The end of spiritual seeking
The hard line to accept…
It is incredibly rare for anyone to accept the extremely simple truth of enlightenment. Occasionally however, one can come to understand that the very thing that was in the way of freedom; was themselves.
When somebody says “you’re enlightened already”, of course the typical person would respond with either a question or disbelief. So the eventual moment when somebody recognizes that their beliefs were the only barrier, the step can be a quick one. Somehow, the typical person lacks the confidence to walk through the fire and take the step that commits them into their freedom.
Most people will stay in the trap of personhood because they prefer to have the identity of a seeker. They are not actually ready for the real truth. In India, you find many people who appear to have given up everything to sit by the feet of their beloved guru, and they genuinely feel blessed by the guru’s presence as they beg and plead for their freedom. The guru often tells them straight, giving everything and more than is needed.
Quite simply, these people prefer to keep chasing. They prefer to be in love with the idea of having a guru rather than taking the freedom that he or she places right there in front of them. I have heard statements of people claiming that for 40+ years they have been seeking, and feel like they are finally getting close! Close to what should I ask? It’s obvious that they don’t want freedom. The guru has not told them a single thing different in those 40 years; the person has simply been in love with the chase — because if they claimed their freedom, life as they have always known it as a seeker would immediately come to an end. If they took that freedom claimed to be the treasure they desire, this entire game of seeking would finally end. Yet they don’t.
When the seeking stops, it’s true — the games are over. Life as you know it will start to change only because the craziness of it all is leveled in an instant, just like the effect getting a slap across the face when you’ve said something rude. The craziness of the seeking, the craziness of avoiding pain and chasing happiness, the craziness of self-imposed suffering comes to an end. The games are now over, and to the happily identified seeker it means you will have to do something else with the rest of your life. This possibility scares many people, and therefore seeking the truth seems much more purposeful than living the truth. And the absurd thing you will realize is that you had it all along. You were always enlightened, always had full potential to be happy and never had to do a single thing for it. You arrive exactly where you started. You were just scared to be free.
Enlightenment will end your suffering forever, and even if the journey brings you all the way back to the start, you are now free. The entire process gives you literally nothing, yet at the same time you have been stripped clean of all the nonsensical baggage that has clouded your vision your entire life. So you have been given ‘nothing’ extra, but in the process have gained everything in terms of potential. You will be open to life as it unfolds, rather than trying to force life as it suits your ideals. You will be grateful for life as it is, rather than juggling between your likes and dislikes. You will be living in the present moment, rather than in your imaginary past or future.
So ask yourself, are you seeking still?