Great question. Your unique calling, what you love, is always in the moment. Do what you love NOW! Or more accurately, BE that. Like when you are totally absorbed in dancing, or painting, or singing, there is nobody there separate from life, nobody there separate from the moment. The moment actually contains your unique calling, and it is always the moment. Follow the moment...x
Video Transcript Imagine your life as a movie and this scene is the present scene of the movie. So if in this present scene, there’s some sadness or some fear or doubt, or even despair, perhaps from the perspective of the movie, nothing has gone wrong. When you go to a movie at the cinema and there’s a scene where the main character is experiencing great loss, or fear, or helplessness, and a sense their life has gone completely wrong, when you’re watching the movie, you don’t have any sense that the movie has gone wrong; that the movie itself is broken; or gone off script. You see that scene as a perfect scene, even if the scene is full of imperfection, the character feels everything is imperfect or that there life has gone wrong. That scene could be the most important in the movie. Maybe this a great metaphor for our own lives. Our lives can’t go wrong; off script. What if feeling like we’ve stumbled off the path is the path. What if that scene is part of the perfection of the movie; part of the vastness of the movie that the mind can never hope to comprehend? We don’t know what the next scene will be. The mind might want to try to work it out but that becomes exhausting, forever trying to plan the next scene in the movie and the scene after that. And often we’re trying to escape the present scene, what’s appearing right now. We’re trying to get out of the present scene and into the next scene which we hope will be better. Or even get to the perfect scene. Perfect success or perfect fame or perfect enlightenment. We’re either trying to fast forward to a better scene. Or to rewind; I want to get back to a previous scene. We spend so much of our lives trying to press the fast forward or rewind buttons. The reality is we can’t escape the present scene. Why? Because there is only this present scene, only this moment. Our memory of a previous scene appears in this present scene. Our dream or hope for a future scene appears in this present scene. The present scene holds everything without rejection, resistance, judgement. The present scene is a giant yes. Trying to fast forward or rewind is a rejection of this present scene. I want to get out of this scene and into that scene now. I don’t want to be in this scene. But this present scene is your home. As long as you’re trying to escape this scene or push it away, you’re pushing away home. What you truly long for, all the intelligence of life itself. All the intelligence of life is contained within this present scene. Even if there’s fear and doubt, there are no mistakes in the present scene, even if it feels like it. The sense there is a mistake is a sacred part of this current scene. It’s held and allowed in this present scene. This present scene is all there is and it holds everything; past and future, thoughts, sensations, feelings, even pain, despair. Saying yes to this present scene is total alignment with life. Saying yes to the present scene is saying yes to the entire movie of your life. Because, in this moment, the present scene is the movie of your life. Its not a thin sliver of celluloid of the movie of your life, it is the movie of your life. The movie screen holds any scene, the difficult and fearful and joyous and bliss and war and romance and tears. The movie screen holds all movies unconditionally. It doesn’t reject any movie. Push away certain kinds of movies. It doesn’t try to numb itself or detach itself or escape or hold onto movies and make certain movies stay. It’s radical openness to whatever movie appears. To what is. And in a deeper sense, it’s not separate from the movie. When you’re absorbed in watching a movie, you’re never aware that you’re watching a screen, though technically that’s all thats happening. You’re in a dark room staring at flat screen and yet two hours later you feel like you’ve been on a journey in time and space. You may even have been changed and transformed. The movie screen is a wonderful metaphor for who you truly are which is radical openness to the present scene. And ultimately inseparable from the present scene. In a sense you don’t do the yes; you know yourself as the yes. The movie screen is the cosmic yes. An unconditional yes. That’s how its built, that’s not what it tries to do. As you are. That is your nature. Jeff Foster
I understand this perfectly..with my mind. I "know" what truth is at a deep level, and there is a remembering somewhere. But "I" don't seem to live this way with my heart. I know what truth is, but don't experience this truth day to day...
Brilliant question. The movie cannot go wrong, no matter what happens. Humans have always thought in terms of 'right' and 'wrong'. But right and wrong are simply reactions in the scene, themselves part of the movie. In other words, the movie has not gone wrong, for it cannot, but others may think and feel that it has, in their scenes. And they will be so distraught and upset, and that is understandable. But even a baby with cancer is sacred and worthy of incredible love in its short life. x
Love it Jeff! The metaphor that came to me while watching your movie ;) was: We often act like someone else (ourselves really) is forcing us to watch this movie. This is where passion and purpose comes in, we can go watch a different movie any time. Nothing holds us to a specific scene and it's always changing anyway. Some of us choose to replay one scene over & over (picture in picture now) & blame others (really ourselves again) for the scene. Our choice of focus is always available here NOW.
May God bless your ability to put in words your inspirations that make so much sense for me. I think metaphors speak to me quicker than words. Half way through the speech l already got the concept. Brilliant!
I really like this it makes me view my "problems" from a different perspective and take life less seriously. Like this movie is not really "me", it's only a movie, and it won't last forever.
I really like this it makes me view my "problems" from different perspective and take them less seriously. Like this movie is not really me, its only a movie, and it wont last forever.
What good is a dream that doesn't seem real? The more pain and suffering one goes through, the more real the dream seems. However, coming to understand who or what one is completely changes this. One has awakened to the truth. Now the suffering is replaced with understanding. Until then, the dream has to seem as real as possible in order to be worth while. Life provides just that.
My main concern about awakening is.. once awake, and all the ego is seen through.. what remains to live for? Will all my ambitions disappear? Some I can see myself let go off.. the annoying ones that are more of addictive nature, but then there are ones more "virtuous" such as artistic pursuits and wanting to express thoughts, ideas etc. other more playful as having a good time and there are the ones seen as negative such as having power, control, etc. What do you live for?
if you change your video program for youtube to html 5, there will be a choice to go 1/2 speed in the settings. search 'html 5 youtube' & a link to youtube's site for downloading it should appear.
What about 'following' your heart, your unique calling, your bliss? In my experience, this is really what 'the path' is about (obviously not some 'image' to live up or mind projection)... That could be beneficial if you made such a clear distinction, otherwise your words may appear confusing to some people.
Hey Jeff. I feel so heavy at times (most of the time). I feel so uncomfortable with myself, im allways tense. As if im being pressured by myself. I dont know what to do anymore.. Im tired. .
This sounded good and then I read the 'legal disclaimer' on your website. It gives the impression of yet another New Age Guru, peddling a fix whilst absolving themselves of liability, on their way to Millions in the bank. Just the scene you're presenting in this moment.
Thank you very much. I love your video, unfortunately I am Korean. I have little problem to understand your saying. If possible, when you record video, could you say more slowly? I think your speed is too fast for me. Anyway, I enjoy watching your video thanks
It's a hyperthetical question, everything that happens is being created by our thoughts. If we do not like our experience we can change our mind and create better outcomes. The real question is: what are YOU creating?
Certainly this is not about right - wrong, but I don't think this would be some 'random' event neither. I have seen so many 'miracles' in life that I don't belive in randomness. Perhaps that's kind of question that goes deeper than anything our conscious, physically focused mind can fully comprehend...
but if u r watching a hollywood movie, u kinda know that it will all end well and however, u interpret the present scene, it does not matter.. .unfortunately, all we have in life are our memories, the past and the present moment... we don't have the assurance of the future..;-)
It is supposed to 'seem' real. The key is in the word 'seem'. To whom does it 'seem' real? To you? Who are you? The one who witnesses the movie as 'real'?
I hear a lot of so-called gurus asking me to imagine this state or that, a scene from a movie, a bunch of feelings I am not feeling and do not even want to feel. Why should I create any of those things, you are only talking about projections from your own mind. Why not share you feelings and tell people you are owning and taking responsibility for your own feelings? Life is not about casting others as our movie sidekicks! Life is about forgiving others for the roles they didn't fulfill...
To do that one has to truly know the essence of one's self, be authentic, evolve beyond conditioning and habitual patterns of behavior (including cynicism), and have clarity of mind. Otherwise there would be many thousands of wannabe, pretentious teachers out there, instead of the few there are. It's not an easy life, either, or a get rich quick profession, being an explorer of the unknown, and embodying the teaching...constantly walking your talk.
Great question. Your unique calling, what you love, is always in the moment. Do what you love NOW! Or more accurately, BE that. Like when you are totally absorbed in dancing, or painting, or singing, there is nobody there separate from life, nobody there separate from the moment. The moment actually contains your unique calling, and it is always the moment. Follow the moment...x
Video Transcript
Imagine your life as a movie and this scene is the present scene of the movie. So if in this present scene, there’s some sadness or some fear or doubt, or even despair, perhaps from the perspective of the movie, nothing has gone wrong. When you go to a movie at the cinema and there’s a scene where the main character is experiencing great loss, or fear, or helplessness, and a sense their life has gone completely wrong, when you’re watching the movie, you don’t have any sense that the movie has gone wrong; that the movie itself is broken; or gone off script. You see that scene as a perfect scene, even if the scene is full of imperfection, the character feels everything is imperfect or that there life has gone wrong. That scene could be the most important in the movie.
Maybe this a great metaphor for our own lives. Our lives can’t go wrong; off script. What if feeling like we’ve stumbled off the path is the path. What if that scene is part of the perfection of the movie; part of the vastness of the movie that the mind can never hope to comprehend? We don’t know what the next scene will be. The mind might want to try to work it out but that becomes exhausting, forever trying to plan the next scene in the movie and the scene after that. And often we’re trying to escape the present scene, what’s appearing right now. We’re trying to get out of the present scene and into the next scene which we hope will be better. Or even get to the perfect scene. Perfect success or perfect fame or perfect enlightenment. We’re either trying to fast forward to a better scene. Or to rewind; I want to get back to a previous scene. We spend so much of our lives trying to press the fast forward or rewind buttons.
The reality is we can’t escape the present scene. Why? Because there is only this present scene, only this moment. Our memory of a previous scene appears in this present scene. Our dream or hope for a future scene appears in this present scene. The present scene holds everything without rejection, resistance, judgement. The present scene is a giant yes. Trying to fast forward or rewind is a rejection of this present scene. I want to get out of this scene and into that scene now. I don’t want to be in this scene. But this present scene is your home. As long as you’re trying to escape this scene or push it away, you’re pushing away home. What you truly long for, all the intelligence of life itself. All the intelligence of life is contained within this present scene. Even if there’s fear and doubt, there are no mistakes in the present scene, even if it feels like it. The sense there is a mistake is a sacred part of this current scene. It’s held and allowed in this present scene. This present scene is all there is and it holds everything; past and future, thoughts, sensations, feelings, even pain, despair. Saying yes to this present scene is total alignment with life. Saying yes to the present scene is saying yes to the entire movie of your life. Because, in this moment, the present scene is the movie of your life. Its not a thin sliver of celluloid of the movie of your life, it is the movie of your life.
The movie screen holds any scene, the difficult and fearful and joyous and bliss and war and romance and tears. The movie screen holds all movies unconditionally. It doesn’t reject any movie. Push away certain kinds of movies. It doesn’t try to numb itself or detach itself or escape or hold onto movies and make certain movies stay. It’s radical openness to whatever movie appears. To what is. And in a deeper sense, it’s not separate from the movie. When you’re absorbed in watching a movie, you’re never aware that you’re watching a screen, though technically that’s all thats happening. You’re in a dark room staring at flat screen and yet two hours later you feel like you’ve been on a journey in time and space. You may even have been changed and transformed. The movie screen is a wonderful metaphor for who you truly are which is radical openness to the present scene. And ultimately inseparable from the present scene. In a sense you don’t do the yes; you know yourself as the yes. The movie screen is the cosmic yes. An unconditional yes. That’s how its built, that’s not what it tries to do. As you are. That is your nature.
Jeff Foster
I'm a film writer/director. This is beautiful to me and just what I needed to hear today...
I understand this perfectly..with my mind. I "know" what truth is at a deep level, and there is a remembering somewhere. But "I" don't seem to live this way with my heart. I know what truth is, but don't experience this truth day to day...
This is it!!! Thank you Jeff! You are amazing!!!
Brilliant question. The movie cannot go wrong, no matter what happens. Humans have always thought in terms of 'right' and 'wrong'. But right and wrong are simply reactions in the scene, themselves part of the movie. In other words, the movie has not gone wrong, for it cannot, but others may think and feel that it has, in their scenes. And they will be so distraught and upset, and that is understandable. But even a baby with cancer is sacred and worthy of incredible love in its short life. x
Yes! The whole Director's Cut Blu-ray box set.
Love it Jeff! The metaphor that came to me while watching your movie ;) was: We often act like someone else (ourselves really) is forcing us to watch this movie. This is where passion and purpose comes in, we can go watch a different movie any time. Nothing holds us to a specific scene and it's always changing anyway. Some of us choose to replay one scene over & over (picture in picture now) & blame others (really ourselves again) for the scene. Our choice of focus is always available here NOW.
May God bless your ability to put in words your inspirations that make so much sense for me. I think metaphors speak to me quicker than words. Half way through the speech l already got the concept. Brilliant!
I really like this it makes me view my "problems" from a different perspective and take life less seriously. Like this movie is not really "me", it's only a movie, and it won't last forever.
Such a good metaphor, even with one's finger on the fast forward there is no going anywhere other than the present
I really like this it makes me view my "problems" from different perspective and take them less seriously. Like this movie is not really me, its only a movie, and it wont last forever.
thx Jeff , it does help me remembering what we really are.
Thanks for this scene Jeff!
What good is a dream that doesn't seem real? The more pain and suffering one goes through, the more real the dream seems. However, coming to understand who or what one is completely changes this. One has awakened to the truth. Now the suffering is replaced with understanding. Until then, the dream has to seem as real as possible in order to be worth while. Life provides just that.
healing words
very effective, thank you
My main concern about awakening is.. once awake, and all the ego is seen through.. what remains to live for? Will all my ambitions disappear? Some I can see myself let go off.. the annoying ones that are more of addictive nature, but then there are ones more "virtuous" such as artistic pursuits and wanting to express thoughts, ideas etc. other more playful as having a good time and there are the ones seen as negative such as having power, control, etc. What do you live for?
I really like this. I guess my problem is that I'm always rehearsing for a future scene or analyzing a previous boo boo while the play unfolds.
Very well said! :)
if you change your video program for youtube to html 5, there will be a choice to go 1/2 speed in the settings.
search 'html 5 youtube' & a link to youtube's site for downloading it should appear.
I love it, thanks !
What about 'following' your heart, your unique calling, your bliss? In my experience, this is really what 'the path' is about (obviously not some 'image' to live up or mind projection)... That could be beneficial if you made such a clear distinction, otherwise your words may appear confusing to some people.
Hey Jeff. I feel so heavy at times (most of the time). I feel so uncomfortable with myself, im allways tense. As if im being pressured by myself. I dont know what to do anymore.. Im tired. .
My imagination of what the future will be plus movement confuse me greatly.
Home is here
This sounded good and then I read the 'legal disclaimer' on your website. It gives the impression of yet another New Age Guru, peddling a fix whilst absolving themselves of liability, on their way to Millions in the bank. Just the scene you're presenting in this moment.
Nice!
Thank you very much. I love your video, unfortunately I am Korean. I have little problem to understand your saying. If possible, when you record video, could you say more slowly? I think your speed is too fast for me. Anyway, I enjoy watching your video thanks
It's a hyperthetical question, everything that happens is being created by our thoughts. If we do not like our experience we can change our mind and create better outcomes. The real question is: what are YOU creating?
the problem is we dont even know who we are so who really is directing the movie behind the false character
Certainly this is not about right - wrong, but I don't think this would be some 'random' event neither. I have seen so many 'miracles' in life that I don't belive in randomness. Perhaps that's kind of question that goes deeper than anything our conscious, physically focused mind can fully comprehend...
but if u r watching a hollywood movie, u kinda know that it will all end well and however, u interpret the present scene, it does not matter.. .unfortunately, all we have in life are our memories, the past and the present moment... we don't have the assurance of the future..;-)
It is supposed to 'seem' real. The key is in the word 'seem'. To whom does it 'seem' real? To you? Who are you? The one who witnesses the movie as 'real'?
if a baby gets cancer has its movie gone wrong?
Good hair.
where's the dancing?!
What if the movie seems so real that you can't even recognize that you are the one watching it?
I hear a lot of so-called gurus asking me to imagine this state or that, a scene from a movie, a bunch of feelings I am not feeling and do not even want to feel. Why should I create any of those things, you are only talking about projections from your own mind. Why not share you feelings and tell people you are owning and taking responsibility for your own feelings? Life is not about casting others as our movie sidekicks! Life is about forgiving others for the roles they didn't fulfill...
I'm gonna set myself up as a non duality teacher, just waffle on about the now, acceptance were all one etc. Easy, beats working for a living.
To do that one has to truly know the essence of one's self, be authentic, evolve beyond conditioning and habitual patterns of behavior (including cynicism), and have clarity of mind. Otherwise there would be many thousands of wannabe, pretentious teachers out there, instead of the few there are. It's not an easy life, either, or a get rich quick profession, being an explorer of the unknown, and embodying the teaching...constantly walking your talk.