the welfare of the religion, before I was born I was with God, who knows no Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jew, or Hindu religions. My history is God. If my goal is to be as close to God as possible, then my religion is meditation and community service, my religion is kindness, love and unity. And understand this my Sikh brethren, Guru Nanak Dev Ji had no religion. He was at one with God. Do not become a member of the Sikh religion but rather become a Student of the 11 Great Gurus, hence become a Sikh, a Philomath.

Understanding the Gurus requires an understanding of what was irrational with the world at the time of their existence and an understanding of what they did to change that irrational behavior. The question to ponder now is not whether we are Sikhs or not, but whether we are still on the same path that the Gurus were on. Do we still look at the world and try to correct the injustices, the inconsistencies, the inequalities that plague this world of ours? What would Nanak do if he were alive today… and would we follow him?

The beauty of Nanak, and all of the 10 living Guru’s, was not the religion that we started in their name, but the purpose of their existence. They questioned everything and attacked the real issues and problems that infested the societies they lived in. Great Students of Nanak, ask yourself this: if Nanak existed today would he care whether his followers sat on floors during the free langar (lunch), or would he be more concerned with women’s continuous plight for equality, the rights of the poverty stricken, and the rights of all people to worship as they please? Would he be more concerned about people trimming their beards or the fact that 1/5th of the earth’s population doesn’t have access to clean drinking water, the fact that every year thousands of young Asian girls are unwillingly forced into a life of prostitution, or the fact that world peace is not considered a realistic possibility? The fact that after 500 years of his teachings on love his so-called followers kill each other because of disagreements on where to eat lunch, the fact that after speaking out against the caste system in the Hindu religion his Sikh followers have created one of their own. Great Students of Nanak, what would Nanak be concerned about today, and what do you find yourself concerned about.

If Guru Gobind Singh Ji were alive today, what would he be concerned with. I gather that he would take up sword against the rich corrupt tyrants that keep the poor in their current status. He would fight the system that keeps things the way they are. He would fight the hate that exists in all of our hearts. What do you concern yourself with? What do you take up arms against? Chughzy’s Beard.

A Sikh is someone who is constantly learning, constantly meditating, and constantly doing community service. Wearing a turban does not mean that you are no longer inflicted by the five deadly sins our scriptures speak of. Wearing a turban does not mean that you can hide behind your uniform and sneak your way into God’s arms. Watch for the ego that comes with wearing turbans, the automatic assumption that you are closer to God as a result of your headdress. You have created an all new caste system, with the Sikhs again divided, the turban wearers at a higher class than the cuttsurdhs.

Great followers of Nanak, question everything. Ask yourself why hair is to be kept uncut. Hair is a God given gift so one should not trim God’s gift. But what about your Liver? Is your liver provided by the devil thus making it acceptable to drink oneself into a state of retardation? And your digestive system, your heart, your bones, all provided by the devil, so is it okay to neglect your health? Work 12 hour days, neglect your wife and your kids… because they are not God’s gifts… and when you ulcer acts up because you are too greedy, remember, do not trim your beard. Wearing a turban does not mean that you have given into all of your Guru’s wishes. Your Guru’s wishes go beyond just uniform.

Hair is a God given gift, as is everything else. Treat everything and everyone with respect. Treat your hair with respect, clean it, don’t cut it, but don’t turn it into a commercialized commodity either. Do it because you believe in the philosophy and follow the philosophy. Know that the uniform you wear is a uniform of sainthood. Know that it is essential to be a saint on the inside before you gavintly display your affections of the almighty to the public. All uniforms from all societies are granted, they are a privilege to wear. Police officers have to graduate from their academy before they are put into their costumes. Judges have to first become veteran lawyers before they can wear their robes to court. Similarly, in order to obtain the divine grant to wear the Sikh uniform you must have an understanding of what a Sikh is, what she believes in, and what she stands for. Most non-Sikhs don’t understand why you wear turbans.. they need to be educated. Most Sikhs themselves don’t understand why they wear turbans, they shouldn’t.

Ask yourself why you do the things you do. If your response is that it was written; If your entire purpose of doing something is that it was written some hundreds of years ago; If it is because your parents implore you; If it is because it is the way it is, or because of your culture or society: Then know that you are not a Sikh/Learner/Student, you are a Follower.

Keep your hair because you believe that God can create a more beautiful face for you than you can for yourself. Believe that you wear your turban out of respect.

The Gurus didn’t teach us how to wear turbans, they taught us how to recognize injustices and how to fight for a unified world focused on God’s glorious energy.

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.
Victory will belong to God.

— Chughzy