Are you stuck in the self-improvement paradox?

A teaching from Murali

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Opening the scroll

I love the movie scene from Kung Fu Panda in which Po the panda finally receives the mysterious Dragon Scroll for which he has struggled and waited so long.

He was promised that the scroll’s ancient secrets would save him and transform him into the ultimate warrior. When the scroll is opened, it is totally blank and Po is left confused and more afraid. Later, Po sees his reflection in the scroll and realizes intuitively that the wholeness he sought has always been here. He was never missing some secret ingredient, achievement or experience to complete him. 

When we hear enlightened teachings, we hear many different descriptions of our true nature and many descriptions of why we don’t experience or know our true nature. Our conditioned mind tries to interpret and make sense of all these descriptions and often concludes that some essential quality, attainment, state, or experience is missing.

Our response is to seek out all sorts of preparation and purification practices and begin a journey to become ready and worthy of true nature or enlightenment. We become a self-improvement project that never seems to end. 

The natural relaxing

The term Self-realization is intentionally used to point the way out of this confusion. What is truly needed is to realize, notice, recognize, and acknowledge the Self or reality that is already here.

Realizing has nothing to do with attaining, earning, or becoming our true Self. How could true nature attain or become that which it already and always is?

“How could true nature attain or become that which it already and always is?”

When all our learned ideas about ourselves and enlightenment are put down, there is a natural relaxing, an opening where our true being can be recognized without struggle. This being is the unconditioned, timeless, conscious Self that makes all experience and all perception possible!

Noticing this aware being or presence is an immediate and direct experience, not a concept or philosophy. It only remains unnoticed because we are conditioned to give all our attention to the loud thoughts, feelings, and experiences that forever come and go.

It is noticing and acknowledging this presence that can spark the spontaneous and intuitive realization: THIS awareness, THIS presence THIS conscious mystery behind my eyes—it is not something I possess—THIS is what I am!

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If you are interested in learning more about moving beyond the self-improvement paradox, there is a wealth of information available online about the teachings of yoga philosophy, Advaita Vedanta, and the mystical teachings of Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Hinduism, and Judaism. You are also invited to discover these teachings through Awake Yoga Meditation’s offerings. Based on your interest in this article, you may also enjoy:

You are also always invited to schedule a private, personal, spiritual conference with Swami Nityananda whether you are completely new to the study of yoga philosophy and meditation or one who is seeking to deepen your practice.

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