Languages

The Science of Approach The techniques of the Ishayas’ Teaching engage the natural tendencies of the mind and the body, creating a dynamic that will expand experience of life to its fullness when used consistently as taught. They are mechanical techniques for direct experience and empowerment. The mind should function as a servant, bringing greater happiness and ease to life; but it has mostly taken on the job of directing life, without the capability of doing that. It creates programs for automatically directing specific responses to circumstances. The bottom line is that we live unconsciously, from habit, instead of finding each moment a fresh creative opportunity. There are two ways to meet the challenges that come with physical life: approach and avoidance (detachment). It is far simpler and more joyful to approach what is wanted than to avoid what is distasteful. Approach includes detachment, but detachment doesn’t necessarily include approach. If you want to leave your town, there are 360 directions in which to go; yet you might find that you dislike the next place just as much, because you were only looking at what you didn’t want. Begin to move toward your desire, and you will naturally move away from where you are. The body is designed to heal itself, given time enough and rest. Medical procedures don’t really heal; they just support the body’s self-healing functions. In sleep, the mind creates a mini-hibernation to integrate the day’s experiences and allow the body to repair and regenerate itself. Unfortunately, the deepest level of sleep isn’t reached for about 6 hours—not enough time for the body to do its work. Energies in the body become disordered when some experiences are not integrated with the totality of an individual life. Lack of harmony fragments the power that would otherwise allow life to be lived effectively and joyfully. Lumped together, the unintegrated, incoherent energies are called “stress”. Drugs, alcohol, smoking and other physical addictions born from attempts to relieve stress only add to it. They are not the only addictive activities: work, sports, hobbies, reading, and hand phone usage should be recognized as attempts to relieve stress. Prescription medications mask the symptoms, but can’t go to the core of dis-ease. Vacations can ease the pressure a bit, but don’t generally provide the deep rest needed for the body to rebalance itself; when it ends, old patterns reassert their authority. Self-help practices may modify behavior and give an appearance of well-being, but seldom change anything essential, because they don’t affect the root cause of dysfunction. Of the more than 50,000 thoughts that run through the mind daily, most are without value, many are mutually contradictory. Relatively few are directed toward a specific objective, because relatively few people have learned to maintain a single, clear focus or express a single, clear desire. Reality is radical; for maximal contentment, life must be lived radically—that is to say, with clarity about the root issues and understanding of the nature of Life. To enjoy life based in reality, a radical choice must be taken: the choice to let go of suffering. “Radical choice” doesn’t mean “difficult choice”, but one that addresses the roots from which suffering grows. The mind looks outward for happiness and for solutions, but answers aren’t found at the level of the problem; higher wisdom is needed. Consistent practice of these techniques brings the mind to its deepest possible rest, which then allows the body to reach a deep level of rest, also. The mind/body unit is inseparable: when the mind is active, the body is active; and vice versa. Attitudes, as the techniques are called, are short phrases that come from the subtlest level of consciousness and direct the mind’s attention back to its Source. Given the proper tool, both hemispheres of the brain will rise above their familiar limits and function together harmoniously. These techniques are gentle directives, structured to engage both hemispheres. The roots of stress are below the normal level of awareness, but are still shallow compared to the deepest level of Life. Riding inward on an Attitude, the mind is increasingly attracted to more subtle levels, and as that happens, energies in the body become coherent. As coherence increases, the mind finds the Attitudes still more delightful at deeper and deeper levels, until it comes to rest in union with its Source, and achieves its infinite potential for awareness. Concurrently with the mind’s heightened alertness, the body enjoys a deep level of rest. This is the dynamic in action. Sensory capacity is liberated from the control of memory and belief systems. All aspects of Life refine and expand! The mind, like any servant, needs training for maximum efficiency. These techniques never require it to act against its nature, so the re-direction of attention needs no force, no straining, no control. In its undisciplined state, the mind tries to be responsible for what is beyond its reach. Contrary desires abound. At that level of understanding, for every desire satisfied, several are thwarted. The mind is powerless to choose wisely; it is incapable of recognizing the truth, as not all factors can be known and the total picture is never seen. Give it an appropriate vehicle, such as the Attitudes of approach, however, and it moves effortlessly toward Supreme Joy, and finding it, settles into stillness, its purpose realized. Then, individual life unfolds in beauty. There is nothing mystical about an airplane’s ability to rise from the ground and be supported in flight: its design incorporates higher natural laws that overcome gravity. Likewise, there is nothing mysterious about the Ishayas’ Teaching: function is built into the Attitudes. They come from the Ascendant, the infinite Source, and call into play the highest laws of Life. the energies needed for living are harmonized, and the mind reaches its infinite potential, and becomes the perfect servant. What could be more practical?