The Efficiency of Freedom: Notes from a Cleaner House
For weeks, I felt I had nothing to write on this blog. There were no new spiritual highs, no dramatic breakthroughs, and no cosmic visions. But I realized that this "nothing" is actually the point. The house is simply getting cleaner.
This cleanliness is not a small thing. It is desired by many sincere spiritual practitioners throughout the world. It marks the beginning of an end of those great troublesome currents in our mind: lust, greed, and anger.
These things make our lives miserable. The very absence of them is what is actually needed to make tangible progress on our path to the end of suffering. Mettā does just that—it purifies our hearts from unwanted things.
The Sound of Armor Breaking
I have experienced a release of tension in the head, followed by a high-pitch sound that was clearly noticeable. This is what mettā does to our mind and nervous system, which both make up an organic, interconnected unity.
Immediately after the high-pitch sound, I feel slightly less tension in the head and jaw, and the noise in the head is reduced, kind of like a more flowing feeling. In the long run, I listen to bodily needs and wants more than what my mind has in plan.
For example, my eating has become so much more regulated. I used to overeat a lot, stuffing my belly with all kinds of food. Now this is almost completely gone; I eat much less. The impulse of my body is very clear when to stop eating. I don't have to force myself to stop; the impulse arises naturally, and my eating stops.
The Aliveness of Less Effort
Lust and anger are high-effort states. They require the mind to build a massive story, defend a position, or pursue a target. When Mettā dissolves those needs, we don’t become numb; we become alert. The senses open up. Awareness becomes effortless because there is no longer a "worker" fighting against reality.
No more daydreaming about lusty things. And no more high-stress states of feeling anger for someone. These things are almost completely gone. What's left is a feeling of fullness, contentment, ease, and lightness. I can work with more energy. Even the sun feels less burning. I am simply amazed by the benefits of this simple mettā chanting.
Conclusion: Broadcasting Live from the Present
When writing about my new state of things on the spiritual path, I don't have to go into the past and catch that impression in the mind in order to describe it. I just relate to my mind and surroundings here and now and write down how and what I feel, how things appear to me. It is more like writing a report from the present than relating to something that happened in the past.
True confidence doesn’t need a dramatic story. It is found when the internal and external worlds melt into a single, warm, calm experience—whether sitting at 4 AM or moving linen trolleys at work. The house is clean, the air is clear, and that is more than enough.