This is an attempt, which we will call ground process, to describe a set of intents and approaches for inner work that may have been triggered by anything from master plant experiences, auspicious cosmic conditions or just by unbearable struggles of daily life.
While laying out ground process lets keep present, spacious and panoramic, possibly unrestricted attitude. We will assume to be approaching it either from a perspective of one looking for a change, a seeker for a different form of self, no-self or aspiring for an Awakening. Whether we are aspiring for Awakening as described by spiritual masters or simply searching for some clues about which direction to look or go, let’s take on an attitude without concept of a final goal and keep an open-end direction.
And finally, the idea of ground process itself is to develop and familiarise with practical tools and skills that help in navigating our paths. As master plants or specifically Ayahuasca is not a path in itself, also ground process serves for the path, only meant to be a toolset for the traveller-vehicle (ourselves) that is making this journey.
The ground I stand
It is common, human nature to move away, whenever we find ourselves in a place or situation that brings suffering. We can hear often that our journey starts with “How to get out of here?”, how to move on differently. In the distant past many tribes were constantly on the move, but history tells that most of them adapted and found their ground at some point. Through exploration of the territory, they learned lots about it, made progress and even transformed it in the process. Those who settled and learned well, usually went to explore further, whereas those who moved constantly where known as nomads.
When we discover our craft or occupation, our identification is complete and we can be satisfied with our place in the world. For some of us it may bring fulfilment and no need to explore further, while others could find themselves re-living another person’s story – an artificial identification.
It seems that internally we go on with similar behaviours – moving, observing, studying, settling in, growing roots, expanding, escaping etc – that can be observed in nature, well at least in human nature.
Ground process begins with a will to see through my conditions and my story, knowing it as such. I need a willingness to ask questions, open eyes to look and sharp attention to see. This “here and now” is the result of my past self, built and sustained by my past intentions and motivations, my cravings, attachments and my priorities. Whatever is happening is a consequence of my response to reality.
Where am I and how am I?
What am I willing to do about my situation?
Intent and motive
Any movement I make comes with an intent – the original cause, that can be mental, rational, intuitive, irrational or just a direct response to reality. Whichever is my specific trigger, there is an underlying set of factors that motivate me to speak, think or act in a particular way.
Intention to move can have distinct motives. One reason to change something in me can come as a result of integral inner developments, working through our layers and expanding my reality. In a different case I could be trying to run away from my current conditions. The same kind of movement may be motivated by different reasons and to see through them at some point is quiet important.
Space
The act of seeing through carries the quality of space. By including our ideas among many of different possibilities in our reality, we create an initial crack in a seemingly immobile dam of concepts and beliefs. By zooming out of our comfort zone, expanding from what we think we know, not only we get empowered with courage for facing the unknown, but also begin reclaiming our energy invested in layers of self construct, a complex and mostly artificially sustained idea of personality. The more fixed the elements are in the construct, less free space is left for attention and awareness to ever unfolding dance of reality.
A space applied to courage is often expressed in humour, which is one of our best allies on a path. Humour is the ultimate tool for de-identification. Its often recommended to not take things too seriously, the best one of them being oneself. In spiritual practice it takes a form of questioning fixed boundaries of our personality – the sense of duty, obligation, conformity, social role – and being able to laugh or at least smile at “the ultimate” meaning of these concepts.
By understanding the context of social contracts, we get to see them as agreements we chose to make with whoever imposed them to us. Inside our inner territories its always ourselves creating limits for reasons of convenience, survival or inability for doing otherwise.
What are the boundaries I believe to be true and why?
What would it take to embrace other possibilities?
The saying goes “Truth needs no defence” or what’s real cannot be destroyed or lost. We can only get rid of what was never really there.
Hence direction of ground process is towards dissolving obstacles and deconstructing that which has been artificially made on top of a simple reality. Keep in mind, that dissolution and deconstruction (as opposed to rejection or escaping) is also an organic process, unfolding in layers, waves, although not always one by one. Sometimes it manifests as melting of an ice plate or at times like an avalanche caused by sudden wave of summer heat. It cannot be forced nor produced, but only manifests when right conditions are present.