“The wise man acts as if everything matters but knows that nothing does”
Carlos Castaneda
I find myself yet again considering the import of Castaneda’s perspective in the light of my recent experiences. As my mind scans the events that have occurred over the last few days, I realize that all that has happened, indeed all that ever happens, is no more and no less significant than all the other events that somehow pass off as ‘mundanity’. The difference lies not in the events themselves but in my construal of them.
Some events lodge in my mind as ‘urgent’ or ‘troublesome’ or ‘inconvenient’ or ‘frustrating’ or ‘appalling’ or ‘unfair’ or ‘ridiculous’ or ‘nonsense’. Others as ‘great’ or ‘fabulous’ or ‘amazing’ or ‘beautiful’ or ‘wonderful’ or ‘exquisite’. But the majority of my life’s events such as thinking, breathing, listening, speaking, seeing, eating, waking, sleeping, traffic, the ground on which I walk and the air that I breathe happen with little awareness on my part.
Okay, I do exaggerate a little here since I am do tend to maintain a certain degree of awareness as an ongoing meditative practice. However, that degree of awareness varies depending on whether there are more ‘dramatic’ events happening.
For instance, getting my blog tagged by Google as an Attack Site was an ‘urgent’ event that my mind had decided demanded most of my attention. Consequently, my state of awareness diminished somewhat. Whilst I didn’t exactly panic, my general sense of peace was disturbed.
Likewise when I was unable to connect to the Internet this morning or make or receive calls on my mobile as a result of a damaged telecommunication cable. Then too, my attention became captive to these ‘inconvenient’ events and my sense of peace once again was disturbed.
Upon realizing the effects of my construal of these events and the disproportionate attention I was giving them, I decided to return to ‘ground zero’ or the open field of infinite possibilities. This is something I do by simply and gently directing my attention to more ‘mundane’ events such as my breathing and slowly expanding that attention which by now attains the quality of ‘awareness’ to other mundane events such as the sounds around me and the sensations within my body.
The almost immediate effect of this is a deep sense of peace, a relaxation of the body and mind rather like the release of tension in a stretched elastic band. In this state there are no more construals, no more judgments, no more rejections, no more fear and anxiety. Instead, there is just the gentle and ceaseless flow of consciousness.
In this state, the words of Carlos Castaneda ring like a crystal bell. So clear, so sharp, so true. Everything is to be treated as if it really matters because it does in our mundane or ordinary existence as they refer to it in Buddhism.
Bird pooh, rustling leaves, tires on the ground, children’s squeals all matter for they all arise in dependence of each other and everything else. It is a principle referred to in Buddhism as ‘dependent origination’ – all things arise out of all else. The absence of one alters all. The change of form of one changes all whether we see it or feel it or are aware of it or not, whether the mind construes it as significant or not.
But this physical/material/sensorial drama is but the shadow play of an underpresence which is uncaused, unchanging, unenhanceable and incorruptible. Nothing we can do can add to it or take away from it. It is, by its very nature, whole and complete.
Thus it makes sense to act as if everything matters but to know that ultimately, in the most fundamental way, nothing does!
Love always, Lucy
For Online and Offline Mentoring/Meditation/Workshops/Retreats Contact lucy@lucylopez.net
If you enjoyed this article, please share it with others by clicking on one or more of the links below. Thank you!
Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Reddit
Same subject precisely, but from a different perspective. How our construals or perceptions can overlap.
When I was replying to your message about the security problem, I imagined you in all sorts of possible states – some you hinted at in your message.
So – there I was replying to you – but I was completely out of synchronisation with events, for unbeknown to me, your situation had already righted itself – as I discovered soon after when I saw the link in my blogroll “WooHoo!”
My perception, my construal of events was triggered by the words I had read – but the events I imagined, no longer had any present reality at all.
That was the small gateway into my inner world. That’s all it takes – words, sights, sounds, smells, sensations – once these triggers find a way in to our inner world – we allow that world to become changed.
It seems remarkable that our stability can be so easily influenced. After all, everything really is happening on the inside of us – the world is only our perception of it.
I sat in a cafe that afternoon and pondered all this – it just seemed mighty ridiculous – here we are – human beings – directly connected to, a very part of the infinite power of reality – and yet we can so easily be influenced by what passes through those gateways.
If we could become conscious enough to dwell securely in an inner world of peace – and perform thorough “security checks” on all that tried to gain entrance – well – I believe our worlds could change beyond recognition.
Yes, it is always our construal of the world – a result of our conditioning. Which is why it helps to become aware of our conditioning as well as to focus on the deeper reality it can point us to.
On another note Tim, I want to say how much I appreciate your comments. They are so thoughtfully written and the light they cast reveals even more of the truth! Thank you!