Keys To Awakening

The most fundamental key to awakening is to become more present in your life. Then you can be unconditionally loving and accepting of yourself at the level of personality. This includes all those things you would like to change about yourself. Jealousy, possessiveness, control, judgment, helplessness, inadequacy, blame, guilt, uncertainty, arrogance, expectation, resentment, anger, sadness, frustration, dependency, just to name a few. To want to change any of these qualities in yourself is a subtle rejection of them, which is not unconditional acceptance. Just identify and own all of these qualities, as they arise within you. Hide absolutely nothing from yourself. Own all of these things. Be willing to accept that at the level of mind and ego, this is who you have become. The more you own and accept, the more will be revealed to you. The more you are loving and accepting in this way, the more you will become grounded in watchfulness and in Presence.

The second key to awakening is to allow your emotions full expression. There are many emotions from the past which you repressed, for good reason then. But they want to be released, so it is necessary to find an opportunity to release old emotions like anger and sadness. Once released, they will be gone forever. And as new emotions arise, allow them full expression. If you are angry, then yell and shout, or beat up a cushion. If you are sad, then cry. But it is important to take full responsibility for your emotional reactions. No one is to blame for them. They are coming from your past which you are projecting onto the present situation. Do not express your anger at the one you believe has angered you. Just beat up a cushion imagining it is the one who has angered you. And if you are total and unconditionally loving and accepting of your anger, it will reveal its secrets to you.

The third key to awakening is confession. This has nothing to do with the Catholic idea of confession. You have not committed any sin which needs to be confessed in order for you to be absolved. There is no need for forgiveness. If you confess these qualities to some one who is absolutely non-judgmental, and who is fully present, it helps you to own the quality to which you are confessing.

In your confession, you are saying "This is me. This is who I have become. I am possessive and controlling." Or "I am blaming." Or "I always get angry when I don't get my own way." Or "I will not allow myself to get too close to people because I am afraid I might be rejected."

By confessing it and owning it, it is released. And you are freed to the level of Presence, where none of these qualities exist. They cannot exist because they are not a part of your true nature. They exist only at the level of mind.

The fourth key to awakening is to accept full responsibility for yourself. This will release you from the world of expectation, resentment, blame and guilt. It will lead you into total freedom.

The fifth key to awakening is to let go. Dance. Lose control.