Ignorance, confusion and delusion collectively are one of the hindrances that impede success.  Essentially, this hindrance describes “how we know what isn’t so”.  The mind is rarely comfortable not knowing. Additionally, it attempts to create patterns and certainty.  It wants to be able to predict.  By doing this, the mind thinks it will be more comfortable, secure, stable, and confident.

Yet, this comes at a cost.  And the cost is that we may believe what is not so.  We may make decisions with inaccurate information.  Our judgment may be impaired because we have jumped to conclusions.  And we may go for a long time, if not forever, living with limiting views about ourselves and others, just because we “know what isn’t so”.

There are two ways to counter this hindrance.  The first requires you to become increasingly comfortable with “not knowing”.  When you find yourself needing to make a decision and are pressing for a quick answer, practice just allowing yourself to be still and to “not know”.  Let that gap between stimulus and response widen. And in that stillness you will be amazed at what arises.  In that “not knowing” will come a Knowing, which is far deeper and more profound solutions will arise.  This takes practice.  So be patient and trust that a deeper wisdom is available to you.

Another way to counter this hindrance is to become increasingly aware that everything is impermanent and to be okay with that.  Our striving to create certainty actually pushes away our ability to be in the present moment.  We are uncomfortable with what is and as a result we are constantly trying to create a “better now”.  Since this is not possible, we live life in memory about the past or fantasizing about a better future. We get caught in what could be or should be.  In so doing we miss life because life only happens in the present moment.  If you miss the present moment (the only moment there is), you miss life.

You can start working with impermanence by noticing how everything arises and passes away.  The morning comes and goes.  The year begins and ends.  You are praised, you feel good and that passes.  You wake up not feeling well and later on in the day you feel well again.  The reality is that nothing remains the same and if you observe carefully, without trying to change the present moment, you will notice that good times come and go, and bad times come and go.  When things are not pleasant, some might say, this too shall pass.  But in reality, it is more accurate to say this too “is passing”.  Moment by moment everything passes.  This can be very liberating knowing every moment is a fresh moment.

Much more on the topic of impermanence in future blogs.