This week we have a great non-duality teaching from a Navajo Elder. He is talking about evil, and evil beings who come. What happens is they fool us. And one of the ways that they fool us is by giving us temporary happiness. Happiness that comes and goes. Confidence that comes and goes. Joy that comes and goes.
Non-dual teachings are very similar. I’ve never heard anyone call temporary joy evil, but that’s a poignant way to look at it.
In Nonduality we are talking about a ground of being that is a permanent state. It’s a ground that you can be standing in at all times. It doesn’t falter.
The easiest way to describe it is that it is knowing who you. It is something so simple and obvious that you can’t ever unsee it. Knowing that you’re nothing, and everything. When you’re standing always in this solid awakened state you’re not buffeted back and forth. It’s not temporary.
So it’s really interesting that Navajo teachings have this same description. Wally describes it fabulously in the video because what happens is when you have only impermanent happiness, then you end up throwing a fit and causing problems. You cause destruction.
Why?
Because happiness feels good. We like it, right? It’s wonderful. Then when it goes away we feel broken and miserable. We want it back. We’ll do anything to get it back.
Same with confidence. When confidence goes away we feel broken and we want it back. We’ll do crazy things to try and get it back! I mean… that’s almost the definition of a sociopath. Right? Somebody who’s willing to do crazy, insane things just to have a fleeting moment of happiness.
In non-dual teachings, and it sounds like in these Navajo teachings as well, we say it’s possible to have a permanent, solid happiness. We’re not talking about a drunken happiness, dancing all the time. We’re talking a deep inner joy. It almost couldn’t be called joy. It almost couldn’t be called happiness, because it’s more like a hum of ordinariness. It’s more like something that holds you up all the time.
So if your experience is of fleeting happiness, fleeting confidence, that means it comes and it goes. Know that there is something deeper down. Don’t get fooled by this temporary happiness, it’s not going to get you anything. Keep up your meditation, and your work to discover your mind for the fool that it is. Don’t let it fool you. Find out who you are underneath it: nothing.
There’s actually nothing in your mind. If you close your eyes and simply look inside… really honestly look. You’ll see nothing. Take a moment and peek. There’s nothing there. Only absolute silence. It’s the silence of the universe. Feel that. Step into that. That’s where this solid confidence, the solid the hum of existence that you are, lives.