I have been inspired by reading the book “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael Singer. It is a wonderful depiction of his spiritual commitment to accepting the circumstances life presented to him with the aspiration to release the personality mind and cultivate deep peace within, regardless of the challenging circumstances. He made a pact to say “Yes” even when his inner dialogue said “No.” Through many circumstances he describes deep and enriching lessons that were surreptitiously learned, and the synchronistic events that ensued.
A soulful life is lived from the inside out.
Following inner prompting, joys, loves and responding to what life offers as the symphony of the inner and outer worlds creates the rhythmic music of the call and response. Whether the call or response emanates from the inner call or the outer response is a moot point and one that would keep the mind in the game of splitting hairs for years to come. The personality, or ego, would love to claim ownership of the call, the reason the world responds. However, to quote the Guides through Paul Selig, this is equivalent to metaphysical kindergarten.
Understanding the mystery of how the interconnected nature of all life is unfolding with our empirical explorations is still in its preschool stage. This mystery cannot be understood through the mind, rather can be known through the experience of the expanded consciousness of Soul – a state of being. Expanded consciousness is experienced beyond the realm of personality and mind. This expanded, awakened, or enlightened state is what mystics, monks, and spiritual seekers seek to cultivate through the discipline of their spiritual practices.
Michael Singer had daily meditation practices. His passion was not the achievement of something external but a desire for cultivating connection with: God, the Divine, The Universe, Great spirit. To rest in this place of deep love and connection required letting go of the obstacles of the personality’s attachments and aversions. His surrender was to the gifts of the lessons life offered him Accepting the good and the not so good!
The gifts that life brings us are to be welcomed. As in Rumi’s poem the Guest House - whether we understand it now or not, the lessons of life may open the door to so much more than we anticipate. It is a worthwhile contemplative practice to review current or prior life experiences, or even “past life” experiences should this be part of your multidimensional awareness. What difficult experiences turned out to be doors that opened you up to deeper and more authentic living? It is important to notice when the heart closes ever so slightly, that resistance felt in body and being to what is. We can get deeper in our explorations with inquiry that furthers the understanding of our emotional world. Sitting with an emotion we may ask: “What sadness is this?” and then open the door to your unexpected guest. Inquiry questions explore internal resistances you meet when reviewing life events. What shutting down of your heart do you feel when you encounter different opinions? What ideas or beliefs are you too attached to? What aspect of your personality is in attachment or aversion to something?