Michael Singer - Exploring the Root of Preference

Quick Overview

Michael Singer explains that the root of preference—the constant internal judgment of liking or disliking external events—is the core issue preventing spiritual merging into pure consciousness, as these preferences are merely creations of the personal mind that cause unnecessary suffering and resistance to reality. He advises listeners to stop fighting their preferences and instead learn to let go of them, recognizing that the external world is simply what it is, and that true happiness comes from this acceptance rather than controlling outcomes.

Key Points: The root of preference is the internal mechanism of judging experiences as 'like' or 'dislike,' which prevents merging into pure consciousness. Preferences are creations of the personal mind and are the cause of unnecessary suffering and resistance to reality. Michael Singer references the deepest spiritual teachings, such as those in the Bhagavad Gita, which emphasize the wisdom of having no preferences. If one refuses to let go of preferences, they are essentially fighting reality, which causes suffering when external events do not match internal desires (e.g., wishing for sun when it rains). The antidote to suffering caused by preferences is to stop resisting reality and to start working on the inner self, recognizing that the external world operates according to its own laws. Singer uses the example of someone yelling at you or an unpleasant event occurring to illustrate that the reaction (suffering) is based on whether that event matches your stored preferences. True spiritual progress involves learning to let go of the need to control or manipulate external moments to match internal likes and dislikes.

Context: Michael Singer delivers a spiritual teaching focused on the concept of 'preference' as a major obstacle to inner peace and spiritual realization. He draws on profound spiritual teachings to argue that the constant mental habit of labeling external events as 'good' or 'bad'—or liking/disliking them—creates suffering because it ties one's internal state to uncontrollable external circumstances. The core context is shifting one's attention from trying to control the world to controlling one's internal reaction to it.