Liberation is in the mind

A follow up of my previous post about suffering, I though to share what I believe is happening in the mind when we experience misery of any kind and a little about what we can do about it. My intention is not to prove anyone wrong or show that I have the answers, but instead share some insight into a mind made problem that we all share, no matter what nationality, religion or skin colour. We are all human and we will never progress as a species if we continue to identify ourselves as different from each other.

Over 2500 years ago Guatama discovered that the root of suffering is because of craving and aversion. There are six senses that connect us to the world around us. Sight, smell, taste, hearing, mind and body sensation. Everything we know and have experienced in our lives have come from these senses and it is from these senses that we react. This is a fact. So why all this misery. First of all, craving and aversion are not separate, they are two sides of the same coin. So is pain and pleasure, they cannot be separated. Lets take porn as an example of a trigger because this is really why we are here. When we look at porn or hear it through sound, the mind is picking it up. Immediately the mind recognizes the stimulus and is followed by a sensation within the body. This is very important to understand because on the surface level we believe that we are addicted to porn but in reality we are craving the sensation that porn produces in the body. That warm tingle you feel in your stomach is the sensation I am talking about and this is what your mind is craving. So, really all addiction is the same because the mind doesn't know what it is getting, it only knows sensation and this is what we cling to. Depression, anxiety, anger are all sensations within the body that the mind is reacting to. Everything is sensation and if we fail to understand this we will live our lives in constant misery through craving and averting. The mind is liking, disliking and reacting accordingly all the time and this Guatama said is the root of all suffering.

So how do we break this cycle of craving and aversion and live a life free of wanting, free of hate. A life full of love and compassion which is what all religion tries to teach us. We begin by observing ourselves. Be constantly aware of what is happening inside your body from the most intense sensations to the most subtle. This is the only way. When we observe the sensations in the body without reacting or judging or justifying them, the mind will begin to let go and the sensation will fade away. It is important to observe the sensations as they are without naming them or reacting in any way. No sensation is permanent. This is a fact. They are all arising and passing away like the atoms that make up the entire universe. Everything is energy in fluctuation and when you understand this from a level of experience not intellect, your freedom can begin. I hope this post inspires you to turn towards the only person in your life that can help you. Yourself. There is no book, guru or religion that can make you understand the nature of yourself. You must walk the path alone to liberate yourself.

Be happy