| We seem to always run into the same difficulties | | | | to; our wanting to survive and continue. |
| with life sooner or later, don't we? A good example | | | | But if the ego is an illusion, what is there to continue? |
| is a new relationship. Things start off famously, | | | | What never has been will continue to be "never has |
| swimmingly, but after some time the same old | | | | been" after death - unless we cling to that ego so |
| problems seem to rear their ugly heads, even with a | | | | tightly that we become a ghost! And maybe live in a |
| new person. What's going on here? | | | | house that we can't give up either... and haunt it! |
| Can it have something to do with ourselves? This is | | | | Of course we don't have to wait for our demise to |
| difficult to look at because it hits real close to home. | | | | become a ghost. When we cling to our idea of |
| It's much easier to blame someone or something | | | | ourselves, we can become a walking zombie right |
| else, but unless we look at ourselves, we will be | | | | here on earth! All we have to do is become so |
| tricked by life forever. | | | | obsessed with ourselves that we can't see others, |
| So how does life trick us? It can only trick us if we | | | | and then we will find ourselves walking around in a |
| allow it to. If we begin to understand life at more | | | | self-centered trance, caught in endless thought night |
| than a surface level (get all the pleasure I can!), then | | | | and day, hardly able to sleep. |
| the tricks are seen through and life can become the | | | | Mind is the forerunner of all things, a wise man once |
| teacher that it is supposed to be. | | | | said, and this is true. A mind with dim vision, only able |
| We build up an idea of ourselves, an identity who we | | | | to see itself, will be the forerunner of all that |
| are. This is a trick of life. It's a trick because it is a | | | | happens to that mind, and subsequently to its body. |
| slight of hand. There is no real "us." But because we | | | | A mind at this level cannot see the body simply as |
| are tricked into believing that there is a real us, we | | | | organs and tissue growing from the elements of the |
| are conned into supporting and nurturing whatever | | | | earth, and which will return to the earth someday. |
| image our mind has concocted about who we are. | | | | This mind sees the body as much more than that, |
| Then, everything we do in life has to fit the image, | | | | like a spirit, and when the mind makes this mistake, |
| because we certainly don't want that image to | | | | then the body becomes like an expensive sports car |
| change, regardless if we don't like ourselves the way | | | | that one must park way out in the Walmart parking |
| we are. It is a curious thing; that we don't want to | | | | lot so no one will scratch it. |
| change, and it comes down to both fear, and being | | | | A mind with insight, on the other hand, sees through |
| proud of what the mind concocted regarding a | | | | these images and sees the reality of life, which is |
| personality. | | | | that the body and mind are material. Then, like having |
| We believe that our image is concrete, so we don't | | | | an old junker, you can park the ego and body |
| want to shatter that image of our ego. If we shatter | | | | anywhere with complete ease of mind! This relieves |
| it and change, then we see that nothing is concrete. | | | | stress. And with stress and worry relieved, the mind |
| then we can become insecure because one of our | | | | has space to go even deeper into life, and this is |
| fondest beliefs has bitten the dust, the belief in an | | | | what is called approaching real spirituality, i.e., beyond |
| unchanging personality that will continue into the | | | | the material. |
| cosmos after death. This is what it all comes down | | | | |