Artist Alchemy Elevate Sold.

To live in the present moment requires a change in our inner posture. 

Instead of expanding or shoring up our fortress of the small self—the ego—contemplation waits to discover who we truly are. 

Most people “think” they are their thinking; they don’t have a clue who they are apart from their thoughts. In contemplation, we move beneath thoughts and sensations to the level of pure being and naked awareness.  

In contemplation, we calmly observe our own stream of consciousness and see its compulsive patterns. We wait in silence with an open heart and attuned body. It doesn’t take long for our usual patterns to assault us. 

Our habits of control, addiction, negativity, tension, anger, and fear assert themselves. Contemplation is not consoling, at least not at first, which is why so many give up. Yes, truth will set us free, but generally, it first makes us miserable. 

Inspired by Thomas Keating (1923–2018),

 the founder of Contemplative Outreach. 

“Leaves On A Stream”

“Boats In The Current” 

“Circularity” 

Imagine you are sitting on a riverbank. 

Boats and ships and leaves ~ thoughts, feelings, and sensations—are sailing past. 

While the stream flows by your inner eye, name each of these vessels. 

For example, 

one of the boats could be called “my anxiety about tomorrow.” 

Or along comes the ship “objections to my husband”

 or the boat “I don’t do that well.” 

Every judgment that you recognise, name and then let pass is one of those boats; take time to name each one and then allow them to move down the river.  

Simply let them  be, 

accept them, do not board them, do not entertain them, 

simply let them flow on by without 

attaching any thought to them. 

This can be a difficult witnessing exercise 

because you’re used to jumping 

aboard the boats—your thoughts—immediately. 

As soon as you own a boat and identify with it,

 it picks up energy. 

This is a practice in un-possessing, detaching, 

recognising, non resistance of integration without attachment means “letting go”. 

Not forcing, not stopping, not denying or trying hard to “get rid of” them. Simply allow them to be. 

One part of your whole being, 

real but unattached to who you really are. 

With every idea, with every image that comes into your head, say, 

“I see you, I accept you are there BUT 

No, I’m not that; I don’t need that; 

that’s not who I really am and that’s Not me.”  

Sometimes, a boat turns around and heads back upstream to demand your attention again. 

The yapping relentless black dog. 

The noisy nosy relentless smaller dog. 

The over sharing squeaking smaller bothersome dog. 

It’s hard not to get hooked by noisy, 

yapping, repetitive dogs of habitual thoughts. 

Sometimes you’ll be tempted to torpedo your boats. But don’t attack them. Don’t hate them or condemn them. Don’t chain them or tame them. 

Simply see them for what they are. 

Contemplation is also an exercise in nonviolence. The point is to recognize your thoughts, which are not you, and to say, 

“That’s not something I need.

That’s not something I am. 

That is NOT really me”. 

But do it very amiably. 

As you learn to handle your own soul tenderly and lovingly, you’ll be able to carry this same loving wisdom out into the world. 

Not my circus. Not my monkeys. 

I see you

I hear you 

I accept you

I believe you 

I love you 

But it is NOT who I am. 

Many teachers insist on at least twenty minutes for a full contemplative “sit,” because we have found that the first half (or more) of any contemplative time is just recognising and accepting then finally letting go of those thoughts, judgments, fears, negations, and emotions that want to impose and ATTACH themselves. 

We become watchers and witnesses, 

stepping back and observing 

without judgment. 

Gradually we come to realize those thoughts and feelings are not actually “me.” 

THEN WHAT? 

Carry on mudda duckers. 

Carry on with your day without attachment to mind less noise or mind less chatter or mind less others peoples or your own attached none sense.