Philosophy

168 posts

This is the philosophy category section of www.steveleasock.com. The topics shared pertain to our existence and our relationship with ourselves, others, the universe and life.

Homeward Bound Is not a Journey

You innately know the essence of this moment. And, you instinctively sense the pulsation and flow of living in this moment. But, the mind distracts this state of awareness. Nevertheless, is it accurate to say that you are a conscious being living now. Thus, you are the isness of now. This acknowledgement and acceptance allow conscious awareness to flow. Let’s use an example to illustrate. What is your state of being when you take a bath or swim? You are in water. However, how often are you deeply aware that you are in the water? Presence is the stepping stone that unites you and the water. Furthermore, this is an undeniable state of being in relation to all experiences. This realization allows your homeward journey to unfold naturally.

homeward

Living from a state of isness to this moment releases you from the mind. Accordingly, your partnership with the mind will improve. Thus, you more efficiently use the mind to understand existential experiences. The mind’s domination over your life experience will lessen. Hence, you will focus on conscious awareness and the manifestation of this moment. There is no need for magic, science or religion to be presence and live in the isness of now. It is literally as easy as standing in front of a mirror and to deeply accept your beingness. This is a transcendence experience within the totality of presence. And, this is your true home. Continue reading →

Sensitivity and the Experience of Life

Are you a sensitive person? Do others label you as too sensitive? If yes, please stand up and take a bow because sensitivity is not necessarily a bad thing. Furthermore, conscious awareness through sensitivity is possible. Alas, mind details still distract the majority of people. Thus, unconscious living causes chaos in many activities. There are so many wants, demands and details. Therefore, often the mind and body are ill. It is all too much. At least, this is what the mind tells us. Stop the world and let me get off. These are typical reactions to our daily interactions.

sensitivity

Many people are sensitive, often overly sensitive. And, there are distinguishing characteristics among these individuals. Sensitive people often experience depression and mental trauma. Often these ailments are due to biological and conditional behavior disorders that can escalate if a person is overly sensitive. Hence, over-sensitivity can actually cause the development of a mental disorder in a person that unconsciously lives life. Please understand the significance of the keyword unconsciously in this last statement. Your thoughts, thus your feelings, can sicken the mind and body when you are not actively conscious and equally oversensitive.

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Monism Is at the Essence of All Duality

Please, if possible, glance slowly and deliberately at any given object in your immediate surroundings. What do you see? It may be a chair, table, or a picture on the wall. You are essentially a part of anything you observe. Furthermore, each and every object is of one state of being. And, the marvelous mystery of oneness manifests in all shapes and sizes. This is too much for the mind, strictly mentally speaking, to comprehend. Thus, the mind interprets monism as dualism. The mind does this in an attempt to define and categorize.

monism

“There is a thing inherent and natural, which existed before heaven and earth. Motionless and fathomless, it stands alone and never changes; it pervades everywhere and never becomes exhausted. It may be regarded as the Mother of the Universe. I do not know its name. If I am forced to give it a name, I call it Tao, and I name it as supreme.”
– Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Nevertheless, the mind is naturally a part of this mysterious oneness. And, this creates a paradox. Hence, the mind over-compensates the simplicity of monism. Therefore, it is very difficult for a person to disregard thoughts and feelings that invoke separation. The presence of oneness that manifests through all objects is there within each heartbeat and within each breath. This is the nature of beingness and the isness of living. It is a vibrating flow of energy. Continue reading →

Experience What Is Instead of What Is Not

Words often confuse us. And the word experience is an example of this confusion. We claim that our experiences influence our behavior. Similarly, the mind is adept in placing labels and definitions onto our experiences. Thus, the mind super-imposes conditioning factors onto everything. And, we just go along for the ride.

experience

Let’s put this into perceptive from a conscious awakening standpoint. You do not necessarily participate in any given experience through your awareness to the situation. Yes, I realize this statement is first confusing. Something happens, such as a cup of water falling from the table to the floor. You are aware that the cup has fallen. Nevertheless, your awareness does not prevent you from complaining because the cup fell. Does the immediate situation cause your discomfort? Or, are you actually reenacting a conditioned reaction from a similar circumstance? Continue reading →

The Mountaintop Is Your True Home

Acknowledge that you live on a mountaintop. Let’s reflect on this insight before the mind contaminates the scenery with too many thoughts. You stand with your face to the sun. Furthermore, the sun is always shining at the top of the mountain. A breeze caresses your face.

mountaintop

Occasionally birds fly about and visit you. They sing a song of life and living. It seems you are alone here on the mountaintop. However, you are never truly alone. You emerge in pure presence. Thus, you sense the energy pulsations of the earth, the universe and life. Living in pure presence nurtures unity. Thus, separation and loneliness are abstracts of the mind.

Presence offers bliss. Therefore, time and matter have no ultimate significance. These are only details of a temporary existence. There is a path before you. The trail leads to the valley below. And yes, you travel, on occasion, to the valley in your thoughts and actions. Nevertheless, no detail within the valley compares to the sheer rapture of living in the presence of your being. Continue reading →

Existence Attributes Distort the Flow of Life

Are human attributes such as love and forgiveness active integrates in universal life consciousness? Of course, this is not an easy question to answer. And, most likely, we can’t actually answer it. This question suggests that love is universal because we and other life-forms experience it. But, is love truly a component of life? Here again it is not possible to definitely answer such a question. Eckhart Tolle, in The Power of Now, has said that love is a state of being. This statement feels good to say, but it does not really offer pure enlightenment. Nevertheless, let’s use this statement as a reference point for our discussion.

attributes

Firstly, thoughts and emotions have the potential to become our state of being. That is to say, if we allow the mind to dominate. Therefore, the level of active awareness to a given state of being determines how you will live. The form this moment takes is merely a detail when a person observes it consciously. We could make it easy by saying that life will be as we choose it to be. This may at first sound farfetched. But, let’s consider it for a moment. Continue reading →

An Inquiry into Being in Love

Being in love gives us joy. This love and affection can be to a person, a thing or even self-love. Love is marvelous and, at times, equally perplexing. This is fine. However, this reference is not necessarily about physical or emotional love. Instead, our inquiry is into the totality of love.

inquiry

Therefore, let’s take the first step into this inquiry through the realization that love is energy. This energy attaches itself to either our mental or emotional center of focus. But, please understand that love is always present, as is true for all universal energy. Have you experienced a moment when all judgments, doubts, anxiety and fear were at a minimum? What did you feel? Was it something that you cannot truly express in mere words? Would it be appropriate to describe this state of being as a blissful experience? The sensation you experience in such a moment is possible through the natural flow of universal energy. The blissfulness you experience is possible because you are going with the flow. Continue reading →

The Key to Living Is in Your Hand

There is a key to allowing life and love to flow unrestricted. Acceptance is the doorway to this universal flow. But, unconditional love will remain bound by these restrictions until we are willing to step beyond them. The mind attempts to instill boundaries on love and life itself. This could explain why we remain mostly in a state of conflict throughout our existence, both personally and collectively. But, the conflict is only within us. Conflict does not come from the universe or life. And, we and only we are responsible for our experience of life and love. Your choices are either unconsciously or consciously made.

key

A state of consciousness is significant whereby acknowledging unconditional love is the key. We are always within an energy field that has the potential to be conscious. But it is necessary to be aware of pure consciousness. Equally, this is true for love. Our level of awareness strengthens love as a component of life. The initial spark that generates love into the universe is pure. But, we become preoccupied with the diversity of our self-imposed detail existence. Continue reading →

Flow with Life and Embrace the Way

Let’s start this article with a simple exercise. How does it feel to embrace something or someone? This experience is a helpful stepping stone as you awaken to consciousness. Is embracing something or someone strictly a physical experience? There is much more to this interaction. Everything transfers energy. Likewise, holding something or someone is the sensation of sharing at various levels. However, the essence of this unified energy is constant. Only the frequency alters, depending on an object’s acceptance or resistance to this flow.

flow

Now gently embrace yourself. Consciously go beyond the physical stimulation. Thus, you equally allow awareness to expand. Visualize the drift and manifestation of energy. And, don’t guide or influence this energy. Simply acknowledge the flow and let it drift along. Likewise, recognize that you are a vibrating part of this universal movement. Embracing your physical body enhances aware presence. Accordingly, the mind loses influence over your state of presence as you flow with this universal life stream. Continue reading →

Edge of Forever Is Where Life Begins

A Fear of falling prevent us from nurturing the desire to let go of the minds conditioning. This anxiety happens as a person senses the edge between mind and consciousness. The mind overshadows this boundary. And, this restricts conscious development. Mental patterns and conditioned behavior often block access to a spacious presence we call consciousness.

edge

The practice of going beyond this mind-made edge is beneficial to releasing the fear of falling. Realize that consciousness is energy and it is constant. Your awareness stimulates this energy. Thus, the practice of conscious awareness frees the pathway between mind, object consciousness and universal consciousness. Many people read about the practice of not thinking or stop thinking to reach enlightenment. As a result, these phrases cause the majority of people frustration. Why? Because it is impossible for the mind to stop the process of thinking. May I suggest the practice of simple meditative exercises consisting of beyond the mind experiences? Equally, you can practice going beyond the mind during a moment of stillness. I will write more about this in an upcoming article. Continue reading →