Channel: Michael Hersey | Source
The short answer to that is that there is no longer an ego mind. On one level we can say that the ego mind never existed. It was an illusion. The ego mind believes that there is a separate you, a me, that interacts with the world, that things happen to, that makes choices. In the awakened state this me disappears. It was just a figment of the ego imagination. For those of you who have the question of what happens to the ego mind – this question could not come from an awakened mind – when you are operating in the belief that you have an ego mind, that you have thoughts that are yours, actions that are yours, choices that are yours, that things happen to you, that you are trying to reach this place you think of as enlightenment – however you have that pictured, but you are not there now – I am going to offer a response that makes use of a model.
I can’t repeat too many times that whatever words we use here to explain anything are not the truth, which cannot be told. The words just point. Look not at the words but at what they are pointing at. The you that is searching will never find the truth. Only with the disappearance of the you does the truth become evident, though not sharable. In the awakened state all that remains is the truth. That is all there is. The ego mind is trying to find its way to some other place. The awakened mind is there now and always. There is no place to find and nothing to do.
The model that I mentioned is used by Ramesh Balsekar. He talks about having two minds, which he calls the working mind and the thinking mind. I encourage you to relax your thoughts and ideas about what is and let these words wash across you and see what happens. Here is a description of how the working mind operates. It responds to whatever is present in this moment and “works” with that with no objective in mind. It does not try to solve problems, to reach goals, to achieve something, or to obtain any result. It is not concerned with why something is happening, takes no responsibility for creating what is present, for bringing it about, or for having made bad (or good) choices in the past. It simply notices what is here right now. The working mind plays with what is here. It is reactive. It is absolutely lost in and involved with that activity. You may likely relate to having moments of such an experience. Perhaps you read a book and lose touch with everything else. You may find yourself losing all track of time. This could happen with any activity: playing or listening to music, being engrossed in a conversation, gardening, dancing, driving a car, or playing chess. Time does not exist for the working mind. There is just the doing. You might be working out a mathematical problem or exploring philosophical ideas. Again, there is no destination; there is just the doing. There are no distractions. It’s the only show in town. This is all the working mind does.
No activity need fall outside of the involvement of the working mind, however they all can be invaded by the thinking mind. The thinking mind jumps in while the working mind is reacting and asks questions like, “Is this really true?” “Is this really valuable?” “Is it worth doing, worth spending my time on?” “Is this going to pay the rent?” “What’s in it for me?” It is filled with questions and doubts. It is strongly influenced by yesterday and tomorrow. They often take precedence over what is being presented now. This is the realm of the ego mind. The awakened mind simply works. It does no thinking.
The thinking mind criticizes the working mind. It fears that awakening is impractical and one cannot then function in the real world. Actually, the working mind is far more productive and involved with the world than is the thinking mind. The thinking mind believes it has control and choice. It doesn’t. The thinking mind is therefore unable to react to and deal with life effectively because it does not see things as they are but rather as they are wished to be. Its actions are blunted because it is acting only from the programming it has, so it is unable to react to the newness that life is always presenting. Because it believes that it can change what is, it lacks the flexibility of reacting to what is. The working mind is fully involved in the now, sensitive to every nuance, reacting to what is actually here. Because it is not trying to figure things out it simply reacts, guided by the innate knowing of Totality, of the Divine, of God. It is the working mind, not the thinking mind, that deals with the real world and is the more productive and effective. The working mind flows with the Oneness, the Totality, the interconnectedness of everything. The thinking mind feels separate and fearful; it is at war with what is, constantly questioning the perfection of what is instead of merging with it. As life moves and shifts, which it always does, the working mind reads it and reacts. The thinking mind is always trying to steer things in a predetermined way and is not capable of reading the changing tides. The working mind doesn’t reason; it acts. It uses the past only for practical learned skills that can aid with the present situation. It does not judge or evaluate based on past experiences.
If an immediate physical danger presents itself, it is the working mind that reacts. The thinking mind is fairly predictable because it operates on its programming. The working mind is totally unpredictable because it reacts without thinking to the everchanging moment. The thinking mind is unqualified for the quick action an emergency requires because it can only sift through the memories of similar situations, which likely don’t exist, and then will take due course in considering the possible responses. In the meantime, the ball has hit you squarely in the middle of your forehead or the car has run over your dog. The working mind simply and quickly acts. The thinking mind may later be surprised at how quickly and fearlessly your body/mind has reacted. The working mind doesn’t rest on its laurels. It has none. It simply refocuses its energy on what is now present. Some might say that the working mind acts more from passion than from reason. I have no problem with that. Another term that could be used to describe the working mind is instinctive. Certainly, reacting to danger is more instinctive than passionate. We also wouldn’t suggest that reacting to a bee sting is passion in action. In this case the working mind notices the sensation, is absolutely present with it, and lets go of any thoughts about the rightness or wrongness or the cause of the event, worries about future bee stings or further complications from the incident, or any guilt or blame. It simply experiences what is there until it is no longer present or has morphed into a different form, say an allergic reaction. It will be present with that new form. Any fears that appear will be noticed, but not held on to. The working mind does not worry.
Animals have no thinking mind. If grazing deer become aware of a potential predator’s approach, they immediately run to safety. When the threat is no longer present, they continue grazing or doing whatever other activity the present offers to them. They react to the moment. When there is no danger in the moment, there is no danger in their awareness. They don’t worry about future attacks. They don’t fear death, though they will react instinctively in the moment to do what it takes to live. No threats; no worry. They have learned through experience who might be a predator, so those memories kick in to direct their safety, but otherwise are not present. There is no sense of self. There is no thinking mind. There are no precautions, just reaction. There are no worries about next winter’s food, only attention to filling the belly now.
We come back to the awakened self. It is similar to the animal mind. There are no worries about the future. It deals only with what is present. There is no sense of self. The body/mind is simply the vehicle for navigating the nowness of life through which Divinity acts. The awakened working mind watches and participates in this activity with no confusion in thinking that it is the body. There is no fear of death. That is the realm of the thinking mind. Working mind does not recognize that there is any job to do, any choices to be made, nor anything to be learned. It does not even think about being a part of the Totality that is God, that is Life. The thinking capacity is not present. All is wordlessly known; there is just the intuitive response to what Life presents. It mindlessly plays its part, which cannot be misplayed.
The potential for what will be accomplished by the working mind is infinitely beyond what the thinking mind can do, but there is nobody there to take credit for any accomplishment. In Oneness there is no separate part that can or does take the credit. All is connected. There is only the enjoyment in the doing. The Divinity that you are a part of has no personal identity. There is no sense of control, of authorship, or of responsibility. There are no value judgments, no sense of right and wrong. There is nothing predictable, only Divine perfection. It’s just a game. Enjoy playing!
Good Now
Sanhia/Spirit
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