What to Do When You are Not Tranquil

A Course in Tranquility Lesson 12 of 14 — What to Do When You are Not Tranquil
We will begin this lesson with a discussion between Nisargadatta Maharaj, a 20th century master, and a
student.

Questioner: I have met many realized people, but never a liberated man. Have you come across a
liberated man, or does liberation mean, among other things, also abandoning the body?
Maharaj: What do you mean by realization and liberation?
Q: By realization I mean a wonderful experience of peace, goodness and beauty, when the world makes
sense and there is an all-pervading unity of both substance and essence. While such experience does not
last, it cannot be forgotten. It shines in the mind, both as memory and longing. I know what I am talking
about, for I have had such experiences.
By liberation I mean to be permanently in that wonderful state. What I am asking is whether liberation is
compatible with the survival of the body.
M: What is wrong with the body?
Q: The body is so weak and short-lived. It creates needs and cravings. It limits one grievously.
M: So what? Let the physical expressions be limited. But liberation is of the Self from its false and
self-imposed ideas; it is not contained in some particular experience, however glorious.

———–

As touched on earlier in this course, there is often the idea that tranquility and liberation of
consciousness indicate a glorified human condition. Sometimes, even when established in the Self, on
the surface of consciousness, violent waves or turbulence may arise, either in the form of health
challenges, relationship confusion, financial disparity, societal discord, or any other number of
unpleasant circumstances. The questioner, in the above passage, indicates that he thinks liberation
means abiding permanently in a wonderful state! The Maharaj reminds him that liberation is abidance in
the Self, and not abiding in identification with the changing phenomena the Self may witness.

Interacting in a world, through a mind and body, we have limitations. As it says in the Yoga
Sutras, in the chapter 3 on Soul Powers, that the reason we do not know everyone else’s thoughts, is
because that would result in confusion of minds. Here limitation is necessary. It does not say, we
cannot know other people’s thoughts, only that we don’t, to avoid confusion. We do not exist in this
world as completely unlimited, because we have agreed to play a role. If there was no limitation to our
roles, confusion would result, and nothing would ever get done, nor would any karma get exhausted.

Liberation being of the Self, we can turn within, know and be our real nature, yet return to the
world to play our part as it is necessary. Often we do not want to play our parts, because it is not
glorious, or wonderful, or like all the wonderful dramas on TV. The interesting thing to remember, is that
all those dramas on TV are imagination, and not real. We try to shape reality to match a fantasy, which
are distinctly different. Our real nature is beyond all of this. It is not fooled by fantasy, nor is it bound by
‘reality’. It simply is. And in that “is-ness” is beauty, love, and wisdom.

Our stories, our history, our past, those thoughts we habitually think, are those limitations with
which we identify. They are also the reasons we do not allow ourselves to be happy.  As Eckhart Tolle has
said, “Listen to people’s stories and they could all be entitled ‘Why I Cannot Be at Peace Now.’” We can
say things like:

“I cannot be at peace now, because I am not with that special someone.”
“I cannot be at peace now, because I don’t have enough information to be enlightened.”
“I cannot be at peace now, because I am confused about some areas of my life.”
“I cannot be at peace now, because I am dying.”
“I cannot be at peace now, because I am alive, and want to be dead.”
“I cannot be at peace now, because I don’t have a cigarette.”
“I cannot be at peace now, because I have no money.”
“I cannot be at peace now, because I have all the money in the world, and am still missing something.”
“I cannot be at peace now, because I had an unhappy childhood.”

The stories that are possible in this world are vast, and endless. This is precisely why our stories
don’t matter when it comes to tranquility. It is also why, even if we are not tranquil, we learn to let go of
identification with tranquility, in order to remain there. Attachment to peace and tranquility is still
attachment. Imagine if everything in your life was perfect, and yet for a moment or an hour or two you
become angry, depressed, agitated. Or maybe for a day, or a month or a year, you were sick. Rather
than letting it pass, which it will do one way or another, you dwell. Then, once it passes, you continue
dwelling, trying to figure out what it was all about. Why did you have that passing mood? Why did
you get sick? etc. etc. Tranquility is shaken, and we continue shaking it, even after the un-tranquil
situation passes.

This is not to say, that if you have a problem, you shouldn’t figure out what was causing it so you
can avoid future experiences of that problem. However, you can usually tell if a problem is worth using
energy to explore if it is recurrent. For example, if you have one bad relationship, but the rest were
pretty good, chances are, it isn’t much to worry about. If you have one bad relationship after another,
that might be an indication to explore possible causes and remedies. If you fall and bruise your leg, and
yet for the past twenty years, you have almost a perfect record of not falling, you can let that one pass
too. However, if you find that throughout your life, you’ve been clumsy, that might be an indication
that you could explore and remedy that problem.

What’s the answer to “What do I do when I’m not tranquil, or when things don’t work out
exactly as my expectations would suggest?” Let it pass.

Roy Eugene Davis, once told a story of a person who wrote to him. The writer had mentioned
how Mr. Davis writes and speaks about realizing our immortality and eternal life. The writer then went
on to say, how he found it a depressing possibility that he could potentially live forever. The problem
there, was that the writer was identified with his life situation. Mr. Davis, was not speaking about the
immortality of the life situation.

This is a common problem that many spiritual aspirants face. They do not understand what it
means to be spiritually liberated or to exist in tranquility, because they do not have a very good memory
of what that is like. They don’t remember what it is like to be identified with the immortal sense of “I
Am”. All they remember is immediate, limited life situation.

When we first learn to meditate, we are learning to calm the mind and emotions and to refine
the nervous system to be able to process clearer states of consciousness. When we first adopt
recommended lifestyle routines at the beginning of our spiritual path, we are making choices to cut back
on the amount of distractions we will have in life, so we can direct our energy to remembering and
re-establishing our consciousness in the timeless “I Am”.

After this becomes stable, we then dive deep, practicing holding our awareness as the “I Am”. It
is this practice, and they call it practice for a reason, that allows us to exist free, because we then know
what we are, beyond any doubt. We can also exist as we are, without doubt. When this realization
dawns, we know. No matter what anyone else says, or what the doubts of anyone else may be, we are
unmoved by them. Just as no one could make you doubt that a ripe red apple is sweet, no one could
shake you from the realization of your Self.

How is this done?

First we make sure our meditation practice is stable. This means we meditate every day with
alert, yet relaxed intention, and we have found a technique or an understanding of what it takes to calm
down the mind and emotions. That may include determining activities, foods, or personal interactions
that get your mind and emotions spinning, and minimizing their influence.

If you want to be Self-realized and Tranquil, you need to realize that meditation is an excellent
tool for that, but it must be understood properly. There is a stage beyond experiencing peacefulness
that needs to be activated for optimal benefits.

In stage two, you begin doing your best to exist as the “I am”. This is the state beyond:

“I am meditating.”
“I am a personality.”
“I have these likes and dislikes.”
“My breathe is quiet.”
“I am in a still room.”

You move to the simple experience of the room you are sitting. You simply experience the
thoughts that rise and fall in your mind. You simply feel a passing emotion or memory. All the while, you
are aware. You are not aware as being identified with anything in particular. You are aware of your
Self as the witnessing presence. You can’t see it. You can’t feel it. You can only be it.

You can drive your awareness deeper. With eyes closed, and in a very quiet room, you imagine
withdrawing your awareness from your senses. As you do this, memories, thoughts and emotions now
become “external.” You drive your awareness deeper, withdrawing your awareness away from even
these subjective internalized (yet still external from the vantage point of the Self) perceptions.

This takes dedication and practice. Some times it feels like it takes lots of energy and
concentration. The rewards are worth it. Even if you pull your awareness only to the level of being
aware of the memories, emotions and memories, that is good. Keep endeavoring to pull it deeper. One
day, you will withdraw even from that! If only for a second or two, it is progress. You continue, until it
becomes natural and easy.

As you get used to holding your awareness on this sense of “I Am”. It becomes easy. You have
been practicing so long, that you can hold your awareness there effortlessly, because you know how it’s
done. Just like driving a car may seem like a big task if you’ve never driven one, with practice you hardly
have to think about it. Be patient yet consistent. Continue practicing, and letting your self grow stronger
in concentration at your own rate. We all take to this work with varying backgrounds and abilities, but
we all reach the same state.

When All Else Fails

Sometimes we try. We use our self-effort. We apply all the knowledge that we have, and yet we
still fall into a space of sorrow or unconsciousness. When this occurs, a very good practice is learning to
surrender into grace. Now grace is our very own nature, and so we are essentially surrendering into our
Self. But you see we only fall into sorrow when we cannot shake free of the feeling of being limited as an
individualized being, a personality, a history, a series of expectations that needs fulfilled. We are much
vaster than all of that. Surrendering into grace is surrendering into that vastness, that is omnipotent and
omniscience and forever established in love and wisdom, at least, that is the closest words can come to
what it feels like.

How is it done? Wherever you are, you let go. You may be in pain, or in an uncomfortable
situation that you desperately wish to be different. You may be in a life situation and suddenly find your
self wanting to be in a much better place, or maybe you suddenly discover another avenue in life that is
more in line with your expression as a divine being of love, yet you have a history, and obligations, and
commitments that need fulfilling. You cannot see your self changing overnight, yet you desperately feel
the calling. You let go, and surrender into the vastness of your being. The little you can do nothing. You
know, because you’ve tried, or you’ve found your self too paralyzed to move.

Imagine or remember a time when you got a rock or a bug in your eye. It burns and hurts. Your
friend says, “Hey, I’ll help you out.” Yet every time they make a move to take the offending object out of
your eye, you flinch, close your eyes and pull away. Sure it may hurt a little more as the object is
removed, but if you relax, then in an instant, you can see again, and the sting is gone. That same
mechanism that would allow you to surrender to that aid, is the same mechanism, or feeling state that
accompanies surrender.

Whether it be in meditation, or prayer, or in daily living, when you have done your best, and you
cannot conceive of anything more you could do, try letting go. Surrender, knowing the rest of you, the
universe, will move in such away to either make the crooked roads straight, or provide the wisdom to
understand your situation with clarity. This may take practice, but it is well worth the effort. Give it a try
when you are not tranquil, and don’t fight it when your tranquility comes rushing back to you quicker
than your little self thinks it deserves.

Thought for the day: “Not even the very wise can see all ends.”

Sincerely, Ryan Kurczak 2010

Demonstrate God

The following passage comes from Joel S. Goldsmith’s book called Practicing the Presence.

Practising the Presence Joel Goldsmith

“Meeting God face to face is the end of the road.  There is nothing more to be desired. When we come to this point, we know exactly what Paul meant when he said, ‘I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.’ It is almost as if we were looking over our shoulder and watching the Christ work in us and through us and for us. It goes before us. If supply is needed, It provides it.  If a home is needed, It provides it. If transportation is needed, It provides it. We never have to take thought of these things; all we have to do is continue our life of contemplation, and then we shall find that in our business, profession, or artistic pursuits, we shall have greater discernment, ability, health, inspiration, joy and remuneration.  However, we shall not be praying to achieve these results:  They will flow of their own accord just as the sun rises in the morning and goes down at night.  We shall have had nothing to do with it except to contemplate it, behold it, watch it.  We did not have to pray to God about it, and we did not have to know the truth about it.

So with us. We learn not to try mentally to manipulate our lives, hoping that by affirming some truth something good will be brought into our experience. Life becomes a complete joy, because just as we need have no concern for the movement of the sun, moon, or stars, so we need feel no burden of responsibility for our supply or our health.  All these are a matter of God’s grace.  Our only responsibility is that the Spirit of God dwell in us.  At one time or another, we must begin to make the transition from being man whose breath is in his nostrils, who cannot please God and who is not under the law of God, to being the child of God. From that point on we cannot fail: It is only a matter of devotion.

We cannot use God, but we can yield ourselves to God and let God use us.  We can contemplate the things of God and meditate upon the spiritual, invisible, and unseen, until we actually feel that spirit and presence of God within us. Then let our prayer be:

Give me more wisdom; give me more light; teach me how to abide in Thy Word. Let me want Thee for Thy sake only.  Let me never ask for a single thing for any person.  Let me tabernacle and commune with Thee.  Let my only purpose be to unit with Thee.“

Vasistha’s Yoga VI.1:40 – Proper Worship

How do we give our full attention to our spiritual path and the divine? It is not just in meditation and prayer. It is in everything that we do and experience.  The following excerpt from Vasistha’s Yoga illustrates this point.

Whatever you do and whenever you do it (or refrain from doing it) — all that is worship of the Lord who is pure consciousness.  By regarding all that as worship of the self who is the Lord –he is delighted.

Likes and dislikes, attractions and aversion are not found in the self independent of its essential nature; they are mere words. Even the concepts indicated by words  like ‘sovereignty’, ‘poverty’, ‘pleasure’, ‘pain’, ‘one’s own’, and ‘others’, are in fact worship of the self, for the conceiving intelligence is the self. Knowledge of the cosmic being alone is proper worship of the cosmic being.

It is that self or cosmic consciousness alone which is indicated by expressions like ‘this world’. Oh, what a mysterious wonder it is that the self which is pure consciousness or intelligence somehow seems to forget its own nature and comes to regard itself as the jiva (the individual). In fact, in that cosmic being, which is the reality in everything, there is not even the division into worshiper, worship and worshiped. It is impossible to describe that cosmic being which supports the entire universe without division; it is impossible to teach another concerning it. And, we do not consider them worthy of being taught by us, who consider that god is limited by time and space. Hence, abandoning all such limited concepts, abandoning even the division between worshiper and the worshiped (Lord), worship the self by the self. Be at peace, pure, free from cravings. Consider that all your experiences and expressions are the worship of the self.