Essay 12 of 12

Epilogue – The Golden Key

“Happiness is simply to allow everything to be exactly as it is from moment to moment.”

– Rupert Spira

We are now at a vantage point at which we can see all of the teachings, and how they join and overlap in various ways to produce new insight. Nisargadatta Maharaj emphasized what we are calling the "Golden Key" – willingness. He reminded his students repeatedly as to the importance of what he called earnestness -- the Heart-driven, steadfast persistence in a relentless pursuit of Truth. He had a way with words; he observed,

To reach the Supreme, you must be extreme.

Willingness is the one factor that regulates the importance of everything else. Recall that Michael Langford said, when the extremely intense desire for Liberation becomes sufficiently strong, it“will bring you everything you need to succeed in your quest for Liberation including the answers to all your questions, the Direct Path teachings, the solution to all obstacles, and the motivation to practice.”
[Langford, The Direct Means to Eternal Bliss, Freedom Religion Press, 2007, p. 41]

To put it bluntly, if the desire is there, then obstacles will eventually melt away. Over time, the teachings begin to fuse into one practice. The cost in terms of willingness is great, but the payoff is even greater – for those willing to expend the energy. We need to pause for a moment to consider the topic of resistance, however:

Resistance

Resistance is a fact of life for those seeking true happiness because doing so requires the diminution of the ego’s influence, and the ego will tirelessly fight for its life in this context. However, it is best not to fight the ego – just gently go around it, keeping your focus on the goals of love and awareness.

When you look at something with gratitude, it expands. As you keep your grateful attention on Love, it eventually envelops you completely.

The next time you encounter suffering, notice that the pain is in the resistance. Resistance is the key catalyst in suffering. When you stop trying to end the suffering, you end the suffering.

Finally, the greatest resistance points to the best place to concentrate your efforts. Watch the ego and see what it does – its patterns of sabotage will provide clues as to where your practice is maximally effective, that is, where to put your energy. This is because the ego knows where it is being threatened in the most debilitating ways and concentrates its efforts to disrupt your spiritual practice specifically in those areas – the areas where your efforts are unfolding in the most effective ways. Consequently, it is important to notice where resistance is most intense, because this is where your work is most productive.

How does the ego create disruption? There are myriad ways, but look for inability to concentrate; annoyances; interferences; distractions; and anything that makes it difficult to concentrate on stillness, looking inward, and your realization of Self.

Abiding as the Self

Nisargadatta recognized that the various meditation and mindfulness practices that we have been discussing – specifically Awareness Watching Awareness ("Awakening Together" chapter); Self-inquiry and Self-realization ("The Way of Wisdom" chapter); Nonjudgmental awareness ("The Way of Devotion", "The Present", "A Course in Miracles" chapters) – all lead the practitioner to the same place: abiding as Self -- the true, unchanging Self that we have called the Changeless Dwelling Place ("A Course in Miracles"), the Still-point (Bernadette Roberts), or just Being (Rupert Spira, "The Pathless Path" chapter; for all three, see the section entitled Where to meet God in "The Way of Devotion" chapter).

When I first started reading his books (see Suggested Readings) I saw that he wrote, “Nothing ever happens to me…,” and I was taken aback. What does that mean? Ultimately, I learned the nature of Self, our true identity, and realized, “Of course – the Self never changes -- it is eternally the same.”

Nisargadatta told us, “When you abide as that, you become that.” This means that as you embrace and remain as Self – God within you – you become more like God. It’s a long process, and purification is necessary first. It requires sustained practice driven by willingness, or what Nisargadatta called earnestness.

How is purification accomplished?

This is where nonjudgmental awareness (NJA) comes in – essentially looking without judgment. The central function of NJA has been discussed in several of the chapters here – even the Dalai Lama talked about separating the negative out and looking at it. Thich Nhat Hanh said “I smile at the fear” – another example. It is the universal, royal road to the dissolution of negativity. As you notice the fear, realize that you are standing in a place of peace and the fear is “over there,” in a different place. As you continue to look, the fear you are seeing starts to contract, transferring more territory to the place of peace, thereby becoming smaller and smaller. Then, with negativity dissolved, our true nature – Love – has expanded to the point at which it overcomes everything.

NJA dissolves the impermanent, leaving only the changeless. It leaves only Being, and Being is the Self we share, the Love of God. Following purification, we abide as Self, revealing a form of happiness that we have never experienced before.

For our overview here, I have brought in a new author, Michael Singer, who summarizes everything from a slightly different angle:

“Any behavior pattern based on the avoidance of pain becomes a doorway to the pain itself. If you want to be free, simply view inner pain as a temporary shift in your energy flow…determine from now on that pain…is just a thing in the universe…Simply view it as energy. It cannot touch you unless you touch it.”
“Relax your heart until you are actually face-to-face with the exact place that it hurts. Stay open and receptive so you can be present right where the tension is. You must be willing to be present right at the place of tightness and pain, and then relax and go even deeper. This is very deep growth and transformation.”
[Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul, p. 100 – 105]

That is NJA! And that is the hard part. Once the negativity has dissolved, you now have a clear path from there to the Self, where Love resides. Then abide as Self and you are Home. Here’s how Mr. Singer puts it:

“Eventually you will understand that there is an ocean of love behind all this fear and pain. That force will sustain you by feeding your heart from deep within. Over time you will form an intensely personal relationship* with this beautiful inner force. It will replace the relationship you currently have with inner pain and disturbance. Now peace and love will run your life.”
[Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul, p. 106-107]

*(“…an intensely personal relationship” -- Remember how we discussed in Self-inquiry ["The Way of Wisdom" chapter] it is like running into the arms of your lover? Then, “When you abide as that, you become that.” See how all these teachings reinforce each other?)

Q: What is healing?

A: Dissolving that which is not real (through nonjudgmental awareness).
Q: What is not real?
A: Anything that is not a product or manifestation of Love (God).
Q: Does that mean there are things you should not do?
A: Only those which cause the need for more healing.
Q: Can you provide guidance on how to heal?
A: Remember two things:

1) From "A Course in Miracles":

Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.

2) Joel Goldsmith’s three-minute prayer on healing:

I acknowledge this wound with divine compassion;

I release this wound into divine love;

I am already whole beyond this wound.

Comment:

Joel provides a wonderful exemplar of how prayer should look. Do not ask for anything – doing so merely affirms a lack. Instead, make an affirmative statement knowing that your “team” (spirit guides, angels, ascended masters, and so on) will take your energy and work with it. Make a declaration knowing that you are a co-creator with God.

On-the-go

We want special emphasis to help busy people, as promised at the outset. Let’s discuss spiritual practice that brings happiness but which does not require a significant time investment.

The Yah Vey mantra/prayer – discussed at length in "The Way of Devotion" chapter, this can be practiced virtually continuously, dispelling brain chatter, solidifying one’s connection with God, and attracting favorable events of all kinds.
Dr. DiLullo’s “That’s a thought!” practice – places you in observer (NJA) status, watching your mind, where you become a “sniper” picking off noxious ego-driven thought patterns. (See the "Cutting Through Egoic Thought Patterns" chapter). This practice reveals your willingness since it requires vigilance to carry it out continuously.
Self-Realization practice (from "The Way of Wisdom" Chapter). Simply abide as Self, any time and any place you can, remembering Nisargadatta’s rule: When you abide as that you become that. Why do I want to become that? Because the Self is the pure essence of God, manifesting as you. “Becoming that” is enlightenment.
"The Pathless Path" – Simply abide as Being – go to the place within you where nothing changes (the Still-point; the Changeless Dwelling Place; Above the Battleground – as discussed previously). What could be faster? Learn to cultivate awareness of this place inside you and you can go there more and more easily. Soon it becomes second nature, you go there faster, “you become that.”
Practicing the Now – From the chapter entitled "The Present", we refer now to simply staying in the present moment, which could also include focusing on a tactile sensation in the body; the breath, and various breathing exercises; connecting with nature; or (from "The Pathless Path" chapter) abiding as Being in Rupert Spira’s practice.
Obstacle clearing – For encountering a problem, a “Swiss army knife” prayer is needed that is helpful regardless of substantive content. Fortunately, we have another prayer from Joel Goldsmith that is perfectly suited for this (see "The Way of Devotion" chapter).
God’s perfect solution is already here;

I recognize Divine Order operating now;

This situation is resolved in God’s infinite wisdom.
Practicing mindfulness – The mind is much more powerful than you realize. It is always creating – it never sleeps. We have the responsibility to use this power responsibly, and in doing so, the rewards will be well beyond our current beliefs. It requires practice to maintain mindfulness but it is well worth the effort: Mindfulness is an essential ingredient to all of the practices we are considering, and typically, over time, brings more and more NJA along with it.
Practicing Kindness – The goal of helping people ("The Magic Bullet" chapter) and the Buddhist goal of compassion ("The Way of Discipline") – all forms of kindness – serve as apt exemplars of this practice. The Course in Miracles describes any and every meeting with another person as a holy encounter. Every time you encounter another person you have the opportunity to grow spiritually and make happiness a constant companion.
God as Friend – recalling Brother Lawrence from "The Way of Devotion" chapter, he would not even bend over to pick up a straw without checking in with God first! Practicing this form of deep intimacy in everyday functions produces a form of happiness that is almost surreal.

The Yah Vey mantra/prayer – discussed at length in The Way of Devotion chapter, this can be practiced virtually continuously, dispelling brain chatter, solidifying one’s connection with God, and attracting favorable events of all kinds.

Dr. DiLullo’s “That’s a thought!” practice – places you in observer (NJA) status, watching your mind, where you become a “sniper” picking off noxious ego-driven thought patterns. (See the Cutting Through Egoic Thought Patterns chapter). This practice reveals your willingness since it requires vigilance to carry it out continuously.

Self-Realization practice (from The Way of Wisdom Chapter). Simply abide as Self, any time and any place you can, remembering Nisargadatta’s rule: When you abide as that you become that. Why do I want to become that? Because the Self is the pure essence of God, manifesting as you. “Becoming that” is enlightenment.

The Pathless Path – Simply abide as Being – go to the place within you where nothing changes (the still-point; the Changeless Dwelling Place; Above the Battleground – as discussed previously). What could be faster? Learn to cultivate awareness of this place inside you and you can go there more and more easily. Soon it becomes second nature, you go there faster, “you become that.”

Practicing the Now – From the chapter entitled The Present, we refer now to simply staying in the present moment, which could also include focusing on a tactile sensation in the body; the breath, and various breathing exercises; connecting with nature; or (from the Pathless Path chapter) abiding as Being in Rupert Spira’s practice.

Obstacle clearing – For encountering a problem, a “Swiss army knife” prayer is needed that is helpful regardless of substantive content. Fortunately, we have another prayer from Joel Goldsmith that is perfectly suited for this (see The Way of Devotion chapter).

God’s perfect solution is already here;

I recognize Divine Order operating now;

This situation is resolved in God’s infinite wisdom.

Practicing mindfulness – The mind is much more powerful than you realize. It is always creating – it never sleeps. We have the responsibility to use this power responsibly, and in doing so, the rewards will be well beyond our current beliefs. It requires practice to maintain mindfulness but it is well worth the effort: Mindfulness is an essential ingredient to all of the practices we are considering, and typically, over time, brings more and more NJA along with it.

Practicing Kindness – The goal of helping people (the Magic Bullet chapter) and the Buddhist goal of compassion (the Way of Discipline) – all forms of kindness – serve as apt exemplars of this practice. The Course in Miracles describes any and every meeting with another person as a holy encounter. Every time you encounter another person you have the opportunity to grow spiritually and make happiness a constant companion.

God as Friend – recalling Brother Lawrence from the Way of Devotion chapter, he would not even bend over to pick up a straw without checking in with God first! Practicing this form of deep intimacy in everyday functions produces a form of happiness that is almost surreal.

Enhancement of Job Performance

A note of serendipity: We first observed that when you focus on the benefit of others and not yourself, people will “make you rich.” (See the chapter entitled "The Magic Bullet", in the discussion of Chuck C.’s experience). Next, in the chapter entitled "The Present", we saw that increased right brain activity from mantras, meditation and so on leads to superior job performance.

There are more than these reasons to conclude that the pursuit of happiness will improve task performance as side benefits. Indeed, we could have focused this entire series of essays on “raising your game” if that had been the guiding motive. If this line of reasoning holds value for you, keep looking for more side benefits since they will pop up!

For example:

If you have social events, meetings, groups at work for example, there is a prayer from the Course in Miracles that works beautifully to grow and maximize kindness:

I am here only to be truly helpful.
I am here to represent Him Who sent me.
I do not have to worry about what to say or what to do
because He Who sent me will direct me.
I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing He goes there with me.
I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.
[Text, Chapter 2, Section V, Paragraph 18]

This type of kindness will be noticed by people around you again and again, propelling you upward in virtually any kind of organization, bringing you more clients, and so on!

Daily Bread

It is suggested that certain practices be used to start (and end) the day. These will keep you on track, so to speak. Some of these have not been covered previously but should be considered as useful options:

Talk to the cells of your body – Your body consists of billions of cells awaiting instructions from your brain. It is important that they receive a signal that is conducive to your happiness. Simply tell them, “We are free. We are happy. We are grateful. Thank you for working together to sustain and create this body as it was when I was 14, a vibrant, energetic teenager. Let’s go and have some fun today as we explore this wonderful life!”
Meditation/Contemplation – Do something every morning to become spiritually centered. "A Course in Miracles" has 365 lessons in the Workbook (the author’s preference), but there are numerous other options for a daily practice as well by various authors.
Community – Find groups that concentrate on the practices that attract you the most. There are many Course in Miracles meeting groups that meet via Zoom. We have also identified a wonderful community in the "Awakening Together" chapter (www.awakening-together.org). There are many others. Keep looking until you find the one that resonates with you.

Talk to the cells of your body – Your body consists of billions of cells awaiting instructions from your brain. It is important that they receive a signal that is conducive to your happiness. Simply tell them, “We are free. We are happy. We are grateful. Thank you for working together to sustain and create this body as it was when I was 14, a vibrant, energetic teenager. Let’s go and have some fun today as we explore this wonderful life!”

Meditation/Contemplation – Do something every morning to become spiritually centered. A Course in Miracles has 365 lessons in the Workbook (the author’s preference), but there are numerous other options for a daily practice as well by various authors.

Community – Find groups that concentrate on the practices that attract you the most. There are many Course in Miracles meeting groups that meet via Zoom. We have also identified a wonderful community in the Awakening Together chapter (www.awakening-together.org). There are many others. Keep looking until you find the one that resonates with you.

What’s left?

The kind of practices we are considering leave a vast body of additional – but crucial -- observations and issues that do not fall into any type of sub-heading that we have considered up till now. In some cases, the practices do not fall under any category because they are themselves so broad. Let’s have a look:

Every State of Mind is a Choice We Make

This concept is so critical that it deserves its own separate discussion. One of Natalie Sudman’s observations from her NDE (Near Death Experience) was the conclusion that “victim status is unavailable.” Although it often does not feel like it, every emotion we experience is a choice that we make. Thus, "A Course in Miracles" tells us “The secret to salvation is but this: You are doing this unto yourself.” [Text, Ch. 27, Section VIII]. And that goes for everything.

Everything we feel reflects a prior decision we have made to feel what we are feeling. Becoming comfortable with this principle demands that we become accustomed to watching our minds and monitoring what is going on there. Most emotions feel like they are just happening, or being “inflicted” on us in some way. But as we gain skill at internal observation we can notice, if we watch carefully, that internal states occur as a process connected to a “trigger” that we pull. If we want to be happy, we have to watch how this trigger operates and nip the toxic emotions in the bud before the trigger gets pulled. At first you won’t even know where the trigger is located, but eventually, once it is located, there will be no ability left to tolerate victim status.

As a holy child of God, nothing and no one can choose for you what you are going to feel. You have the absolute, uncompromised capacity to make this determination, but in order to effectively use and enforce this power, it is imperative that you know What you are. You have the sole authority to declare that you are only going to feel what you choose to feel, but to exercise that authority, it is absolutely required that you are clear on your true identity.

Don’t make it real

This is a slogan given to Course student Gary Renard [see his book, Disappearance of the Universe] by two of his teachers who were ascended masters. Every time their sessions ended, the two masters said to him as they left, “Remember Gary, don’t make it real.” What they were telling him is, remember that the world is entirely an illusion.

The dream we are stuck in is so convincing that it takes great vigilance to remember that it is not real. We accumulate spiritual power – mastery – when we continually remember to let everything go. Just keep releasing, keep letting go, and maintain observer status in the place that the Course calls “above the battleground.”

This is an all-or-nothing, no compromise proposition. If you hold on to any part of what you think you see as being real, you hold on to the whole thing. It’s like having your ankle pinned to the ground by a piece of heavy machinery as it rolls by: If it has any part of you, it’s got all of you.

At the time of this writing, ICE agents had just murdered an ICU nurse in Minneapolis. A million Russian widows faced another below freezing night in their shabby apartments without their loving husbands. There is no hope for happiness if you believe this world is real. But we are not rejecting its reality because it is noxious – we are rejecting its reality because it is the truth. The notion that the world we see is not the real world is not some trendy idea created by New Age practitioners – the same ideas were taught in Advaita Vedanta over a thousand years ago, by their descendants discussed in these chapters, and by people providing NDE reports even recently.

The world that we see has nothing to do with God. Let it go and come Home.

This does not mean that you quit your job and stop paying taxes. Awakening from the dream is a long, slow, gentle process, and for those who are still stuck in the dream, we are kind and compassionate to them, as the Dalai Lama has explained to us. Acting according to Love trumps being “right,” so we do not refuse to cooperate with others in the dream just because we know the truth.

Forgiveness

As taught by the Course, the only way out of the dream is the forgiveness process, which we review presently. There are three steps: The first is that, although the event appears to be “outside” us, we instead recognize the event as a projection, and we then “reverse the projection,” meaning we own the event as our creation, within us, for which we are responsible.

The second step is, once we internalize it, we bring it to the Light by simply looking with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, or whatever Holy Companion you prefer (Moses, Sri Ramakrishna, Lord Buddha, Padmasambhava, and so on). Third, in the process of looking, the event is given – handed over -- to the Holy Spirit, or your Companion. This is simply asking to see the event as your Companion sees it and then releasing it to Him. This practice has the advantage of bringing the darkness (e.g., guilt-driven projections) into the Light using Holy Spirit (the “Companion”) as your “rock” or foundation.

Let’s simplify even further:

Own it;
Bring it to the Light with your Holy Spirit/Companion while looking at it;
Release it to your Holy Spirit/Companion and let it go.

Laughter is the highest state of consciousness

The ego loves it when we are serious, and cannot stand it when we are light, breezy and cheerful. The ego especially hates it when we laugh at things.

Remember in the Course in Miracles metaphysics, when the Son of God considered separation from the Kingdom, he “remembered not to laugh” (meaning he forgot!). The problem from the very start – our problem from the very start – is that we make everything here so important. The fundamental error here is that we are taking events in this world and making them into serious issues when they are, in fact nothing. Literally nothing.

Think of an argument you had a few years ago. Think of an insult, an accident, a terrifying event. What’s remaining now? Nothing. Only loving thoughts persist; everything except Love and its manifestations dries up and blows away.

It was once explained to me this way: A friend came to me and he said, “You know, there are no big deals; bankruptcy is no big deal; divorce is no big deal; even nuclear war is no big deal.” I said, “Say what???” He said, “Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever – think about it.” And he sauntered off.

The “way of it”: The authority problem

The Course talks about what it calls “the authority problem” which occurs when we conclude that we created ourselves and the world, in competition with God. This state of mind engenders fear, even panic. However, Byron Katie has a term for how she sees the etiology of events in the world, calling the process “the way of things” or “The Great Way.” In her view, “the way” is behind everything, and not only should we trust it, but we should love it as well.

As we do Byron Katie’s The Work, and let her observations sink in, it starts to become apparent: There is an Intelligence behind everything, part of everything, and it is far greater than ours. If we can put our faith in this Intelligence, we can drop all of our worries, all of our fears. Everything is part of a Master Plan that we cannot see directly, but it’s there.

This is why the advice from our teachers is to Just Keep Letting Go, Just Keep Releasing. Instead of trying to control, let life live you – it’s going to do that anyway. And as you take this path, practice loving kindness as much as you can.

Reverence for the “way” means you are worthy because of the fact of your existence. When we have negative beliefs – I am unworthy, I am no good, etc. -- we become afraid it is true so we do not examine or look farther – then the belief continues to worsen. But these negative beliefs cannot be true. Why? Because you exist. Creation needs you or you would not be here. The idea that you are unworthy must be false – you have to be worthy because you are here.

Perfect Oneness means that there cannot be a part that is “bad” or else the entire thing would be “bad.” There are no separate, discreet things – there is only one Thing. You are part of it. You share its qualities. If it is “good,” you must be “good.”

Slowness, Gentleness and Kindness

Slow down to make sure you remain on the path without veering off. Maintaining a sense of loving kindness requires mindfulness, and mindfulness cannot hold a position in a speeded-up environment. It thrives in slowness, as does Love itself.

Slowness, gentleness and kindness cannot be separated. Mindfulness is required to keep these traits in force. Once we lose our mindfulness and become distracted, things begin to speed up and the ego takes the reigns. It happens without you even noticing. This is why we are told to “have only vigilance for the Kingdom.”

Recall that we are not trying to become something – rather, we are remembering what we are. This alone calls for slowness, a deliberate process of dedication that requires concentration. This path is not for those operating half-heartedly in a capricious manner.

The following chart will help keep things straight as you use mindfulness to interpret the events that occur in the day:

The Two Worlds

Ego (little s)	Self (big S)
Serious	Light-hearted, Easy Going
Complex	Simple
Fragmented	Whole
Time-bound/deadlines	Eternity
Fear, anger, hostility	Love, kindness
Fast, Quick, Rushed	Slow, Takes its Time
Sad/worried	Happy/carefree
Harsh	Gentle
Chatter	Stillness/silence

Closing Thoughts

Bernadette Roberts was a Carmelite nun who became a contemplative mystic best known for her books describing her experiences in ascending to the point of the final disappearance of the “self.” She appears to have experienced a point past the “unitive state” with God into one in which the self disappeared completely.

No one had written at this level since Saint John of the Cross and Meister Eckhart, many centuries before. She wrote about the experience of Heaven and said that, in comparison to Heaven, the greatest, most awe-inspiring place on earth was a “monstrosity.”

A description of Heaven exceeds the ability of words to describe it, and we can be assured that it is far beyond the mind’s ability to comprehend. We do know this: Once you put your heart into this journey, you get your seat in Heaven assigned to you, forever:

“When you come to the place where the branch in the road is quite apparent, you cannot go ahead. You must go either one way or the other. For now, if you go straight ahead, the way you went before you reached the branch, you will go nowhere. The whole purpose of coming this far was to decide which branch you will take now. The way you came no longer matters. It can no longer serve. No one who reaches this far can make the wrong decision, although he can delay. And there is no part of the journey that seems more helpless and futile than standing where the road branches, and not deciding on which way to go.

It is but the first few steps along the right way that seem hard, for you have chosen, although you still may think you can go back and make the other choice. This is not so. A choice made with the power of Heaven to uphold it cannot be undone. Your way is decided. There will be nothing you will not be told if you acknowledge this.”

[A Course in Miracles, Text, Chapter 22, Section IV, Paragraphs 1-2; emphasis added]

If you find what resonates with you in these chapters and put your heart into the prayers, meditations, and contemplation of what is written in the various books, you will eventually arrive at a place where happiness comes immediately, at your invitation. It will be a kind of happiness you have never known before.

You now have the Golden Key – the means to open the door that leads to the inner sanctuary of Being, the Still-Point, the Changeless Dwelling Place. This is the Source of true happiness – it is deep within, always. As Rumi wrote, “You wander from room to room looking for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck.” Stay in nonjudgmental awareness, in stillness. Abide as the Self, aware of awareness, and knowing that Peace is here. Forgive, being still, quietly doing nothing, observing while dropping judgment. Breath with the name of God on your lips (Yah Vey). Whichever practice resonates with you, know that what you seek is what you already are. You are Home – now and always.