The Supreme Ultimate

Emblazoned across the backs of Young Guns leather jackets, melting into the amorphous realms of the Third Eye, adorning the walls of hippie student's dormitory walls, sparkling on the end of a silver earing as the sun catches it's twirling motion. The Supreme Ultimate, the Yin Yang (as it is known in the West) has become the universal symbol of something beyond, something destabilising, a call to arms to begin the revolution of the mind and a badge of one's commitment to all and anything that is not the way it is now. It's a trinket, an adornment, a puzzle and a revelation. It is a finger up to the establishment and a gateway to the realm of the Gods. A pattern, a badge, a symbol of power...whatever you want it to be, the Supreme Ultimate is it.

Whether we are familiar with the meanings, the origins and the uses of this archetypal, universal symbolic form, we all know it. We have all seen it countless times. It seems to have seeped into the consciousness, subconsciousness and meta-consciouness of the West and thus of the world. Owned by none, claimed by many, it is, according to the ancient Chinese sages, the physical manifestation of the concept of the ethereal omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence of all that is.

The Supreme Ultimate is a deeply provocative act of revolutionising consciousness and has its physical and thus conscious origins within the realization of opposing forces. Essentially, the symbol is a representation of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things and how one gives rise to the other. In classical Chinese thought, all natural dualities are cast in terms of yin and yang: male and female, light and dark, good and bad, full and empty....all of these things are reliant for their existence on their opposite. There cannot be light without darkness, there cannot be male without female, there cannot be good without bad..there is an intrinsic interdependence of one on the other - and each gives rise to the other. As the sun climbs in the sky, as it reaches its zenith, there is within it, the seed of the coming night and slowly but surely it gives way to darkness, which in turn carries within it the seed of the coming day. It is a continuous motion of one leading to the other. The symbol is indeed designed to give the impression of movement.

The two aspects of the Yin Yang symbol constantly interact and never exist in a state of stasis. The outer circle of the symbol represents the whole, whilst the black and white sections represent aspects of the whole, and within each we can see the seed and the coming birth of the other aspect - its opposite. The Yin apsect of the symbol is the dark area and is characterised in terms of the feminine: slow, soft, cold, wet, tranquil and pliant, whilst the Yang aspect; the white section is characterised as male: hard, fast, dry, hot, aggressive and rigid. The white aspect rises on the left, whilst the dark aspect descends on the right.

The concepts of Yin and Yang are the fundamental principles behind all of the traditional Chinese martial systems - whether they be active or passive. In each we see the principles of passivity and pliancy in a constant dance of submission and assertion with the principles of activity and resistance; and all to astonishing effect. The Chinese martial arts, whilst being some of the most complete and boundlessly destructive methods of combat known to man, have within them the submissive grace of a debutante. They are the perfect encapsulation of the principles of yin and yang and thus express and live out in microcosm, the concepts of the Supreme Ultimate. Yet the Supreme Ultimate is empty as well as full. It is devoid of anything and expresses nothing at the same time that it expresses all and is full of everything that there is in existence. It is beyond expression and definition. Full amd empty are mutually counteractive concepts - but they express the duallity of existence. This duality is contained within the emptiness of the Supreme Ultimate.

The outer circle of the symbol - the whole - is the One. It is all that is and ever was and is greater and smaller than any other concept or theoretical construct known to man. Macrocosm and microcosm. The One gives rise to the two and thus opposition as well as harmonious co-existence. In the martial arts, we see this constant interplay and arising and falling of opposing forces, each containing the acceptance and potential of the ensuing form as it progresses. But more than this, the mind, the being that gives rise to and commands the arising and diminishing of these forces for the form and the art to be successful, must strive to become the outer circle of the symbol. He or she must become empty and full at the same time: ready to be placid and pliant, ready to be aggressive and submissive, ready to concede and grasp everything - to be empty and full at the same time is to have a deep knowing of the nature of the Universe beyond this Universe. To be still and concede that the arising of one or other of the aspects known as Yin or Yang can be called upon and infuse one's being at will.If you have ever studied Tai Chi and are familiar with the practice of 'Pushing Hands' you will understand the ideas, expressed through the Supreme Ultimate of rising and falling, pushing forward and giving way in an endless series of pliant, yet strong hand and arm movements. This basic Tai Chi exercise has much in common with the passage of our lives as we go from day to day. So how does the Yin Yang symbol relate to our everyday lives and how can we use the concepts behind it to help us move through life in a more peaceful and conscious way?

Our day to day existence is full of choices and decisions. Some of these are significant, some are not - or appear not to be, but all, in their own way have profound impacts on us - for our long term health and sense of wellbeing and for our spiritual growth. Even something as seemingly insignificant as our feeling in the morning when we rise and see that it is raining outside is a decision that we make, based on the principles of Yin and Yang. Regardless of the external conditions - the rain - we have the abillity to chose how we feel about it. We can be happy because it will water our garden or because we just like walking in it, or we can be miserable, because it is yet another wet, cold and unpleasant day. The rain is just the rain and expressing it's nature, but we are entirely in control of our feelings towards it and as a consequence of that decision, our feelings and mood may be coloured for the rest of that day. In becoming the emptiness of the Supreme Ultimate - embodying and realising the Oneness within our being, it is necessary to simply let the rain be. To not allow the arising of any thoughts as to our feelings towards it - whether we would think of them as positive or negative.

We might rightly say that it is a good thing for us to feel positive about the fact that it is raining, or our boss is not going to give us the promotion that we wanted, or that our car won't start today...or any of the plethora of events that happen to us throughout our days and our lives. Of course, having a positive approach to these things is eminently more desireable than a negative view, but if we wish to really see the world as it is, it is necessary to move beyond the duality of this or that, right and wrong, positive and negative. Each time that we raise a thought of any kind, we colour the world with the imprint of our minds. The consequence of this is that we never actually get to see or experience the world as it truly is.

When we are presented with a chair and asked "What is it that you see?" We answer "A chair" - but we only know it as a chair because of all our other experiences of chairs. We know what it is for, we know if it is comfortable, we know how to use it, we know if it is aesthetically pleasing...we know much about it because we have a data bank of knowledge on the subject of chairs. What we do not see is what it actually is that we are being presented with; stripped away of the clutter of thoughts and processes that we impose upon it. Try to see anything in the world around you, devoid of your own preconditioning - it is almost impossible.

But if we want to find true peace for ourselves, if we want to find the way to a life of bliss, we really do at some point need to not only realise the emptiness of the Supreme Ultimate within ourselves as more than a theoretical and spiritual construct, we must become the Supreme Ultimate. We must empty ourselves and simply accept the world as it is - see it as it is - experience it as it is and have an understanding and control of the nature of our potential to express duality in which ever way we chose. We live in a dual world, governed by the laws of duallity, and while we exist here on this earthly plane, we have no choice but to move through it in a dualistic fashion - choosing this or that, black or white, up or down but we need to do it from the space of emptiness that is the outer circle - the Oneness of creation. And we need to do it in the full knowledge that whatever choice we make, it has within it the seed of it's opposite that will also one day come to fruition.

As we watch the pendulum of our lives, we must see that it is riven with constant swings backwards and forwards between events, circumstances, emotions that we can characterise as positive or negative. It is all very complex and there are many interwoven strands and threads that mitigate against us being able to label one aspect of our lives as totally positive or negative, but in broad terms, we are all aware of the constant movement back and forth between one extreme and another. If we want to stop this swing for good instead of resting in the illusory space of the good times that will inevitably come to an end, then we must focus on the emptiness of existence. We must try to bring to our minds the understanding and feeling and knowing of being, in fact, the Supreme Ultimate given birth within the illusory world of duality.

Metta and many blessings,

Steve

Manifesting your Dreams

We all have ambitions in life. We all have desires and aspirations for our futures. We all want to reach out for the stars and grasp that which we believe we are capable of. We all want something more than we have right now. It is a part of the human condition, and a wonderful part of it at that. It is actually a blessing: our desire for more than we are given when we are born. Our sense of wanting to be and to have and to feel more than we are gifted with at the moment of our birth.

Of course there are those who reading this, will say "I am happy and content with what and who I am right now", but this condition is not arrived at easily for most of us. Even those who can honestly proclaim such a beneficent state, possibly had to strive for it in some way in the past, or come to an internal and personal acceptance of this state at some stage in their lives. Very few of us are born with an innate sense of acceptance and joy at the process of our lives as it unfolds. Most of us yearn for some sort of change or improvement. This is how it should be and it is one of the reasons why we came into the world: to be and do and feel more; to strive to be all that we can be and to achieve our highest potential.

This desire springs out of a dissatisfaction with the way that things are right now. We are all prone to this, whatever the state or condition of our lives. The richest and the poorest, the ill and the healthy, the wise and the unwise, all want something that is not currently within their life experience. Ultimately, the motivating force is the perception of the lack of happiness that we have or the expectation that in gaining that which we desire, our happiness will increase or improve or indeed replace the sadness or misery that is now our lot. It is a worthy goal and one that we should not under any circumstances relinquish. Of course, the achieving of happiness is not ultimately predicated on the gaining of things and external conditions. The realisation of this truth however, is one that we need to discover for ourselves - it is a part of the spiritual path of increasing self-consciousness.

Regardless of this, there is nothing wrong whatsoever in aiming high and trying to gain the summit of your personal ambition. Whether it is the achieving of a desired for relationship, or the gaining of a better job, or the striving to be free of the restraints that a society, culture, family or other external force places upon us. Having an ambition, a goal is a worthy thing to have. The desire for happiness however that these things ultimately do not bring, will and must go on; propelling us to the next goal, the next achievement, the next great success.

Maintaining a sense that we can achieve our potential and gain that which we do not currently have is often not easy however. It depends in part on how far or high we are aiming and whether or not we have a strong enough internal belief system to keep us going when the going gets tough. Faith in our ability to achieve our potential or a commitment to keep going in the right direction is fundamental to success. A half hearted or limp wristed approach is destined for failure. Certainly, never allow others to steal your dreams. Whatever it is that you aspire too, however high the mountain is, whatever it is that you need to do to manifest your new reality, the very worst thing you can do is to give up because of the low expectations of others due to their commitment to a life that is less than it could be. Never let those who expect little from life, project their negativity or their lack of motivation on to you. The result will be that you will abandon all that you hold dear and accept less than you are capable of.

So what is the secret of success? How do ordinary men and women turn misfortune or poverty into great personal and professional achievements? There is one golden key and that is to have faith in yourself. To believe and know 100% that what you aspire too, is achievable - that you can do it. Being positive is not enough. Simply believing is not enough. These are great things and a part of the recipe of success, but to achieve the big goals, something more is needed. To get right to the top of your personal mountain, there is a need to know, deep inside of you, that you CAN make it. Don't believe it, KNOW it.

Those that push to the greatest successes in life - whatever they may be are the one's that absolutely refuse to contemplate failure. They are the ones that, through all of the obstacles, just keep going. Those that do not give up in the face of what appear to be insurmountable odds. When everyone else would abandon their dreams and resign themselves to the belief that they gave it a shot, but it was out of their reach, those that are relentless in their pursuit of their goal stand an excellent chance of achieving it. It doesn't matter what the goal is. Everything is possible. Everything can be achieved. Whatever it is that you want to do with your life, if you are determined enough and willing to put everything on the line to achieve it, then you most certainly can gain that which others gave up on long ago.

It is all down to your attitude. It is all down to your belief in yourself. You can do and have anything that you set your heart on. Just don't give up! Never give up! Keep going until you get what you want. But be flexible! Circumstances can change and a goal can become inappropriate. This can often happen. Allow life to take you in its current and be open to new possibilities, but keep pushing forward. Don't give up on your drive for success.

Goals can and do often change along the way. There is nothing wrong with this and shifting your focus is not a mark of failure...it is a celebration of the fact that you are not limiting yourself in anyway. It is an exultation of your ability to bend like the reed in the stream, to the possibilities and currents of life. The point is to just keep moving forward. Going in the right direction. Refocusing and reassessing and moving with life to where you want to be. We cannot always predict at the outset what the problems might be that we will encounter on our journey. The answer is simple: just stay flexible, and deal with whatever life throws up as you go.

All of this striving however, as I have said is ultimately not going to bring you lasting happiness. Let's not live under any illusion about this. Happiness is an internal state and not dictated by external forces. Happiness is a state of mind. Happiness can exist under any circumstances. Happiness is predicated on the right internal conditions, not on external ones. Happiness and not angst, or sadness or misery or emotional pain can be achieved with a simple change of mind. Just chose to be happy and you are. It would appear to be very simple, but if it were, we would not spend our lives in pursuit of external things. We would all simply chose happiness in whatever circumstances we find ourselves and give up all other external efforts, as what would be the point in striving anymore?

Striving is however a necessary part of being human. It is what brings joy to our day, gets us motivated in the morning, allows us to dream and to plan and to hope. It is what makes life rich and filled with possibilities. Aiming for our goals is just as much a part of the spiritual journey as engaging in meditation or mantra practice or chakra work or...you name it...these are all just different facets of the human condition, and every single thing that we do in life is a part of the journey to enlightenment or union with God. It is just another part of the tapestry of our lives.

Don't give up, don't fall at the first hurdle, don't let others put you off. Just keep striving, overcome everything that stands in your way and push forward in life. Eventually, you will succeed like you could never have dreamed.

Blessings and metta,

Steve