One element of Enlightenment... Forgiveness as Being Present

Enlightenment 

As the First Stage of Forgiveness

Take something that someone did “wrong” to you.

Choose two chairs.

This is the game, to go back and forth between two VASTLY DIFFERENT chairs.

THE SUFFERING CHAIR.

THE BEING PRESENT CHAIR.

Here’s the game..

Enlightenment as Forgiveness Game #1:

Think of a minor “crime” someone has committed.

They’ve said something you don’t like.

They’ve supposedly insulted you.

They didn’t return a call.

Didn’t treat you with respect.

On, and on.

Not major.

Not breaking any laws.

Just the normal troubles of living around other humans with their busy lives, and selfish ways, and habits and ongoing sleep.

Oh, well.

They did something.

You decided to get tweaked by it.

The game requires two chairs.

Remember the meta-concept: Learning is the noticing of a difference that makes a difference.

This form of “forgiveness” is about that. Noticing a HUGE difference: Words in your head that you believe to be “true.”

Vs. Being Present

This form of forgiveness is not about “being good.”

It’s about the stark miracle of time: the past is over. Words in our head don’t change it or “fix” the other person.

The game consists hugely of discovering just WHAT the words in our head do to us.

So here goes.

Enlightenment as Forgiveness Game #1: 

The Suffering/ Words in your head chair

vs.

The Being Present/ what’s happening in Reality Chair

1. Sit in the chair we’ll call SUFFERING

In this chair listen to the words in your head that justify your suffering.

Actually make these inner words, louder.

Maybe even mutter/ whine them aloud.

And believe them.

These words are almost always somewhat of a broken record. These words are almost almost always an inner chant over and over about how “the bad person” did such and such  a wrong/ hurt/ unkindness/ mean deal. Over and over: How it’s not fair, or mean, or selfish or something. How could they? They are so….

Anyway, sit in the chair and go over and over the words.

But not too long. Let’s not be masochistic. A couple of minutes is enough.

And get honest:

Feel as sensation in your body, what happens to your body when you go over and over these words and believe them

Feel as emotions (maybe even write them down) that come up when you are in the “Words in Your Head” chair

Perhaps even slunk down and shrink a bit to accentuate what is happening to your whole spirit when you sit in the chair that is suffering/ words in your head/ believing the words in your head.

Get really clear what happens here.

Now

Shift.

2. To a chair we’ll call: BEING PRESENT

In this chair, look at the world around you.

Notice your breathing. Your breathing in and your breathing out.

Notice your arms and your legs in the moment.

Notice gravity.

Have a smile on your face and place that smile about something you are seeing or hearing or sensing or breathing, in the moment.

Hang out in the present.

Have ZERO OF THE EARLIER WORDS IN YOUR HEAD

Just be present.

Like a dog, or tiger or river otter.

Being alive and aware in the world of now.

Feel what this is like.

Feel what your body feels like.

Feel what the emotions are in you.

Take the shape of your spirit over here.

This can be quite profound.

And…

the goal isn’t instant freedom.

It’s realization of the huge differences that being in the word in your head and being present can create.

So, to increase your learning, and your freedom from this ancient and awful habit—- go back and forth, words in the head chair/ being present chair, back and forth, back and forth, to accentuate the differences and really LEARN what happens.

This seems “hard” when you start to feel the freedom. And do it anyway: go back to the SUFFERING CHAIR.

Start up the words again.

Experience that world.

And shift. (Learning is about noticing differences that make a difference).

go the BEING PRESENT CHAIR

Hang out there.

One more time:

The SUFFERING CHAIR

and

the BEING PRESENT CHAIR

And then smile, stand and take a walk.

Notice your feet touching the ground as you walk. Notice when you mind wants to talk in a way that causes suffering. Notice when you are present and enjoying the world as it is just now.

There is not the “right” way to be.

And most of us would rather be happy.

And, the choice to suffer is always one of our options.

Hmmm.

Keep walking.

Keep aware of those feet and that sky and your breathing.

What’s that like, to be you, or this planet right now?

To be experiencing your experience in the moment, in all moments, as if everything is “meditation,” that’s one way to enjoy the possibility of “enlightenment.”

So, your choice: enjoy it if you want to.

Cheers

Chris