Operating in the World as if You Were Absent
The question, “what is the purpose of life?” seems to arise in every child as they begin to connect dots.
Dots, lines, circumstances, events, relationships – there seems to be an undeniable connection between everyone and everything. But how?
We know through scientific research that our planet is akin to one giant habitat, supporting all forms of life in a perpetual cycle of co-existence.
Religion teaches that at some point unspecified, everything began and at some point, it will also come to an end.
The Lion King taught us that the circle of life is one of life – death – and birth/rebirth at every level.
But how can life feel like such a lonely, individualistic experience if we’re ALL connected?
“Your eyes won’t see your eyes unless there’s something wrong with them.”
This seems to be the nature of existence in a nutshell. To live is to simultaneously be unaware of the process of life.
Beyond your field of vision, the world is completely dark. As far as you know, everything beyond your experience is imagined. You’ll live most of your life without being consciously aware of all that’s going on that does not affect your life.
You can’t see the back of your head unless you have some sort of dual mirror setup. But without technology, it’s impossible to see things outside our field of vision.
Yet, the invisibility of one’s head is the secret to life.
If you want to see the inside of your head, just keep your eyes open. Everything you see is a translation of the brain, a personal filter showing you how you perceive the world to be. It’s unique and personal. No matter how you slice it, it’s your own creation.
One person hears a car accident, and immediately runs outside to see what happened, call 911, etc.
Another hears the same accident but stays inside reading her book.
The rest of the day will transpire differently for each.
The person that rushed outside at the sound of the accident may run into other hiccups, traffic, accidents. However, they could be the victim or a helpful bystander. The person that continued reading may have a relaxing day, but they may also overlook important messages, miss an important call, or avoid a beneficial conversation with a loved one.
And further, only the individual will know the series of events over the course of a day, a year, a decade, their life… which led to an ultimate end. Only the individual knows the meaning of her life through hindsight analysis.
Divine Encounters
Instead of trying to pinpoint what can’t be explained on the outside, look inward. Rather than trying to see your eyes with your eyes, look to others.
It’s not what they say or do, but how you interpret their actions which reflects your own mindset.
Being present, and simultaneously absent, is about accepting all that is and all that is not as a perfect reflection of you. Rather, its a perfect mirror of who you have been up to this point.
Take a tree for example.
It can receive very little water and very little sunlight, but it may still continue to grow. We can tell by its leaves whether the tree looks healthy, and we may even try to water it in an effort to help it grow.
The tree can see this as a reflection of who it has been, and interpret our assistance accordingly.
One tree might say to itself “I must be dry, and ugly, that’s why they’re watering me” and pity itself. This will continue the same cycle, as the tree views itself helpless.
While another tree in the same circumstance might say “how far I’ve come, I’m being watered which means I have to grow strong.” This tree has altered its opinion of itself and takes every sign on the outside as a reflection of internal strength. It will grow healthy as a result.
Every conscious being works like this.
Being Present and Absent Simultaneously
The Art of Being Present
Being present means living in the now, and being receptive to all the goodness around you.
Mastering the art of being Present will build courage, confidence, and conviction. Being present gives you a direct, unfiltered connection to divinity. This is because, in a divine sense, all we have is now. There is no tomorrow, no yesterday, no time or space or ego. Everything just is.
When you’re okay with just-is-ness, what is, will be a perfect reflection of you. In order to learn this technique, opening your heart is essential. Being able to feel the energy centers in your body, and feel the space around you. How you are co-creating everything and affecting everyone around you.
Having a great sense of awareness – not one of judgment and projection – but a pure sense of what is will awaken this gift within you.
The Dream of Being Absent
Being absent means being impersonal, relative, not taking negative experiences and undesirable circumstances to heart. These kinds of circumstances are only reflecting on how you have viewed the world up to the present moment.
They are little messages from the source that connects us all telling you to shift your perspective a little bit if you don’t like them. If you don’t have the awareness to pick up on this, they may become big messages – guiding you back onto the path.
We all seem to be perpetually “searching for ourselves” yet that person we’re looking for is all around us, all the time.
Everything you see and experience is you.
You haven’t gone anywhere, you’ve only adapted and molded yourself as the creator set out to do.
As the religious doctrines would say, “The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature.”
“For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”
The kingdom of heaven lies WITHIN you.
Presence in Absence
That person you’re searching for is with you from birth to death, they cannot leave you.
Thus, do not waste your precious time searching. If you don’t recognize the person in the mirror, you’re looking in the wrong mirror.
You’ve taken on great challenges that brought about great lessons. You may think you are a product of those lessons, but in reality, you just are.
You are the embodiment of completion at all times. This “work in progress” nonsense is a partial truth. It’s true that we’re always learning, and as long as we’re alive, we’re always growing.
But the true nature of man is always complete.
Gold Manifests Gold
You may not see things you want to manifest, but this is because you have yet to become the perfect receptacle. You cannot think in lack, and yield perpetual abundance.
Take lottery winners, for example. Most of them go broke in a few short years.
It’s not because they don’t deserve wealth. We all deserve wealth. But they haven’t become a stable magnet for wealth, and often don’t feel that they earned their sudden fortune.
It is the internal conversation you’re having with yourself that’s giving these lessons meaning. You are essentially asking for life to give you challenges when your thoughts and actions do not match your desires. Thus, you are always complete. You’re only occupying a state that represents the polarity within you.
If you have a lot of debt, and you’re constantly living in a place of lack, you may tell yourself that you’re not good with money, that you can’t afford certain things, that you’ll never buy your dream house.
But how much energy are you wasting?
Or maybe you aren’t wasting… Maybe you’re creating with your thoughts and with your words. Re-creating the familiar, habitual Self that has maintained to this point. The body doesn’t know the difference.
As long as it’s alive, the body will continue to repeat the same actions and reactions that have kept it alive.
Transformation
If you desire something in opposition to your internal conversation or your external circumstances which reflect that conversation, challenges will appear.
In other words, if you don’t desire something, don’t spend time creating or re-creating it.
There is no challenge in creating what you desire. The only challenge lies in your perception, and duality in thought.
You can never lack, as you are the active creator of all things.
When you become absent while present, you won’t judge the things you’re creating as external nuisances. Rather, you will see that the whole world as you know it is your creation. You’ll water only the seeds you want to grow in your garden.
All is Self.