Exploring the Silence – Play like a child
By Prema
"Life is meant to be lived in eternal joy, infinite freedom, unconditional love and unbounded awareness. Any other life is utterly missing the point of being born a human." MSI (who introduced the teaching of the Ishayas of The Bright Path to the West).
I started on this journey of seeking inner peace about twenty years ago. At that time, I stumbled upon the Ishayas' Ascension meditation practice. Its simplicity, its purity, its quick results and the radiance that emanated from the teachers, spoke to my heart. Once I learned, my whole life changed so naturally, and it began to reflect the peace and silence I experienced within myself.
The tightness, the ball of anxiety in my stomach that had always been with me, melted away and was replaced with a state of calm that has never left.
I have returned to a knowingness that was with me as a child; an experience characterised by curiosity, unconditional love, openness, non-judgment, and contentment. I'm entirely at peace, appreciating everything around me. I am aware of the reality of the world, but I don't take things personally. I am but a watcher rooted in eternal silence.
This state of stillness can be so simple to recognise but equally simple to lose. "When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose touch with the world." Eckart Tolle
That is why it is so essential to nourish this newfound peace and to return to it whenever you can. It is always there; it never goes away. How often you leave this state is of little importance, it's the coming back that counts.
Love, Joy And Contentment Are In This Moment
When you are resting, aware in Stillness, you have reached the ultimate state of being. You may notice more love, joy, and contentment. Very much like that of a young child, trusting, open to this new world, going from discovery to discovery with no self-imposed agenda or after thought. Innocently welcoming with joyful enthusiasm, the world in its totality.
How can this state be reached? You may ask yourself, "Is there more to life than my daily routine? How can I stop my busy mind? What is the purpose of my being on this earth?" The fact that you are reading this article suggests that you are on this quest.
Beyond the seemingly constant movement of thoughts, awareness is quiet. You may already be familiar with the sound of Silence. As it increases, the content moving through the mind becomes less and less important, perhaps fading to a whisper or even disappearing altogether. Peace, joy and awareness take over, as this is your true nature.
Nurture Your Experience Of Peace
Initially, your discovery of the Silence within can be brief. You can continue to feed this new reality by resting in it whenever you remember to do so when going about your busy day. To extend this state of mind, rather than taking your cell phone out when waiting in line at the store, you may choose to watch your surroundings, make eye contact, exchange a few words with the person next to you, and smile. It's free and can bring warmth to your surroundings and to your experience.
For me, the crucial step is to have a daily meditation practice. This is the main ingredient in my recipe for experiencing Stillness. My Ascension practice allows me to take time to close my eyes and meditate, but also I use it eyes-open as I go about my daily activities. This practice gently grounds me in Silence, and from that experience, I watch as life unfolds itself perfectly.