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- Bridging the Abyss: A Non-dual Meditation
Bridging the Abyss: A Non-dual Meditation
Edition #40: Inside The Invisible
A number of years ago, I stumbled upon the insight that all language is inherently dualistic. What I mean by this is that our language splits the world into subjects and objects. Speaking with a friend from Lithuania, Zilvinas Svigaris, I learned that in the English language, this is especially pronounced. English structures virtually every noun into either a subject or an object. As a result, English speakers grow up with an invisible filter, the filter of dualism.
As a result, our language ends up distorting what we perceive. Let me give you an everyday example. I am eating a delicious avocado half, with the center filled with a great balsamic vinegar. My actual experience is composed of many discrete elements – the mouth-feel of the creamy avocado, the mild green taste of it, the bite of the balsamic, the tart smell of the vinegar, the feel of the metal spoon in my mouth, and so on. To language my experience, I have to break it down into its component parts. However, when I break it into small pieces like this, I distort the experience beyond recognition. The avocado-in-my-mouth does not feel anything like this verbal description. This is clearly a case where the whole is actually greater than the sum of its parts.
My actual experience is a unitive one. All of these constituent parts and more combine and explode in my mouth and nose. All and all, a most pleasant experience!
I believe that we have a great number of these unitive experiences on a daily basis. We don’t notice the unitive quality because we are so quick to divide the experience into subjects and objects. Let me give you another example – one which you have surely had multiple times.
You experience a gorgeous sunset or sunrise. The actual felt experience is, in itself, a unitive one. Your eyes take in the visual splendor, there’s an emotion that rises up in your chest, you feel yourself expanding from being your little, finite self to something enormously huge, even vast. You take in the entire visual space around you, and you feel yourself somehow ‘entering into’ the experience. ‘You’ kind of ‘disappear’ for a long moment as you participate in this glory. The experience, in its unitive form, is beyond breathtaking.
So, what do we do with this experience? You might speak to your companion, “Isn’t that sunset just glorious,” even though you know that your words barely scratch the surface of what you are experiencing. If you happen to have a camera, you probably snap a picture or two, thinking that you have captured the moment. But later, when we look at the snapshot, it is always wanting, somehow less than that glorious unitive experience we have just had.
If I were to ask you, “Which would you prefer – the actual experience of the sunset or a photograph of that same sunset?” I’m sure that you would say you want the actual experience. From some perspectives, this doesn’t make a lot of sense. The actual experience is ephemeral – now it’s here and then, proof it’s gone. The photograph, on the other hand, you can keep forever. It captures the visual experience perfectly, so why would you not prefer the photo? The answer is obvious, isn’t it? The photo captures only a single element of this complex unitive experience. And we, being greedy, want the whole thing!
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We face a similar set of problems when attempting to deepen our relationship with the Divine through meditation. Our languaging separates us from God. In our minds, we place ourselves right here, but we place God somewhere else, somewhere ‘over there.’ You see the problem, don’t you? Our languaging creates an abyss for which there is no known bridge. What to do?
For years, I have searched for a way to overcome this apparent separation. On the one hand, our scriptures tell us, over and over again, that God is always with us, that the kingdom of heaven dwells inside of us. On the other hand, we rarely seem to experience that holy Presence. How can we address and resolve this apparent dilemma?
Trying to focus and be more precise in this matter, I asked myself, “What is there in the multiplicity of the many aspects of my existence that is already connected with God?” This led me to a question that I should have asked before this one, namely: “How do I know I’m connected with the Divine?” Or perhaps I should ask an even more basic question: “Am I connected with God?”
Considering these questions, a thought came unbidden to mind, one that I found hilarious. How do I know that I’m connected with God? Because (in a child’s singsong voice), “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!”
You might wonder what I found hilarious about this. Well, here I am, 77 years old, with four degrees, including an earned doctorate, in two different but complementary fields of study, and with many decades of devoting myself to exploring the spiritual life. With all of the weight of this accumulated knowledge, I go to a child’s faith statement instead of some fancy theological or psychological exposition. It makes me suspect that I may have taken a rather circuitous route to the Divine, rather than the direct one that I would prefer! LOL
When you probe deeper into this faith statement – this description of the connection between God and ourselves – you find something both basic and intrinsically fascinating. The bridge that connects us with the Divine is our awareness.
In fact, it is our awareness that connects us all with one another and with everything that is! But, because our awareness is invisible, we don’t notice it. While we use our awareness every waking moment, we take it for granted. Yet, this element, which exists unnoticed in the background, appears to be the connective tissue that unites all living things.
In addition, our awareness takes us beyond our ordinary human connections and serves as the connecting bridge to the Divine. The invisible part of me – the part that no one can ever see – is my awareness. That same awareness is the vehicle that takes me into that greater Awareness that we conventionally call God. In effect, the invisible part of me is actually the bridge to that invisible being we call the Divine!
Once you understand this, you realize that we have found a way to go beyond the inherent duality that posits me right here and God somewhere else. You realize that we have found a tool – an already existing bridge – that circumvents the illusion of separation.
I have been working with this tool for the last six months in meditation. I have experienced a series of what I call “deepenings.” (I will explore these in future newsletters.) What I would like to do today is to present my findings in the form of a meditation that is both accessible to all and practical.
To utilize this form of meditation, you will find it most helpful to be able to disengage from your thoughts and your thinking mind. This is a skill like any other skill, and it can be learned with sufficient practice. That being said, like many things, it is not particularly easy. Thus, while someone new to meditation may practice this form, it is probably not suitable for everyone, since beginners can experience significant difficulty in focusing on their awareness.
The problem arises, I think, because your awareness is not a static element – it can shift and change quite rapidly. A visual target, such as a simple cross, remains unchanged from one moment to the next. The same applies to an auditory sequence like a mantra. Your awareness, on the other hand, may shift from internal sensations, to a thought about your ‘to-do’ list, to an external sensation like an itch, and so on. It makes sense, then, to practice some of the more focused meditations so that you can learn to hold your focus on this constantly moving target.
Walking the Rainbow Bridge: The Path of Awareness
Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Turn off your cell phone and deal with other potential distractions.
Be seated in a chair, with your spine upright and your feet flat on the floor, cradling your right hand in your left. Don’t cross your legs or ankles, and don’t interlace your fingers because they are likely to fall asleep, which will distract you from your practice.
Close your eyes and focus your attention within your body. Simply observe, and refrain from judging what you experience there.
Notice the flow of your thoughts and emotions. No need to chase after them or elaborate on them. Just observe.
In this space, your mind, which is your ego or sense of self, will start telling you stories. These stories may focus on your physical sensations, they may focus on some unfinished business you had prior to sitting in meditation, or on any number of other subjects. All of these are attempts by the ego to distract you from your intention to draw closer to the Divine.
Refuse to engage with these distractions. Acknowledge them, and then let them go. They are of no importance, and they keep you anchored in your dualistic thinking.
As you release these thoughts and the stories they want to distract you with, you’ll notice a progressive deepening, very gentle and slow at first. Instead of the noise that’s generated from all of your competing thoughts, you will begin to sense a deepening silence.
As you open to this deepening, as you relinquish your focus on the various ‘objects of awareness,’ you will begin to notice your awareness itself.
As the internal silence grows, you will gradually begin to notice a stillness – a holy Stillness – that exists behind the silence. When you sense this, give yourself over to this Stillness; surrender to it. No need for thoughts. No need for words. Rest in this Stillness for the period of your meditation.
Especially at the beginning of this practice, you will find your mind churning through thought after thought, through sensation after sensation. When this occurs, simply release the distraction and move your attention back to your awareness.
Rest here without moving for the period of your meditation.
When you are distracted, bring your attention back to your awareness and rest here.
When you are ready, let the feeling come back into your feet, your hands, and your face. Take a deep breath and open your eyes.
That’s enough for now, I think. I expect that you will find the meditation practice outlined in this newsletter to be very valuable on your inward journey. Please remember to practice daily, if your time permits.
Fundamentally, I believe that our intention to draw near to the Divine is the most important element in our lives. It is our intention that pushes us to meditate. It was your intention to draw closer to our Lord that pushed you to read this newsletter and to consider practicing meditation. I see this intention as one of the many gifts that our Lord so freely gives us. We can rejoice because, despite all apparent difficulties, our God is with us and in us!
Also, please remember that you are free to contact me if you have any questions about the practices I present or the experiences they yield. I will do my best to address your concerns as time permits. Just email me at [email protected].
With my warmest regards,
P.S. These newsletters were written in a particular order, but due to the limitations of our email delivery system, we cannot send them in the order in which they were written.
We can send out the first five in order, but then the system sends out the next one, whatever that happens to be. So, if you are suddenly moving from issue #5 to issue #whatever, it might be a little jarring. If this sounds like you, I would encourage you to go back into our archives and do your best to read them in order.
P.P.S. Several of you have expressed the desire for an online meditation class. If there is enough interest, I will try to figure out how to hold a group class on the web. If you have an interest, please write me at [email protected].
Humility as a Tool → Letting go → Fear → Openness → Acceptance & Growth
If you are finding this newsletter course helpful, you may want to consider Dr. Kaisch's latest book, Inside the Invisible: The Universal Path to Spiritual Transcendence.👇
To access the other newsletter editions of the “Inside The Invisible Newsletter,” or if you’d like to read ahead or go back.
Please Note: These newsletters are meant to be read in order.