There was a time where I felt myself literally being the ball of the ping pong game. One moment I was ping and the next moment I was pong. It was a difficult time where I was exploring my Self. It was a time where I learned the extremes of this dual world slapping me from one side to the other. During those ping pong times I was much frustrated, not knowing how to handle myself. I could not understand what was going on and why all of this happened to me. I was caught up in a game and I didn’t know the rules.
When I look back on those days I can see the valuable lessons I had to learn. One of them is that we live in a game with the core rule of duality. I had to experience that everything exists in twofold. One extreme on one side and another extreme on the other side of the scale. It seems that they can never come together in the game And one cannot exist without the other. Eventually it is and it isn’t supposed to come together.
The secret of duality is to find harmony between the two oppositions. Once you have found that and enjoyed it for a little while, the game continues, because the ball doesn’t lie still. It is in a continuous movement. As is life. Every time when I thought I understood the game, life slapped me with the table tennis bat right in the face. Yes, it hurts a lot when you get slapped with that! It was a message…don’t think, don’t assume, the game isn’t over. Don’t put your guard down! It is endless game. When the ball flies off the table, you just start over. When you think to much during a table tennis game, you make weird movements. Only when you are in the flow of the game, things seem to go smooth.
For me it was very important to understand that I had to accept the rules of the game. To stop fighting or wishing for something else or better. Everything is as good as it is. Every experience has it’s value. Wanting to be somewhere else, or trying to change any situation exhausted me enormously. Still, if I have my guard down, the monkey mind takes over. It starts to jump around and tries to get my conscious attention. When I’m not aware for a second, I’m getting caught up in the mind again. By being aware of my breathing I allow myself to live in the the present. The breathing is here a tool to master my mind, not so much for survival. When I’m becoming aware of my thoughts I am able to find that centered spot of stillness inside of me and to live in peace again. The fun part of this game, is that there is no winner, nor is there an end. Fortunately I’ve been able to shift my perspective drastically so that I am able to enjoy this endless game.
I’m becoming aware that by going through this process myself, I am able to help others who go through the same stuff.
Currently I’m in the process of surrendering. Only through surrender, I am able to find peace and strength in my heart. To surrender means that you consciously stop giving power to the things you have no control over. Eventually the game is about following the guidance of the Self, which speaks through our heart. Only that guidance will bring long lasting satisfaction. The guidance of the heart will bring you into the flow of life. The secret of the heart is that it has access to universal knowledge. It is the door to higher wisdom that each and everyone has access to. When you silence the mind, you will know what I’m speaking about. Once you have experienced this, you will enjoy the game, step by step, just a little bit more.
Viva Lá Soul 