Too much not enough?
In a recent Openhand meditation, the words ‘too much is not enough’ came into my mind. I wasn't immediately clear what it referred to but, instead of struggling to understand and tightening up inside - the sure way to no answer at all - I relaxed, breathed deeply and allowed ideas to flow. Then sure enough the answer began to materialise...

I have recently given up eating refined sugar. I hadn’t realised how much processed food contains this ‘white cocaine’ (as some nutrionalists call it) but if you doubt me, check the labels on any processed food you buy - even some processed bread contains sugar!

If you don’t know it’s effects, because it is so refined, processed sugar passes straight through the stomach lining into the bloodstream causing a huge spike in your blood sugar levels way above what is good for the body. In response, the pancreas releases a surge of insulin and the sugar is then stored in the body as fat.

Is this a big problem you might ask? Perhaps I could just eat less or eat low fat foods? Firstly the pancreas tends to overcompensate and so too much blood sugar is removed making us feel tired. Over time the pancreas is damaged and insulin stays in the bloodstream the whole time. Insulin makes you feel hungry, so no matter how much you eat, you will never feel contented. That’s one of the key reasons why so many people are overweight and addicted to processed food.

Life is saturated with unhealthy addictions (and sugar is just as bad as alcohol or nicotine) but why do we get addicted in the first place? The answer (in my opinion) is two fold. Firstly corporations fill their products with addictive substances because they sell more thus making more money for shareholders. Secondly, each of these drugs generates a feeling within us that mirrors the feeling of inner completeness. The momentary spike in energy that we get from sugar for example mirrors the infinite potential energy we feel when we find inner stillness.

So what is the way to defeat these addictions? For me, awareness is the answer. Awareness first of the toxicity of these substances; awareness of what they are doing to our bodies but most importantly, awareness that the effects they generate are but a poor substitute for finding God consciousness within.

Once we are in awareness, eventually, we sicken of the illusionary benefits of these substances and we are presented an authentic choice: continue to live the life of the false self, or follow that of the divine true one inside.

“If you find yourself always wanting more,
it’s because you haven’t yet had enough...
had enough of the experience and tired of it completely,
realised that what you are truly looking for is the absolute,
through and beyond the experience entirely.
However, to struggle to take less is to make the
illusionary experience more and you will want it more.
So if you find yourself taking too much of something,
continue to drink it in until it sickens you,
realise that no matter how much you take,
it will never be enough,
then you may realise the truth beyond the illusion,
then you will take it less and enjoy life more.”
Openhand

I wish you a great day, filled with less!

Best wishes

Chris