Resistance to unwanted moments seems intelligent; it 'feels' wise to disagree with whatever we perceive as punishing. But this resistance does not separate us from our suffering; instead, it binds us to it; it perpetuates our identification with an indwelling lower nature that lives to resist, and then reject whatever fails to please its preconceived notion of perfection.

Doesn't it feel at times as though we are all shipwrecked on an island of confusion and stormy emotions? And that over time we've all but forgotten it's possible to live any other way? Where our days are spent either hiding from the storms, or building inadequate shelters to protect ourselves while doing nothing real to get rescued? Yet, something in us knows that there will never be an end to...

The real reason why we must be willing to do the needed work for self-change is because we become what we despise about ourselves if we don't change.

The heart watered by tears of self-pity soon turns to stone.

Not only is resistance an unseen form of attachment, but it's also a form of attention...and attention "animates" whatever it touches, because attention is relationship. If one will take the time to see the truth of these thoughts, this means that no feeling can pass that you wish would go away, because resistance to its presence ensures that something of that state will remain for as long a...

The strength of any negative reaction cannot be separated from the force of resistance we feel towards that “event.” And where does this resistance begin if not in some form of insistence the moment should not have unfolded in the manner it did?

Whenever we are taken over by a negative state -- and remain identified with our resistance to it -- we may not know it, but in these moments... we are as good as “dead.” Yes, it feels like we’re alive, but this powerful sense of self is really just the presence of our (own) painful resistance to what that moment came to reveal to us about our present level of self.

Topic: Go Beyond the Invisible Prison of (Psychological) Pain (Classroom Talk 5/31/23)

Topic: Shatter the Painful Illusion of Self-Limitation (11/24/21 Classroom Talk)

There is one essential reason why there is so much constant heartache and war on this earth, and why conflict has continued as it has down through the ages. The answer may surprise you. We do not understand the nature of our own pain -- our suffering. Billions of us live with almost no understanding of how much hurt lies hidden in our hearts and minds; in this case, ignorance is not bliss.

In this short talk, Guy explains that nothing outside of yourself is punishing you. What is punishing you is your own resistance to what it feels like when people are rude, crude, or unkind. You want to blame others for the pain that you are in. See the resistance. Be aware of the pain of resisting. Be aware of the pain of blaming. The more you can be aware of that pain, the more unwilling you will be to lend yourself over to the demand that others...

Accept the Divine Invitation to Transcend the Fear of Limitation (Remastered Classic Talk) (Classroom Talk 3/25/26)