GOING WITHIN AND GOING BEYOND

There are many times when we are involved in scenes and situations that we would rather not be in, and the feeling is to go beyond all the complications and be free.

- ERIC LE RESTE

However, before we can go beyond it all, and still deal with everything efficiently, we first need to go within and explore what is going on inside.

Going within is like exploring the different levels in a house. The ground floor level is where we are seen and where we are involved in the here and now. But, like many houses, there are further levels below that—basements—and to find the deepest parts of ourselves, we need to explore what lies beneath.

The first level, or basement, is where we hear the noise of the echoes of what has been experienced on the outside; all the ramifications of the scenarios we are wanting to go beyond. This is the level where we have questions such as "What?" and "Why?" and where we may be criticizing or appreciating, but there is a lot of chatter because this level is occupied by a great many people. It is also where our memories are; pictures on the walls, all the good moments, all the bad ones—it is pretty busy down there.

However, while all of this is perfectly normal, it is not the very quiet place we want to be in when we meditate.