Just Functioning

Most humans function on a limited level of existence. In fact, we are malfunctioning. If our only concerns are family, career, entertainment (which include politics, technology and religion), we are merely going round in circles, repeating the same experiences. We live on memories – the nostalgic programming of the familiar – and the way in which we relate to things shows our history of relative reality.

The problem is that we are unable to break out of this cycle of existence until we recognise that it is causing us anxiety and suffering. We do not realise our full potential of being enlightened – Buddha-like – and live dream-like instead.

To function properly to our full potential, we need to be open-minded, moment by moment, rather than merely claiming, “Oh, I’m open-minded.” That’s easy to say. Being open-minded in every moment is fresh, and means not relying on assumptions … ever.

This is the difference between vertical thinking, which uses conventional logic, and lateral thinking, which is viewing in a new and unusual light.

In other words,
we live either within the dim light of ego
or the brilliant splendour of pure consciousness.

The path to enlightenment is the discipline of detachment
in the moment when we recognise attachment.

All encounters on our path are relative situations, revealing how we relate. We can either relate by becoming caught and held, or the situation can become our teacher as a reminder of our reaction which is observed by pure consciousness.

Pure consciousness is fully functioning: full of compassion, full of understanding, full of gentle empathy for others’ predicament.

Malfunctioning: a failure to function normally; being abnormal; deviating from what is normal typically in a way that is undesirable or worrying. Abnormal: from Latin, abnormis ‘monstrous’ 😀