Categories: spiritual teacher seeker questions answers Years ago a woman on social media asked how she should handle facilitating spiritual inquiry when her clients didn’t follow the rules. The post got almost a hundred replieseach commenter so eager to tell how they did thingsto show off what they knew. Finally I asked the original poster“What are you currently doing in this situationwhat has worked for you?” Turned out she already knew exactly what to doand she was already doing it. Yet she deferred to everyone else’s wisdom. Fast forward to a couple of months agowhere here at Mind-Tickler headquarterswe discussed how many seekers turn to teachers to give them answersin satsangon social mediain retreats and zooms and podcasts. We discussed howby asking sages for their points of viewfolks check their own wisdom at the door. That Tickler saidin essenceask yourself rather than hanging on every word or quoting every utterance of some wise one. Because how can surprises happen for you when you’re trying to fit your own experience into someone else’s box? Since that Ticklermany have written me to ask“But how? How do I ask myself?” They feel caught in the mind’s loops. Their answers don’t seem rightdon’t match the gurus’aren’t liked. “The mind is too powerful” they say. Now maybe it’s true that the mindleft to itselfgoes round and round the same maypole forever. Maybe it’s true that some kind of outside input is necessary in order to be able to step outside the minds’ usual hamster wheel. Or maybe it’s not. What is certain thoughis that if answers are not found by youthey can never be yours. They’re someone else’s. All you can do is borrow them. Perhaps part of what has gotten in the way is that you're trying to understand. You want comprehensionyou want realizationsyou want ahasrather than seeing or being or experiencing. But understanding is dependent on the mind. Understanding isby definitionintellectual. Maybe what is neededin order to discover different-than-usual answersis different-than-usual questions. So todayjust for funhere are a few possibly-new questions to play with. Let's be clear that they’re not inquiriesnot a practicenot a systemnot a methodnot a way. They’re just some random questions. Maybe you’ll find them mind-opening. Note that these questions include no whys or what’s-the-meanings or explanations of how some past trauma brought xyz to happen. That kind of rehashing affirms established conclusions rather than offering something new. Alsoconsider bringing these tips as you play with these queries: • As mentioned in that previous Ticklerbe extremely literal. If you say“There’s a sense” - where? Where is this “sense”? Literally point to it. If it doesn’t hold up to literalthen consider the possibility it’s imagined and not actually anywhere. • Don’t answer with theory. Theory is still someone else’s answerpretending to be your own. That’s you trying to do things rightnot an actual answer. • Also don’t try to make theory prove preconceived beliefs. “It’s energy.” “It’s the mind.” “It’s a thought.” What does any of that meanexactly? • Watch for the inclination for debate with yourselfwith the questionswith the answers. You don’t have to believeyou don’t have to agreeyou don’t have to figure out if the answer that comes is true. If you’re going to evaluate and weigh every answer for whether you agreeit will not be possible for anything new to get past that sieve. It doesn’t matter if you are right. You won’t be able to tell anyway. • Watch for “buts” and “feels likes.” Both change the subject and turn your answer right back to where you started. Both are huge contributors to that sense that you’re stuck. So in no particular orderjust for novelty: 1) What if this happeningthis personality stylethis feelingthis thoughtis not my fault or doing? It's just a WHAT IF. Watch mind insist it’s all your your fault and responsibility. Watch it fight hard to blame and accuse you. Watch it get furious at the idea that everythinggood or badmight not revolve around all-important you. 2) Is it possible that thisas it isis good enough? Is it possible that Ias I amam good enough? This isn’t asking if you like itor if you’re where you want to beor if you’re goodor if you’ve “got it.” This is askingis it good enough? Can you make do with less than perfect? If notwhy not? Is your self too special to be imperfect like everything else? 3) Does existence/life/awareness (whatever word works for you) have a problem with me? As I am? Feeling into ithow does life/awareness/existence feel about meno matter how screwed upor how terrible a person I may be? What does existence feel about me? Are you ever going to know if your answer to this is correct? Of course not. Correctness is not what this question is for. 4) Is this all there is? Try answering YES. Wait out the tantrumthe“But I don’t Liiiiike it.” Stay with YESconsider that possibilityand watch what happens. 5) Is this situation important? Literally? Not“It’s important to me.” What’s that meananyway? Take you out of the equation for a minute and relook- how important is it if you’re not the center of the universe? 6) What would my answers be if “But” or “Feels like” didn’t exist? 7) How is this situation or feeling being used to define meto tell me who or what I am? “This means I am (insert word here)…” Does any situation actually know what you Are? What even cares what you Are? What is so intent on defining what you Are? 8) What if I’m not real even though I’m absolutely positively most definitely certain I am? Rather than all the grand debates about whether I AM or I AM NOTjust consider the possibility that you’re not only not what you thinkbut that you’re notat all. What’s that feel like? What happens? Then what? If there’s a big resistance and irritationwhat benefits from that? There are moreand these are a good start just for fun. Will these questions take you to enlightenment? WellI’m not sure exactly where that isbut if it means hanging out on some chaise lounge at a mystery beach somewhereI’m in. Will these questions get you what you want? They’re just questionsthey’re not a genie. Do I know what you’ll find? No. I know what I found. And your way will be gloriously different. Click here to catch up on past Mind Ticklers you may have missed. Click here to get your Mind-Tickled every week. "You want your purveyors of Truth To look and act special. You want them different And separate And powerful. You prefer to imagine them Cloaked in light Than sitting on the toilet. You like them passionlesssexlessMellowgentle and kind. You like the idea of miracles And will invent them when necessary. Your strategy is to keep them Out there Far away from you Exotic and mysterious. You revel in the myth Of the Enlightened individual Hoping to someday be so empowered. What you can't tolerate Is for them to appear As ordinary as you." --Ram Tzu (aka Wayne Liquorman) ---------- “*Only if you reject all the other paths can you discover your own path.” ― U.G. Krishnamurtisatsang way
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