Nondual Zen Article:
Receiving What Is Yours
Are you resisting awakening? This might seem a strange question for the earnest seeker, one who ardently longs to know his or her true nature. But perhaps pursuing our true self only makes it that much more elusive. After all, if you are in search of your true self, what does that make you? Something false, a fictitious self—an illusion. And how could an illusion discover anything true? Could the dream character discover the dreamer? Only the dreamer, by awakening, can discover the dream character. Your true self can find you, but you will never find it.
The dream character might even fear the awakening of the dreamer, for this would reduce it to all but a wispy memory. In the same way, when our identity as a separate character in this material world is compelling and strong, we might fear the awakening of our true self. It will reduce us to a hologram. We won’t feel very solid, very real, as an individual. This can be frightening. One way to resist this is to continue searching. The search will always be within the dream, as our personal mind cannot access beyond this dimension. Thus the very act of searching ensures we remain asleep. To awaken, we must have the courage to be still and allow our true self to recognize its own creation. When truth finds us, our fictitious self dissolves. We recognize who we truly are, who we’ve been all along.
Of course, your true self doesn’t actually need to find you. It already knows exactly where you are. It is right here with you, within and without, only waiting to be acknowledged. Let your guard down. Let go of the searching, with its false premise that there is something beyond this.
Don’t search, but do explore. It’s all right here before you, but you are accustomed to disregarding it. Look into this moment carefully. Notice the light flowing off of things. Notice the seamless continuity of perceived space and objects. Notice all that arises within a day, the ordinary and extraordinary. Notice the character’s resistance to this and that. It follows certain patterns, but never disturbs the Self, who is untouched by such vacillation.
Allow your discoveries to unfold as they will. Be ever curious, but not demanding. There is no need to demand what you already have. You have it all. But you will only see as much as you need to see, know what you need to know in any given moment. Knowledge and perception will gradually deepen and expand; enjoy the process. It is exquisitely tailored just for you; this journey is uniquely yours. Trust that you wouldn’t have it any other way. You and the absolute together are creating and exploring the here and now. There is nothing to seek, but so much to receive. Simply be and see, relax and receive. Receive all this—all this that is already yours.