I get a flash of churchless insight: "Stop. Just stop."

For many years, at least seventeen, but really even longer, I've been steadily discarding bits and pieces of the religious beliefs (Eastern variety) that held sway in my mind for thirty-five years.

I've done away with overt religiosity, but subtle remnants remain. 

For example, at times during the day for a short period I like to repeat a Buddhist mantra, Namu Amida Butsu. 

And while mindfulness doesn't strike me as being at all religious, sometimes I go beyond simply paying close attention to what I'm doing and imagine that mindfulness can lead to benefits such as fewer problems in my life.

That might be the case. However, that sort of imagining can edge mindfulness into prayer territory, a hope for what might be rather than focusing on what is in the present moment.

Last night I had an interesting experience.

It was one of those times where I feel like something that's been churning away in my unconscious suddenly bursts through into conscious awareness -- unexpectedly, strongly, clearly.

The experience only lasted a second or two.

What flashed brightly in my mind was a message that wasn't expressed in words, but via an intuition. Stop. Just stop. 

Instantly, without thought, I knew what the "stop" meant.

Stop finding problems in your life when they don't actually exist.
Stop trying to improve yourself, since you don't have a self.
Stop trying to control what can't be controlled.
Stop adding an unnecessary "spiritual" dimension to reality.

The flip side of that "stop" was equally vivid. 

Relax.
Let go.
Worry less.
Enjoy more.
Embrace not knowing.

Today I still had a feeling along the lines I've just described. I had a lot of chores to do. I did them. All of them. I didn't make more out of them than was necessary.

Here and now physical reality seemed just fine to me. 

Yes, things weren't perfect. I didn't need them to be. I didn't even need them to be any different than what they were.

That included my mind, my awareness, my focus, my emotions, my thoughts. 

I felt like a psychological weight had been released from my psyche, a burden consisting of should's left over from the many years when my mind was filled with religious rules, vows, commandments, aspirations, and such.

Of course, this isn't the first time I've had that sort of "Stop. Just stop." message appear in my mind. Here's some blog posts along that line.

Believing in problems may be our only problem
What is the problem religions are trying to solve?
My meditation evolves to an exalted state of doing nothing

Comments

[um]

Reading your words some one liners of the one that initiated you popped up:

Do whatever you can, and leave the RESULTS to me.
That means "stopping" to force the outcome and relaxing into what happens and the confidence with the idea that whatever could be done was done ... resting in peace.

Nobody is allowed to go that far astray that he cannot be brought back to the path.
That can be read in many ways but it also tells, unless he was a liar, or whatever, that the coming to a path, the walking on it and the end are not in ones hand. That stress the fact as in the first one liner that one can in life only do what one can, one is able to, in any given situation.

In society we are more or less trained to realize and be responsible for the result, the outcome of what we do, to the complete exclusion of the forces inside ourselves and outside in the world, that are co-operating.

In sports and in studying, shifting the focus from the results on to the effort and take responsibility only for that, does make better sports men and women and better students. More relaxed and with a better knowledge of what they are capable too and what not.

How many children do not have the impression or given that impression that the love of the adults, parents and teachers alike depends on their RESULTS.?!

We honor only those that win, the number one, in any sport event ... but what is its meaning if not surrounded by other teams and sorters that are equally good?!

The glory of winning is in the comparison with equal gifted.

[Ron Krumpos]

Brian, I agree with you and with the first comment.

Too often we are rehashing the past or anticipating the future. Meanwhile the present is not attended to properly. Do the best that you can right here right now.

[X]

To create is to love. Love extends outward simply because it cannot be contained. Being limitless it does not stop. It creates forever, but not in time.

The ego, on the other hand, always demands reciprocal rights, because it is competitive rather than loving. It is always willing to strike a bargain, but it cannot understand that to be like another means that no bargains are possible. To gain you must give, not bargain.