A Conversation on What Matters

A Conversation on What Matters

Two students were talking about consciousness and the practicality of the Work. One was confused by the plethora of ideas and tools. Let’s call him Tom and the other Sofie.

Tom said, “So, how do I know the proper psychological tool for a given situation, because it all seems so muddled? Too many choices, so little time, as the saying goes. How do I know what I don’t know? Which idea or effort is more important to follow?”

“I can see that you are struggling with a common dilemma,” returned Sofie. “We start the Work with a certain set of ideas and abilities. As we acquire new knowledge and being, we need to sort out where we go from there. Big ideas like states of consciousness, sleep, identification, mechanical habits in the four lower centers, and other ideas like applying relativity and scale, are hard to navigate as a beginner.”

Sofie continued, “The Teacher once asked his students to memorize a quote from the Greek poet, Pindar: ‘At all times it is best to be present to what is before you.’ He was trying to instill a deeper sense of that eternal truth and necessity of remembering yourself always and everywhere. Some ideas and efforts rise to the top, and some ideas fit specific circumstances, like a key and a lock. Some are general truths, while others are more targeted and narrower. Both are necessary.”

“You might say that is the application of scale and relativity,” rounded out Sofie.

“Okay fine. But how do I know what to do day to day, moment to moment?” quizzed Tom.

“The best advice I can give you, Tom, is to focus on the weakness of the moment, as Pindar suggested. Address what is before you and respond to it. Your Work is transforming your life, making something from your mechanics and weaknesses. Your ultimate aim is to reveal or wake up your higher possibilities – your Higher Self, the Real You,” explained Sofie.

Still confused, Tom countered, “Well how does that work? If I’m asleep, how do I know what to address? How can I be more aware or awake?”

Sofie realized that she had to practice what she was urging Tom to do and exclaimed, “It all starts with observing. If you notice that you are asleep, let’s say, right now. Right now, you asked me a question about being more aware. Are you listening now? Are you paying attention? Are you dividing your attention? Can you hear what I am saying with an open mind? Are you silencing or ignoring the uninvited opposite ‘I’s coursing through your mind, your intellectual center?”

Tom begrudgingly admitted that he had started to tune her out. Wondering about the futility of really listening to someone else, he confessed, ”To be honest, I lost you halfway through your last thought. I’m wondering whether this is even possible. Can I really listen?”

“Let’s call that observation what it is. You have found the weakness of this moment,” applauded Sofie. “When we are interacting with others, the weakness of the moment is often opposite thinking or imagination. It might be exception thinking. It might be simply wandering off into imagination, one of the most common forms of sleep. Using scale and relativity, you will find that the best tool, the best opportunity is the one that is closest to you, not some faraway theory. Be present and resist opposite thinking and imagination. All is possible.”

Trying to tie together consciousness with the idea of scale and relativity to this chat, Sofie continued, ”What I’m trying to say is using the Work correctly means to use the right tool at the right time. To take the right opportunity when it is before you. The Work is not hypothetical or theoretical in its application. It requires attention and discipline, and returning to self-remembering is never the wrong choice. Sometimes the weakness of the moment is obvious and using the tool of scale and relativity provides an attitudinal approach to using the right tool at the right time. What comes first is irrelevant.”

Encouraged by Sofie, Tom could see how the Work is employed. He asserted, “I see what you mean. There are times when any tool is better than no tool, but it is still better to use a screwdriver for turning a screw and a hammer for striking a nail. That sounds great. I’m not sure I have enough tools in my tool bag to be effective, however.”

Sofie assured him that he was on the right track. Sofie simplified,” To start the work, you only need a few tools. The first tool is the desire to wake up. The second tool is the earnestness in observing yourself. And another, among others, is doing your best not to express negative emotions. If you do those things and try to remember yourself, you will find the weakness of the moment, and new tools will then emerge from your new understandings.”

“And don’t be discouraged, Tom. The lower self is not interested in the Work. It will deceive you and claw at you. But you can always start afresh,” Sofie implored. “It is one of the most important ideas for me. I can always begin anew and leave the sleep behind. This is another application of scale and relativity. What is behind you is gone. Start fresh right now.”

Tom could see that his mechanics were in his way, but that they were ironically also a source of growth. Tom remarked with greater confidence, “I now better understand the metaphor of the lotus bloom emerging from the mud. My consciousness is the product of being present to what is before me, whether that is a pinkish-dappled cloud-lit sunrise or my same old mechanical habits revealing themselves, like opposite thinking, that I need to work on. Sofie, how about I place my identity in the Work? With my growing toolbox as my guide, I can make something out of anything. I’ll keep finding new possibilities, even in tough or sleepy times. When applying the idea of scale and relativity, I can see that there is much to be grateful for even in the face of personal suffering and difficulties.”

Join the discussion

Work Interrupted, William-Adolphe Bouguereau