not knowing

"In order to see through the mind and the deeply ingrained sense of separation that continues to generate so much confusion and suffering in our lives, we must take a chance; we must leave what we know and enter that mysterious reality of the unknown...It is by allowing ourselves to not know that we can become truly sensitive, open, and available."  (Falling into Grace, p. 88)

Here Adyashanti is talking about surrendering to "the fact that we can't know the nature of reality with our minds." (Falling into Grace, p. 88-89)  

We try to make sense of life and to make our lives go the way that we think they should go, in order to feel safe and secure.  Yet we cannot control life and our efforts to do so cause us to restrict ourselves - we cling to certain experiences and resist others.  Our energy centers (including the heart) are blocked.  We are living in the confines of that dark house sitting in the middle of a beautiful field of light as Michael Singer talked about in chapter 12.  And so we suffer. 

"In order to find the end of struggle, we have to find a state of consciousness that's totally natural, that doesn't fight against our inner or outer environment...What are you when you don't define yourself?  What becomes of the past, of the present, or of the future when you don't go into your mind to think about it?"  (Falling into Grace, p. 90)

As I ponder these questions I connect with a spirit-filled essence, a lightness of being.  Adyashanti suggests not settling for a brief experience of this, but to "Dive fully into this openness and avail yourself of the intimacy found there, in not knowing." (Falling into Grace, p. 90)