Well Being In Every Moment

An Eternal Now SG

http://www.greatfreedom.org/

- from the Read section

THE CLARITY OF AWARENESS

The clarity of awareness illuminates a vast treasure of benefit within humankind. It provides    the    greatest    of    riches.    The treasure is contained in the phrase “short moments of clarity, repeated many times, become continuous.”

Such a simple statement actually has the great power to bring about openhearted clarity, cooperation and peace within global human culture.

What is a short moment of clarity? To know the answer to that question, stop thinking— just for a moment. What remains? A sense of alertness and clarity remains. This is what awareness is: clarity and alertness that is open like a cloudless sky. Clarity that is present when we are not thinking, is also present when we are thinking. All thoughts appear and vanish naturally, like the flight path of a bird in the sky.

5

At the very moment points of view form— thoughts, emotions, sensations or other experiences— recognize spacious clarity, shining from within each viewpoint. Right now, look at your own experience to see if it is like that or not.

A point of view is anything that occurs within the all-encompassing view of clarity. It can be a thought, emotion, sensation or other experience, and it can relate to inner or outer events. Points of view within the clarity of awareness can be likened to a breeze blowing through the air. The breeze and the air are inseparable. Both are air.

Like the color blue is inseparable from the sky, points of view are inseparable from the clarity of awareness. We come to realize that    no point    of    view    has    an    origin independent of clarity.

It makes no difference what points of view arise. In clarity, they vanish naturally, leaving no trace, like a line drawn in the sky.    Clarity,    relaxed    and    enormously potent,    is        the    source        of    mental    and emotional    stability,    insight    and    skillful

6

qualities and activities. By the power of instinctive    recognition    of    clarity,    these become increasingly evident.

Rest the mind and body naturally, without pushing away thoughts, without seeking anything.    This    is    all    that    is    required, whether activity is strenuous, relaxed or in- between.    What    remains    is    clarity    and alertness that is open like a clear sky. This is what clarity is! When the next thought comes, it appears due to the clarity and alertness of awareness. This is similar to the vast sky being present regardless of what appears within it.    Whether aware of not having thoughts or of having thoughts, both modes require awareness.

Clarity, in the immediacy of the flow of thoughts, emotions and sensations, is the source    of    profound    insight,    complete mental and emotional stability, compassion and skillfulness in all situations. The innate ability to be at ease, wise, balanced and compassionate, is discovered in clarity.

Because of the habit of emphasizing points of view, the initial brief moments of clarity

7

may not last long at first. In other words, there may be no real stability. It may almost    immediately    slip    away.    This    is perfectly fine. That is why short moments are relied on, many times, until clarity becomes continuous. This is the key point in gaining confidence in clarity.

We choose for clarity to be obvious to us or not. Moment-to-moment clarity is the most important choice we make.

The first time the choice is made to rely on clarity rather than emphasizing points of view, there is a sense of the great power of complete relief to be found in clarity. By persisting        in    this    one    simple    choice, benefits are seen from the outset. The flow of points of view is not altered. Everything is left simply as it is. By the power of clarity,    clarity    becomes    increasingly obvious.

The very first moment of clarity already has within it the result of complete relief, mental and emotional stability, insight, complete well-being, self-benefit and the benefit of all. By repeatedly relying on

8

clarity,    it        becomes    automatic.    Short moments, many times, become continuous. This exceptionally potent method grants access to a powerful intelligence and clarity that is not noticed when there is emphasis on    descriptions    or    points    of    view.    So continue        to        take    short    moments    of empowering clarity, leaving everything as it is, whenever you remember to do so, until clarity is continuous at all times.

An Eternal Now SG

GAINING CONFIDENCE IN CLARITY

Clarity is already naturally present. It is not that we don't have it and hope to get it at some point in the future. We already are clear. Briefly acknowledge clarity, again and again, and it becomes obvious all of the time. We can enjoy crystal clear clarity because clarity is always already present. We don’t have to find it. That is why we can always rely on clarity.

Enjoying short moments of clarity is like finishing a hard day’s work or relaxing after a    warm    and    soothing    bath.    We    are completely relaxed with nothing more to do.

Relaxed clarity can be recognized    in any circumstance—walking, running, working, thinking,    parenting,    studying,    eating, making love, and all daily activities.

Due to the potent benefit we find in short moments, we naturally commit to clarity.

10

Clarity is automatically enlivened in all our daily    activity    due    to    our    growing familiarization and confidence. By getting accustomed to this, our recognition of clarity becomes stable and automatic.

Repeatedly allow short moments of clarity, leaving    everything    just    as    it    is.    Short moments of clarity increasingly open up the balanced view and insight of clarity.

Short moments, repeated again and again, do    become    automatic.    Unending    clarity becomes increasingly obvious until it is evident at all times. By putting this into practice, we attain deep confidence in the power of short moments to bring benefit to our lives. We keep it simple: Short moments, many times.

If we have positive points of view, that’s fine. If we have negative points of view, that’s fine. There is no need to control the natural flow of points of view. Place the emphasis on clarity—that’s all. Thoughts, emotions and sensations just flow along doing whatever they do. This is the key point. Everything rests in natural perfection. Leave it as it is.

11

We need to simply allow a moment of the uncontrived naturalness of clarity. Instead of focusing upon it, it is simply allowed to naturally be as it is. It is a matter of gaining confidence in always-on clarity. The more we have confidence in clarity, the less we need to deliberately rely on short moments and the easier it becomes to recognize that clarity is self-sustained.

The clarity of awareness is predominant in the natural flow of all points of view, day and night. Clarity is self-affirming. In short moments of clarity, we reinforce the clarity of clarity in all our experience. We begin to gain confidence in clarity for self-benefit, and eventually that inspires us to be of benefit to all. Short moments of clarity: this is a very practical approach.

Never underestimate the power of this simple practice. It is the most powerful force on Earth.

12

An Eternal Now SG

MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STABILITY

A short moment of clarity is complete. It is free from involvement in hope and fear, ups and downs and other extremes of points of view.

In any context in which points of view appear, do not try to alter the experience in any way. With this, there is ease without indulging,    rejecting        or    replacing        any thought,    emotion,    sensation    or    other experience.

There is no getting into wanting a positive point of view, no investing in wanting to improve viewpoints in any way, nor in fearing    the    worsening        of    negative viewpoints.        No       matter    what    viewpoint occurs, there is nothing for it to achieve. It cannot    cause    any    harm,        because        its essence is immediately recognized as being clarity.    It    resolves    spontaneously,    with nothing needing to be done. There is complete ease, alertness, clarity, insight

13

and openheartedness in whatever happens. Everything is simple—more simple than simple.

True confidence is instinctive realization of openhearted clarity—knowing how to rely on clarity in any point of view. By the power of clarity, we are no longer afraid of ourselves.

This is similar to spontaneously allowing a heavy load to fall to the ground. By the power of clarity, the burden of changing the flow of points of view is relieved and natural    perfection    is    instinctively recognized. Clarity is free in its natural perfection.

By the power of a short moment of clarity, repeated    many    times,    it    becomes impossible to be derailed by disturbing emotions. Instead, you remain as you are— stable, clear and at ease. It is the easy way to live. Unchanging clarity is your vantage.

If there is a moment of clarity or not, it's fine. If there is complete distraction by thoughts, that’s fine. If there is distraction,

14

simply relax in a natural way as soon as it is noticed that there is distraction. This is a short moment of clarity. By repeating it again and again, it is recognized that it is always present. Clarity is naturally present whether there is distraction or not. This is how easy clarity is!

Clarity is in harmony with points of view. There    is    no    fighting    with    viewpoints anymore. This is the best well-being. Open, spacious clarity naturally allows point of view to be as it is. There is no need to save or delete viewpoints. Everything happens very simply. Since there is no need to change the flow of experience in a short moment of clarity, antidotes and remedies come to a complete stop.

Awareness has natural clarity at all times, like the brilliant light that fills a clear sky at high noon. It has this clarity naturally. We don’t need anything for that clarity to be; it is just naturally arising, naturally present. It    doesn’t    depend    on    anything.    In awareness, the obviousness of clarity and the joy of certainty become evident as our natural state. This is the joy of knowing

15

that awareness is the indestructible clarity of all experience.

There is no need to look for clarity, which is naturally present at all times. There is no need to ask, “Where is it?” “Is it there or not?”. Simply enjoy clarity and its natural process of becoming continuous through short moments. There is no need to find clarity. Relax. Just relax; that’s all. Clarity will naturally become increasingly obvious.

In realizing the inseparability of clarity and points of view, confidence is gained. Being unafraid of points of view is a sign of confidence in clarity. It is caring deeply about life and about our effect on the world. Moreover, it means mental and emotional stability and well-being in every moment, with no ups and downs.

Compassion and the ability to act skillfully in all situations occurs easily due to the power of clarity.

An Eternal Now SG

POWERFUL BENEFIT

Clarity is not a way of avoiding everyday life. It is a way to fully embrace all of life from the vantage of a balanced view and clarity.

Well-being comes from short moments of Clarity rather than from trying to regulate points    of    view.    Simple,    straightforward Clarity is clarifying and empowering. It exhausts    harmful    psychological    and behavioral    patterns    and    simultaneously perfects beneficial qualities and actions.

When points of view are emphasized, it is assumed that they have a power of their own. To instinctively recognize clarity is to know that a point of view has its only origin in clarity. All points of view have their source in clarity and no point of view can be found to have an independent nature.

A tightly constructed personal identity is built by accumulating points of view. True, uncontrived identity is discovered in clarity and its natural and useful way of being.

17

Relying on clarity leads to complete mental and emotional stability and emphasizing points of view leads    to confusion        and tension. Instinctive recognition of clarity elicits    inherent    stability,    peace,    love, happiness and natural warmth.

There is a powerful opening of skillful means and profound insight in the balanced view of clarity. This greatly beneficial power has a naturally occurring morality and ethics that are of benefit to all. The power of insight and skillful means in all situations comes about by relying on potent clarity, rather than getting involved in points of view.

By the power of short moments of clarity, many times, it becomes continuous. There is relief from the focus on points of view. When short moments of clarity are repeated many times, clarity is recognized to be continuous and uninterrupted. It is found to be stable in itself. If the recognition of clarity slips away, it is simply repeated again. Short moments, repeated    many    times,    acknowledge instinctive recognition of clarity. It is simply found in our own direct experience.

18

This is powerful clarity that has nothing to guard or defend. The natural ease of clarity is wide open in all points of view. It is absolute simplicity and spaciousness of mind. By the power of clarity, we become natural and spontaneous. We relate with warmth and directness, and reveal our true potential to be of incredible benefit to ourselves    and    others    without    any contrivance.

When we look at the results of short moments of unending clarity, we find that they are very powerful indeed. We as a global human culture have tapped into a form    of    knowledge    that    can    give    us complete mental and emotional stability, insight, compassion, natural ethics and beneficial skillfulness in all situations.

With ease of transportation, the internet and telecommunications available today, this    is    the    first    time    in    history    that everyone can know this in their own direct experience, and we are demonstrating its power, together.

19

An Eternal Now SG

20

GREAT FREEDOM RESOURCES

There are many resources available for anyone who is interested in knowing more about the Great Freedom/Balanced View Training. The main information source are our websites, www. greatfreedom.org and www.balancedview.com. Posted there are numerous public talks, videos, books and a forum. The forum is a place where people all over the world share their experience of relying on clarity in daily life. All video and audio talks are free and can be easily downloaded in mp4 and mp3 format.

Also listed on the website is a schedule of Balanced View trainings offered by approved trainers around the world. Venues range from face-to-face trainings and public open meetings, to trainings and meetings offered via teleconference bridge.

The support network of Balanced View—the Four Mainstays—is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for everyone interested in gaining confidence in clarity.

21

When confidence is inspired by Balanced View’s Four Mainstays—1) short moments of clarity, 2) the trainer, 3) the training, and 4) the worldwide community—there is increasing instinctive recognition of openhearted clarity until it is continuous at all times. Then there is no longer the possibility of being fooled by appearances of points of view, not during life and not upon death.

- END -