Let go – with preferences

The Tibetans say that there are three main mind-sets which prevent awakening and liberation:

1. Holding on to anything
2. Pushing anything away
3. Simply not wanting to know.

When you are not holding on to anything, the fear of loss is no longer possible. When you are not pushing anything away, the fear of being confronted with something you don’t want is equally impossible. And when you are totally prepared to notice what’s going on, to know whatever wants to be known, then noticing and knowledge are there.

So in a non-judgemental state (or, at that level in your multifaceted being), there is no reason for any holding on or pushing away to happen.

But the individual personality, and the mind-energy-body organism, nevertheless do still have preferences. They do so due to their very nature as ‘separate’ organisms with a biological / evolutionary imperative to survive. For example, if you put your hand on the hotplate, the body will respond. If you have the choice of drinking clean or impure water, you will choose the clean. If your organism feels need of comfort, and a friend is there with whom you can cuddle up, then you will choose to do so.

For this reason I differentiate between the deep insight I have on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the practicalities and limitations of existing as an individual organism. Both are OK, and there is no mutual exclusion. In fact, I generally perceive myself on both levels concurrently, and accept both aspects. For example, I can have an individual, organismic response to a situation, where I wish for a particular outcome; and at the same time I understand completely that The Divine must play out all possible outcomes, and thus personal preferences are ultimately of no consequence. Due to the latter standpoint I don’t have a tantrum or existential crisis if the organismically preferred result doesn’t happen – then I think “Ah well, so that’s how it played out this time”.