FEAR and DESIRE block your innate HAPPINESS. New MJ Awakening Blog September 6, 2019

“We assume that the pleasures we enjoy are in the things that we seek and get hold of. It may be said that desire is the cause of our being exiled from the happiness that is within us, and its momentary cessation just allows us to taste a little of that happiness for the time being.

Because we are most of the time desiring to get hold of something, or to get rid of something, we are most of the time unhappy. The desire to get rid of something is due to fear. So desire and fear are the two enemies of happiness. And so long as we are content to remain subject to them, we shall never be really happy. To be subject to desire or fear is itself unhappiness; and the more intense the desire or the fear, the keener is the unhappiness.

Desire tells us, each time, ‘Now get thou this, and then you shall be happy.’ We believe it implicitly and set about getting it. We are unhappy for wanting it, but we forget the unhappiness in the effort. If we do not get it, we have to suffer. Neither are we happy if we get it; for desire then finds something else for us to strive for, and we fail to see how desire is fooling us all the time. The fact is, desire is like a bottomless pit which one can never fill up, or like the all consuming fire which burns the fiercer, the more we feed it.

As desire is without end, so is fear; for the things that fear tells us to avoid are without end. Thus we come to this conclusion; so long as desire and fear have sway over us, we shall never reach happiness. If we be content to remain in bondage to them, we must, as rational beings, renounce all hope of happiness.”

-K. Lakshmana Sarma (MAHA YOGA)

MICHAEL: While it’s obvious that if we are fearful we cannot simultaneously be happy, what’s not obvious is how our desires actually prevent us from being happy. And it’s because they never end, but simply change their forms.

We are a slave to our desires and thus are always on our way to happiness, but never actually arrive. And if we believe our happiness is always in the future, then we also believe that it’s not already here/now. But is this true? What happens when we give up our attachment to all worldly fears and desires?

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PRESENCE is simply Being, not Storying. New MJ Awakening Blog April 1, 2018

Whenever I am in mental pain, anguish, suffering, story, wishing someone had acted differently, I know I am in mind and not silent PRESENCE.

Michael Jeffreys

 

Unlike thoughts, SILENCE doesn’t come and go. New MJ Awakening Pic Quote December 2, 2017

“The perpetual happiness that ones’ own existence brings, is unfounded in this world.” -Christy Lifosjoe. New MJ Awakening Pic Quote November 27, 2017

“My belief that life should be…” new MJ Awakening pic quote January 23, 2017

My belief that life should be/look/feel a certain way in this moment in order for me to be happy is the root of my suffering. -Michael Jeffreys

When our actions themselves are done joyously, we no longer depend upon the results to make us happy. New MJ Awakening Blog December 19, 2016

“When my happiness is the result of action, it is always in the future.”
–Swami Tejomayananda

MICHAEL: If I feel I must do something to attain happiness, then I must believe my happiness is in the future, and not already present. However, what if my very actions themselves, which can only take place in the present moment, where seen as joyous? In other words, that I have a laptop on which to type these words on, what a joy! That I have hands with which to type, what a joy! That I have a roof over my head to protect this body from the cold winter temperature, what a joy!

What if our joy lies not in the future, which is uncertain and unpredictable, but in genuine gratitude for that which is already here now? How? By being grateful for all the many things which we had heretofore taken for granted. You have working eyes to read these words right now, what a blessing! You have a working mind, right now, with which to reflect on this post, what a blessing!

Byron Katie has book titled, “A Thousand Names for Joy,” and it is pointing at exactly this. Seeing the joy and miracle in every moment, just as it is. How? By shifting my focus from the results of my action (which is out of my control) to a childlike joy and gratitude of being able to perform the action itself. 

Happiness is freedom from objects, The veil is illusory, & You have never come, gone or changed … new MJ Awakening Blog August 19, 2016

(picture: Adi Shankara – “Early 8th century philosopher and theologian from India who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta.” -Wikipedia)

Happiness is freedom from all objects, including who you think you are

“What I need is an object that contains limitless happiness that I could possess and enjoy every minute of my life.” –James Swartz

MICHAEL: James’ quote highlights why no object can ultimately get the job done, i.e., give us what we are all looking for: unalloyed happiness. Note that this includes “yourself”, i.e., the person you think you are. Why? Because who you think you are, this idea, is an object to You and thus incapable of bringing abiding peace and happiness.

 

The veil is illusory

VEIL (noun): something that covers, separates, screens, or conceals. –dictionary.com

MICHAEL: The eternal light of our being remains veiled from us as long as we take ourselves to be limited to a time-bound body.

 

You have never come, gone or changed

“The knower of experience is not affected by experience. You don’t modify when any experience happens.” – James Swartz

MICHAEL: You, formless, changeless, unlimited, eternally free awareness, remain ever-present and untouched by all fleeting appearances/experiences. Note that you cannot think about awareness. Why? Because thought appears IN awareness as an object. Without awareness, you cannot have thought as what would be aware of thought??

“Sex, Dating & The Expectations Trap” new MJ article for Collective Evolution November 4, 2014

Here is a new article I wrote for Collective Evolution that came out today. -Michael Jeffreys

 

You can read the entire article on the Collective Evolution website here:

 http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/11/04/sex-dating-the-expectations-trap/

There is no escaping the moment, which is why surrendering to what IS gives PEACE July 26, 2014

Trying to “get rid of” a sense of “me” is not only not possible, it’s not necessary (yes, the rare “triple negative” sentence!). When there is the simple acceptance of what IS (and it’s not a doing, but more a relaxing into what is already so), then if a sense of “me” is presently arising, then that is what IS.

No need to get rid of it or try to change it… simply seeing it as another spontaneous arising in the moment is sufficient. Simply BE with whatever is presently happening, which leaves nothing out!

Once it is seen that escape from NOW is impossible, that leaves only what IS… and nothing more is ever needed simply because nothing more can be except what is! Except, of course, if something feels like it is needed, then that too is what’s happening.

There is simply no escape from what is happening. When this is welcomed sans resistance, the peace that is always present can be effortlessly experienced by no one.

–Michael Jeffreys

Where is your Attention… in the Head or Heart? (meditation picture quote) March 19, 2014