As we see in the news everyday, this is a world divided. It is polarized. Yes, we have our political divisions, so very apparent. But more fundamental than this, this world is dual by its very nature; it is a world of opposites, of positives and negatives. The positive and negative forces within atoms give rise to all form in this world. And form includes not only physical form and the physical body, but our thought forms and emotions as well.
So we have positive thoughts and negative ones; we have positive emotions and negative emotions. And instinctively we push away the uncomfortable negative, while reaching for the feel good of the positive. Of course, why would we not?!
Aah, but, but this is a trap! For spiritual law says:
everything in time shall turn into its opposite
So although we may temporarily find and relish the positive state, inevitably, at some point, our experience will flip and we will find ourselves in the opposite, negative place. With this constant flip-flopping, no wonder we often feel off balance and confused! So turns the wheel of karma as we teeter-totter between positive and negative, never coming to rest.
The good news is that there is a place in our awareness which rests outside of the dual nature of the mind and emotions, and this is our way through. This neutral witness or observer aspect of ourselves is able to view the transitory nature of life, of thoughts and emotions, with detachment. Yes, the positives and negatives of life still happen, but the neutral observer avoids assigning a value to one experience over the other and rests outside of the action, simply watching.
Then something amazing happens. Instead of riding the roller coaster between positive and negative, our inner world of swirling mind and emotions comes into balance and we begin to ground our awareness on what rests between the opposites of the world – the fullness of our true divine nature of peace, light and Presence. This is the Field Rumi writes about in his familiar poem and which I wrote about in my previous blog post.
When I mentor others and they come to me in pain or feel stuck in their lives some way, it is this witnessing place that I hold for them. In our sessions together we process and find our way back to this neutrality, anxiety is relieved and new ways of coping and perceiving are instituted.
Jesus said “If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be filled with Light.” In other words, beyond the two eyes of negative and positive is this third channel of awareness – the single eye – our neutral observer.
Begin to befriend this benevolent Presence, and as you build its strength, your reactivity to life will be lessened and you will begin to discover the treasure that is beyond even the positive – an equanimity with all of life. And the pure joy of Being.