Walk on Water

I saw a man walking on the water

Coming right at me from the other side

Calling out my name, “Do not be afraid”

Feet begin to run, a pounding in my brain

I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna go

-Creedence Clearwater Revival

As we draw near to this holiday season and celebration of the birth of Jesus, I wanted to discuss one of the more colorful examples of biblical literalism taken to absurdity and how it relates to meditation and non-duality in my mind.

So, what the hell are we talking about here? Who can walk on water?

No one can. The man of faith and surrender, one who sublimates the ego/separate self into the one light of creation. Then, his steps are no longer his own. They leave no trace, they become weightless:

A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

That is the practice and “endpoint” of meditation and the meaning of enlightenment, or Christ consciousness. The conditioning and false sense of separation that is acquired by living in this world is gradually dissolved in the fire of meditation (prayer). Once this process has been completed, out of that empty furnace arises the “right action” that Lao Tzu describes in my oft-repeated quote of his.

And that is the example of a Buddha or a Christ, the steps are no longer their own. The universe or god or whatever you like is channeled through the apparent individual form without the friction and signal loss of the illusory self/ego/DMN messing it all up. What words could they possibly use in the Bible to convey this quality? So they used the idea of a miracle to describe this transformation, this divine surrender.

As I’ve reiterated several times of course, it is no miracle. It is the natural state of the human being, our birthright which gets lost and can be reclaimed through meditation. The miracle really is this temporary, odd illusion that we’ve collectively bought into that says “yes, I alone somehow came to exist, separate from ‘everything else'”.

Of course, there is tremendous fear and hesitation involved as one draws closer to letting go. Eons of acquired animal instinct do not just dissipate overnight, though that is sometimes possible with a big enough shock to the system. But for most it is a gradual process, emptying out the self day by day, allowing it to be consumed by the light of meditative awareness. Uncomfortable and incomprehensibly boring at times, but inevitably drawing us closer to no mans land – or maybe the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ will be better advertising for prospective meditators. Sure, lets go with that.

Realisation is not acquisition of anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage.

Ramana Maharshi

Remove the camouflage of the illusory self through the practice of meditation, and give yourself the gift of walking on water this holiday season ;). 50% off all 1-on-1 meditation sessions now through the end of the year! Inquire within.