The Myth of ‘Doing Nothing’
Colin Drake
I recently was talking to a friend who was complaining of existential
anxiety; which was dispelled by reading a good book on nonduality or
attending an inspiring satsang, but which always returned. So I asked
him what he ‘did’ on a daily basis to establish himself in nondual
awareness, whereupon he grinned sheepishly indicating that he did
nothing. Which made me ponder the teachings of many modern teachers of
nondualism who say there is nothing to ‘do’ and everything just ‘happens
by itself’. Indeed even in my book Beyond the Separate Self there is a
chapter entitled ‘Nothing to Achieve, Find or Get’ which could give the
impression that there is nothing that one needs to do … However I can
assure you that if one continues to live in the same headspace without
‘doing anything’ then there will no change in one’s outlook and anxiety
levels. For as I say in the book:
At a deeper level than this flow of fleeting objects (thoughts and
sensations) we are this constant subject, awareness itself; this is
already the case and as such cannot be achieved. All that is required is
to realize this!
So awareness is central to our being, whilst thoughts and sensations are
peripheral. This is self-evident for without awareness our thoughts and
sensations would pass unnoticed. Thus we cannot lose this awareness; we
just need to stop overlooking it.
It is impossible to get that awareness which you already are, and thus
have in full abundance. All that is required is to recognize this. In
this respect you do need to ‘get’ this, but this is in fact nothing as
it is not a thing but the ‘ground’ from which all things arise, in which
they exist and back into which they subside. So there is in fact ‘no
thing to get’ and you do need to ‘get’ nothing(ness)!
So although there is:
‘nothing to achieve,’ we do need to realise the deeper level of pure
awareness, for this to be the case.
‘nothing to find’, we do need to stop overlooking the awareness that is
always present.
‘nothing to get’, we do need to recognize that we already have this
awareness.
This realization, or recognition, of the deeper level of pure awareness
is easily accomplished by directly investigating our own
moment-to-moment experience. My book aims to provide a simple
straightforward framework in which this investigation can take place.
However even after the recognition of this deeper level we do need to
cultivate, and establish, this by further investigation/contemplation
for as it says in The Tibetan Book of the Dead:
All those of all [differing] potential, regardless of their acumen or
dullness,
May realise [this intrinsic awareness].
However, for example, even though sesame is the source of oil and milk
of butter,
But there will be no extract if these are unpressed or unchurned,
Similarly, even though all beings actually possess the seed of
buddhahood,
Sentient beings will not attain buddhahood without experiential
cultivation.
Nonetheless, even a cowherd will attain liberation if he engages in
experiential cultivation.
For, even though one may not know how to elucidate [this state]
intellectually,
One will [through experiential cultivation] become manifestly
established in it.
One whose mouth has actually tasted molasses,
Does not need others to explain its taste.
Even after one has ‘tasted molasses’ this taste will dissipate after a
time, requiring further ingesting for the taste to reappear. In the same
way the effect of ‘awakening’ to the reality of the deeper level of
pure awareness will dissipate if one ‘nods off’ again and re-identifies
with the mind/body. So one needs to continually inquire
into/investigate/contemplate the nature of Self and Reality for this
‘awakening’ to become established. It is only in this established
awakening that all existential anxiety is banished.
Also see Daniel M. Ingram's