“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.” ~ Yoda

...Yoda is insisting that external characteristics such as size are unimportant and that you should instead focus upon your all-important internal state.

And as you've learnt previously, your internal state (the Force) is developed by paying attention to the apparent "external" world in a different way, e.g. via peripheral vision. I say "external" because, really, our entire perception of the world is made within our minds.

In the early stages of developing the Force in yourself it is an effortful process. That is, if there's no deliberate effort to be Self-aware, there's no sensation of energy.

"One has to water a plant until it gets its roots. Then it will grow by itself. You should persist in your practice until you achieve this." ~ Shri Ranjit Maharaj

...Indeed, with persistent practice over many months, you will reach a significant juncture -- in the real sense of the word, i.e. a joining.

"I feel that I am one with this vibrating Force, that it is omniscient, and that I can draw upon it to an extent that is limited only by my own capacity." ~ R. Wagner

This is where your "plates" of consciousness (Awareness & Sense) have joined sufficiently closely so as to resonate spontaneously (and thus effortlessly) in you. More correctly put, awareness resonates with the supreme energy hidden within sense. The result? ...the birth and growth of Presence -- Pre-sense, Personal resonance, Pressure, i.e. the Force.

"You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. Passive." ~ Yoda

In the images at right, artists have tried to capture the characteristic passive gaze of this effortless state of Presence. The faces gaze back at you, the viewer, because they represent a potential state in you. Symbolism supports the message.

"Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact." ~ R. W. Emerson

Image 2. A yoke behind represents the juncture/joining of Awareness & Sense consciousness. The laurel leaves represent eternal victory or accomplishment. The energetic swirl motif echoes the star-like point of light perceived internally upon closing one's eyes in this accomplished state. (Recall a "star" over a little town beginning with "B" in the Middle East?)

"Ah... bright star! I saw you shine in my brow..." ~ José de Espronceda

Image 3. Like the star in 2, notice the pearl in the headband. The halo represents the energy of Presence. The arrow points heavenward -- the traditional source of supreme energy. A hand alludes to the spiritual "heart" that is being energized.

"The target becomes a mirror which reflects the qualities of heart and mind at the moment of the arrow’s release." ~ Kyudo (archery) master

Image 4. The crossed hands and bridge in the background on the right, again represent juncture/joining of Awareness & Sense consciousness. The meandering, wave-like road on the left represents resultant spiritual energy.

Image 5. "Mary" (you) gives birth, not to a physical baby, but to Presence.

Image 6. Click on the "Image credit" for the complete painting and notice the predominance of red representing the spiritual heart -- the flowering or birth of Presence.

"When religion becomes artificial, art has a duty to rescue it. Art can show that the symbols which religions would have us believe literally true are actually figurative. Art can idealize those symbols, and so reveal the profound truths they contain." ~ R. Wagner