"Lekh L'kha- Go, for yourself, from your land, from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land I will show you..." So says Hashem to Avram at the beginning of this week's parsha.
These three things- land, family and home- are security of the known; they are extensions of self, indicated by "Your land" and "your relatives". "The land I will show you"- this is the unknown, the future. We cling to the known and resist the uncertainty of the future, though we know it is coming. But it is possible to dive fully into the unknown now, to release the burden of all our preconceptions we carry in this moment. In this letting go, we can see that this moment is in fact "the land I will show you"- it is not "ours"- we cannot grasp it- but we can behold it. And yet, when you release resistance and fear and enter this moment fully, then you are truly at home; you are not living in your idea of the present, you are living in the real present. Then you can feel the mystery of the future in the present, and the unburdened heart can bubble with possibility!
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We often use our minds to entertain ourselves. We think of interesting ideas, or contemplate other people's lives, imagine exciting things we are going to do- the list is endless. But few have tried not thinking. When the mind becomes still, yet totally aware, you will notice- even the most drab urban landscape vibrates with life and mystery. When the mind stops looking toward thought for entertainment and stimulation, you can begin to notice- the world around you is far more interesting than anything thought can manufacture! It vibrates with Hei HaOlamim- The Life of Worlds! This is not the mind's idea of G-d, this is the Real Thing- beholding the Presence. So try letting go of the imaginary world and instead opening to whatever comes- you may be surprised!
Belief is clutter, because it is unnecessary. Some think that you need to believe in something good in order to have hope, to not be pessimistic. But pessimism is also belief; you don't really know how things are going to turn out. If you say, "i believe it will all turn out for the good", you are trying to have something you can't have; you can't know how it will turn out. And if you say, "it will turn out for the bad", you are still trying to have something you can't have. Why not have what you can have?
Why use mental energy trying to have what you can't have? There is so much available in this moment, but in order to receive it, you have to be aware of it. So use your precious vital energy on connecting with this moment, on being aware of what is really here. You will find that having what you can have is much better than trying to have what you can't! |
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