nothing to grasp: “… when everything that can be doubted falls away, all doubt vanishes. When resistance and seeking end, the problem vanishes. I vanish. There is simply this present moment, as it is …” ~ Joan Tollifson
Can we celebrate life as it is?
The answer, of course, is a resounding yes …. and the question itself – if explored earnestly – can (or rather does) lead to abiding peace … and one way to celebrate life as it is … is to realize that there is nothing to grasp … to simply relax and be open to life being exactly the way it is …
And, when there is nothing to grasp then there is simply this present moment, as it is …
Turns out Joan Tollifson – in her usual exquisitely clear and relatable style – takes a deep dive into this topic of “… as it is …” or “nothing to grasp” in her aptly titled book Nothing to Grasp (the 2nd edition was released by New Sarum Press on May 4th – originally published in 2012) … just a quick review of the Table of Contents will give you a sense of the depth of Joan’ unpacking of this profound topic …
As part of our substantive preview series, we will explore Joan’s book in much greater detail in future … but, for today, in this post … we offer only an introductory glimpse … through some very brief excerpts of her own words:
The more we’re able to simply relax and be open to life being exactly the way it is, the more available this unconditional love becomes. And when it’s not available, then it’s not. Flowers open and close. The sky clears and then clouds up again. Some places have more stormy weather and more cloudy days than other places. This is the nature of life. Waking up to the unblemished simplicity of what is isn’t something that happens once and then it’s done. There is no end and no beginning to this infinite Self-realization, and sometimes it hurts like hell.
and …
Liberation is so simple, so effortless, so completely available, so absolutely free. It is not the freedom to do whatever we want or to become who we think we should be or to make everyone else the way we want them to be. It is rather the freedom to simply be what we are.
That, I discover again and again, is the biggest relief, that there is nowhere to go and nothing to become.
PLUS …
We’ll savor some additional clues about this key theme of nothing to grasp … via words from various other teachers … that are used – most appropriately – as anchoring quotes by Joan in one of her chapters. (Is There Anything to Do?)
And I always suggest that such content is best taken in by …
Pausing …. reading … pausing … reading … then pausing again … and see what is revealed 🙂 ….
{All italicized text in this post is from Joan’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. And, you can purchase the book at Amazon.}
Nothing to Grasp: Is There Anything to Do? …
Realization is nothing to be gained anew… Realization consists of getting rid of the false idea that one is not realized. —Ramana Maharshi
Once you understand that the false needs time and what needs time is false, you are nearer the Reality, which is timeless, ever in the now…. If you need time to achieve something, it must be false. The real is always with you; you need not wait to be what you are. Only you must not allow your mind to go out of yourself in search. —Nisargadatta Maharaj
The question is not what should I do in the future to get it, but, rather, what am I presently doing that prevents me from realizing it right now? —Alan Watts
When we maintain awareness, whether we know it or not, healing is taking place… a door that has been shut begins to open…. As the door opens, we see that the present is absolute and that, in a sense, the whole universe begins right now, in each second. And the healing of life is in that second of simple awareness…. Healing is always just being here, with a simple mind. —Charlotte Joko Beck
Choice implies consciousness—a high degree of consciousness. Without it, you have no choice. Choice begins the moment you disidentify from the mind and its conditioned patterns, the moment you become present. Until you reach that point, you are unconscious, spiritually speaking. This means you are compelled to think, feel, and act in certain ways according to the conditioning of your mind…. Presence is the key. The Now is the key. —Eckhart Tolle
In simple presence with what is right here now, be it joyful or painful, an amazing freedom reveals itself. It cannot be described or explained in words. It is the freedom to be totally, effortlessly the way things are at this moment. —Toni Packer
Stay tuned for … the full multi-part series with different chapter excerpts … from Joan’s Nothing to Grasp …
All italicized text in this post is from Joan’s book 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, also made available by the publisher New Sarum Press.
You can purchase the book at Amazon.
And, may you realize the power and gift of … nothing to grasp… in your everyday life …
May you remain safe and healthy.
Images (edited & Logo added): 1 & Featured) Bamberg. City embankment at sunset by pillerss, 2) Nothing to Grasp cover image from New Sarum Press. All except 2) 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),
