I think we should distinguish like the Buddhists between the way of powers and the way of wisdom. The way of powers reaches out to an almost G-d like control of certainties. But, if its ambitions could ever be attained, if what we call the “will” or “ego” could be master of the world, our lives would be as tedious as making love to a placid woman.

Is that what we really want? Think it through. Would you genuinely like to be immortal, omniscient, and omnipotent; knowing all, remembering all, without rest or forgetting, forever and ever?

The way of wisdom, on the other hand, is concerned not so much with power as with self-discovery. Who am I? And what is really going on? And this way leads way to the understanding that my true self is in fact the vast and inconceivable space out of which this Universe is produced. My body, your body, are points at which it becomes aware of itself like sparks of flame coming and going on the back of a fireplace. And since variety is the spice of life, it takes a different point of view with each one of us and then keeps on letting go of itself in what we call death so that the process is not dulled, boring, monotony, and boredom. There is therefore no need for you to rule the world because you are doing it already.

But this view is not what you have learned to think of, not your ego or personality, these are no more then extremely incomplete images of yourself. Because then he knows who he is, the wise one is not ambitious for power. But then, how do we get this knowledge? How can we actually feel ourselves? Not as poor little need, but as the background of the Universe. Well of course you, as you think of yourself, can’t do it at all. Because this you is only an image, an idea with no more reality then Tuesday or an inch. If this is understood, the rest is silence. There is nothing left to do but to be clearly and vividly aware of what is happening without comment, without putting it into words, without asking questions. This is what we call meditation or contemplation: simply being aware of Truth, Reality or what is inside of us without talking to ourselves. In this state it will be seen that in fact there is neither past nor future but just Eternal Now. Any difference between yourself and what you are experiencing vanishes; there is just This happening.

What you’re breathing, are you doing it? Or does it happen to you? Neither. There is just This going.

This attitude may sound passive, but out of conscious passivity of meditation as out of the unconscious passivity of sleep there comes, by reflex, enormous energy - the energy of infinite space. Listen, by just letting my breath fall out, not pushing it out, comes this:

"Om"

[USAforLSD]