Today we ask that you have faith in the life experience.

What does this mean?

Each of you is having a “life experience.”

We will say now that you are immortal beings who have had many such experiences.  It is okay if you do not believe this.  But it might be amusing to imagine that this is so.

So — let’s say you are an immortal being having a “life experience.”

Within the parameters of your current life, you choose to have many experiences.

You might decide to watch a film, or a TV show.  That is an experience.

You might decide to go for a walk, or a hike, or a jog.  That is an experience.

You might eat at a restaurant.  That is an experience.

You might get married.  You might have a child.  These are experiences.

People gravitate toward different kinds of experiences.

Some people like action movies, other people like romantic comedies, others like thought-provoking dramas.

Some people like fine dining, others like “comfort food.”

Some people like rigorous exercise, others like to go at a more leisurely pace.

It is the same with life experiences.

Some lives are rigorous, others more leisurely.

Some lives are fine dining, others are “comfort food.”

Some lives are action movies, some lives are romantic comedies, some lives are thought-provoking dramas.

It really is this simple.

“Enlightenment” is what happens when someone steps out of the life experience prior to physical death.

It is like a movie in which a character wakes up to the fact that he is a character in a movie, and as a result no longer really plays the same part in the drama.

One is also filled with a profound sense of well-being that comes when you know that the author of the life experience, with all its ups and downs, is none other than you.

Not the frightened little ego you, but a vast, serene, immortal you that is interconnected with all life, all space, all time.

So — think about the kinds of experiences you are drawn to.

Do you like drama?  Do you like risk?  Do you like to play it safe?  Do you like to take it easy?  Do you like a challenge?

These are clues about the “life experience” you have chosen.

And though many lives may appear to end very tragically, in reality there are only happy endings.  For physical death is an awakening into a vaster, and purely good, experience.

It is okay if you do not believe any of this.

Today we ask that you cultivate acceptance of “failure.”

There is no such thing as “failure,” but people have an understanding of it as a very negative, unpleasant experience.

To fail is to prove that you are worthless, stupid, and incompetent.  Failures are rejected by society.  Failure is the opposite of success.  Failure feels terrible — like a kind of death.  Most suicides are, in fact, linked to a sense of failure.

So naturally most people want to avoid failure at any cost.  They may even live their lives with “avoidance of failure” as their primary goal.  It doesn’t really matter what they do, so long as no one else ever calls them a failure.  Such people tend to enter very “safe” professions, and lead very “safe” lives.  There may be very little joy, meaning, or pleasure in their lives, but at least they are not failures.

Of course, even if your primary goal is the avoidance of failure, one can never really be in control of external events.  Even the most risk-averse people in the world are not immune to disease, economic and social upheaval, natural disasters, and other events — no matter how well-insured they may be, no matter how much money they save.

This way of life is actually very insane.

So many people lead lives of utter misery, because they are so afraid of failure.  They enter professions they don’t like, and spend their days in work they may find dull and meaningless — all to avoid failure.  Such people inevitably teach their children to live the same way.

It is madness.

Babies are not born afraid of failure.  If they were, they would never learn to do anything.  They would never learn to walk, or talk.

You see, “failure” and “learning” are actually the same thing.

“Failure” is “learning.”

If you are afraid to fail, then you are afraid to learn.  And then you will not really do anything.  Nothing new, anyway.

Unfortunately, most education teaches children to fear and dread failure.  This is counterproductive to the entire point of education, which is learning.  This is why so many students go through school without learning much.  They are so afraid of failure, that they do not really learn.  Even if they memorize answers to fill out on a test correctly, they are not really learning.  They will soon forget what they have memorized.

That is because their primary goal in school is not learning.  It is the avoidance of failure.

Thank goodness babies are not born afraid to fail.

Any human who has ever really created meaning and beauty in the world has done so either because he was somehow raised to be unafraid of failure, or else overcame his fear of failure.

It is very hard to overcome this fear, so deeply ingrained is it in most people.  People who tend to “sabotage” themselves are really dealing with fear of failure.  If you cripple yourself, then no one can call you a failure.

Sometimes people become very sick in their bodies and minds as a defense against the fear of failure.  If you are sick, then it is a defense against other people’s judgment.  No one can give you an “F” if you are sick.  It is like you have a doctor’s note from the universe.  For some people, the dread of failure is so intense that physical sickness is the only thing that keeps them from committing suicide.  If they did not have a “doctor’s note”, then they would have no excuse, no way to justify their existence.

It is terrible.  It is just terrible.

There are ways to get over the fear of failure.

One is to engage in an activity that is challenging, but in which there is a nurturing learning environment.  That is why it can be very healing for people to take a yoga class, or a dance class, or a pottery class.

In such an environment, you are encouraged to try new things.  It is okay to “fail.”  It is clear that “failure” is simply part of the learning process.

It is very good to find teachers who create loving, nurturing environments for learning.  Such teachers are invaluable, and do a great service to the world.

One great teacher can make up for a dozen bad ones.

Learning under the tutelage of a great teacher — even if it is something as simple as learning how to knit a scarf — can help to completely rewire your brain.

If you are someone who suffers from a deep fear of failure, the more you can expose yourself to good teachers and nurturing learning environments, the more rapidly you will heal.

And for those of you who dedicate your lives to teaching others — know that there is no greater gift you can give than helping people feel safe to learn and grow.

Today we ask that you cultivate an attitude of open receptivity.

Basically, it is good to be ready for anything.

It is good to live life like an eager student.  When a student enters a learning environment, he does not know exactly what is coming his way.  But the good student is more or less “ready for anything.”  He is open and receptive.  He is game.

It is good to live life this way.

A poor student is not receptive.  He may resent having to be in the class.  He may believe that he is not good at learning new things.  He would rather be watching TV.  As a result, he will struggle, and be frustrated.

A lot of people live life this way.  They are closed down.  They do not want to learn new things.  They would rather be doing something unchallenging.  So life feels like a struggle, because this goes against the flow of life.

Commonly, as people grow older, they become more closed down and less adaptive.  This is actually one of the causes of the aging process.

So it is good to be an eager student of life.  To be ready for anything.  To be open, receptive, and game.  Not only will this make life much less of a struggle overall, it will also make you better equipped to deal with crisis situations, and bigger changes.

You live in a time period that is very exciting, and full of change.  To the degree that you are open and adaptive, this can be a fun time to be alive.  If you are shut down to new experiences and would rather watch TV, it is more challenging.

So cultivate a “ready for anything” attitude.  Go outside your comfort zone, even a little bit.  Baby steps are okay.  And know that if you do things with a whole heart and no resentment, you will feel far less resistance.

Today we ask that you learn to enjoy silence.

Many people have a very troubled relationship with silence.

They can’t bear it.  That is why they leave the TV on all the time, even when they are not watching.  The constant noise is soothing.  Silence makes them very nervous.

Likewise, a constant stream of email, texts, and internet activity is soothing.

If the power shut off and they were plunged into quiet darkness, they would go crazy.

Silence makes people crazy.  If someone does not respond to you, if someone does not answer an email or text and tell you what you need to hear, this feels awful.

Many people would prefer negative attention to silence.  They would rather be yelled at, or criticized, than given the “silent treatment.”  Nothing is worse than silence.

And yet what is “peace and quiet,” if not silence?

Silence, stillness, is in fact a balm for overstimulated minds.  It is a great healer.  So why do humans abhor it so?

It is because silence dissolves the False Self.

The False Self is your ego identity.  It is who you think you are.  Your name, your age, your race, your sex, your job, your relationships, your religion or non-religion, your likes and dislikes — all of these, taken together, make up the persona, the ego identity.

Beneath this ego identity is your True Self, which transcends your limited ego.

Ego identity is transient.  Your Five Year Old ego identity is very different from your Fifty Year Old ego identity.

But the True Self is a through line.  It is the ground of your being.  It is there in the 5 Year Old You, and the 50 Year Old You.  It was there before you were born, and will be there after you die.

Silence opens up space for your True Self to emerge.

When this happens, your False Self dissolves.  This is actually a very good thing.  It is the path to lasting peace, and liberation.  But the ego identity abhors and dreads this process, which it sees as annihilating.

It can be very uncomfortable, it is true.

But is it not annihilating.  It is just the opposite.

That is why it is very good to learn to sit with silence.  To sit even with the fear and discomfort that arises in the silence.  To not compulsively react and reach for stimuli, but to really sit with silence.

That is, in a nutshell, the purpose of meditative practices.

Don’t you, deep down, crave more peace and calm?

Silence is your friend, and ally.  Learn to embrace it.

Today we ask that you look at the ways in which you are rich.

For most of you, this is not easy.  Most of you will say: “I do not have enough money!”

And what is so funny about this is that you will say “I do not have enough money!” if you have five dollars to your name, five thousand, or five hundred thousand.  

What a curious substance money is.  No matter how much you have, you never have enough.  It is like something out of a fairy tale.  Some magical substance that always leaves you feeling lacking no matter how much you possess.  It is like a witch’s curse.

What pressure it creates, this never-enough substance.  For even if a big pile of it were suddenly handed to you, you would feel only momentary relief.  Most of you would then become obsessed with “investing it” properly.

There is a reason why monks historically took vows of poverty.  There is a reason why mendicant monks would travel with begging bowls, and sustain themselves only on what the universe provided for them.

It is not because the monks had “abundance issues.”  It is not because the monks hadn’t read enough self-help books on manifesting wealth.

The monks chose, and still choose, to live this way because it is a path to great serenity, and peace of mind.

When they let go of their attachment to money, and trusted the universe to provide for them, they felt a deep sense of peace, and liberation.

They began to appreciate even the smallest things.  Some rice in their bowls.  Some milk.  The kindness of strangers.  Generosity experienced over and over, as kind people placed gifts in their begging bowls.

These are the true riches.  For, on the whole, the average mendicant monk is much more peaceful than a millionaire.

This does not mean “money is bad.”

But money can be very confusing for people who do not have a strong sense of self, and their connection to a loving universe.

So — those of you with “money problems,” this is what you are asked to learn.

You are asked to know that you have enough, right now.

You are asked to perceive the ways in which you are, even now, a rich person.

Ask yourself: how am I rich?

See what arises.

And if you are someone who likes “affirmations” and is always seeking the path to “abundance” — 

Just say: “I am a very rich person right now.”

You will see, it is true.

Today we ask you to sit with death.

Death does not only mean physical death.  Death is what happens when something that appears to be solid and real, dissolves.

For example: as children grow, they “die.”  The baby “dies” and becomes the toddler.  The toddler “dies” and becomes the child.  The child “dies” and becomes the adolescent.  The adolescent “dies” and becomes the adult.

And so on, and so on.

Where is the Baby You?  Where is the Five Year Old You?

You have phases of your life.  Maybe you once lived in a childhood home, and went to school.

Where is that life now?  It is “dead.”

Perhaps you used to have certain beliefs about life, that you no longer have.  Sometimes people grow up religious, then change their minds as they get older and become more secular.  (The opposite may also happen.)

The beliefs “die.”  As beliefs die, a new self is born.  So over time, for example, the Religious Woman “dies,” and changes into the Secular Woman.  

The liberal might “die,” and change into the conservative.  Or the conservative might “die,” and change into the liberal.

The 30 Year Old “dies,” and changes into the 60 Year Old.

Every time this happens, it is “death.”  Something dies.

So you can see, death is happening all the time, everywhere.

Inside you right now, cells are dying.  This morning you ate dead things for breakfast.  You don’t think of it that way, but it is so.

So maybe death isn’t such a big deal.

It happens all the time, everywhere.

This does not mean that life isn’t precious.

But it does mean that life isn’t fragile.

Life is incredibly strong.  It’s so strong, that it’s dying all the time, and it’s no big deal.

Sometimes humans perceive the natural world as being very cruel and horrible.  Things are always eating, and being eaten.  Lions eat gazelles.  It can seem very monstrous.

But that is only because humans believe that death is a big deal.  In nature, it is not a big deal.

This does not mean humans should not protect and nurture life.

But, on the whole, humans have a very crazy relationship with death.  Death is seen as some sort of disease, some sort of terrible mistake.  Sometimes well-intentioned people cause a great deal of suffering attempting to prolong life long past the point of any possible joy.

When your elderly people are terrified of death, this is madness.  There is no cause for a sick, elderly person to be terrified of death.

It is of course because you believe that existence is snuffed out at physical death.

But this is not so.

Has the Five Year Old You totally ceased to exist?  That being is fully dead.  The physical body of the Five Year Old has died.  All those cells have died.  And yet here you are.

You are not your past selves.  They are “dead.”  Yet here you are.

Maybe death is not such a big deal.  And if you got comfortable with it, you would see that the natural world is not brutal, monstrous, or indifferent.

Love is everywhere.  Love is everywhere.

Do you think that death is separate from love?

That is not possible.

Today we ask that you think of your consciousness as being like an airplane.

What does this mean?

Most of you have flown in airplanes.  You experience the takeoff, flying up to a certain altitude, smooth flight, turbulence, and landing.

The main skill of a commercial pilot is in creating a smooth flight experience for the passengers.

Of course, sometimes turbulence is inevitable.  But the skillful pilot learns how to correct course in such a way as to minimize the experience of turbulence.

Navigating through life is like flying an airplane.

You cannot control external factors.

You cannot control the weather, or the wind.

But you can be a good pilot of your own consciousness.

As with air travel, the quality of consciousness is all about altitude.

Except with consciousness, it is not about literal height.  It is about high-vibrational consciousness, vs. low-vibrational consciousness.

High-vibrational consciousness is very smooth, and clear.  It is like flying above the clouds, so that you can see clearly.  There is minimal turbulence at this height.  It is a calm experience.

Low-vibrational consciousness is cloudy, and turbulent.  You cannot think clearly, you cannot see clearly.  You are stuck in the clouds.  Everything rattles and shakes.  It is a frightening experience.

Many, if not most, humans operate a low-vibrational consciousness.  Everything is cloudy, confusing, and scary.

But some humans learn how to “increase the altitude” of their consciousness.  Things become much calmer and clearer.

The simplest way to cultivate high-vibrational consciousness is by engaging in regular meditative practices — including basic breathing/sitting meditation, yoga, tai chi, and various forms of grounding exercise that quiet down and stabilize the mind.

The wise pilot also learns to avoid storms, and turbulence.

This can mean shutting off the computer and TV, and not getting caught up in all the real and fictional dramas that are always going on in the world.

The wise pilot chooses a calm course to fly.

Sometimes, of course, storms and turbulence are inevitable.  If they occur, the goal is to ride it out with grace, and return to calmer flying as soon as possible.

Sometimes the storms are so severe that one shouldn’t fly at all.  That is when it is time to truly rest the consciousness, especially when you are sick and rundown.

You cannot control what is going on “out there.”

But you can learn to be a pilot of your own consciousness — which informs how you perceive and react to what is going on “out there.”

That is why cultivating a calm, meditative mind is really the most intelligent, useful thing anyone can do — since it will affect your entire experience of reality for the good.

Today we ask that you examine your definitions of “success” and “failure.”

What is success?

What is failure?

For many, success is equated with approval.  People approve of what you are doing.  You are rewarded with praise, recognition, and perhaps wealth for what you do.

Failure, conversely, is disapproval.  People disapprove of what you do.  They criticize you.  You are punished for your failures.  No one gives wealth to a failure.

Of course, historically speaking, all the great “geniuses” and innovators were usually considered “failures” at some point.  Many were attacked, and viciously criticized.  Many were poor, and died penniless.

Your Einsteins, your  Van Goghs, your Mozarts — all “failures.”

Moreover, it is the nature of your reality that people are inclined to destroy their heroes.  So people are raised up on high one day, only to be vilified and cursed the next.  At which point they may make a “comeback,” and be loved again.  Or else they are forgotten.

So many famous celebrities, forgotten.  Consider all the silent movie stars, famous in their time, then forgotten.

So what is “success,” really?

What is “failure,” really?

You cannot ever rely on other people’s approval to determine your well-being.  Humans are a terribly fickle species, and are all too inclined to love someone one minute, and hate them the next.

The wise man or woman cultivates equanimity.

This is the state of being whole, and centered.

Does the mountain care what people think of it?

Does the river care what people think of it?

The mountain is the mountain.  The river is the river.

You are you.

Some people will like you.  Others will not.

Approval in no way determines your worth.

Some people are disliked by their own parents.

It has nothing to do with their actual worth.  Many people who are disliked by their own parents create beautiful things in the world.

Just do what you do.

If someone likes it, good.

If no one likes it, also good.

If you continue to create and do, you will find that some people like one thing, and other people like another thing.  There is no accounting for taste.  Sometimes it takes a while for energy to find its way.  Do not be disheartened by “failures.”

Let go of “success,” let go of “failure.”

Just do what you do.

Today we ask that you cultivate spaciousness.

What does this mean?

It is very simple.

When you imagine something that is tight, contracted, and closed, how does that feel?

When you imagine something that is loose, flexible, and open, how does that feel?

Which feels better?

Most of you will find that the loose, flexible, open state feels much better than a tight, contracted, closed state.

In the body, tightness is associated with tension, and stress.

Looseness is associated with relaxation, and calm.

Things that are rigid and brittle tend to break.

Things that are flexible and supple are resilient.

Therefore it is a very good thing to cultivate the quality of openness, spaciousness, and fluidity in yourself.

The body that is open, spacious, and fluid tends toward health.

The body that is tight, contracted, and dry tends toward sickness.

This is true also of the mind.

The mind that is open, spacious, and fluid tends toward health.

The mind that is closed and contracted tends toward sickness.

People are not so different from plants.

Healthy plants are supple and fluid.

Sick plants are stiff and dry.

So it is good to cultivate practices that create openness and fluidity in the body and mind.

Meditative practices create space in the mind.

Grounding physical practices, like yoga, tai chi, non-stressful exercise, and massage, create space in the body.

Ninety percent (or more) of all healing is simply creating space in which healing can occur.

That is why healthy rest and sleep cycles are so important.  Sleep creates space in which the body/mind can process, ingest, and clean itself of what it takes in during the day.

If you are always mentally stimulated, looking at your computer, phone, or TV, then your mind does not have any space.

A mind without space tends to stiffen, and close.

If you are always sedentary in front of a computer or TV, then your body has no space.

A body without space tends to stiffen, and close.

People need space.  That is why open, natural environments are so calming for people.

So today, just look at ways of creating more space and openness in your life.

It might mean turning off the computer, phone, and TV, and going outside for fresh air.

It might mean taking time to stretch and ground your body with gentle exercise.

It might mean giving yourself some alone time.

It might mean spending time with an animal, or a small child.

It might mean listening to music that brings you joy.

It might mean taking a relaxing bath.

Creating space in your body and mind will bring you healing, and sanity.

And then, in turn, you can help other people to create space in their bodies and minds.

With enough space, you could heal the world.

Today we ask that you look at the ways in which you feel enslaved.

Slavery was not abolished in the 19th century.  A particularly vicious form of it was made illegal, in the U.S.  But slavery exists in many forms.

Whenever a human feels forced to do something that goes against his heart and spirit, that is a form of enslavement.

So you can see, slavery is everywhere.

When people do work they don’t believe in, that eats away at their spirits — that is slavery.

When the playful, open spirits of children are suppressed by well-meaning, but misguided parents and teachers, that is slavery.

Whenever someone lives a lie, that is slavery.

Whenever someone makes life choices out of fear and cynicism, that is slavery.

When people consciously manipulate and exploit others out of greed, they are slaveowners.  At the same time, they are slaves to their own destructive natures.

So slavery is everywhere.  It has not been abolished.

Only you can emancipate yourself.  No one else can do it for you.

You emancipate yourself when you live from the heart and spirit.  When you make choices that are driven by love, not fear.

In each moment, you must choose between slavery and freedom.

Are you raising your children to be good little slaves, or free people?  Many parents unwittingly raise their children to be slaves, because they are slaves themselves, and do not know better.

Being free does not mean being aggressive, rebellious, or threatening social stability.

It just means being free.  Living from the heart.  Feeling a deep love of life itself, which naturally creates a feeling of love for one’s fellow men, and the world in which one lives.

Free people are loving people.

Slaves have great difficulty with love.

So you can see that often so-called poor people are more free than the rich.

Are you living from the heart?  Are you helping others to live from the heart?

If so, you are a great emancipator.