The gate to the beyond, cannot be opened through efforts of the mind. No thought can venture into the unknown. All our rationality, logic and concepts can only bring us to the boundaries of the thinking mind. They cannot take us any further.
There are many ways to reach this gate, many paths, which may bring us to this wall at the edges of the thinking mind. But once we are here, there are no more efforts, no more trying, which could help us to go beyond.
We arrive here, when it is deeply understood, that nothing of what we have already known, can take us beyond this gate. We see clearly, that we have gone around in circles and every path always ends up at this wall.
Then, we naturally release the grip on our cherished notions and finally accept the futility of our efforts, in trying to reveal the unknown. The tight clinging to all that we have gathered through our lifelong wandering, loosens. We simply drop our baggage, letting go whatever we have accumulated.
The complex edifice of all our imagined projections, concepts and expectations dropped, we are left alone- with our pure simple being, at this gate. With nothing else remaining to do, we simply relax and wait.
This ending of all efforts, leaving us with the emptiness of our being, is absolutely essential.
When all which we had assumed, however beautiful or noble- is released at last, dropped completely in the moments of a natural letting go, we find ourselves standing in this openness, that has no boundaries.
We remain like empty space, with nothing but a conscious receptivity, simply being with a welcoming presence, not demanding or hoping for anything in particular to happen.
In such a relaxed open state, we may suddenly have a glimpse of the unknown, a recognition of truth. Like an abrupt flash of bright illumination in the heavy darkness, that reveals everything in one moment- we find that we have suddenly entered the gate!
With this flash of intuition, we may realize, that the gate to the beyond was always open. But we could only enter it, with an understanding that is not mental, verbal, or conceptual. Therefore, a need to be empty of all our ideas and concepts.
We clearly see now, what is before us. It has always been this way, but previously we were asleep to it. It comes as a new realization, because now, we see everything from our freshly awakened state. Life appears radically different!
It is like suddenly realizing in a moment, that we are completely in love, with someone we have already known for a long time.
No one who has a body, can be absolutely free. But there is a possibility of psychological freedom. There is freedom in understanding and this, likely, is the only way to be really free.
Freedom can only come from within, it can only be found, through a shift in perspective. This is wisdom, which comes as an understanding- not merely intellectual, but whole. It is a recognition from our whole self- felt as an emphatic, ‘yes’. This ‘yes’ has no doubts, it is pure conviction. Absence of doubts, confusion and conflict, is freedom!
This freedom is always available, but we recognize it only, when we are ready to shed the many layers of conditioned screens, which are forever blocking our view.
In these moments, we know, we are sure, and there is nothing that can mask this knowing. We instantly find ourselves beyond the gate, without even having stepped through it!
Comments
5 responses to “Gate to the beyond”
The old Zen Taoists, with their yen for Koans/Conundrums had a vision of the truth they passed around, laughingly of course, among themselves and all others, that they referred to as “the gateless gate.” Which stands open, of course, before us, waiting to be seen and stepped through in every moment with/through/by way of that “shift in perspective” you’re talking about. The only thing keeping us from seeing is the way we are looking, and what we are looking for.
Keep the good times rolling! Keeping the good times rolling! (What ARE the “good times,” anyway? I think the right kind of times are always accompanied by the right kinds of conversation–which are very difficult to arrange, it seems to me)
The Gateless gate indeed! Yes, it sounds right. The gate has to be always open, those who are not ready, see the wall in front, but with a shift in perspective, there is no wall. The truth we seek is right here, right now- within and all around.
I agree with the ‘good times’ involving right conversation. It is difficult to find those who ‘get’ this, but if they do, this is the best kind of company anyone can hope to find! So we can carry on singing our songs and invite those who would come to join 🙂
Thank you for your comment!
In essence, all collected ‘knowledge’ is the wall which stands as a barrier in the way to the beyond. But a pure, simple ‘knowing’, is the gate (which is always open). Letting go this accumulated knowledge, and just looking at what is before us, with the clarity of our uncluttered being and knowing, we find ourselves across this gate!
Interesting thoughts Ramble……
Finding oneself beyond the gate is an “event”, a transformational experience from which there is no returning to the former state of being. It is a change that is permanent, unrelenting and dynamic.
All systems in the universe use the power intrinsic to the properties that define the system for self-preservation in an effort to consciously or unconsciously maintain the system and resist change. This is the deterministic aspect of our universe. Equally so, change is also an over-arching deterministic dynamic, demonstrating once again that the evolutionary process will continue: and transformation will occur in-spite of a system’s ability to resist change.
What few recognize and is rarely elucidated is that this transformational change is something that is done to an individual in-spite of one’s ability to resist. It occurs once there is a complete forsaking of everything; a relinquishing of power, control and fear.
Control is the “ghost of rationality”…..
Peace
Hi First Cause,
You may be right about the transformational experience being ‘permanent’, eventually.
But there are glimpses, that perhaps prepare one, to be more receptive along the way. This resembles going in and out of states, until one knows for sure there is something more beyond…gradually drawing the seeker, with increasing thirst. Like the water which turns into vapour at 100 ℃ but continues heating up long before that, to reach that point of irreversibility.
I see that any transformation happening, is always at individual level. A number of individuals constitute a group, so the changes can be accumulated at the ‘system’ level, but the transformation itself always happens to an individual. So, as far as awakening is concerned, it only concerns one individual at a time. Each has a potential of absolute irreversible transformation, nevertheless, a very different trajectory of growth and evolution. The ‘system’ may resist change, but certain individuals will always be drawn to it, and so it goes for the evolution!
About your last point, I see these as a consequence- the relinquishing of power, control and fear. I see it also, as the ‘person’ being increasingly refined, not by choice or active effort, but by understanding. Again, similar to the water heating up gradually, until it finally comes to a rolling boil evaporating into steam!
The process follows a dynamic evolution at one level (like the increasing vibrations of water molecules, when heated), at another level, it appears sudden and distinct (like a molecule vibrating strongly enough to escape, the liquid surface turning
into gas).
Thank you for your comment!