Deepening Trust

On a scale of 1-10, how much Unconditional Trust do you have that all your needs will be cared for even in the face of no evidence? Mine varies. I'm actively working with deepening it. And on the whole, I rarely judge myself for my level of trust. I know I'm a work in progress, that my work isn't about perfecting my human-ness, rather recognizing the perfection in everything as it is.

"Anyone can be enlightened in Heaven, can you be enlightened in Hell?"
~ Adyashanti

How do you find out how much Unconditional Trust you have? On the mat of real life. Life brings circumstances that appear beneficial or challenging. How I see them depends on my point of view. My emotional experience often lets me know, usually quite quickly, what my prevailing point of view is in the moment, often surfacing a buried (albeit potent and active) point of view for me to see and work with. If I'm experiencing any sort of contraction or suffering, I've learned to recognize that I'm invested in some sort of illusion.

In all actuality, there is never a problem. (This goes back to yesterday's entry on "Let It Go, Rise Up" where I mention finding a "good" tree and "bad" tree in nature...no such thing.) The idea of something being a "problem" presupposes something going south...and usually the feeling that something is "wrong". These are all ideas.

A racoon on the hunt for food and not finding any, doesn't need to call a therapist for meds to deal with survival anxiety. It relies on instinct and intuition to navigate to the next food source. It doesn't think of itself as a "bad racoon" for not finding food within a certain fabricated time frame. AND, it lives in harmony with the seasons. (Leaving aside climactic changes, etc.. This is an analogy, lol!).

Point being, pain may come and go, suffering is optional. Suffering is always based on investment (known or unknown) in some form of illusion.

Remedy? Truth.

How to find the truth? Ask yourself really good questions.

How to learn to ask really good questions? Trial and error. By doing it.

A GREAT starter question? Can I know for certain that "x" is the Absolute Truth?

Great questions, the ones that create the most space in mind and being, are the ones that don't necessarily have answers. They create a shift in point of view.

Around a two-dimensional circle, there are 360 degrees, or points of view (at least). If I have a particular point of view, especially one I am adamant is "right", it's useful for me to remember that there are at least 359 other points of view that could be equally right. Letting myself explore these other points of view can "unhook" me from my original point of view, and give me some spaciousness in my mind, my emotions, and my body.

Having right answers isn't all it's cracked up to be. Having Trust is.

It's a journey. This is just one of millions of points of view on Trust. : )