Accident Prone by Julee Bergstrom

In non-duality circles, one may hear that awakening is a purely random, accidental event: Because it is not the character who awakens, there is nothing the individual can do to cultivate or attain the awakened state. The truth is ever present, and it will simply manifest or not, independent of causes or conditions.

But the truth also loves a paradox. And the fact that you are here perusing Fred’s site suggests you are not fully convinced of the futility of searching and effort. You are at least willing to entertain the possibility that this guy could give you a good, clear look at your true nature. Perhaps you will even schedule a session and go for the ride.

Chances are you will arrive. It may be a subtle glimpse or a thunderous breakthrough, or anything in between. But there is a good chance you will see your true Self. But this is not the end. As Fred sometimes says, it’s only the invitation to the dance.

In some respects, waking up is the easy part. Had I heard that during my years of searching, I might have wept in frustration! But once you’ve caught a glimpse and experienced that basic paradigm shift, you see that the journey has just begun. You have discovered a new world, but now must explore the territory and claim it as your home. And this is what requires the real dedication and commitment.

You cannot avoid who you truly are. This may well account for the frequency of “accidental” awakenings, where the person is clueless to the cause. But often in such cases, the awakening is short-lived. Habitual conditioning quickly reasserts the old, familiar worldview.

But regardless of how your awakening occurred, the clarity needed to stabilize and abide in the experience can be learned. There is a clear path that can be walked. The conditioning that says you are a body/mind/soul in a world of separate objects must be continually challenged. To thoroughly un-see this and stabilize in the realization that you are pure awareness takes time and attention. And even arriving at the living realization of pure awareness is itself only a step. Although it marks a shift from seeking to being, this experiential understanding of no-self will continue to deepen.

So be neither disheartened nor lulled into complacency by rumors that there is nothing you can do to awaken and abide. Intention and persistence count. Know what you want and stay in the conversation. To come home—to see yourself fully and realize your beauty—is the most sacred journey of your life. Don’t leave it to chance! And be assured that the slow journey is as honorable as the instant teleport, and it is certainly less jarring to the unit. The body/mind is allowed to gently acclimate to its new perspective and discoveries. Each new insight is a joy and a pleasure to savor.

This is a journey from a false to a true paradigm. You’ve always lived in the truth, but didn’t see it, like a fish in water. Generation after generation has been steeped in the flow of dream characters, bodies, minds, objects, events. Shifting your focus from illusion to essence is the process, and it takes time, attention and, yes, sometimes effort.

So continue to strive and enjoy the ride. Awakening may be an accident, but practice will make you accident prone!

Julee Bergstrom is enrolled in The Living Method Continuing Student Program. She lives in the UK.