I want to talk about awakening. I want to talk about the kind of awakening that is all around us, that doesn't require any special effort or activity, the kind of awakening that exists as the inner truth of all living things... of all things everywhere.

I want to talk about awakening as a fact of existence, the kind of awakening in which that Silence that created the whole universe out of its own joy, suddenly remembers itself in the midst of life, in the midst of turmoil and confusion, in the midst of joy and prosperity, sadness and grief, in the midst of cities and forests, in the midst of sirens and traffic, in the midst of birth and death, in the midst multitudes and stark solitude.

There is such an awakening. The kind of awakening that occurs in parking lots and bus stations, in Disneyland and homeless shelters. This awakening is waiting for us in our offices and cars, as much as in a cave or meditation center. This awakening doesn't need any particular conditions. We don't have to become ripe through years of effort and toil. We don't have to climb into the high and rare atmosphere of mountains hiding like myths in exotic countries. This awakening is here, now.

Why wait? Are we not tired enough of sadness and separation, of carrying ideas and beliefs about Reality, when Reality itself, pure and shining, is but a glance away? Awakening means to awaken, to rise up, whole body and whole mind, whole spirit and whole heart, to awaken from sleep, from the slumber of past and future, from the deep sleep of thoughts, concepts, and beliefs, from the tragic burden of me, me, meÂ"always meÂ"awakening from all of this into the timeless beauty that is here, now, here, nowÂ"the beauty that can be seen, can be felt, can be known now, without any further preparation.

Whether you look inward or outward, left or right, above or below, there is only one thing to see, one thing that seesÂ"it is that Silence, the true Self, the one in the many. How hard can it be to wake up and live in this joy, in this lightness, in this freedom, in this clarity, in this kindness, in this friendliness of the one Self?

How hard can it be, to see what is Real? It isn't hard at all. We are doing it now, together, as we listen, as we speak, as we hear, as we breathe, as we release our hold on thoughts, as we enter the Silence between them, between thoughts, as we enter the Silence from where thoughts come, from where questions come, from where the breath itself comes. Together we are awakening into the fulfillment of our truest dreams, finally fulfilling what our hearts long for, our souls cry forÂ"and in this fulfillment, we become truly alive.

The sound of things breathing is the sound of Silence coming awakeÂ"opening its eyesÂ"smilingÂ"can you hear it? The one primordial Silence shaking off dreams and nightmares, awakening to the morning of its own gloryÂ"

Listening like this is magic. The deeper we listen, the more we become awakeÂ"not listening to our own mind, to our own thoughts, to our own compulsions, but deeper listeningÂ"listening to cells speak their ancient secrets, to what is deep within all of lifeÂ"the very force of life, the very breath of lifeÂ"can we hear this now? It is hereÂ"between our own thoughtsÂ"between our breathsÂ"in the vast spaces between. Can we hear the deep movement of life now, in this moment? Can we give our full attention to that Silence coming awake within usÂ"taking usÂ"holding usÂ"rousing us from our trances of self-interest into something more magicalÂ"beyond wordsÂ"beyond imaginationÂ"the simple presentÂ"the awakened present?

Yes, it is like heat, like a currentÂ"a presenceÂ"listening to the breath within the breath, we feel thisÂ"and this feeling, this presenceÂ"this is SilenceÂ"creator of the universeÂ"coming awake within us, as usÂ"giving truth to our liesÂ"giving life to our deathÂ"giving joy to our sadnessÂ"giving freedom to our bondageÂ"giving ease to our painÂ"giving love to our hateÂ"giving peace to our conflict.

Can you feel this awakening of pure Silence now, where it lives, in this moment? Nowhere elseÂ"just here, and now, within and withoutÂ"

Don't be afraid of depth, of stillness, of Silence, of beautyÂ"don't turn awayÂ"don't be too busy, too agitated, too distractedÂ"listenÂ"deeplyÂ"with your whole beingÂ"listen to what is moving in the still and silent places where we can't see with our eyes, where we can't know with our mind, where we can't control with our fear, where we can't even speakÂ"so stillÂ"so silentÂ"as though love itself were speaking in a whisper, softly, from the deepest part of our own beingÂ"speakingÂ"are we listening?

And when we hear it, when we hear this awakening of truth within us, will we give ourselves to it, fully, completely, wanting never again to sleep, but to remain awake, to become the awakened Silence that is our true beauty, our true body, our true mind, our true purpose, our true path, our true heart?

It is here, within. And seeing it within, it is everywhere. Only that. Only that one reality, radiant, shining, beyond words, beyond thought, beyond all concepts, dreams, and wishes. It is the simple, uncluttered eternal present awakening within us, as us. Do not betray your own truth, the deepening truth of this moment, the deepening truth of your listening, the deepening truth of your loving. All within this moment. All within your pure soul.

Listen to your own Silence. Love your own Silence. Share your Silence.

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