The View from Here (by Roy Whenary)

Satsang

Roy Whenary — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:58:53 +0000

I had reason to reflect on the meaning of the word ‘Satsang’ today.

It is variously described as:

“Association with the true and the wise” (“sat” meaning true, and “sang” meaning association/company)

OR: “the company of the highest truth”, and so on ….

There appear to be various interpretations of the word “sat” though … from “existence” to “reality” or “truth”.

CONCLUSION (but never any conclusion):

Reality, the highest truth is always present. It is only that the mind is usually out of tune with it – not resonating with it.

In some mystical teachings of Christianity there is a practice known as “Practising the Presence of God”. I first became aware of this via the teachings of Joel Goldsmith, known as “The Infinite Way”. Now it seems to me that this practice is pretty much what is known as “Satsang” … Being in the presence of the highest truth/reality.

The highest truth is the reality. It is present always, regardless of whether there is a teacher also present. But when the teacher is present in a group of people, a certain quality of openness to “the highest truth” is cultivated … through meditation, discussion, movement, chant, or whatever.

However, it is also important to ask why we do not live with an awareness, or sense, of the highest truth all the time, in our daily lives. Then we find ourselves looking at all the games that the mind plays, to keep us from looking deeply at the highest truth. But what, tangibly, is the “highest truth” inside of us? It is often described as “True Nature”, “Buddha Nature” or “The Christ Within”. It truly is our “True Nature” … not what we think we are, but what we truly are. Now, we have so many ideas and images about who we are, that we probably would not recognise our true nature even if it came up and hit us with a stick. We cannot even say what our true nature is other than to simply point to it as the ever present reality underlying all states that we go into and out of during our lives. This, still, doesn’t say what it is … for the simple reason that it is not an IT. We can never objectify it, so we can never explore it as we would an object in subject-object reality, with our mind.

So, of what relevance is it that there is such a ‘thing’ as True Nature? Of course, it is not a thing anyway, but of what relevance is it if we cannot define it? Well, we can BE it … we can BE our true nature, for that is what we are in essence. But we cannot BECOME it, for it is already what we are. In our BEING there is PRESENCE, and this is felt – it is sensed, and there is a quality of “Listening”. This is “Being in the company/presence of the highest reality”. It is not something outside of ourselves. So, when we sit in a group Satsang, the highest reality arises within each of us. Truly, it was never apart from us, but the sitting in the group is more or less our stated intention that we will surrender the mind that normally cuts off from the highest reality, and be open to simply BEING who and what we are.

(25 June 2008)

THESE CHANGING TIMES

Roy Whenary — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:30:11 +0000

Throughout History, and around world, there have been many major upheavals. It seems that we are at such a time right now. When we look at what is happening in the world, there is so much that we could call GOOD, and so much that we could call BAD. We may be worried for ourselves, or for our children. But it is always good to stand back from emotional involvement in such things. We cannot change what is happening. Even world leaders cannot change things that much. So first we need to accept what is – knowing that our influence may have some effect on what is happening, but not being too attached to achieving exactly what we ourselves envisage, and not expecting too much. The happenings in the world are just too immense for any one human being to turn them around just like that. However, what we can change is how we are in the world – how we behave, how we treat people, how we view ourselves and what we contribute to society and the world at large. Ultimately, the world is a reflection of billions of (so called) ‘individuals’ minds and actions.

First step to all this is in knowing who and what we are – not according to some theory or other, but actually … through observing, listening and feeling what is our own presence, our own footprint, in the world. Are we so wrapped up in our own egocentric reality that we relate to all and sundry in a dualistic fashion – as ‘me’ against the world … as ‘me’, asserting and defending my position in the world? Aside from my programming, my conditioning, in this world, what am I? Do we have any sense of who or what we really are? Is what we are simply what we do, what we think, what we want, what we save for ourselves?

Looking at the universe ‘out there’, we can see that life on earth is not of such major significance, and what we think we are, as individuals, is almost certainly little more than a projection of our programmed mind. When we look a little closer, we see that neither body nor mind is of any permanent substance – little more than empty space. However, the trick in life is the realisation of that empty space, as the fundamental ground of our being. It’s emptiness is the emptiness of any meaning according to the mind – but not a total emptiness in terms of its transformative power in the world, for when we realise that we are in truth empty of substance, our relationship with the world takes on a whole new dimension. We no longer see the world in terms of a separate ‘me’ and ‘a world’. As Krishnamurti used to say: “you are the world” …. and, in fact, the world is a reflection of what we collectively take ourselves to be. When we take ourselves to be separate individuals doing everything in our might to grasp whatever we can for ourselves, then we create conflict in the world, because we are immediately set in opposition to every other me who is doing the same thing.

This is all according to the historic, inherited programming of the human species. But it is not the only possibility for the world. When we realise our true nature, in the ground of our being … we no longer give energy and power to conflict in the world. Exploring this possibility is an option we have … either continuing as we have been, or looking into (and devoting ourselves to) how we are, truly, in the depth of our being. One road leads to conflict and the other road to liberation … not only for this little ‘me’, but also for humanity as a whole.

(24 June 2008)

The First Blog

Roy Whenary — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:32:20 +0000

This is my first BLOG … so I would like to welcome all who happen by this way and view this blog.

My name is Roy Whenary, and my BLOG will no doubt reflect THE VIEW from here … which is why it is so named.

B is for BOLD

L is for LIGHT

O is for OPEN

G is for GENTLE

with warm regards

Roy