“… I hear your question in my stillness and the answer comes out of stillness … All that is, all that you are, is in this stillness …” ~ Jean Klein
Self realization is a tricky journey … history shows us that “success” remains rare … despite the fact that just about every person (if not everyone) has at least a fleeting or short lived experience of the ecstatic, expansive – truly indescribable – nature of reality OR our oneness OR our True Nature …
Why is realization elusive at best and even “when realized (a paradox in itself)” it is not abiding – at least for the majority of humanity – perplexing, isn’t it?!
Naturally there’s a curiosity about the key matter of abidance : how do we – or can we – ensure that such glimpses of our true nature or reality are not momentary or short lived?
Stillness Speaks, of course, is dedicated to offering as many perspectives to this “one thing that you must do (as Rumi exhorts us)“ … and in that spirit today we offer Jean Klein‘s teachings from his book Living Truth in the form of his answers to two simple yet pertinent questions about abidance and the related matter of surrendering to silence/stillness in our daily rhythm:
You speak often of glimpses of reality. In the last couple of days I’ve had such glimpses. Is there nothing I can do to extend those times?
and
Do you think it is necessary to cut back on daily activities to be more available to that deeper silence or stillness?
The background behind the creation of Living Truth is expressed in its opening page:
In the late 1980s he {Jean} was invited to give seminars in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. In this isolated, peaceful mountain setting, a small group of students gathered with their life questions. The conversations of the 1988 seminar were transcribed and printed as a pamphlet entitled Mount Madonna Dialogues, but it was felt that the contents of all of the seminars were rich and rewarding enough to be gathered into a more substantial publication. This book is the result.
This post is part 1 of a multi-part series offering a substantive preview of Living Truth via chapters excerpts …
{All italicized text below including Jean’s opening quote is from Jean’s book and is published here with the publisher New Sarum Press’ generous permission. Scroll to the bottom for a free downloadable Table of Contents.}
For the foreseeable future some (maybe even all or a majority) of our posts will be shorter than usual.
Jean Klein: Q&A from Living Truth
Q: You speak often of glimpses of reality. In the last couple of days I’ve had such glimpses. Is there nothing I can do to extend those times?
Jean Klein: There is nothing to do. In doing, you go away from it. See it. Discover yourself in the seeing. The seeing is the answer. It is what you are looking for.
Emphasize the seeing. Seeing is stillness. Nothing is seen. You are more or less looking for a state, an object. But what you are can never be objectified.
Be completely open to your surroundings. All your surroundings are objects. Surroundings begin with your body, senses and mind. And your further surroundings are body, senses and mind, too. All is object. You are the ultimate subject. The ultimate subject can never be objectified. All that exists, all that is perceived, are objects in your awareness.
So be completely open, until one day you discover yourself in this openness. You can never assert it. It is a non-state where you are constantly in question. You will see that this question is the answer.
[…]
Q: Do you think it is necessary to cut back on daily activities to be more available to that deeper silence or stillness?
Jean Klein: You will be invited. You can never provoke the invitation. Stillness is not in time or space and does not need time and space to be. Stillness is the background of all activity. When you no longer act from the personal point of view you will automatically find your activities are economical, efficient. You cannot change by will. Only a right understanding, a clear perspective can bring change.
Stay tuned for more … Jean Klein’s teachings from Living Truth …
All italicized text above (except otherwise noted) is from Living Truth by Jean Klein and is published here with the publisher New Sarum Press‘ generous permission.
And click here for a FREE downloadable copy of the Table of Contents, graciously and generously made available by the publisher New Sarum Press.
And, may Jean Klein’s wisdom … serve you … in your everyday life … and …
May you remain safe and healthy.
Images (edited & Logo added): 1 & Featured) Majestic sunset sky reflection calm tranquil relaxing sunlight summer mood. Mediterranean seaside by amankris , 2) The Book of Listening cover image from New Sarum Press, 3) Landscape of the lake and mountains in the countryside of Sao Miguel, Azores by ashthedon, 4) Last sunrise and fishing sub-dug with flash, the new Taipei, Taiwane by nicholashan. 1), 3, & 4) purchased from 123rtf and depositphotos. All are for use only on our website/social channels (these images are not permitted to be shared separate from this post),
