Meditating on Freedom—An Interview with Lilou

Lilou: People are really going through hard times with depression and suicide, etc. What is your perception of this? BK: People are projecting the past and the future in their minds. When you imagine what the future will be, fear is created. Now is the only time we can really live in. I always say, that if you want a little fear and terror, get a future. I invite people to put their thoughts on a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet. The power of The Work is the answers that arise from the individual doing The Work. As we tap into that knowledge inside us, we find freedom. That's why inquiry is so powerful. The Work is a beautiful way to peace, and it doesn't require a teacher. Lilou: I hear that you received The Work in a moment, kind of like Eckhart Tolle. BK: The valuable thing about that moment for me was: I saw that when I believed my thoughts I suffered, and when I didn’t believe them I didn’t suffer. I’ve come to see that this is true for every human being. In that moment, it was very clear to me, but when I tried to tell people about it, there was no way it could be described. So the questions take people into that experience. Lilou: How did you work out this radical shift in yourself with your family? BK: Well, I had been agoraphobic. After my eyes were opened to reality, my family wondered "Who is this high-functioning and non-reactive woman? What is living in that body we call our mother?" They were constantly waiting for an angry reaction that never came. It was very confusing for them. I invited them to say whatever they wanted to say. They began to introduce me to my old self. That's how I kept one foot in what I call the dream-world, without being the dream. Lilou: How do we know if we're taking the right actions in life? BK: There's no argument in your mind. If you choose to turn to the left, or to the right, or do nothing, the worst that can happen is what you're thinking and believing. All the while you're on the perfect path. Lilou: So you're saying that reality is this movie we're in, that we're living, and creating, and everything is right there, as we project it. BK: Yes, in the moment. The images in our minds, and the thoughts we're believing about the images, the way we define what we see--all this is happening in the moment. Believing that we're that image can be terrifying, but if you're witnessing the images out of a clear mind, they can be incredibly loving, dear, and enlightening. Lilou: You have that grace and you can describe it, and we want to live there. It seems permanent with you. Some people experiencing The Work have it on and off, so it's a continuous exercise. BK: The Work is a practice, and I recommend that people do it every day. I invite people to identify any thought that causes them stress, to write it down, and to question it. Each time people do that, they become clearer, kinder, more loving human beings. And their whole world begins to shift. The world is internal. As the mind shifts, the world shifts. Thoughts create the world, as you perceive it. As the mind continues to question itself, it falls in love with itself and begins to project a beautiful world. This is the opposite of denial. It's seeing out of your true self. If you see the world as a frightening place, don't try to change it, look to your own mind. Lilou: How do we get from the four questions to a nine-day intensive program, your School for The Work? The questions are very direct and simple. BK: No one needs to come to the School to set themselves free. I make this opportunity available to people who want to immerse themselves in inquiry. It's a very powerful experience, and almost everyone who comes walks out a transformed person. I hear this over and over. During these nine days, I take people through every possible source of stress, including fear and terror, the physical body, prejudice, gender, sex, communication, relationships, the things they are most ashamed of, and God. The curriculum is nothing short of radical. Lilou: To find equilibrium in all areas: Is that what we're supposed to do? Are we supposed to do The Work on all areas for true happiness? BK: Yes, because ultimately every area has the potential to cause problems--in other words, to give rise to the unquestioned thoughts that cause our suffering. We have a continuation of the School through the Institute for The Work. It's an aftercare program that allows people to sit in The Work as a daily practice and as a community that is meditating on those questions. © 2016 Byron Katie International, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information, visit thework.com