Dear Jeni,
Yes, vigilance is very important. It is part of taking responsibility for yourself and not just waiting around for good things to happen. The vigilance here is to not be fooled by the endless variations of the mind’s confused attempts to remain in control. When we continually give our attention to our mind’s confused thinking, it is like looking for a diamond in a trash can. Hence the importance of vigilance, and not simply hoping that the mind will one day become cooperative and still. The mind may become quite still at some point, but not if we are not participating in the effort to remain clear, and discerning truth from illusion. As the ancient teaching counsels, “Be still.”
As for the experience of fear and falling:
- Stop.
- Do not be moved.
- Face whatever you fear until it pops like a bubble.
Remember this, everything in your mind or imagination is transitory, like a bubble or a dream. Within the dream it all seems so very real. Outside of the dream it never existed at all.
With Great Love,
Adyashanti
– from the Q&A section of the Way of Liberating Insight study course