Things I Learned About Life By Meditating, Introspecting and Generally Looking Within - Richard Payment

 Things I Learned About Life By Meditating, Introspecting and Generally Looking Within

1. Things are seldom what they seem.

This is called maya. It is also called illusion. Our day-to-day life is full of illusions. We see wealth and call it accomplishment. We see celebrity and call it heroic. The real world is much subtler. It is less transient. And it is there that the truth lives. The things that most people so earnestly believe in are a pale reflection of that reality. They see the mundane and think it is the spectacular.

2. Everybody is the same.

What is the thing that makes us the same? It’s certainly not on the outside. External similarities can be confusing. They can deceive and mislead. Nationality and race, occupation and education, wealth and status can do more to separate people than bring them together. When you look beyond the external, that’s where you can see the spirit. Our spirits are the same. And that’s where we are connected.

3. Everybody is different.

Although we are the same at the core, our experiences can be very different. We never really know what another person has been through. It can be difficult to understand why they do things. Advice can be both hard to give and hard to take. But experience is the real teacher. And as we learn, we then become closer to each other.

4. By cleaning the windows, we can see better.

When the windows of a house are cleaning, we can see the garden much better. So it is with humans. Through meditation, introspection and other techniques, our perception is cleansed. It is then that we can better see reality. It is then that we understand. The garden is always there for our enjoyment. It never goes away. So it is with reality.

5. We have total control of our lives

We are each given talents and tools. There are real choices in life. There are crossroads and decisions. Some roads may lead back to the same spot. Some may elevate us beyond expectation. The choices are real. The tests are many. The decisions are ours.

6. We have little control over the course of our lives.

Like a boat on a river, we have little control over where we are going. Some steering is possible. Some correction necessary. Going back upstream is not a good idea. All in all, the river decides the course. The effect of the rudder is minimal when matched against the force of the river. In the end, the ocean is inevitable.

7. What we think is really important.

Each of our words, each of our thoughts has has a ripple effect on us and upon others. The world changes. A wave of good feeling, of love towards others creates an aura of good vibrations. This makes us feel better. It makes others feel better. It makes the world a better place.

9. We are all in the dark.

The thing about life is that no one tells us completely how to do it. We are pretty much in the dark. We look around. We listen to others. But the thing is, we should look inside. Our inner self remembers why we are here. Our inner self is the voice we should heed.

10. We all have an inner light

Innately, we know things. We know helping others is good. We know that love, among all that we have, is the most valuable. We know that there is something above us. We know that we are cared for. We sometimes know things before they happen. We have intuition. We all have an inner light. It might not be a torch. At first it is only a flickering candle. It is easy to miss, easy to ignore. But it is there for our benevolence.

11. Thinking doesn't get you anywhere. At least, not very far.

You can think and think and think and still not get anywhere. It's like that. Real solutions seem to just pop out of thin air. Thinking goes in circles. Logic has nothing to do with creativity. And answers are not usually the result of mental labour. So sleep on it, forget about it, meditate. Surrender the problem. And then – bingo and eureka – the solution is there. Someone says something. Things fall into place. What was hidden becomes obvious. True solutions are a gift. And thinking has nothing to do with it.

12. Surrendering doesn't mean giving up.

Forget about waving a white flag. That's not what surrendering means. Surrendering is what you do when you realize you are a part of something greater. Surrendering is when you understand you don't have to fly when you are in a plane. The plane does everything. You just sit. And enjoy.

13. Truth is truth and you can't change it.

If truth were like most things, you would be able to change it, extend it and dilute it. As it is, truth is absolute. Whatever you do doesn’t change it. Where you live or don’t live, the truth is still the same.

14. Meditation isn't escape. It's about being connected.

It's not opting out, dropping out or avoiding anything. Meditation is more like entering the stream. It's plugging in, becoming one and enjoying. There is no loss of awareness or dulling of the senses. Meditation is being there.

15. We are greater than we think we are. But it has nothing to do with ego.

When you think you are the best, that's ego. When you believe you know better than anyone else, that's ego too. Ego tricks us with lies. But when we identify with something that is beyond ego, when we know that the power that fuels us is all-pervading, universal and divine, then we are something great. It's like a drop and the ocean. They are the same thing.

16. Witnessing isn't just standing back and watching. It's also about enjoying.

A theatre-goer can enjoy a play and still be witnessing it. There is no threat to life or safety. There is no danger. The drama is on the stage and the fun is in the audience. It is the same with life. Witnessing is the best way. The dramas ebb and flow. There is conflict, but there is also resolution. Why go to a play if you can't enjoy it?

17. Wisdom is not something that only comes with age. Children have it.

Wisdom is not the result of learning. It is something that comes from beyond education, our thinking and our lives. That is children can have wisdom. It has nothing to do with experience. It has everything to do with connection.

18. Humility is the best way to learn.

When you know how to do something, you stop learning. But there is always something to learn. And the best way to learn is to say, "I don't know." The mind of the student is always open to new ideas. The mind of the master is closed and doesn't want to know any more. One is open. The other is closed.

19. Just because something is free doesn't mean it's not valuable.

Here's the way it works: truth doesn't belong to anyone. It is universal. No one owns it. And because it is not owned, it cannot be sold. It is above money, beyond the marketplace. It is free. But it is the opposite of worthless. And it belongs to you as much as it belongs to me.

20. Talent isn’t about being the best.

If you are a singer or a photographer or a footballer, there is always someone who will be better. If not today, then tomorrow. Being the best doesn't make you unique or even special. In terms of worldly accomplishments, everything passes away and is forgotten. It is not your talents that make you special. It is the bouquet of your talents. It is the way that your songs compose your photographs. It is the way your mastery of the camera guides the ball into the goal with the same precision and focus. This is where the excitement lies. Your talents and skills should inform each other. Everything is for one purpose.

21. Real peace comes from within.

Words like ceasefire, armistice and disarmament have little to do with real peace. True peace comes from inside. The words that get us there are well-being, contentment, balance, meditation. And love.

22. We are very important

Our life has a great influence on others. Our behaviour changes the environment. Sometimes the life our others depend on us. We are precious. That is why we need to take care of ourselves.

23. We are as important as anybody else

While we are really important (see 22), so are all the other almost 6 billion people. Our lives are interconnected, beautifully knitted together. Each thread that makes a beautiful dress is equally important. So are we all the people on earth.

24. When 'Bad' things turn out good

When we desire something and the thing comes the other way around, it usually turns out that it was for the best.

25 When 'Good' things are sometimes bad

If we agree that our aim in life is to find who we really are then the time we are less inclined to do this is when life is generous with us. If we have a perfect health, a happy family, a good job and an abundant bank account, why would we search for anything else. And this might men that we are not moving forward.

26 Money really making you happy when you don’t have them

Money is made to be spend and if you have lots of it, then one has to do lots of work to decide what to buy. Same with any other properties one might have: land, cars, etc. The more you have, the bigger the pain. 

When the money is just enough, maybe a little bit less than enough, then the mind is quiet. No more planning, less pain. 

And the life has a way to provide for what we need at specific moments, that includes the money.

27 By listening you teach people the most

When you talk to somebody, most of the time he or she does not need an advice. All they need is somebody to talk too and somebody that understand them and approve them. So the best is to do that even if you think the other way around :)