Standing Alone, Oneness, Silence
The deception of what is
"Sitting outside and staring into nature, one wonders if there is anything in this life that has not been created by "thinking". Well, if that staring is indeed observing nature, one wonders no more :). However if in staring there is thought of "what has not been created by thinking", then I am caught in the trap of deception!"
Nature cannot be deceived by thought
As I look at nature, writing a few words which may or may not mean anything at all (one is blessed by the power of language and yet caught in a paradox when explaining the unknown), there is a sense of tranquility, beauty and an incredible awareness of connection. There is a lot to observe about trees. They may only see each other, hear each other, smell each other. Their roots are all connected and yet cannot be seen as they appear to stand alone...
Living in Japan, I have seen trees treated as a national treasure. Trees that have withstood numerous typhoons and earthquakes, can stand for hundreds of years, even thousands. There is a Cryptomeria tree called Jomon Sugi in Kyushu that is said to be somewhere between 2,000 and 7,200 years young. It is almost inconceivable to logically think about how this is even possible given the amount of earthquakes, wars, and rugged weather has been experienced during that time!
It is said, when an earthquake strikes, what keeps the trees from falling are their intertwined roots beneath the earth. And this fascinates me because what is seen to the eye is that the tree stands alone. They don't suddenly reach out in the midst of an earthquake and use their branches to reach out and connect (they don't focus on the outer phenomenon) to prevent them from falling over. There is an element of trust in what is not seen. It is not a "planned" process to join roots beneath the earth. It simply happens. They do not learn trust by cultivating some special skill, or take an online course to discover what it is and then putting into practice for all to "see". Instead, their roots roam freely. When they hit a barrier of some kind, they don't fight against it - it is not a barrier at all. As a leaf floats freely along a stream, so to do the roots of a tree - they stay free.
In observing nature, one notices that it is not at all touched by thought. Thought which is structured, always moving to do something, achieve something, follow something, build something, learn through experiencing something. The tree is untouched - free from conflict. It is free from opinions and beliefs. It does not battle with itself as to what is right or wrong. It has no purpose. It is still, unmoved.
As such, this "state"... this stillness cannot be achieved by a discipline of any kind. You can't pray for it to come about, or practice some kind of traditional yoga to achieve it. Following some traditional philosophy won't help you achieve this state. You cannot order it from the Internet. You won't find it in any writings. You can't go looking for it. Finito.
The search always fails - we are so "carefully trained" to believe that being alone is a terrible thing
But, if you persist in trying to find it, you will fail. Because at some point, one realizes that in order to understand the unknown, one must be willing to be alone, and in this world, we are so "carefully trained" to believe that being alone is a terrible thing. People even come to our rescue when we are alone.
If you are willing to observe your "self" (the 'me') throughout a day, you will see what it shows you is of illusionary nature. If you are willing to "watch" your self without lenses - that is, without your beliefs interfering with your watching; without the results of your memories which are constantly judging which emotions you experience, you may begin to understand for yourself what freedom truly means (truly meaning not theoretically where you are downloading a piece of information and then trying to follow that information in order to "become" something more than you are) - when the mind is free of its conditioning. It cannot come from following others; from following the rich and famous. Nor can you ask the "experts" or the gurus. They too, are conditioned. Why add more salt to the broth when it is already over-salted? This is something only you can do but you must be willing to stand ALONE. You must be willing to look at your fears and not run away from them (another thing we are so well trained to do). You cannot ask another "how" to stand alone, even if they appear to be the master of ALONENESS. It will always be their way - their "secret". But if you observe, you will hear your own secret.