Live in the Expectation of Surprise!

In the austere, often esoteric, world of spiritual paths, practices and ideologies, we seek to be go beyond what we are in realization of a becoming. This ‘realization' is often referred to as enlightenment, awakening, revelation, heaven, nirvana etc, etc, and religious/spiritual paths teach us what that might be and how to get it.

These special concepts were created to define this ‘other than' or higher, better, improved state of being. Each religion or spiritual ideology is essentially founded and supported primarily by these specialized concepts. Take away enlightenment, awakening, or any of these beliefs in transcendence, and the paths and practices crumble under their own oppressive weight, which of course is the weight of sacrifice and struggle. In order to attain the ‘realization' they teach, one must sacrifice in this way or that but don't worry, we are told, the goal is worthy just press on in the struggle to "attainment."

These concepts seem to leave our normal everyday existing in the dust. We are taught by the ancient, and so-called modern, ‘masters' that our everyday states of existing are heavily laden in ego desires and thus, can only accrue suffering, therefore, we must learn to 'transcend.'

But are we surprised that we suffer? Of course not, it's expected! (and if centuries of cultural indoctrination through religious ideology had not taught us that we suffer....would we?)

Locked into the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Integral, etc, etc, teachings, we expect enlightenment/awakening and therefore, we spend hours and years meditating and contemplating within those tired, old, worn-out methodologies, passed down through the ages and tweaked in "neo" fashion for the postmodern practitioner.

However, by expecting that our experience conform to the teachings, do we thus, obstruct it? If higher thought is bracketed and corralled by specific ideologies and their practices, how high can thought go? Possibly, only as high as we have been taught and no higher.

WHAT IF SURPRISE WERE THE GOAL?

What if we were to cease all reliance on what the masters taught, or teach, thereby ending all expectations of what somebody else taught us is the gospel, the word, the way and, hence, "the truth". What if we were to believe that it could never be the way they have taught, since what they taught based on their experience, was for them and no one else? What if it "truth" were always meant to be a surprise, unique to each individual mind?

In such unfettered pursuit could we then free ourselves from our trained and conditioned expectations and expect only to be surprised? To be surprised not just in our meditation or in our practices, but in our everyday life. Life is now lived in the expectation of surprise and nothing else.

Living with the expectation of surprise at any moment, no matter what we are doing, thinking or saying, no matter the circumstances. What would life be like if there were no expectation of an outcome that conformed to past learning, but the expectation of surprise exclusive to each and every individual mind that chooses simply to await surprise in the ultimate desire to be surprised?

What if you knew that at any moment you could be lifted up into a sense of intense joy, never before comprehended or defined by thought (in fact, I hesitate to think about it). How would a life lived in that expectation, a life that does not rely on past teaching, or lofty expressions of so-called masters, be experienced? Would just the expectation of surprise create a life of unavoidable joy? Nobody can say, since it's a surprise!

Preparation impedes surprise. Preparation is based on prediction, through text or teacher, of what you seek based on past precedent. It is no wonder spiritual practices attempt to prepare, since all our lives are spent in preparation for something and spirituality simply conforms to that need. Is surprise all we really seek and can we be surprised if we spend our lives preparing for it? (seems counterproductive to me).

Preparing for surprise requires NO training since surprise requires NO learning. We know it well and we will certainly 'realize' it when it comes upon us. But, of course, if our spiritual practice has defined what surprise IS, then we may miss it, since it is expected to take only a specific form based on what we were taught.

Can we envision death as surprise? If we can, then that may significantly reduce our fears in life, since we fear nothing more than our death (because religion has taught it is the 'end' of life). No longer must we prepare for death, since we expect to be, literally, swallowed up in surprise.

Let enlightenment or awakening take you by surprise. Of course, the only way to do that is to stop preparing for it and seek to be surprised in every moment of your life and death.

I suppose we can't blame the masters for the fact that we don't like being surprised. But if we did, they'd be out of a job. So I imagine it's not a popular subject to those preparing for enlightenment.