just a lamp

By Michaela and Geli

A: As Eckhart Tolle and many other spiritual teachers point to,  consciousness wants to awaken on this planet. What is an evolutionary impulse for mankind,  is certainly quite a challenge to each human being.

Unlike the very few, who awoke in one instant, the majority of us have to deal most likely  with  shifting  from awareness into ego and vice versa. This can make the whole process quite uncomfortable. Because of this, some of us might even decide to rather not continue the path or journey of awakening.

M: It is true – not much is known about the process of awakening. I am actually working with quite a few people on the health-care side, who clearly wake up, but have no idea about it. However, they readily follow guidance along the spiritual path, even though I often do not even mention the word.

A: In the process I am going through, I have experienced that help and assistance is actually always available. The only reason why I might be unable to recognize it, is resistance caused by ego.

M: Absolutely. And it comes in the most surprising of forms. My neighbour, the dog, my friends….sometimes it looks like the whole universe is conspiring to help me.

A: And that is the crux of the matter. How can I go beyond ego and conditioning, if I am blinded by ego itself, if my fear is still far greater than my trust in Life?
Eckhart Tolle might reply to this,  that being stuck in ego (= being fully identified with ego) causes suffering and this pain can definitely lead to further awakening again.

M: Letting go is the process that leads to de-conditioning and the end of suffering. It means to say goodbye to old habits and conditioning – as painful as this may be in the beginning.

A: As consoling as it is,  that we ultimately cannot do any other but waking up, something within me calls to explore on a more gentle way of awakening.

M: The drive to wake determines the pace. Sometimes it is strong and leads me into the most hair-raising situations, other time it calls for the ore gentle approach. But it is never up to me to say.

A: I gave birth to three children and was coached through each pregnancy, child birth, and aftercare by gynecologists and several midwives.
Of course I could have gone through all steps more or less alone,  after my pregnancy was primary affirmed by the gynecologist. And there was probably a fair chance that both the baby and I would have survived and all the same having had assistance was for sure the more pleasant way, in particular since,  in western civilisations,  we have lost a great deal of contact with our natural instincts.

M: To be a midwife to the soul is a wonderful experience. It is helping someone else to “give birth” to their true self. But giving is indeed receiving, because one never goes through such an experience untouched and what you give, is returned the very instance. It can actually get quite intense at times 🙂 and the midwife has to keep her head. It is all about a greater purpose, so it cannot be taken personal at any time. It actually reminds me that I once got bitten by a woman during delivery – she didn’t even realise it. Well, its like that.

A: To me listening to Eckhart Tolle´s teachings is a wonderful assistance to learn experiencing Stillness as well as opening up to Life itself.

M: He is indeed opening the door to a new world, or should I rather say – the “New Earth”.

A: What I have struggled with pretty much from the beginning were the recurrent pain body episodes. Eckhart tells us to accept and surrender, which I did over and over again. However for me this advice was not enough.

M: I know what you mean. In my case it is less emotions and pain, but thick layers of fear, which I never recognised as such. I literally had to learn how identify it, accept and let go. The deeper, more unconscious and stubborn levels are not something that will go quickly – or doesn’t grow back the moment you think it has finally dissolved.

A: Some months ago I listened in addition to Eckhart´s teachings to Adyashanti´s “the end of my world”. Adyadshanti  suggests, that we inquire on our ego structures which I did.

M: Yes, I agree. Enquiry is a very potent tool, in particular in terms of going deeply into the various emotional and energetic blockages, which manifest as physical symptoms. It takes a lot of discipline doing this on your own. I think this is easier if it is done in a dialogue.

A: It seems to me,  the deeper I open up to Life itself, the stronger I experience pain.
Moments of deep Stillness are followed by striking pain.

M: I can understand that. The more of the patterns of denying and avoiding are falling away, the more we become aware how much we have lived against our true nature. Pain is not something to be feared. It is god-send. This is a real important message for anyone. Embrace fear, welcome pain.

A: At the right time, Life has sent a friend to me to inform me of the next assistance, which happens to be  the work of John Welwood.

M: For me it was Beethoven, ha-ha. His music melted that ice block of fear from the inside.

A: I am quite aware that people may need much less or totally different assistance than I do. What ever works is fine.

M: Exactly. We find the help we need. It is just that we also have to take it and not refuse it. But anyway, we will have to deal with the result of our action.

A:  I always love to return to Eckhart and listen to his talks. What he is actually speaking about has become secondary since  I have come to enjoy  the space behind his words.

M: I agree and I have become to enjoy the space between everyone I am interacting with. This is where the healing happens.

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