The Equalness of Everything
Hi Folks, I wanted to let you know that I will be offering an in-person retreat in Colorado, July 17-20, 2024. Here is a link with details: Retreat Info
Best,
John
THE EQUALNESS OF EVERYTHING
In the Tibetan tradition, enlightenment is sometimes described as discovering the equalness of everything. Needless to say, at the level of how we typically describe the world, things don’t seem equal in the least. In fact, we see nothing but difference and distinction, right?
So, how do we discover this equalness in light of the obvious diversity being experienced? Well, our habit is to orient to what we think phenomena are. And it is this orientation that leads us to emphasize the way in which everything is distinct and in turn, miss how everything is also, at its basis, equal. In other words, in orienting almost exclusively to how things appear to be (based on our descriptions), we end up overlooking what ultimately transcends all the seeming differences and distinctions.
From one vantage, we’re clearly experiencing all these distinctive flavors and tend to see them as existing in some sort of hierarchy in terms of their importance, value, meaningfulness and so on. However, while we can certainly orient to things in that way, it’s also possible to orient to the simple fact that they are.
For these next few moments, forget about all the labels we typically place on top of what’s appearing and simply appreciate the fact of the appearing itself. Notice how from this perspective, everything is equal—equal in its appearing, equal in its sheer presence, equal in the simple fact that it is.
Everything that's appearing shows up as distinctive and yet at the same time is equal in its existence, equal in its spontaneous appearing. It's like everything that appears in a dream. All the people, places and things encountered in the dream, while experienced as quite distinct, are actually completely equal, made of the same dreaming consciousness.
Similarly, despite the magical display of all these different flavors and qualities appearing each instant, the entire waking world is, we could say, made of one thing, life. To be sure, this life appears as the incredible diversity of phenomena we see. But regardless of how anything seems to be appearing, it remains what it is, fundamentally. Life.
And so, for a moment, just forget about how the moment seems to be descriptively and just appreciate the absolute miracle that it even is, the raw aliveness of everything. Feel that, the absolute wonder of it all, the simple fact that anything is appearing. That's the equalness.
In order to see this, nothing need be different than it is. You want to experience the miracle? Well, you already are! This is it, this momentary perception, exactly as it is, is the miracle. Nothing about your experience needs to be other than it is, nothing needs to be corrected, nothing needs to be modified or transformed, nothing needs to be fixed, nothing needs to be regulated or controlled or negated or transcended, or seen through or anything, because all of it is the perfect miracle of life appearing.
Everything is equal in its aliveness, equal in the fullness of its presence. The greatest heartbreak, the fullness of presence. The greatest joy, the fullness of presence. At the level of the descriptions, everything is different, of course. And we might have an understandable preference for certain things over others. But in terms of their presence, their existence, all of it is equal, isn't it? All of it the same, the same fundamental presence, the same life.
Regardless of how it seems to be appearing, just feel the sheer existence of it all, the beingness at the heart of every appearance. Notice how this beingness, the “isness” of whatever’s appearing has no narrative. It's free of all descriptions, all ideas. It simply is. There's no elaboration there, no story. It's just this sheer presence, the shocking aliveness of everything, free of any narrative and in that, free of any want or lack, free of opposition, free of turmoil, free of resistance, free of identity, free of all notions, all renderings, all differences and distinctions.
The sheer presence of what’s appearing cuts through all the hierarchy and reveals the equalness of everything without negating all the differences and distinctions. The beingness lying at the center of it all, transcending all the designations and descriptions, at the same time including them all.
All that appears is fundamentally equal in its infinite, endless, inconclusive nature. Palpably here, concretely here, substantively here and yet beyond comprehension, beyond any possibility of being pinned down or determined. Everything, equal in its utter mystery…
This appearing is everywhere, isn't it? It's not localized in one particular place. Spatially speaking, if you were to travel around the vast space of experience, anywhere you might venture off to, you would find the same thing, the miracle of life appearing. The equalness of everything.