Today we ask that you release the need not only to argue with other people, but with reality itself.

For many, arguing with reality is such a continuous part of their consciousness that they do not even realize they are arguing with reality.  It is like explaining the existence of water to a fish.  A fish does not think about water.

So what does it mean to argue with reality?

You argue with reality every time you think that something shouldn’t exist.

Every time you think about your past, and wish that things could have been different, you are arguing with reality.

Every time you are angry or upset about something that is happening to you right now, you are arguing with reality.

Every time you are angry or upset about things that might happen in the future — like aging, or dying — you are arguing with reality.

For those who believe in God, it could also be called arguing with God.  Many people are very angry at God, and argue with God all the time.

This argument is so chronic that some people truly do not know what it would be like to live without it.

You can try, and see for yourself what it is like.

If life itself is your opponent, if you are always angry about the world and the way things are… just try, for a moment, to let it go.

Stop arguing.  Stop wrestling with life, with the world, with the way of things, with God.

Notice, first of all, how hard it is to do that.  How much resistance you may feel.  How loud the voices are in your mind that may protest, that may say it is wrong not to argue with reality, when reality is so flawed and unfair.

And don’t argue with that either.  If you can’t stop arguing, don’t argue even with that.  Just let it run.  Notice what it is doing.

But if you are able to relax a little, just notice what happens.

Perhaps you don’t like who you are.  Perhaps you don’t like your circumstance in life.

If you could appear in a heavenly court and argue your case before God, what an argument you could make!  How well you have rehearsed it.

But what if you showed up in that imaginary heavenly court, all set to make your big argument…

… and the words and anger just disappeared, and melted away.

You simply sit there, with God.

And you don’t argue.

Right now, you can simply sit there, wherever you are.

And instead of arguing with life, you just sit with it.

You sit with your life, in an open space.  You sit with life itself, in an open space.

For a moment, you don’t argue with it.  You don’t tell it how it’s all wrong.  You don’t list off all the injustices.

You just sit with life, with reality.

Maybe feel some curiosity.

What is reality up to?  Maybe it’s not so terrible after all.  Maybe it’s not your opponent.  Maybe it’s not against you.

So what is it up to?

Look at some situation that upsets you.  Without arguing against or judging reality, maybe just get a little curious.  What’s really going on here?

It is very good to stop arguing with reality.

When you make peace with life, life has a way of becoming peaceful.