What is Personal Power? (Part 2): The Secret – a Magical Doorway to Total Freedom

Transcription of a live recording of Mila Kandibur, CEO, Diamond Mind Coaching, L.L.C., San Diego, CA

(Continued) In meditation, we use our mind’s “first attention” (see part 1 of this article) to narrow down our thought process through focus. Our brains think dozens of thoughts per minute. The thoughts that are constantly popping into your head create a thick screen of white noise. This screen is a mirror turned inside; it reflects you, not the world. To see beyond the screen, you need to stop the white noise. In general terms, when you focus one pointedly, you slow down your thought process, bringing your thoughts eventually down from dozens to just one. When the thoughts stop for even a short period of time, we come to the edge of existence. It is not the edge of all existence, but the limited existence that you call “ME”. To experience life directly, without any mental modifications, you need to have the courage to let go of that last focus, let go of control and self-identity and hurl yourself into the stillness, into “Najual” (see part 1 of this article). It takes a lot of courage. And, I would have to add that unless you have attained super-conscious states, called Samadhi, in your past lives times and times over, you need to work with an experienced teacher to reach those states. Samadhi is not simply an experience of light and ecstasy, it is not an experience of Najual… It IS Najual.

So, to the extent that we can truly and completely stop thought, we have an access to true power. This said, I have to clarify that we do not actually “possess” power; rather, we make ourselves available to power. One way you can tell how powerful someone is or is not, is by how long they can stop thought. If at this time you can stop thought for only a little bit of time, you have a little bit of personal power. Or more precisely, you have an access to a little bit of power. On another hand, if you have the ability to stop thought for a long period of time, you let that power to fully flow through you into your life, business, or anything that you set your mind to. The power, however, is more than just a force; it is an intelligent force. It not only gives you a boost in your endeavors, but it also provides an insight and intuition into the right direction. If you have an access to a vast flow of power, your intuition will suggest a bolder and riskier path. On another hand, if your power is low, your intuition will likely be influenced by fear, measuring your limited resource of power against the level of power of your competition or opponent. Power allows achieving all kinds of success. With a direct access to raw force and intelligence of the universe, you can accomplish a whole lot more in your life, as you pursue a path of love, not fear. However, here also lies a secret – a magical doorway that most people overlook. They get so caught up in the excitement of newly found success and flow in their lives that they miss the greatest secret, an inconspicuous doorway that leads to total freedom – Enlightenment. (To be continued)

see www.diamondmindcoaching.com

Beginner’s Mind Meditation

I came across a deadly tendency in my meditation practice, many times throughout the years. Then I observed my students experiencing it too and decided to address it in this article. The tendency that I am talking about is a feeling of familiarity. Here is how it goes: you sit down to meditate and settle into a comfortable daze; the energy raises a little, giving a pleasant sensation; your mind starts to drift off and without realizing it, you find yourself thinking about whatever it is on your mind, daydreaming, coming up with wonderful ideas, etc. As your meditation session winds down, you promise yourself that you are going to focus and meditate really well… the next time you meditate. You get the picture.

So, here are a couple of thoughts that may help you if you find yourself in this pattern:

The feeling of familiarity: Our mind is wired to label experiences. This way, the next time it finds itself in a similar situation, it can simply access the label or pattern and doesn’t have to process the data. The mind is trying to conserve energy… but it’s only through active effort and exercise that we develop body and mind.

Why this is deadly: Labels are what stands between you and the true experience of life, people and yourself. When we experience life through labels, we are missing all the fun! To perceive life through labels is the opposite of being present, in the moment, here and now. It is the opposite of being alive! If you are experiencing familiarity, it is ONLY because you operate through the labels. While labels are convenient, they are your limitations.

Solution: As soon as something feels familiar, remember that you’re accessing a label/pattern created by your mind. This label has nothing to do with the object of your perception, be it something or someone. Just think of your favorite food or dessert – the first bite feels like heaven, but by the tenth bite we’re munching away. There is a tradition in France, to drink a gourmet coffee with cold water after each sip. The water clears the pallet, allowing us to taste the deliciousness of the next sip of coffee, fresh and anew. Think of your mind as a pallet that you clear after each bite of experience, be it meditation or life. Life doesn’t even exist outside of your perception. You connect the dots with your mind, creating the experiences… Exploring the universe without connecting the dots is meditation. Imagine yourself being a new visitor to human existence. How would you feel each sensation? How would you experience a thought or a feeling that arises when you never thought or felt it before? How would you experience each moment of meditation if it were your first? When you use this beginner’s mind approach, you will come up to the experiences and realizations that are outside of your current level of perception. But as these exciting new feelings come up, let them go and keep meditating. The further you go, the more powerful and beautiful the experience.

I wish you well on your journey!

With much love,

Mila Kandibur

PS. remember, you can learn to stop thought in your DiamondMind Meditations