Openness and Aliveness

and a new book from Darryl Bailey

Openness and Aliveness:

The heart of what I’m expressing is an openness that clings to nothing, a groundlessness that is utterly alive but without any fixed form. Although I’m using words to point to this, I’m not pointing to a concept, an idea, a metaphysical belief system, or a conclusion about the ultimate nature of reality. I’m pointing to an experiential aliveness that can be discovered in any moment, an openness to everything being as it is, a stillness at the heart of movement, a listening silence—the very essence of this undeniable awaring presence right here, right now.

NOW is not the fleeting present moment, but the timeless presence, the one bottomless moment that has no before or after. It is always now, no matter what time of day it is, no matter what season, no matter what age we are as a person in the play of life. HERE is not the presently appearing location we seem to be occupying, but rather the ever-present immediacy, the present-ness, the infinite dimensionless space where we always are, no matter what location is showing up—the immovable space in which every location appears and disappears.

Ever-present and ever-changing, moving and yet always immovably here now, this living reality defies all attempts to describe it. We are not separate from this aliveness, this presence, this vast no-thing-ness that is showing up as everything. Every apparent thing is dissolving the moment it forms, like clouds in the sky, and at the heart of it all, there is a stillness, an energy, a groundless openness, an immense freedom.

There’s a place for reading books and hearing talks, but what the best of these are always pointing to and inviting is this living presence right here, right now. This presence could also be called unconditional love.

This openness is free of all ideas, free of all conclusions, free of all beliefs, free of all intentions and all meaning and purpose. It seeks no results. It allows everything to be as it is. It is infinitely vast and deep, and it is no-thing at all. It is showing up as the light on the leaves, the radiance of the breakfast dishes, the simplicity of being here now just as we are, the joy of not needing anything other than what is, the immensity in a drop of water, the wonder of being alive, the beauty in drinking a cup of hot tea, the freedom of not knowing anything.

Of course, ideas still show up, thinking still happens, intentions arise, practical results are sought—everyday life does its dance. But there is a lightness to it, an open-heartedness, a love for everything, knowing it cannot be other than how it is. And this choiceless actuality includes our urges and abilities to take action and our apparent choices, but all of this is recognized as a movement of the whole. The little me who claims authorship and takes credit or blame is a mirage with no substance. This openness is not yours or mine. It is edgeless, boundless, ownerless, free.

To really deeply see and feel all of this, I encourage taking time to be silent, to be still, to do nothing other than simply being alive, to discover directly what is here and what we are. We could call this meditation, but in fact, that label can get in the way of discovering the openness to which I’m pointing. We have so many ideas about meditation and what it is, and maybe we have learned various techniques and have ideas about how it should be done. Meditation often seems to be something we (as the mirage self) are doing, often with a desired result in mind. It can seem like a special activity outside of and other than everyday life, something we do for an hour while sitting in a special posture.

And what I’m inviting is something much freer and more open, something that has no edges or boundaries, no right or wrong ways, no inside or outside, no doer apart from the doing. Simply being this presence, allowing it to unfold and reveal its secrets, its multi-faceted jewels. Being what we always already are, but what may go unnoticed if the attention is totally focused on the conceptual world of thought. There’s so much here that isn’t a thought or a creation of thought. The sound of the wind, the rustling leaves, the listening presence, the feeling of dishwater on skin, the felt sense of breathing, the knowingness of being here, the infinitely rich sensory-energetic happening of this moment, the deep aliveness, the silence at the core, the wonder of it all.

That’s my message for today. And always. Simply stop, look and listen. Be still. Tune in to the wonder of this bottomless moment here and now that we are and that everything is.

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New Book from Darryl Bailey:

My friend Darryl Bailey, whose expression I love, has just released a new book, A Summary of Existence: The Sense of Here and Now. I haven’t read it yet, but knowing Darryl, I’m sure it’s good. You can learn more, read a sample, and get the links for buying it on Amazon USA and UK as well as a link to Darryl’s website:

In addition, New Sarum is now publishing Darryl’s earlier book, Dismantling the Fantasy, one of my top favorites, so that book is now once again available in paperback as well as in the e-version. You can find more about that book, read a sample, and find links for purchasing it HERE.

I resonate deeply with Darryl’s expression. As he and I both recognize and point out, everyone is a unique expression, no two are identical, and Darryl’s expression and mine have a great deal in common but also some differences. Take what resonates from everyone you read or hear, and leave behind what doesn’t. Don’t waste time comparing one to another and trying to figure out who has it right. No one has it right because no words are it, and everyone has it right, because everything is it. Enjoy!

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Love to all…