Unconditional Love — Day 205

We are looking at our human minds this month, and in this week, at the 'choiceless' quality of awareness. The fact is, something to be aware of is always already happening – the choice has already been made. Your job is to accept things as they are (and then work out what, if anything, you're doing to do). The skill with which you manage 'what is', changes everything about what happens next.

Choiceless observation is another way to describe unconditional love. No conditions means that I observe what is, and accept it as it is. This is the expression of our simple and deep definition of love: awareness & acceptance. When either/both are happening – to any degree – you are actively loving and practicing.

Simply put, mindfulness is a practice to grow and strengthen your capacity to love yourself and the world unconditionally. The entire practice, right to the finish-line, involves only two skills: awareness & acceptance. Applying these skills over time changes and transforms your mind.

But your human awareness needs no transformation. It's nature IS awareness & acceptance, and that is constant. This purity is why, properly applied, awareness can help the rest of your mind.

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PRACTICE

All love is self-love. Self-love is all love.

Be aware that every morning in the formal practice you are resolutely loving yourself-up.

Be aware that the rest of the day you go out and love the world-up.

(Remember that you don't have to like something to love it!)