Archieven

Praise your dark moments, they can be a breakthrough

you’re in a rut

The last months of 2019 my life was out of control. I recognized the signals from two earlier occasions. My work assignments almost stopped, I had more dis-eases and I couldn’t sleep well. This time it seemed really serious and I knew in general that the best way forward is to surrender. It bothered me that I was living in a world where nothing lasts. Things just went up and down. Nothing was profound. I desired a simpler life and I decided that my mind still ruled too much. I started to work on some traumatic experiences from the past. Which I did successfully and finally one day something inexplicable happened to me. Suddenly, I experienced in my body an everlasting peace and happiness. I became aware of a world that is based on solid powerful being. Things appear and disappear but this beingness is the peaceful centre. Of course, I had already read something about it, but I had never experienced it myself. Eckhart Tolle describes it wonderfully in his book the Power of Now, guide to spiritual enlightenment.

Now, after I have experienced it myself what strikes me most is that it’s so obvious. Why didn’t I see it before? I remember moments that were a bit similar, but they didn’t last for long. The ‘centre being’ was missing. What if enlightenment is this obvious? What if there is no mystery? Isn’t it in front of us, staring at us, waiting until we finally see it? I think the mind overlooks it, because it simply can’t understand the unimaginable. The mind can’t grasp, clarify, sort or value ‘no-things’ like presence, awareness, beingness or oneness. We train our minds to focus on content. The real thing is LIKE no-thing. A fulfilling peaceful emptiness. Of course, we can read wonderful books about it, but it’s only after I experienced it myself that I, by scanning the books again, realized that it has something to do with the real thing.  I’m not sure of course, but I don’t care. My life is a lot simpler now. I’m deliriously happy with this breakthrough.

As John Greven, the writer in Oneness, the destination you never left states: “What is obvious, but perhaps overlooked, is by far more than you have-or can image.”  (www.onenessjustthat.com John Greves)

John Greven has a wonderful metaphor for these kinds of breakthroughs. At the moment our mind is disrupted or confused, we can more easily notice things the mind normally overlooks. Greven uses the example of his focus on the space between the letters in the word “nowhere”. He suddenly reads “now here”.  Right at the moment you think you’re nowhere, you’re actually in the now and here !! Ready to encounter your true self. Wow, this is a real paradigm shift. So, in the now it’s appropriate to think and feel your nothing? (no past, no future, just now) Yes, because when you’re nothing you’re open to really everything. No filters, no judgements, no boundaries but true love to whatever reveals itself to your liberated awareness. Liberated from the constraints of the mind. A familiar other constraint is: “It can’t be that simple ! It must be more complicated”.

No sir, it’s that simple! “Enlightenment” for example is hard to find, because guru’s say it’s about “finding” your true self. The great thing is…..We already are our true selves !! Finding our true selves is like a fish looking for water. The best moment for the fish to become aware of the presence of water is when it’s being pulled to dry land. A real dark disruptive moment. So, don’t try to become or to improve, just try to be aware of the real you. And don’t forget, it’s right in front of you. But…the moment you think: “I’ve got it !” You couldn’t be further off. Your mind will immediately take over with desires, fantasies and in the end the fear to lose what you’ve just achieved. When you feel you’re ‘nowhere’ and out of your comfort zone, you’re close and when a sudden indefinable inner peace takes over, your connected. Stay alert for the fears and doubts your mind will throw in. Just observe them and don’t take them serious. Your mind will try to stay in ‘power’ because it wants to save you .

Dark night of the soul

The world we live in today is terrorized by the egoistic mind. The rules of the heart seem to be disappearing. Nothing is real. Things just come and go. We live between failure and success. Many people experience disruptive moments, lose a partner, friends or family to the big C. or can’t see a future for themselves anymore and lose faith. Chances are that they are confronted with the “dark night of the soul” Trust that and don’t resist. You’re being pulled to dry land for a reason. Let me try to explain the importance of these disruptive periods. I’m offering you a song and several articles. If you still have questions or just want to thank me for this sharing, send me an email (hreitsma@euronet.nl).

Constraints of the mind

So, our real selves are far more than… and beyond our minds. This means that we can experience our real selves right now, but we will never understand it. To be aligned to it, we will have to distant our-selves from everything that is perishable and all that changes. Close your eyes to the appearances of what we normally call the ‘real’ world. As Jesus said:”Leave everything behind and follow me.” 

Praise to all who experience these dark nights of the soul. You’re about to meet with your true inner self beyond the mind.

What comes up and goes isn’t real.

“Vanity of vanities. All is vanity.

What do people gain from all their labors
    at which they toil under the sun?
Generations come and generations go,
    but the earth remains forever.

Bible Ecclesiastes 1

Our mind can’t also see ’the real you’, because it can’t comprehend the lack space or time.  Our mind-if it even exists- is a part of the real you, not vice versa. I know this is shocking news to most of us. Most people think their mind is their identity, but it’s just a wonderful computer made of braincells. It can be programmed and do exceptional things. But it definitely has its limits:”garbage in garbage out”. We all have to learn how to stop thinking. Most thinking is ill thinking, because it is linked to egocentric needs and the greatest fear of the ego…. death!

How real is enlightenment?

I can confirm I never saw flashing lights and until today I can’t walk or see through walls. My body feels a bit different. That’s it. I will never claim enlightenment, because I still don’t know what that is. I wonder if it even exists. Furthermore, it didn’t happen to me all at once. I remember three moments that changed my life fundamentally and today I think they are related. The first moment in France I had no clue what had happened to me, but I could not continue with my old approaches and habits. The second moment in Germany I was more aware of what was revealed to me. And after the third moment I made a fundamental choise. But after each moment I had to check what just had happened to me. All three were almost insignificant but breathtaking experiences, but building up to something big and unknown.

This is what I wrote after the first moment in France (see below).

 Finally after a magical moment during sunset in France, I experienced a new perfect and beautiful stilness I could not yet explain and soon after, I had to end my line of business. Somehow, I had encountered a new dimension and I could not fully return to the old ones. Until then, my imagination had been the strongest creative power I knew. It helped me solve problems in everyday life and made me a successful and innovative entrepreneur. This stilness however surpassed my individuality and it had the neutrality and therefore the freedom of an unimaginable no-thing.

Read my blog: Enjoy the unimaginable reality

Hoofd en hart

Het woord lef  “״לב in het Hebreeuws betekent “hart”.  Leven zou je dan kunnen omschrijven als: “Er zijn vanuit je hart”.   Onderstaande tekening vertoont de guirlande die griekse krijgsheren omkregen na een overwinning op het slagveld. De balans die zij hadden getoond in hun leiderschap tussen “hoofd, hart en buik” werd daarmee gelauwerd. De Grieken geloofden dat dankzij die balans de krijgsheer meer soldaten veilig thuisbracht.

Geeft dit niet een verrassende wending aan onze mentale westerse kijk op het leven ? Wat voor leven zouden wij het liefst leven ? Onze (film, muziek en staats)helden benijden we, want ze zijn rijk, hebben een mooi lijf en ze zijn succesvol. De weg van het hart focust daarentegen op innerlijke zaken als: overvloed, gezondheid en geluk.

Hoe is het mogelijk dat twee leefstijlen die elkaar volledig uitsluiten toch dezelfde mens kunnen motiveren en inspireren ?  

De gebroeders Grimm moeten deze vraag in beeld hebben gehad, toen ze het sprookje van Sneeuwwitje opschreven. In dit sprookje wordt onze mentale Westerse leefstijl uitgebeeld door de koningin en de weg van het hart door Sneeuwwitje. Het sprookje laat vlijmscherp zien hoe onze innerlijke strijd rond deze twee leefstijlen verloopt naarmate we ouder worden. 

Lees verder

Elke vorm van verslaving is slecht, of het narcotische middel nu alcohol, morfine, cannabis, macht, werk of idealisme is.Nadenken is zwaar, daarom oordelen de meesten.