rest

The enlightened state is a state of rest, even whilst one is moving. It is a restful way of being. This is because at one’s very centre there is a still point, an unmoving, unwavering consciousness, not perturbed by anything.

And so to come upon this still point, our essence, we need to rest, to relax. It is a state which comes to us only when we have mastered the art of being at rest. But ordinarily, even if the body is still, lying down, resting, the mind continues to churn. And it is this mental churning which needs to settle. It is the mind that needs to learn to rest. And in that mental resting is our liberation from turmoil.

It is to be understood that enlightenment, when it finally comes, is not something gained through grasping, through desire, through striving. Some discipline may be needed to prepare for enlightenment but the final stages of the journey are ones of relaxation into an effortless psychological state of rest.

Just as the physical body can rest, can lie on a beach in the sun – doing nothing, letting the warmth of the sun enter into the body – just as the physical body can benefit from such rest, so the mind can rest and can benefit from rest. And when the thoughts can be still, when the thinking mind can also rest in the same way, doing nothing, just allowing the energy of existence to flow into it, into the consciousness, and nurture the consciousness, when the mind can rest in the same way that the body does, then the way to enlightenment is easy, nothing more need be done. For we will, without doing anything, flow down the gentle slopes into the centre of our being and come to know that stillness which is yet full of energy and potential, fully alive, and yet at rest.

And having tasted this restful energy, we can become aware of it 24 hours a day, even when the body is moving, even when the mind is thinking, our centre can remain at that point of stillness. We can remain at rest even in activity, and even whilst thinking. whilst thoughts are coming. But first allow the thoughts to settle. Come to know the rest of the mind, as the body, the physical body knows rest. And with this total resting of the being comes a great relief and peace.

So rest my friends, rest, rest in your being.