flow & obstruction

I recently read something that distilled the human development project to understanding flow and obstruction.

no-self = flow = surrender

ego = obstruction = willpower

This sort of woo-woo language tends to trip up “serious” people, myself included. The profound simplicity of flow and obstruction can be challenging to grasp yet intuitively obvious. For those of us who have lived in the ego-deluded state for so long, how can we distinguish between real progress and ego-driven motivation for change? This exact (perceived) paradox — ego-driven motivation vs. true motivation [words fail in this endeavor] — was central to my contemplative quandary for years. The key is rigorous observation, patience, and self-inquiry.

Self/no-self is at the heart of all serious matters. To have an intellectual understanding of the self/ego and the obvious illusion presented is difficult, even for the most educated philosophy of mind folks. To understand the gateless gate is damn near impossible. The mind, our conscious thoughts, is a powerful machine, but it’s nothing compared to the ego exerts itself and gross and subtle ways. You must use the mind to recognize the ego and dismantle it part by part.

I often thought surrender was weak; extreme discipline and the incessant pursuit of growth and development would lead me to the promised land. I also believed the converse was true: if I didn’t maintain perpetual motion and an unquenched desire to develop, I would become a sloth, a lump. At some point, my perspective began to change. It’s easy to stay in constant motion — this can be everyday distractions such as TV, video games, and social media, OR it can be egoic distractions, which often disguise themselves as personal improvement projects — the gym, planning, and even spiritual pursuits. Motion and distraction are what keep us in the dark.

So what’s the deal with flow and obstruction?

Any resistance we feel to what is occurring is the ego exerting itself. When we feel resistance, it’s our finite mind telling us that we know better than the infinite universe. It’s unbelievably scary to question this automatic process. As I mentioned, I’ve historically been terrified to let go of the tiller, lest I become a worthless meat sack floating on a rock spinning in space. Spoiler alert: we’re all worthless meat sacks. Maybe the above sounds dark and nihilistic. Maybe it is. That’s just duality speaking.

Flow is what transforms the frame from being a worthless meat sack struggling against the world to being infinite consciousness. Flow states are the easiest thing to access, but you must abdicate any and all notions of the I-thought, that “you” know how things should be. It’s a damn shame that there aren’t classes on flow in school.

Enlightenment is abiding flow – nothing more and nothing less.