Excerpt from Spiritual Enlightenment

The mind is very adept at solving problems, or so it thinks that it is. The ability to solve problems is one of its reasons for existence. However, left unchecked the mind prevents you from experiencing your natural bliss. This is why you have become unhappy. At times this unhappiness is in the form of anxiety. The mind takes a wrong turn and veers into realizations of fearful thoughts. It creates the idea of a future and then worries and wonders what might transpire. Other times it creates sadness, and other times the mind creates boredom. You feel dissatisfied with existence in its purity, as you have not fully experienced the bliss that it could bring. Overall there is a void felt within that you know on some level should be filled with bliss.

Now with this problem, this void, what does the mind do? As it was meant to, the mind sets out to solve this problem. However, the mind is not equipped for this task, because it does not know anything outside of itself. And it is outside of the mind that bliss can be found.

The mind does not know that at its own end there is bliss. How could it know? The two cannot exist simultaneously. The mind has never known bliss. You might think that it has known bliss, however, in times of pure joy, you may realize that you were fully invested, fully involved in that moment. Time, as it is created by the mind, ceased to exist. You were one with the experience. But this was brief, and the mind did not recognize where this came from. The mind attributes that joy to the moment. To the situation, to the person, you were with. The situation may have triggered your presence, however, the bliss came from within. It was a symptom of you dropping the mind and dissolving into the reality of that moment.

The mind does not realize this phenomenon, and this is why it creates poor solutions for misery. Your mind’s solution for misery only leads to more misery. The mind’s solution to bliss is that of desire.

Your mind would like to argue with this. To say that desire could not be a poor solution. It will say that to desire feels good. However, I would ask you to explore the emotion of desire. While you are lost in the dream of your desire, imagining its fulfillment you feel better than you had before the specific desire was created. The dream is momentarily filling the void. However, the moment the dream fades there is a straining. There is impatience until the fulfillment. What is desire, really, but dissatisfaction? Desire is to say that what is here is not sufficient for my happiness. What I need is elsewhere. With this cycle of desire, you will remain forever in dissatisfaction.

Your mind will say that desire is leading you towards progress. It is the driving force for all of your motivation. You may believe that you desire a specific item, or person, or life. However, it is just what your mind has deemed a solution to the void that is felt within. What is at the core of every desire? What is it that you wish to achieve with the attainment of each desire?

At one time you might desire money. However, ask yourself why. What is it that this money will buy? More freedom, more purchases, yes. And what do you believe will come from this freedom and these items? Happiness. If you have never known these things then you will believe that this is the answer. You will cling to this desire and you will hope that this is what is missing. This is how you will achieve your happiness.

Although what has money provided you with before that is now not enough? What freedoms have you now that are taken for granted? With the realization of your desires, you have found moments of excitement. However, once the initial glow that comes with this attainment fades, there is again darkness. Have you noticed how this is true for you in your past? What have you now that you had always wanted? Now, does it bring you the joy that it once had? Has it resulted in your lasting bliss?