I have to speak more about the mind because it is so important for the happiness
of our lives and the happiness of our Spiritual Life.. The Spiritual Life is
really all about the mind and the manner of our control or non control of mind
and thoughts.. It is the gateway to God.. All thoughts that enter the mind will
then enter the sub-conscious mind to begin the act of Creation.. This Creation
is what creates pain or happiness.. This Creation creates the physical reality
that we live within.. This Creation creates physical illness or physical
health.. This Creation brings us to the Reality of Love and Oneness.. This point
of creating the state of Love is really just dissolving the illusion of the
ego.. when the false idea of ego is dissolved, then the only identification left
is Love.. This is the point of Reality or the state of Joy.. Love is the Christ
Consciousness that is spoken of.. Love is God...........namaste, thomas
Quotes of others about Yogananda...
Yogananda draws parallels between the Christian trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the yoga concept of Sat, Tat and Aum. Both traditions use the trinity to distinguish among the transcendent, divine reality; its immanence in creation; and a sacred, cosmic vibration that sustains the universe, he says.
And he asserts that Bible passages used to exclude non-Christians from salvation have been misconstrued. Some Christians believe, for instance, that Jesus' saying that "no one comes to the Father except through me" requires a belief in Jesus the man as God and personal savior. Yogananda, however, asserts that Jesus was referring to the need to achieve the same "Christ consciousness" he personified as a way to achieve oneness with God.
"Christ has been much misinterpreted by the world," Yogananda wrote. "Even the most elementary principles of his teachings have been desecrated, and their esoteric depths have been forgotten." ~ Teresa Watanabe Los Angeles Times (11 December 2004)
And he asserts that Bible passages used to exclude non-Christians from salvation have been misconstrued. Some Christians believe, for instance, that Jesus' saying that "no one comes to the Father except through me" requires a belief in Jesus the man as God and personal savior. Yogananda, however, asserts that Jesus was referring to the need to achieve the same "Christ consciousness" he personified as a way to achieve oneness with God.
"Christ has been much misinterpreted by the world," Yogananda wrote. "Even the most elementary principles of his teachings have been desecrated, and their esoteric depths have been forgotten." ~ Teresa Watanabe Los Angeles Times (11 December 2004)
The Second Coming of Christ...
In titling this work The Second Coming of Christ, I am not referring to a literal return of Jesus to earth. He came two thousand years ago and, after imparting a universal path to God's kingdom, was crucified and resurrected; his reappearance to the masses now is not necessary for the fulfillment of his teachings. What is necessary is for the cosmic wisdom and divine perception of Jesus to speak again through each one's own experience and understanding of the infinite Christ Consciousness that was incarnate in Jesus. That will be his true Second Coming.
There is a distinguishing difference of meaning between Jesus and Christ. His given name was Jesus; his honorific title was "Christ." In his little human body called Jesus was born the vast Christ Consciousness, the omniscient Intelligence of God omnipresent in every part and particle of creation. This Consciousness is the "only begotten Son of God," so designated because it is the sole perfect reflection in creation of the Transcendental Absolute, Spirit or God the Father.
It was of that Infinite Consciousness, replete with the love and bliss of God, that Saint John spoke when he said: "As many as received him [the Christ Consciousness], to them gave he power to become the sons of God." Thus according to Jesus' own teaching as recorded by his most highly advanced apostle, John, all souls who become united with Christ Consciousness by intuitive Self-realization are rightly called sons of God....
The saviors of the world do not come to foster inimical doctrinal divisions; their teachings should not be used toward that end. It is something of a misnomer even to refer to the New Testament as the "Christian" Bible, for it does not belong exclusively to any one sect. Truth is meant for the blessing and upliftment of the entire human race. As the Christ Consciousness is universal, so does Jesus Christ belong to all....
It is an erroneous assumption of limited minds that great ones such as Jesus, Krishna, and other divine incarnations are gone from the earth when they are no longer visible to human sight. This is not so... Jesus Christ is very much alive and active today. In Spirit and occasionally taking on a flesh-and-blood form, he is working unseen by the masses for the regeneration of the world. With his all-embracing love, Jesus is not content merely to enjoy his blissful consciousness in Heaven. He is deeply concerned for mankind and wishes to give his followers the means to attain the divine freedom of entry into God's Infinite Kingdom....
These teachings have been sent to explain the truth as Jesus intended it to be known in the world — not to give a new Christianity, but to give the real Christ-teaching: how to become like Christ, how to resurrect the Eternal Christ within one's Self...
Many sects, many denominations, many beliefs, many persecutions, many conflicts and upheavals have been created by misinterpretations. Now, Christ reveals the consummate message in the simple words he spoke to an ancient people in a less-advanced age of civilization. Read, understand, and feel Christ speaking to you through this "Second Coming" bible, urging you to be redeemed by realization of the true "Second Coming," the resurrection within you of the Infinite Christ Consciousness.
How do the receptive perceive truth, whereas the unreceptive "seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand"? The ultimate truths of heaven and the kingdom of God, the reality that lies behind sensory perception and beyond the cogitations of the rationalizing mind, can only be grasped by intuition — awakening the intuitive knowing, the pure comprehension, of the soul.
Christ has been much misinterpreted by the world. Even the most elementary principles of his teachings have been desecrated, and their esoteric depths have been forgotten. They have been crucified at the hands of dogma, prejudice, and cramped understanding. Genocidal wars have been fought, people have been burned as witches and heretics, on the presumed authority of man-made doctrines of Christianity. How to salvage the immortal teachings from the hands of ignorance? We must know Jesus as an Oriental Christ, a supreme yogi who manifested full mastery of the universal science of God-union, and thus could speak and act as a savior with the voice and authority of God.
Divine incarnations do not come to bring a new or exclusive religion, but to restore the One Religion of God-realization.
Many are the churches and temples founded in his name, often prosperous and powerful, but where is the communion that he stressed — actual contact with God? Jesus wants temples to be established in human souls, first and foremost; then established outwardly in physical places of worship. Instead, there are countless huge edifices with vast congregations being indoctrinated in churchianity, but few souls who are really in touch with Christ through deep prayer and meditation.
The lack of individual prayer and communion with God has divorced modern Christians and Christian sects from Jesus' teaching of the real perception of God, as is true also of all religious paths inaugurated by God-sent prophets whose followers drift into byways of dogma and ritual rather than actual God-communion. Those paths that have no esoteric soul-lifting training busy themselves with dogma and building walls to exclude people with different ideas. Divine persons who really perceive God include everybody within the path of their love, not in the concept of an eclectic congregation but in respectful divine friendship toward all true lovers of God and the saints of all religions.
The heart of the great dispensation of Jesus has survived not necessarily in any temporal power of an outer institution, but in those great devotees and saints whose protracted devotions and meditations established within them temples of Christ Consciousness and God-communion...
It is such saints and masters who have actually communed with God — those known to history as well as countless anonymous true souls devoted to Christ, hidden in monasteries and convents in wholehearted consecration — who have verily been the "rock" on which Jesus' inner church of Christ communion has endured these two thousand years........ Paramahansa Yogananda
There is a distinguishing difference of meaning between Jesus and Christ. His given name was Jesus; his honorific title was "Christ." In his little human body called Jesus was born the vast Christ Consciousness, the omniscient Intelligence of God omnipresent in every part and particle of creation. This Consciousness is the "only begotten Son of God," so designated because it is the sole perfect reflection in creation of the Transcendental Absolute, Spirit or God the Father.
It was of that Infinite Consciousness, replete with the love and bliss of God, that Saint John spoke when he said: "As many as received him [the Christ Consciousness], to them gave he power to become the sons of God." Thus according to Jesus' own teaching as recorded by his most highly advanced apostle, John, all souls who become united with Christ Consciousness by intuitive Self-realization are rightly called sons of God....
The saviors of the world do not come to foster inimical doctrinal divisions; their teachings should not be used toward that end. It is something of a misnomer even to refer to the New Testament as the "Christian" Bible, for it does not belong exclusively to any one sect. Truth is meant for the blessing and upliftment of the entire human race. As the Christ Consciousness is universal, so does Jesus Christ belong to all....
It is an erroneous assumption of limited minds that great ones such as Jesus, Krishna, and other divine incarnations are gone from the earth when they are no longer visible to human sight. This is not so... Jesus Christ is very much alive and active today. In Spirit and occasionally taking on a flesh-and-blood form, he is working unseen by the masses for the regeneration of the world. With his all-embracing love, Jesus is not content merely to enjoy his blissful consciousness in Heaven. He is deeply concerned for mankind and wishes to give his followers the means to attain the divine freedom of entry into God's Infinite Kingdom....
These teachings have been sent to explain the truth as Jesus intended it to be known in the world — not to give a new Christianity, but to give the real Christ-teaching: how to become like Christ, how to resurrect the Eternal Christ within one's Self...
Many sects, many denominations, many beliefs, many persecutions, many conflicts and upheavals have been created by misinterpretations. Now, Christ reveals the consummate message in the simple words he spoke to an ancient people in a less-advanced age of civilization. Read, understand, and feel Christ speaking to you through this "Second Coming" bible, urging you to be redeemed by realization of the true "Second Coming," the resurrection within you of the Infinite Christ Consciousness.
How do the receptive perceive truth, whereas the unreceptive "seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand"? The ultimate truths of heaven and the kingdom of God, the reality that lies behind sensory perception and beyond the cogitations of the rationalizing mind, can only be grasped by intuition — awakening the intuitive knowing, the pure comprehension, of the soul.
Christ has been much misinterpreted by the world. Even the most elementary principles of his teachings have been desecrated, and their esoteric depths have been forgotten. They have been crucified at the hands of dogma, prejudice, and cramped understanding. Genocidal wars have been fought, people have been burned as witches and heretics, on the presumed authority of man-made doctrines of Christianity. How to salvage the immortal teachings from the hands of ignorance? We must know Jesus as an Oriental Christ, a supreme yogi who manifested full mastery of the universal science of God-union, and thus could speak and act as a savior with the voice and authority of God.
Divine incarnations do not come to bring a new or exclusive religion, but to restore the One Religion of God-realization.
Many are the churches and temples founded in his name, often prosperous and powerful, but where is the communion that he stressed — actual contact with God? Jesus wants temples to be established in human souls, first and foremost; then established outwardly in physical places of worship. Instead, there are countless huge edifices with vast congregations being indoctrinated in churchianity, but few souls who are really in touch with Christ through deep prayer and meditation.
The lack of individual prayer and communion with God has divorced modern Christians and Christian sects from Jesus' teaching of the real perception of God, as is true also of all religious paths inaugurated by God-sent prophets whose followers drift into byways of dogma and ritual rather than actual God-communion. Those paths that have no esoteric soul-lifting training busy themselves with dogma and building walls to exclude people with different ideas. Divine persons who really perceive God include everybody within the path of their love, not in the concept of an eclectic congregation but in respectful divine friendship toward all true lovers of God and the saints of all religions.
The heart of the great dispensation of Jesus has survived not necessarily in any temporal power of an outer institution, but in those great devotees and saints whose protracted devotions and meditations established within them temples of Christ Consciousness and God-communion...
It is such saints and masters who have actually communed with God — those known to history as well as countless anonymous true souls devoted to Christ, hidden in monasteries and convents in wholehearted consecration — who have verily been the "rock" on which Jesus' inner church of Christ communion has endured these two thousand years........ Paramahansa Yogananda
Inner Discipline...
As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings
calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you
have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that
you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality
of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you
lack various external facilities that you would normally consider
necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and
joyful life.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama
calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you
have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that
you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality
of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you
lack various external facilities that you would normally consider
necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and
joyful life.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Thoughts and Peace of Mind...
Thoughts arise in us and we think them. We may choose to ignore them and experience real inner freedom, or we may choose to water them with the power of our attention and make them grow.
When you have to think, choose only positive, happy and uplifting thoughts. Think about and imagine only what you really and truly and desire and that will come to pass. Always remember that life is shaped according to your thoughts.
When the mind is silent there is happiness inside and happiness outside. It is a great asset and advantage to be able to silence the mind when its services are not needed.
The attainment of serenity of mind, which is actually freedom from the compulsion of incessant thinking, is open for everyone, provided the proper training is undertaken. Just reading this article will not bring you peace of mind. When you understand its value and have a true desire to succeed, nothing can stand in your way. Though this is an inner state, work, time and persistence are required, just like the attainment of any other tangible goal.
Most people are enslaved by their predominant thoughts and habits. It does not occur to them that they can become free from their grasp. From the moment they wake up in the morning, to the moment they fall asleep at night, the chatter of the mind continues incessantly, giving no moment of rest. The habit of constantly thinking futile thoughts that prevnt inner tranquility is very deeply ingrained in the human race. Nevertheless, this habit can be undone. The mind is a great and useful instrument, but it should not be allowed to rule our lives. It has to be obedient to us.
To change or get rid of an undesirable habit, we have to be aware of it, and consciously and attentively act in a different manner. Whatever new skill we develop, we have to train ourselves, until it turns into second nature and becomes easy to use. The same is with controling our mind and thoughts.
True control of the mind is not just the ability to concentrate on one thought and disregard other thoughts. It is the ability to cleanse the mind completely and make it silent. Sri Ramana Maharshi, the great Indian sage, has said: "Mind is only a bundle of thoughts, stop thinking and show me the mind". When one becomes really free from incessant thinking, he or she becomes free from slavery to the mind, as both thoughts and mind are one and the same thing. One then also comes to see and understand the illusiveness of the mind.
When the clouds hide the sun, it is still there, beyond the clouds. Our Essence, our inner Self, is always here. We only need to remove the sheets and covers that envelope it in order to experience peace and calmness. These sheets and covers are our thoughts, ideas, habits and beliefs. I do not mean to tell you that you have to stop using your mind. You need it in order carry on your life. I mean that it has to be under the control of the Self. It should be your servant to serve you right, and not your master.........By Remez Sasson
When you have to think, choose only positive, happy and uplifting thoughts. Think about and imagine only what you really and truly and desire and that will come to pass. Always remember that life is shaped according to your thoughts.
When the mind is silent there is happiness inside and happiness outside. It is a great asset and advantage to be able to silence the mind when its services are not needed.
The attainment of serenity of mind, which is actually freedom from the compulsion of incessant thinking, is open for everyone, provided the proper training is undertaken. Just reading this article will not bring you peace of mind. When you understand its value and have a true desire to succeed, nothing can stand in your way. Though this is an inner state, work, time and persistence are required, just like the attainment of any other tangible goal.
Most people are enslaved by their predominant thoughts and habits. It does not occur to them that they can become free from their grasp. From the moment they wake up in the morning, to the moment they fall asleep at night, the chatter of the mind continues incessantly, giving no moment of rest. The habit of constantly thinking futile thoughts that prevnt inner tranquility is very deeply ingrained in the human race. Nevertheless, this habit can be undone. The mind is a great and useful instrument, but it should not be allowed to rule our lives. It has to be obedient to us.
To change or get rid of an undesirable habit, we have to be aware of it, and consciously and attentively act in a different manner. Whatever new skill we develop, we have to train ourselves, until it turns into second nature and becomes easy to use. The same is with controling our mind and thoughts.
True control of the mind is not just the ability to concentrate on one thought and disregard other thoughts. It is the ability to cleanse the mind completely and make it silent. Sri Ramana Maharshi, the great Indian sage, has said: "Mind is only a bundle of thoughts, stop thinking and show me the mind". When one becomes really free from incessant thinking, he or she becomes free from slavery to the mind, as both thoughts and mind are one and the same thing. One then also comes to see and understand the illusiveness of the mind.
When the clouds hide the sun, it is still there, beyond the clouds. Our Essence, our inner Self, is always here. We only need to remove the sheets and covers that envelope it in order to experience peace and calmness. These sheets and covers are our thoughts, ideas, habits and beliefs. I do not mean to tell you that you have to stop using your mind. You need it in order carry on your life. I mean that it has to be under the control of the Self. It should be your servant to serve you right, and not your master.........By Remez Sasson
Divine Knowledge is the Only Reality...
The wise of all ages have taught that it is knowledge of the divine Being that
is life, and the only reality.
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
If there is a kingdom of God to be found anywhere, it is within oneself. And it
is, therefore, in the knowledge of self that there lies the fulfillment of life.
The knowledge of self means the knowledge of one's body, the knowledge of one's
mind, the knowledge of one's spirit; the knowledge of the spirit's relation to
the body and the relation of the body to the spirit; the knowledge of one's
wants and needs, the knowledge of one's virtues and faults; knowing what we
desire and how to attain it, what to pursue and what to renounce. And when one
dives deep into this, one finds before one a world of knowledge which never
ends. And it is that knowledge which gives one insight into human nature and
brings one to the knowledge of the whole of creation. And in the end one attains
to the knowledge of the divine Being.
Religion is the school that has developed man, and the ideals that religion
presents form a path that leads upward to perfection, that innate and yearning
desire of every soul. ... The wise of all ages have taught that it is the
knowledge of the Divine Being that is life, and the only reality. Although a
human activity may have a number of complicated motives, some of which are base
and gross, it is the aspiration towards divinity, the desire towards beauty,
which is its soul, its life, and its reality. And it is in proportion to the
degree of strength or weakness of his aspiration towards beauty that man's ideal
is great or small, and his religion is great or small.
is life, and the only reality.
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
If there is a kingdom of God to be found anywhere, it is within oneself. And it
is, therefore, in the knowledge of self that there lies the fulfillment of life.
The knowledge of self means the knowledge of one's body, the knowledge of one's
mind, the knowledge of one's spirit; the knowledge of the spirit's relation to
the body and the relation of the body to the spirit; the knowledge of one's
wants and needs, the knowledge of one's virtues and faults; knowing what we
desire and how to attain it, what to pursue and what to renounce. And when one
dives deep into this, one finds before one a world of knowledge which never
ends. And it is that knowledge which gives one insight into human nature and
brings one to the knowledge of the whole of creation. And in the end one attains
to the knowledge of the divine Being.
Religion is the school that has developed man, and the ideals that religion
presents form a path that leads upward to perfection, that innate and yearning
desire of every soul. ... The wise of all ages have taught that it is the
knowledge of the Divine Being that is life, and the only reality. Although a
human activity may have a number of complicated motives, some of which are base
and gross, it is the aspiration towards divinity, the desire towards beauty,
which is its soul, its life, and its reality. And it is in proportion to the
degree of strength or weakness of his aspiration towards beauty that man's ideal
is great or small, and his religion is great or small.
Dreaming...
The very idea of going beyond the dream is illusory.
Why go anywhere? Just realize that you are dream-
ing a dream you call the world, and stop looking for
ways out. The dream is not your problem. Your problem
is that you like one part of your dream and not another.
Love all, or none of it, and stop complaining. When you
have seen the dream as a dream, you have done all that
need be done.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
Why go anywhere? Just realize that you are dream-
ing a dream you call the world, and stop looking for
ways out. The dream is not your problem. Your problem
is that you like one part of your dream and not another.
Love all, or none of it, and stop complaining. When you
have seen the dream as a dream, you have done all that
need be done.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
After the Words...
After all of the words of Enlightened Mystics, how far have we moved?.. have we achieved a state of peace through meditation?.. Do we know what Silence is ?, Do we know what the end of the illusion of the ego feels like ?.. How far have we come ?...Do we still feel pain ?... How far have we traveled ?.. Do we watch the thoughts of our mind ?.. Do we let these thoughts travel through our minds not to return ?.. Do we see that most thoughts are filled with ego and nonsence ?.. How far have we walked ?... Do we realize that we are not the emotions that we create ?.. Do we realize that we are not the angry ego that we believe we are ?.. What have we learned ?.. These are the questions that Consciousness is asking you, these are the questions that you are asking yourself when you are Awake.. Awaken all you that sleep and realize that you are that which you seek.............namaste, thomas
Be Lost in the Call ...
Lord, said David, since you do not need us,
why did you create these two worlds?
Reality replied: O prisoner of time,
I was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity,
and I wished this treasure to be known,
so I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart;
its darkened back, the world;
The back would please you if you've never seen the face.
Has anyone ever produced a mirror out of mud and straw?
Yet clean away the mud and straw,
and a mirror might be revealed.
Until the juice ferments a while in the cask,
it isn't wine. If you wish your heart to be bright,
you must do a little work.
My King addressed the soul of my flesh:
You return just as you left.
Where are the traces of my gifts?
We know that alchemy transforms copper into gold.
This Sun doesn't want a crown or robe from God's grace.
He is a hat to a hundred bald men,
a covering for ten who were naked.
Jesus sat humbly on the back of an ass, my child!
How could a zephyr ride an ass?
Spirit, find your way, in seeking lowness like a stream.
Reason, tread the path of selflessness into eternity.
Remember God so much that you are forgotten.
Let the caller and the called disappear;
be lost in the Call.
-
"Love is a Stranger", Kabir Helminski
Threshold Books, 1993
Ý
why did you create these two worlds?
Reality replied: O prisoner of time,
I was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity,
and I wished this treasure to be known,
so I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart;
its darkened back, the world;
The back would please you if you've never seen the face.
Has anyone ever produced a mirror out of mud and straw?
Yet clean away the mud and straw,
and a mirror might be revealed.
Until the juice ferments a while in the cask,
it isn't wine. If you wish your heart to be bright,
you must do a little work.
My King addressed the soul of my flesh:
You return just as you left.
Where are the traces of my gifts?
We know that alchemy transforms copper into gold.
This Sun doesn't want a crown or robe from God's grace.
He is a hat to a hundred bald men,
a covering for ten who were naked.
Jesus sat humbly on the back of an ass, my child!
How could a zephyr ride an ass?
Spirit, find your way, in seeking lowness like a stream.
Reason, tread the path of selflessness into eternity.
Remember God so much that you are forgotten.
Let the caller and the called disappear;
be lost in the Call.
-
"Love is a Stranger", Kabir Helminski
Threshold Books, 1993
Ý
Revealed through contrast ...
God created pain and sorrow that
happiness might show itself by contrast.
For hidden things are made manifest
by means of their opposites:
since God has no opposite, He is hidden.
- Rumi
happiness might show itself by contrast.
For hidden things are made manifest
by means of their opposites:
since God has no opposite, He is hidden.
- Rumi
Words...
Words must be used like stepping stones: lightly and
with nimbleness,
because if you step on them too heavily, you incur
the danger of falling
into the intellectual mire of logic and reason.
-Balsekar
with nimbleness,
because if you step on them too heavily, you incur
the danger of falling
into the intellectual mire of logic and reason.
-Balsekar
Honesty...
Honesty is the gateway to success; it is indeed
fifty per cent of success. Learning is not necessary,
no need to be learned. All that you have to do is to be
sure and sincere that you are crying for God only and
nothing else. Let the aim of life be clear in your mind,
first. I repeat, your aim should be nothing other than
the Ultimate Reality.
- Swami Krishnananda
fifty per cent of success. Learning is not necessary,
no need to be learned. All that you have to do is to be
sure and sincere that you are crying for God only and
nothing else. Let the aim of life be clear in your mind,
first. I repeat, your aim should be nothing other than
the Ultimate Reality.
- Swami Krishnananda
As soon as the soul begins to say 'I' ...
It is when man has lost the idea of separateness and feels himself at one with
all creation that his eyes are opened and he sees the cause of all things.
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
Every being and object which is distinctly separate may be called an entity, but
what one calls an individual is a conception of our imagination; and the true
meaning of that conception will be realized on the day when the ultimate truth
throws its light upon life. On that day no one will speak about individuality;
one will say 'God' and no more.
There are many beings, but at the same time there is one, the only Being.
Therefore objects such as streams and mountains are also living, but they only
exist separately to our outer vision. When our inner vision opens then the
separation is shown as a veil; then there is one vision alone, and that is the
immanence of God.
As soon as the soul begins to say 'I' he is exiled from heaven, for all
blessings belong to the state which the soul experienced before he claimed to be
'I', a separate entity, separate from others. It is because of this that man,
whatever his position, whatever his situation in life, is not fully happy. The
trouble of one may perhaps be greater than that of another, but both he who
resides in heavenly palaces and the inhabitant of a grass hut have their
troubles; both have their pain. But man finds the reason for all afflictions in
the life outside him. The Sufi finds it in that one sin: that of having claimed
to be 'I'. With this claim came all the trouble, it continued, and it will
always continue. This sin has such a hold upon the soul that it is just like the
eclipse of the sun, when its light is covered and cannot shine.
There is an innate desire in every human being for knowledge. ... With man this
desire is never satisfied. He always wants to know more. There is ever a
restless craving within him for knowledge. This is because he does not look for
the cause in the right way. He only sees the external causes, and not the cause
underlying the cause, and below that, the primal cause. For example, a man who
has become estranged from his friend only sees perhaps the superficial cause,
and calls his friend unkind; or he may even admit that he himself is at fault,
or he may go still deeper and say that owing to a certain planetary influence
they cannot be friendly. Yet he has not probed the cause of this cause. ...
For this reason the religions taught the God-ideal, that the primal cause might
be sought through the pursuit of God. It is when man has lost the idea of
duality and feels himself at one with all creation, that his eyes are opened and
he sees the cause of everything.
all creation that his eyes are opened and he sees the cause of all things.
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
Every being and object which is distinctly separate may be called an entity, but
what one calls an individual is a conception of our imagination; and the true
meaning of that conception will be realized on the day when the ultimate truth
throws its light upon life. On that day no one will speak about individuality;
one will say 'God' and no more.
There are many beings, but at the same time there is one, the only Being.
Therefore objects such as streams and mountains are also living, but they only
exist separately to our outer vision. When our inner vision opens then the
separation is shown as a veil; then there is one vision alone, and that is the
immanence of God.
As soon as the soul begins to say 'I' he is exiled from heaven, for all
blessings belong to the state which the soul experienced before he claimed to be
'I', a separate entity, separate from others. It is because of this that man,
whatever his position, whatever his situation in life, is not fully happy. The
trouble of one may perhaps be greater than that of another, but both he who
resides in heavenly palaces and the inhabitant of a grass hut have their
troubles; both have their pain. But man finds the reason for all afflictions in
the life outside him. The Sufi finds it in that one sin: that of having claimed
to be 'I'. With this claim came all the trouble, it continued, and it will
always continue. This sin has such a hold upon the soul that it is just like the
eclipse of the sun, when its light is covered and cannot shine.
There is an innate desire in every human being for knowledge. ... With man this
desire is never satisfied. He always wants to know more. There is ever a
restless craving within him for knowledge. This is because he does not look for
the cause in the right way. He only sees the external causes, and not the cause
underlying the cause, and below that, the primal cause. For example, a man who
has become estranged from his friend only sees perhaps the superficial cause,
and calls his friend unkind; or he may even admit that he himself is at fault,
or he may go still deeper and say that owing to a certain planetary influence
they cannot be friendly. Yet he has not probed the cause of this cause. ...
For this reason the religions taught the God-ideal, that the primal cause might
be sought through the pursuit of God. It is when man has lost the idea of
duality and feels himself at one with all creation, that his eyes are opened and
he sees the cause of everything.
Why do spiritual people argue?
Do we argue because we know Knowledge or do we feel that we need to further the
ego as being right ?... what is our goal ?.. are we seeking Freedom or
domination by the false ego ?..what is our intention ?..Perhaps, our real goal
is happiness.. or is arguing a false concept, are we really only speaking to
ourselves ?.. who has the answer ?... I don't, I am only a fool that has
appeared in a body that is called human.. I try not to further my ego, as that
is just a road to futility.. so , why are we here ?... Perhaps, it is just to
see ourselves and know ourselves.. You are Me........namaste, thomas
ego as being right ?... what is our goal ?.. are we seeking Freedom or
domination by the false ego ?..what is our intention ?..Perhaps, our real goal
is happiness.. or is arguing a false concept, are we really only speaking to
ourselves ?.. who has the answer ?... I don't, I am only a fool that has
appeared in a body that is called human.. I try not to further my ego, as that
is just a road to futility.. so , why are we here ?... Perhaps, it is just to
see ourselves and know ourselves.. You are Me........namaste, thomas
Devotion and Knowledge...
Greater the devotion
more the knowledge.
Greater the knowledge,
more the love.
If 'knowledge' does not awaken
more love in you
it's not knowledge;
it's dry intellectualism.
If it's not true devotion
but just mechanical worship,
it will keep you dull.
- Swami Amar Jyoti
more the knowledge.
Greater the knowledge,
more the love.
If 'knowledge' does not awaken
more love in you
it's not knowledge;
it's dry intellectualism.
If it's not true devotion
but just mechanical worship,
it will keep you dull.
- Swami Amar Jyoti
Temporary and Transient...
Let us proceed to look at what is temporary and transient. What is it about
you that comes and goes. When you peel away the layers of the transient what
is it that remains? When you come to what remains you will come to the truth
of your Being!! You will see that there was nothing to fear and that there
is only Freedom that remains. Won't that be a lovely thing to remain. Just
FREEDOM to BE. The Freedom of knowing that you are the unbound Truth of
Existence. That all you perceived was just an illusion of bondage and fear
which never had any reality at all, except that which you yourself gave it.
So are you ready to unravel all the fears and thoughts and emotions that
have kept you tied on the wheel of Karma? Are you ready to let go of the
desires that keep you bound to the wheel of birth and death?
For it is not the actions which keep you on the wheel of karma going around
and around. It is the thought and intent of the actions. And it is the
re-actions of the actions which come against you which once again keep you
bound to the wheel of birth and death. Just going around and around in the
never ending spiral called life and death... birth and re-birth...
We keep cycling through the same old patterns again and again until we can
break the cycle. And in each life we will draw the same patterns to
ourselves and will keep creating the same illusions of truth until we can
break free and can see them for what they are. And once we see through them
then the pattern will drop and we move onward to a new experience..
Look at your life and see what patterns keep coming up again and again. Now
let's walk through the door of Knowledge to Liberation and the Freedom with
awaits.
what is mind? Is it a physical thing? Let us first look here. What is the
mind comprised of? Is not the mind comprised of thoughts? And just what are
thoughts? Are they some concrete existence? NO! Thoughts come and go like
waves on the sea. First one thought is there and then another and so on and
so on. One arises and falls and then the next and so on infinitum. But there
can only be one thought that makes its appearance at a time. Sometimes these
thoughts will start in a whirlpool one after another just going around and
around until you are dizzy and disoriented just from the sheer continued
motion and cycling around and around. But look at it again. Even thought
there are certain thought patterns which keep appearing and cycling they
ultimately come and go.So if they come and go they are not concrete in
nature but fluid. And like waves on the ocean they can appear like a ripple
or with enough energy can appear as a tidal wave pulling you out into a sea
of emotion and fear and despair. all because they have touched upon an
illusion of truth. They come and rock your world. Cause waves in your
reality. So let us continue on in this search until we uncover the Reality
that cannot be shaken.
When you come to the Truth you will be set Free as the Truth always IS and
is the bases for ALL of creation. ALL has proceeded from Truth - is
sustained by truth - and will once again return to truth. And illusions
being what they are in the end must disappear; when the illusion is
uncovered it ceases to be!
So we see that mind is comprised of individual thoughts which come and go.
One thought manifesting at a time. So mind is Not concrete in nature. Mind
is an illusion. Mind has no substance. Let us move on now to thought.
What is thought? Thought also has no concrete nature. So exactly what and
where do thoughts manifest from? They have no substance. They arise from
nowhere and return to nowhere. So why is so much importance given to
something which comes and goes from nowhere to nowhere. When it leaves out
of our awareness and perception where does it go? It only has life while in
the framework of our perceptions. When these thoughts float into our
awareness what happens? We give it life by then ascribing emotions to it. Do
we not? When a thought comes in if you look at it and dwell on it does it
not elicit an emotion? So this emotion gives the thought life for that
moment in time. Now once again let us follow the emotion.
Emotions once again come and go. It is something that is particular to
yourself alone. No one else feels your emotion but you. Others may see your
reaction to the emotion but the emotion itself is yours alone. Is emotion a
concrete thing? No! You cannot have an emotion that lives independently on
its own. You are the one that gives it life. Your attention to it gives it
energy and life. And once again emotions come and go like the waves of an
ocean. In and out. High tide and low tide. And since they are transient in
nature they are not the reality of your Being. They are but ripples on the
sea of Consciousness. One emotion arises and is there for some time until
replaced by another emotion. Once again they are only waves and ripples
without any concrete form. Emotions are created and held in place by mind
and thought. And we have already seen that mind and thought have no
substance and are only passing illusions. And these illusions create and
sustain all the Ill-lusions that keep us bound.
So let us review. We know that we are not the physical body. Nor can we be
the mind which is created by thoughts. Nor are we the individual thoughts.
Nor are we the conglomerate of thoughts. If we are neither of these then it
follows that we also cannot be the emotions which the mind and thoughts
create and sustain. And isn't our whole persona just made up and held
together by all these illusions of mind thought and emotion? So let us keep
going and seeing just what is left? My goodness do I even exist at all? I
think it is safe to say yes you do exist--just not the way you thought and
perceived.!
So when we take away the body, the mind, the thoughts, the emotions just
what is left?
How do you know you have thoughts? How do you know you dream at night? Or
that there were no dreams.
It is because of conscious awareness! You are this Conscious Awareness... It
sees the thoughts.. But it is not the thoughts. It is aware of the emotions.
But it is Not the emotions. It is aware of form but it is not form. It is
Not concrete in nature yet clearly it IS...
You are in fact NO - Body... and you are No-Thing... You are Awareness -
energy - Vibration - truth - and Bliss... and these are Eternal in Nature..
They are what creates and sustains existence. All form while appearing and
disappearing is created by these alone. And therefore Always exists. The
form may change but it is eternal for it never was the concrete illusion of
truth which we see.
See beyond the form to the Formless.. See beyond the illusions of truth to
the Reality of Truth. Now let us continue onward.
Now we come to the point of putting all this together. Since we are in
Reality Conscious Awareness and Energy and Vibration and Truth and Bliss...
Just what thought or emotion or physical happening can touch us?! None can
truly touch out essence!! so ALL of the perceived traumas and hurts have
happened only to this body.. and you are Not this body.
This is how we diffuse the bondage. When the pain comes again go into it...
Go to the root. There is nothing to fear except fearing the fear. So go into
the fear fully and see that when you reach the end of it that it will just
dissipate as it is only comprised of of illusions of truth. When thoughts
come and go just see them as passing clouds with no substance. Do not give
them form and life... Let them come and go like waves on the ocean. Instead
of being carried away by a tidal wave get in the boat and float downstream
and enjoy the ride.
When you drop the mind of thoughts and illusions you will reach the still
waters of the Peace which passes all understanding. You will be the
everlasting waters. You will not thirst again.
You alone create the fears and bondages of life. And you have the power to
let all of them go. Just go into the illusion and it will dissipate before
your very eyes. You will not cease to exist nor will you find more bondage.
What you will find is the doorway to freedom.
You have never truly been born nor have you died, you are beyond these forms
and plays of life. As all this is created by mind and thought. So go beyond
all these illusions to what and who your really are..
Live life to the fullest! You are here to explore and be existence.. So drop
all the self doubts and illusions of truth that keep you going around and
around. You are Life. .. You are Bliss when you drop the illusive mind and
thought. You are Sat-Truth, Chit-Awareness, and Anand-Bliss...This IS the
Truth of your Being... And what in reality can touch or harm this truth?!!!
NOTHING AT ALL!!! NOTHING AT ALL!!!
Love and Blessings
Swami Ganga-Puri Kaliuttamananda-Giri
you that comes and goes. When you peel away the layers of the transient what
is it that remains? When you come to what remains you will come to the truth
of your Being!! You will see that there was nothing to fear and that there
is only Freedom that remains. Won't that be a lovely thing to remain. Just
FREEDOM to BE. The Freedom of knowing that you are the unbound Truth of
Existence. That all you perceived was just an illusion of bondage and fear
which never had any reality at all, except that which you yourself gave it.
So are you ready to unravel all the fears and thoughts and emotions that
have kept you tied on the wheel of Karma? Are you ready to let go of the
desires that keep you bound to the wheel of birth and death?
For it is not the actions which keep you on the wheel of karma going around
and around. It is the thought and intent of the actions. And it is the
re-actions of the actions which come against you which once again keep you
bound to the wheel of birth and death. Just going around and around in the
never ending spiral called life and death... birth and re-birth...
We keep cycling through the same old patterns again and again until we can
break the cycle. And in each life we will draw the same patterns to
ourselves and will keep creating the same illusions of truth until we can
break free and can see them for what they are. And once we see through them
then the pattern will drop and we move onward to a new experience..
Look at your life and see what patterns keep coming up again and again. Now
let's walk through the door of Knowledge to Liberation and the Freedom with
awaits.
what is mind? Is it a physical thing? Let us first look here. What is the
mind comprised of? Is not the mind comprised of thoughts? And just what are
thoughts? Are they some concrete existence? NO! Thoughts come and go like
waves on the sea. First one thought is there and then another and so on and
so on. One arises and falls and then the next and so on infinitum. But there
can only be one thought that makes its appearance at a time. Sometimes these
thoughts will start in a whirlpool one after another just going around and
around until you are dizzy and disoriented just from the sheer continued
motion and cycling around and around. But look at it again. Even thought
there are certain thought patterns which keep appearing and cycling they
ultimately come and go.So if they come and go they are not concrete in
nature but fluid. And like waves on the ocean they can appear like a ripple
or with enough energy can appear as a tidal wave pulling you out into a sea
of emotion and fear and despair. all because they have touched upon an
illusion of truth. They come and rock your world. Cause waves in your
reality. So let us continue on in this search until we uncover the Reality
that cannot be shaken.
When you come to the Truth you will be set Free as the Truth always IS and
is the bases for ALL of creation. ALL has proceeded from Truth - is
sustained by truth - and will once again return to truth. And illusions
being what they are in the end must disappear; when the illusion is
uncovered it ceases to be!
So we see that mind is comprised of individual thoughts which come and go.
One thought manifesting at a time. So mind is Not concrete in nature. Mind
is an illusion. Mind has no substance. Let us move on now to thought.
What is thought? Thought also has no concrete nature. So exactly what and
where do thoughts manifest from? They have no substance. They arise from
nowhere and return to nowhere. So why is so much importance given to
something which comes and goes from nowhere to nowhere. When it leaves out
of our awareness and perception where does it go? It only has life while in
the framework of our perceptions. When these thoughts float into our
awareness what happens? We give it life by then ascribing emotions to it. Do
we not? When a thought comes in if you look at it and dwell on it does it
not elicit an emotion? So this emotion gives the thought life for that
moment in time. Now once again let us follow the emotion.
Emotions once again come and go. It is something that is particular to
yourself alone. No one else feels your emotion but you. Others may see your
reaction to the emotion but the emotion itself is yours alone. Is emotion a
concrete thing? No! You cannot have an emotion that lives independently on
its own. You are the one that gives it life. Your attention to it gives it
energy and life. And once again emotions come and go like the waves of an
ocean. In and out. High tide and low tide. And since they are transient in
nature they are not the reality of your Being. They are but ripples on the
sea of Consciousness. One emotion arises and is there for some time until
replaced by another emotion. Once again they are only waves and ripples
without any concrete form. Emotions are created and held in place by mind
and thought. And we have already seen that mind and thought have no
substance and are only passing illusions. And these illusions create and
sustain all the Ill-lusions that keep us bound.
So let us review. We know that we are not the physical body. Nor can we be
the mind which is created by thoughts. Nor are we the individual thoughts.
Nor are we the conglomerate of thoughts. If we are neither of these then it
follows that we also cannot be the emotions which the mind and thoughts
create and sustain. And isn't our whole persona just made up and held
together by all these illusions of mind thought and emotion? So let us keep
going and seeing just what is left? My goodness do I even exist at all? I
think it is safe to say yes you do exist--just not the way you thought and
perceived.!
So when we take away the body, the mind, the thoughts, the emotions just
what is left?
How do you know you have thoughts? How do you know you dream at night? Or
that there were no dreams.
It is because of conscious awareness! You are this Conscious Awareness... It
sees the thoughts.. But it is not the thoughts. It is aware of the emotions.
But it is Not the emotions. It is aware of form but it is not form. It is
Not concrete in nature yet clearly it IS...
You are in fact NO - Body... and you are No-Thing... You are Awareness -
energy - Vibration - truth - and Bliss... and these are Eternal in Nature..
They are what creates and sustains existence. All form while appearing and
disappearing is created by these alone. And therefore Always exists. The
form may change but it is eternal for it never was the concrete illusion of
truth which we see.
See beyond the form to the Formless.. See beyond the illusions of truth to
the Reality of Truth. Now let us continue onward.
Now we come to the point of putting all this together. Since we are in
Reality Conscious Awareness and Energy and Vibration and Truth and Bliss...
Just what thought or emotion or physical happening can touch us?! None can
truly touch out essence!! so ALL of the perceived traumas and hurts have
happened only to this body.. and you are Not this body.
This is how we diffuse the bondage. When the pain comes again go into it...
Go to the root. There is nothing to fear except fearing the fear. So go into
the fear fully and see that when you reach the end of it that it will just
dissipate as it is only comprised of of illusions of truth. When thoughts
come and go just see them as passing clouds with no substance. Do not give
them form and life... Let them come and go like waves on the ocean. Instead
of being carried away by a tidal wave get in the boat and float downstream
and enjoy the ride.
When you drop the mind of thoughts and illusions you will reach the still
waters of the Peace which passes all understanding. You will be the
everlasting waters. You will not thirst again.
You alone create the fears and bondages of life. And you have the power to
let all of them go. Just go into the illusion and it will dissipate before
your very eyes. You will not cease to exist nor will you find more bondage.
What you will find is the doorway to freedom.
You have never truly been born nor have you died, you are beyond these forms
and plays of life. As all this is created by mind and thought. So go beyond
all these illusions to what and who your really are..
Live life to the fullest! You are here to explore and be existence.. So drop
all the self doubts and illusions of truth that keep you going around and
around. You are Life. .. You are Bliss when you drop the illusive mind and
thought. You are Sat-Truth, Chit-Awareness, and Anand-Bliss...This IS the
Truth of your Being... And what in reality can touch or harm this truth?!!!
NOTHING AT ALL!!! NOTHING AT ALL!!!
Love and Blessings
Swami Ganga-Puri Kaliuttamananda-Giri
You Are It...
Your own self is your ultimate teacher (sadguru).
The outer teacher (Guru) is merely a milestone.
It is only your inner teacher that will walk with
you to the goal, for he is the goal.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
The outer teacher (Guru) is merely a milestone.
It is only your inner teacher that will walk with
you to the goal, for he is the goal.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
Prayer...
Prayer can draw in grace by a spiritual attunement
of one's being in the intensity of feeling, which is the
motive power behind prayer. Feelings that rise from
the deepest recesses of one's heart can produce
immediate results, because of their proximity to reality.
- Swami Krishnananda
of one's being in the intensity of feeling, which is the
motive power behind prayer. Feelings that rise from
the deepest recesses of one's heart can produce
immediate results, because of their proximity to reality.
- Swami Krishnananda
Waking...
The grim illusions of a man's dreaming nightmare cause him trouble and suffering so long as he accepts them as real. If he arouses himself and awakes, they are seen for the hallucinations they are. The disciple's long-drawn endeavours at self-arousal throughout the quest meet with success when he knows and feels that waking life itself is like a dream, is after all only a thought that is taken up again and again.
— Notebooks Category 21: Mentalism > Chapter 3: The Individual and World Mind > # 35...
Paul Brunton
— Notebooks Category 21: Mentalism > Chapter 3: The Individual and World Mind > # 35...
Paul Brunton
Awareness and Bliss...
Most of what we are told about awakening sounds like a sales pitch for enlightenment. In a sales pitch, we are told only the most positive aspects; we may even be told things that are not actually true. In the sales pitch for awakening, we are told that enlightenment is all about love and ecstasy, compassion and union, and a host of other positive experiences. It is often shrouded in fantastic stories, so we come to believe that awakening has to do with miracles and mystical powers. One of the most common sales pitches includes describing enlightenment as an experience of bliss. As a result, people think, “When I spiritually awaken, when I have union with God, I will enter into a state of constant ecstasy.” This is, of course, a deep misunderstanding of what awakening is.
There may be bliss with awakening, because it is actually a by-product of awakening, but it is not awakening itself. As long as we are chasing the byproducts of awakening, we will miss the real thing. This is a problem, because many spiritual practices attempt to reproduce the by-products of awakening without giving rise to the awakening itself. We can learn certain meditative techniques—chanting mantras or singing bhajans, for example—and certain positive experiences will be produced. The human consciousness is tremendously pliable, and by taking part in certain spiritual practices, techniques, and disciplines, you can indeed produce many of the by-products of awakening—states of bliss, openness, and so on. But what often happens is that you end up with only the byproducts of awakening, without the awakening itself.
It is important that we know what awakening is not, so that we no longer chase the by-products of awakening. We must give up the pursuit of positive emotional states through spiritual practice. The path of awakening is not about positive emotions. On the contrary, enlightenment may not be easy or positive at all. It is not easy to have our illusions crushed. It is not easy to let go of long-held perceptions. We may experience great resistance to seeing through even those illusions that cause us a great amount of pain.
This is something many people don’t know they’re signing up for when they start on a quest for spiritual awakening. As a teacher, one of the things that I find out about students relatively early on is whether they are interested in the real thing—do they really want the truth, or do they actually just want to feel better? Because the process of finding the truth may not be a process by which we feel increasingly better and better. It may be a process by which we look at things honestly, sincerely, truthfully, and that may or may not be an easy thing to do.
From The End of Your World, © 2009 by Adyashanti. Reprinted with permission from Sounds True.
There may be bliss with awakening, because it is actually a by-product of awakening, but it is not awakening itself. As long as we are chasing the byproducts of awakening, we will miss the real thing. This is a problem, because many spiritual practices attempt to reproduce the by-products of awakening without giving rise to the awakening itself. We can learn certain meditative techniques—chanting mantras or singing bhajans, for example—and certain positive experiences will be produced. The human consciousness is tremendously pliable, and by taking part in certain spiritual practices, techniques, and disciplines, you can indeed produce many of the by-products of awakening—states of bliss, openness, and so on. But what often happens is that you end up with only the byproducts of awakening, without the awakening itself.
It is important that we know what awakening is not, so that we no longer chase the by-products of awakening. We must give up the pursuit of positive emotional states through spiritual practice. The path of awakening is not about positive emotions. On the contrary, enlightenment may not be easy or positive at all. It is not easy to have our illusions crushed. It is not easy to let go of long-held perceptions. We may experience great resistance to seeing through even those illusions that cause us a great amount of pain.
This is something many people don’t know they’re signing up for when they start on a quest for spiritual awakening. As a teacher, one of the things that I find out about students relatively early on is whether they are interested in the real thing—do they really want the truth, or do they actually just want to feel better? Because the process of finding the truth may not be a process by which we feel increasingly better and better. It may be a process by which we look at things honestly, sincerely, truthfully, and that may or may not be an easy thing to do.
From The End of Your World, © 2009 by Adyashanti. Reprinted with permission from Sounds True.
He is above it...
It is better to pay than receive from the vain, for such favors demand ten times
their cost.
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
When a person says, 'I will not allow you to take the best of me, if you are
crooked I will show you ten times more crookedness,' then he is clever. But when
a person says, 'Yes, I understand you, you need not play that game with me, let
me alone,' he is wise. When a person does not know the crookedness of the other
person and so allows him to take the best of him, he is a fool. But when one
sees clearly the roguery and crookedness of another person and yet allows him to
take the best, he is the holy man, he is beyond the regions of humanity, he is
beginning to climb the angelic planes, he sees all things, understands all
things and tolerates all things. The mystics talk about the innocence of Jesus,
and Sufis try to follow it as an example. This innocence is the same, and
revelation comes to that person who sees all the falsehood and treachery of
human nature and pities instead of accusing, and forgives because he has reached
to that height that no falsehood, roguery, deceit or treachery of an ordinary
human being can touch him -- he is above it.
their cost.
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
When a person says, 'I will not allow you to take the best of me, if you are
crooked I will show you ten times more crookedness,' then he is clever. But when
a person says, 'Yes, I understand you, you need not play that game with me, let
me alone,' he is wise. When a person does not know the crookedness of the other
person and so allows him to take the best of him, he is a fool. But when one
sees clearly the roguery and crookedness of another person and yet allows him to
take the best, he is the holy man, he is beyond the regions of humanity, he is
beginning to climb the angelic planes, he sees all things, understands all
things and tolerates all things. The mystics talk about the innocence of Jesus,
and Sufis try to follow it as an example. This innocence is the same, and
revelation comes to that person who sees all the falsehood and treachery of
human nature and pities instead of accusing, and forgives because he has reached
to that height that no falsehood, roguery, deceit or treachery of an ordinary
human being can touch him -- he is above it.
The End is Not an End...
At the moment of Enlightenment the individual "you" (ego/mind) dissapears completely and literally dies. The me, myself, and I ceases to be. At that final moment there is a feeling of "I'm going to die", and this doesn't mean bodily death, it means the very essence of what you individually think you are (thoughts and thinking). The ego/mind fears it's own death, but all fear is an illusion because fear is an emotion, and all emotions (physical chemical reactions) are the result of being identified with the ego/mind and body (physicality). When the mind goes silent it's replaced by void, by nothingness, but that "nothingness" is only "nothing" because it's formless, non-physical, and unmanifested. In actuality, that "nothingness" is an all-encompassing Infinitely Everything, which is a profound ineffable Peace/Love/Wholeness/Completion way beyond description, which just simply IS. It's No-Thing, yet Infinitely Everything, yet beyond both because both are mere concepts. All words and concepts are meaningless because they are born from the ego/mind.
"The ultimate Truth is beyond words. Doctrines are words. They're not the Way. The Way is wordless. Words are Illusions." - Bodhidharma, founder of Zen.............from thetruthoflife.com
"The ultimate Truth is beyond words. Doctrines are words. They're not the Way. The Way is wordless. Words are Illusions." - Bodhidharma, founder of Zen.............from thetruthoflife.com
How does Enlightenment Happen?...
First off, you (the mind) doesn't ever make it happen. It happens by ITSELF when all concepts of the mind are let go of, when the very energy behind thinking is let go of, when all wantingness and neediness is let go of, and when not even Enlightenment is sought after.
1. This can be done by the completely unconditional and radical forgiveness and acceptance of absolutely EVERYTHING, as it is right now in this very moment, always. This is the path of nonjudgemental acceptance, forgiveness, Love, compassion, and selflessness. If there's full blown acceptance of absolutely everything as it is, then there's nothing to judge, nothing to describe, nothing to define, nothing to talk about, nothing to express an opinion about, no thing to make into something, nothing to express a belief about, nothing to search for, nothing to manipulate, nothing to change, nothing to force, and there's nothing to think about at all. Everything just IS, nothing more, and one sees the absolute perfection and beauty in everything because everything and everyone is currently operating at it's own level of awareness and/or evolution. Everyone and everything is what it is right now because that's what it needs to learn, or un-learn. They REALLY DON"T know otherwise, or they don't want to know otherwise. If they REALLY knew otherwise, they would be otherwise.
2. Enlightenment can also happen by way of wisdom/Truth/mindfulness/Awareness, which involves non-effort, loss of interest in all thinking and thoughts, and letting go constantly and continuously. Watching the mind does not mean concentration or effort because concentrating is something that the ego/mind does. Nothing can be forced to happen, as force is the nature of the ego/mind. As soon as you watch thoughts, they dissapear. If you try to fight thoughts, you give them more strength because focus and energy is being put into fighting and conflict, which is again, a thing of the mind.......from thetruthoflife.com
1. This can be done by the completely unconditional and radical forgiveness and acceptance of absolutely EVERYTHING, as it is right now in this very moment, always. This is the path of nonjudgemental acceptance, forgiveness, Love, compassion, and selflessness. If there's full blown acceptance of absolutely everything as it is, then there's nothing to judge, nothing to describe, nothing to define, nothing to talk about, nothing to express an opinion about, no thing to make into something, nothing to express a belief about, nothing to search for, nothing to manipulate, nothing to change, nothing to force, and there's nothing to think about at all. Everything just IS, nothing more, and one sees the absolute perfection and beauty in everything because everything and everyone is currently operating at it's own level of awareness and/or evolution. Everyone and everything is what it is right now because that's what it needs to learn, or un-learn. They REALLY DON"T know otherwise, or they don't want to know otherwise. If they REALLY knew otherwise, they would be otherwise.
2. Enlightenment can also happen by way of wisdom/Truth/mindfulness/Awareness, which involves non-effort, loss of interest in all thinking and thoughts, and letting go constantly and continuously. Watching the mind does not mean concentration or effort because concentrating is something that the ego/mind does. Nothing can be forced to happen, as force is the nature of the ego/mind. As soon as you watch thoughts, they dissapear. If you try to fight thoughts, you give them more strength because focus and energy is being put into fighting and conflict, which is again, a thing of the mind.......from thetruthoflife.com
Awareness is the Only Reality...
Essentially, you are not the mind and body of change (relative truth). You are the still, silent, unchanging Absolute; the Awareness that is aware of the mind and it's comings and goings, when a deliberate point of being aware of it is made. Watch the mind. That Awareness is changeless, timeless, shapeless, formless, and infinitely eternal. It has no beginning or end.
If you're able to watch the mind, then you are not the mind. How many minds do you have? Are you the mind, or are you the observer watching the mind? Only one of them is real. Just like the heart or lungs, the ego/mind is going and going all by itself. In other words, you are not the thinker of thoughts. Take 5 minutes to watch the mind and see for yourself. You can't control it. You can't stop it by controlling it, but you can stop it by watching it and losing interest in it. You are not the body and it's senses. You are not the mind and it's thoughts. You are the infintely silent Awareness that is aware of them. One is not subject to the countless faulty workings of the ego/mind when one stops identifying the automatic random repetitive thoughts of the mind as being "me". The very nature of the ego/mind can be summed up in one word... DRAMA. And what is drama? It's the absence of peace (of mind)........from the truth of life.com
If you're able to watch the mind, then you are not the mind. How many minds do you have? Are you the mind, or are you the observer watching the mind? Only one of them is real. Just like the heart or lungs, the ego/mind is going and going all by itself. In other words, you are not the thinker of thoughts. Take 5 minutes to watch the mind and see for yourself. You can't control it. You can't stop it by controlling it, but you can stop it by watching it and losing interest in it. You are not the body and it's senses. You are not the mind and it's thoughts. You are the infintely silent Awareness that is aware of them. One is not subject to the countless faulty workings of the ego/mind when one stops identifying the automatic random repetitive thoughts of the mind as being "me". The very nature of the ego/mind can be summed up in one word... DRAMA. And what is drama? It's the absence of peace (of mind)........from the truth of life.com
Mind...
Mind is a wonderful force inherent in the Self.
That which arises in this body as 'I' is the mind.
When the subtle mind emerges through the brain and the senses, the gross names and forms are cognized. When it remains in the Heart names and forms disappear.... If the mind remains in the Heart, the 'I' or the ego which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self, the Real, Eternal 'I' alone will shine. Where there is not the slightest trace of the ego, there is the Self............ Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950)
That which arises in this body as 'I' is the mind.
When the subtle mind emerges through the brain and the senses, the gross names and forms are cognized. When it remains in the Heart names and forms disappear.... If the mind remains in the Heart, the 'I' or the ego which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self, the Real, Eternal 'I' alone will shine. Where there is not the slightest trace of the ego, there is the Self............ Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950)
Contemplation…
Ram Tzu believes
In the law
Of cause and effect.
He just doesn’t know
Which is which.”
Which is which? What is fact what is fiction? There are so many questions to ponder, and so many answers to live. What is good and what is bad; what is right and what is wrong. Age old pursuits, as well age old demands to live and experience. The belief in what you know drives your life. Self-righteously each seeks to impress, convince and demand upon life such victories. Yet, who wins?
Today’s solution becomes tomorrow’s problem. Who really knows how, where and why life is leading you in the manner that it does? Today’s experience might actually prove to be tomorrows win. Life causes each of us to reposition at the right time. It is our willingness, or unwillingness, that causes pleasure or pain.
Each time you discover the answer the question no longer seems important. Each is molded by life, it is a directive that arises out of failed purpose, unfulfilled expectation, fear and regret. Failure and suffering is what causes one to grow, if only one would reposition. Hope is what entombs your soul, as that reach beyond your self where the grass is always greener is but a fools dream. According to Schoch, “There is no truth. Whatever we feel, think or hear is only part of what is possible. It is never the whole truth, so admiring someone else’s wisdom or being against new ideas, creating inner or outer authority figures, is useless. There is absolutely no authority. The most destructive authority is one’s own mind and its identification.”
Reality is what we agree upon. No matter what another does or says, if you do not agree, if you do not resist and if you simply allow another person their reality your reality is your reality. It is neither good or bad; right or wrong, and as Ram Tzu says “which is which?”
There is no truth! Yet, that’s all there is! You may know it and understand it. You may live it, or you may not. Truth is truth! Non-truth is non-truth. But, which is it? Like living to understand a Zen koan, when you touch truth it is only in your emptiness that you can be fully aware of truth. As long as you remain filled with judgment, opinions, considerations, hope, regret as well as fantasy, truth can only be at best a concept. Your well-planned vision for your life, a condition that grows out of desire, only veils the truth you seek.
We live in an ocean of love, inspiration wells up from its depth. Our awareness of its profundity is to the degree that we cling to life measuring and comparing. The veils that we carefully create, thinking that it is essential for your existence, is what forms the very limitation to life and love’s expression. Of course, you would be correct when you think it is essential for your existence because it is! This veil conditions your authenticity, and it is what precludes authenticity.
You are searching for your self. You are searching for freedom and, you are searching for love. This is what your life is all about. Yet, freedom and love cannot be found. It remains hidden behind the belief’s you live. Freedom is not something that can be discovered. Freedom and love is the essence of life, it is who you are without the coverings of hope, regret and fear.
Observe without hope, and be still to know love.
Listen to what Schoch says,
“To be stillness means being in total insecurity with no reaction, no knowing and total observation.
Observation is the absence of thought that wants to achieve, to change, to avoid insecurity.
Stillness and emptiness in movement become love.”
In the law
Of cause and effect.
He just doesn’t know
Which is which.”
Which is which? What is fact what is fiction? There are so many questions to ponder, and so many answers to live. What is good and what is bad; what is right and what is wrong. Age old pursuits, as well age old demands to live and experience. The belief in what you know drives your life. Self-righteously each seeks to impress, convince and demand upon life such victories. Yet, who wins?
Today’s solution becomes tomorrow’s problem. Who really knows how, where and why life is leading you in the manner that it does? Today’s experience might actually prove to be tomorrows win. Life causes each of us to reposition at the right time. It is our willingness, or unwillingness, that causes pleasure or pain.
Each time you discover the answer the question no longer seems important. Each is molded by life, it is a directive that arises out of failed purpose, unfulfilled expectation, fear and regret. Failure and suffering is what causes one to grow, if only one would reposition. Hope is what entombs your soul, as that reach beyond your self where the grass is always greener is but a fools dream. According to Schoch, “There is no truth. Whatever we feel, think or hear is only part of what is possible. It is never the whole truth, so admiring someone else’s wisdom or being against new ideas, creating inner or outer authority figures, is useless. There is absolutely no authority. The most destructive authority is one’s own mind and its identification.”
Reality is what we agree upon. No matter what another does or says, if you do not agree, if you do not resist and if you simply allow another person their reality your reality is your reality. It is neither good or bad; right or wrong, and as Ram Tzu says “which is which?”
There is no truth! Yet, that’s all there is! You may know it and understand it. You may live it, or you may not. Truth is truth! Non-truth is non-truth. But, which is it? Like living to understand a Zen koan, when you touch truth it is only in your emptiness that you can be fully aware of truth. As long as you remain filled with judgment, opinions, considerations, hope, regret as well as fantasy, truth can only be at best a concept. Your well-planned vision for your life, a condition that grows out of desire, only veils the truth you seek.
We live in an ocean of love, inspiration wells up from its depth. Our awareness of its profundity is to the degree that we cling to life measuring and comparing. The veils that we carefully create, thinking that it is essential for your existence, is what forms the very limitation to life and love’s expression. Of course, you would be correct when you think it is essential for your existence because it is! This veil conditions your authenticity, and it is what precludes authenticity.
You are searching for your self. You are searching for freedom and, you are searching for love. This is what your life is all about. Yet, freedom and love cannot be found. It remains hidden behind the belief’s you live. Freedom is not something that can be discovered. Freedom and love is the essence of life, it is who you are without the coverings of hope, regret and fear.
Observe without hope, and be still to know love.
Listen to what Schoch says,
“To be stillness means being in total insecurity with no reaction, no knowing and total observation.
Observation is the absence of thought that wants to achieve, to change, to avoid insecurity.
Stillness and emptiness in movement become love.”
Generosity...
There are two kinds of generosity - the real and the shadow; the former is
prompted by love, the latter by vanity.
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
When the miser shows any generosity he celebrates it with trumpets.
Do not look for thanks or appreciation for all the good you do to others, nor
use it as a means to stimulate your vanity. Do all that you consider good for
the sake of goodness, not even for a return of that from God. When, by
constantly trying to do so, you can do so by any effort, then you will certainly
convince yourself that you have risen above the ordinary stage of the human
being.
The whole tragedy of life is in losing sight of one's natural self, and the
greatest gain in life is coming into touch with one's real self. The real self
is covered by many layers of ego; those which preponderate above all others are
hunger and passion, beneath these are pride and vanity. One must learn to
discriminate between what is natural and what is unnatural, what is necessary
and what is not necessary, what brings happiness and what brings sorrow. No
doubt it is difficult for many to discriminate between right and wrong; but by
standing face to face with one's ego and recognizing it as someone who is ready
to make war against us, and by keeping one's strength of will as an unsheathed
sword, one protects oneself from one's greatest enemy, which is one's own ego.
And a time comes in life when one can say, 'My worst enemy has been within
myself.'
Man's greatest enemy is his ego which manifests itself in selfishness. Even in
his doing good, in his kind actions, selfishness is sometimes at work. When he
does good with the thought that one day it may return to him and that he may
share in the good, he sells his pearls for a price. A kind action, a thought of
sympathy, of generosity, is too precious to trade with. One should give and,
while giving, close the eyes. Man should remember to do every little action,
every little kindness, every act of generosity with his whole heart, without the
desire of getting anything in return, making a trade out of it. The satisfaction
must be in doing it and in nothing else.
prompted by love, the latter by vanity.
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
When the miser shows any generosity he celebrates it with trumpets.
Do not look for thanks or appreciation for all the good you do to others, nor
use it as a means to stimulate your vanity. Do all that you consider good for
the sake of goodness, not even for a return of that from God. When, by
constantly trying to do so, you can do so by any effort, then you will certainly
convince yourself that you have risen above the ordinary stage of the human
being.
The whole tragedy of life is in losing sight of one's natural self, and the
greatest gain in life is coming into touch with one's real self. The real self
is covered by many layers of ego; those which preponderate above all others are
hunger and passion, beneath these are pride and vanity. One must learn to
discriminate between what is natural and what is unnatural, what is necessary
and what is not necessary, what brings happiness and what brings sorrow. No
doubt it is difficult for many to discriminate between right and wrong; but by
standing face to face with one's ego and recognizing it as someone who is ready
to make war against us, and by keeping one's strength of will as an unsheathed
sword, one protects oneself from one's greatest enemy, which is one's own ego.
And a time comes in life when one can say, 'My worst enemy has been within
myself.'
Man's greatest enemy is his ego which manifests itself in selfishness. Even in
his doing good, in his kind actions, selfishness is sometimes at work. When he
does good with the thought that one day it may return to him and that he may
share in the good, he sells his pearls for a price. A kind action, a thought of
sympathy, of generosity, is too precious to trade with. One should give and,
while giving, close the eyes. Man should remember to do every little action,
every little kindness, every act of generosity with his whole heart, without the
desire of getting anything in return, making a trade out of it. The satisfaction
must be in doing it and in nothing else.
Desire and Regret...
"As long as there is a desire, there is a projection into the future; as long as there is a regret, there is a return to the past, both of which are dead, without substance and without life.
Yesterday and tomorrow, therefore, must be discarded in nowness. Now is the only life; now is the only reality; now is the only time."
-- from Joel Goldsmith's "A Parenthesis in Eternity"
Chapter 25 - Losing "I"-ness in I
Yesterday and tomorrow, therefore, must be discarded in nowness. Now is the only life; now is the only reality; now is the only time."
-- from Joel Goldsmith's "A Parenthesis in Eternity"
Chapter 25 - Losing "I"-ness in I
Beyond Ego...
Sometimes when I have talked with people about the nature of the ego and its unreality they feel somewhat depressed because all they know is the ego and the fear of losing it leaves them with nothing. So, it seems to them at first. Some feel fear and wonder what will happen to them if they do go beyond the ego. One fellow even thought that the universe would end if the ego does. Such thinking is normal and a natural feeling from the ego perspective. So, it seems important to go into what is beyond the ego.
If one really sees what the ego is, then they will also see that it has never been a reality. Therefore, the only thing in ones life that will change is the perspective of the mind free of ego. This is a major shift in how we perceive reality. When the ego is not demanding attention and distorting everything we think, then the mind is free to truly be creative. It is not limited to what has been, to its history, it prejudices, and its fears. It raises ones intelligence to a much higher level. Not that the brain is somehow more powerful than before but it is free of seeing through the limits of ego insecurity. The mind is wide open and honest with itself. In that openness, it is free to think in ways it could not imagine in the past.When the ego is out of the way, seen through, the heart is also wide open. It no longer sees any one or thing as being outside of what it is. The capacity to love becomes much more powerful and goes to a far deeper level. With that love, it is also far more compassionate and can have great empathy with all other expressions of it's Being. One finds it impossible to hate. We see through hate for what it is, a distorted view of reality, an ego game. Far from losing the personality when the ego is not there, it becomes a real expression of the true individual, the undivided Being.
In the freedom from ego, one finds peace in not having to be anything or anyone. Yet, we are more than we have ever imagined without any effort or game playing. We no longer feel we have to do this or that to be accepted by our society or ourselves. Just simply being what we are in complete honesty is more than we could have ever wanted. This doesn't all come about in one day. We have developed many habits for millennia that must be allowed to die away of there own accord. If we try to push them away, we just give them strength and they will continue playing themselves out. If we are just aware of them as they take place and don't judge them, they will just fade away.
The old self would deny all the negative things in our lives to try to keep the dream a happy one and to feel secure. The new being welcomes anything that brings out the seeming negative waste of the past so we can see it clearly and go beyond it. We can find ourselves acting out old stories and reacting to things as a habit of the old self. We may even seem to be lost back in ego again but we can never really be lost again. We just need to see where that reaction is coming from and let it go.
It is very helpful if you have friends who are going through the same awakening you are to help keep one another reminded of what is real. Good spiritual company is wonderful and so helpful.Awakening to what we are beyond the ego is also an acceleration in the evolution of the human species. We are being held back by the past as ego. It, the ego, has been an invisible wall that keeps us from going beyond our primitive past. Without the ego, we can be more open to the new. We also get away from the constant need for security of this dream called ego.Without going into it in great detail now, I will write more on it in the near future, we are heading towards a state of being that is far more in tune with the nature of reality. We are living in a creative flux that has no limits at all. As we open to this limitless state, we start to see how fluid creation is. We start to experience capacities we never knew we had. Some will experience more than others will at first. Just as some have certain talents that others don't seem to possess. In time, we will all develop these capacities because they will become the norm.I have been very fortunate in this lifetime to have had many such wonderful experiences. These experiences in themselves are not what is important, but what they point to, hint at, is very important. It has shown me that we are far more than we ever thought we were. Also, that life is magical, wondrous, and completely creative. We start to see that time and space and all creation are just an expression of what we are. The idea of death becomes so silly that we no longer fear it. Even a state of no experience at all is far more alive than any ego dream of life after death. We see that cause and effect are just part of this flux of creativity and that we as Awareness are beyond it all.
We cannot be unaware. The ego mind can be lost in its dreams and seem to be unaware but that is not true Awareness. Awareness canot be anything other than what it is, and it is eternal. When we are just simply aware to the point of not identifying with anything, but just simple seeing, then we are no longer in ego. We are in Awareness, as Awareness. In that state there is poise, joy and creativity with out any need to express.Far from the end of the ego being death, it is Life in It's fullness. Open to Life and find the Freedom you have always been.
Melvyn Wartella
If one really sees what the ego is, then they will also see that it has never been a reality. Therefore, the only thing in ones life that will change is the perspective of the mind free of ego. This is a major shift in how we perceive reality. When the ego is not demanding attention and distorting everything we think, then the mind is free to truly be creative. It is not limited to what has been, to its history, it prejudices, and its fears. It raises ones intelligence to a much higher level. Not that the brain is somehow more powerful than before but it is free of seeing through the limits of ego insecurity. The mind is wide open and honest with itself. In that openness, it is free to think in ways it could not imagine in the past.When the ego is out of the way, seen through, the heart is also wide open. It no longer sees any one or thing as being outside of what it is. The capacity to love becomes much more powerful and goes to a far deeper level. With that love, it is also far more compassionate and can have great empathy with all other expressions of it's Being. One finds it impossible to hate. We see through hate for what it is, a distorted view of reality, an ego game. Far from losing the personality when the ego is not there, it becomes a real expression of the true individual, the undivided Being.
In the freedom from ego, one finds peace in not having to be anything or anyone. Yet, we are more than we have ever imagined without any effort or game playing. We no longer feel we have to do this or that to be accepted by our society or ourselves. Just simply being what we are in complete honesty is more than we could have ever wanted. This doesn't all come about in one day. We have developed many habits for millennia that must be allowed to die away of there own accord. If we try to push them away, we just give them strength and they will continue playing themselves out. If we are just aware of them as they take place and don't judge them, they will just fade away.
The old self would deny all the negative things in our lives to try to keep the dream a happy one and to feel secure. The new being welcomes anything that brings out the seeming negative waste of the past so we can see it clearly and go beyond it. We can find ourselves acting out old stories and reacting to things as a habit of the old self. We may even seem to be lost back in ego again but we can never really be lost again. We just need to see where that reaction is coming from and let it go.
It is very helpful if you have friends who are going through the same awakening you are to help keep one another reminded of what is real. Good spiritual company is wonderful and so helpful.Awakening to what we are beyond the ego is also an acceleration in the evolution of the human species. We are being held back by the past as ego. It, the ego, has been an invisible wall that keeps us from going beyond our primitive past. Without the ego, we can be more open to the new. We also get away from the constant need for security of this dream called ego.Without going into it in great detail now, I will write more on it in the near future, we are heading towards a state of being that is far more in tune with the nature of reality. We are living in a creative flux that has no limits at all. As we open to this limitless state, we start to see how fluid creation is. We start to experience capacities we never knew we had. Some will experience more than others will at first. Just as some have certain talents that others don't seem to possess. In time, we will all develop these capacities because they will become the norm.I have been very fortunate in this lifetime to have had many such wonderful experiences. These experiences in themselves are not what is important, but what they point to, hint at, is very important. It has shown me that we are far more than we ever thought we were. Also, that life is magical, wondrous, and completely creative. We start to see that time and space and all creation are just an expression of what we are. The idea of death becomes so silly that we no longer fear it. Even a state of no experience at all is far more alive than any ego dream of life after death. We see that cause and effect are just part of this flux of creativity and that we as Awareness are beyond it all.
We cannot be unaware. The ego mind can be lost in its dreams and seem to be unaware but that is not true Awareness. Awareness canot be anything other than what it is, and it is eternal. When we are just simply aware to the point of not identifying with anything, but just simple seeing, then we are no longer in ego. We are in Awareness, as Awareness. In that state there is poise, joy and creativity with out any need to express.Far from the end of the ego being death, it is Life in It's fullness. Open to Life and find the Freedom you have always been.
Melvyn Wartella
The Path by Ram Tzu...
You think of the Path
As a long arduous climb
Up the mountain.
You concede there may be
Many paths
But you're sure
All have the same
Exalted goal.
Ram Tzu knows this...
There ARE many Paths.
Like streams
They flow effortlessly
(though not necessarily painlessly)
Down the mountain.
All disappear
Into the desert sands below
As a long arduous climb
Up the mountain.
You concede there may be
Many paths
But you're sure
All have the same
Exalted goal.
Ram Tzu knows this...
There ARE many Paths.
Like streams
They flow effortlessly
(though not necessarily painlessly)
Down the mountain.
All disappear
Into the desert sands below
Understanding What Is... by Gary Crowley...
Enlightenment is devastatingly simple. Although questions
regarding enlightenment often become complicated, the answer
always remains simple: enlightenment is the direct result
of freedom from the illusion of a separate self. A profound
understanding of this ultimate simplicity provides all that is
required for an awakening to enlightenment.
Enlightenment is what we are. There is nothing to
gain, only its recognition. Enlightenment’s simplicity has been
expressed in many ways:
I am, but there is no ‘me.’ Wei Wu Wei
You are the perceiving, not the perceiver. Ch’an
You are looking for what is looking. St. Francis of Assisi
That which is seeking, is the sought. Buddhic Scripture
The above quotations all express enlightenment’s
simplicity. The possible examples are endless; I just happen to
like those that do it in seven words. As you will soon discover,
understanding the essence of these statements is all that is
required for the spiritual seeker because you are always already
enlightened.
Your illusionary self is never the same once it is seen
through. After decades of spiritual seeking, I read one footnote by
Wei Wu Wei that changed everything:
Free, we are not the number One, the first of all our objects,
but Zero – their universal and Absolute Subject.1
This footnote caused a shift in orientation that cannot be shifted
back. It was devastatingly simple and understanding was the only
requirement.
Understanding is recognition, clear seeing. It is not the
same as knowledge. In daily life, the words "understanding" and
"knowledge" are often used interchangeably, but throughout this
book "understanding" refers to a direct recognition of what is.
We all can think of times when we had knowledge of something
in our head, but it was not integrated, and therefore, was only a
theoretical notion. As a child you may have been given knowledge
that fire was hot, but until you ran your hand over a flame, no
true understanding could exist. Now, whenever you see a fire, an
understanding occurs, a direct recognition that fire is hot, without
any need for abstract concepts about what is.
Without understanding, enlightenment’s simplicity is
missed. With understanding, enlightenment’s simplicity cannot
be ignored. The poet Rumi expressed this sentiment as:
I lived on the lip,
of insanity, wanting to know reasons,
knocking on a door. It opens.
I’ve been knocking from the inside!
Awakening to enlightenment is a journey from here to
here, not from here to there. There is nowhere to go and nothing
to be attained. Enlightenment is simply an awakening to what has
always been the case. There is only the seeing through of our own
ignorance. The journey becomes a circle because it finishes where
it started, but at the finish, one experiences the same world from an
entirely different perspective. As a result, your case of mistaken
identity effortlessly dissolves.
The release of an illusionary separate self occurs
effortlessly through understanding what was never really there.
The false self, though not ultimately real, is thereby devastated.
its wake remains only what we are, which is enlightenment.
What if awakening to enlightenment requires only
understanding? What if this understanding causes the release of
an illusionary self, something you never even were? Would you
be willing to let go of something you never were if it allowed an
awakening to enlightenment?
The masterpiece of enlightenment is already here. There is
only the awakening to it. Innumerable masters have affirmed it is
so. Upon awakening, one sage purportedly exclaimed, "Is that all
it is?" He then laughed and went about his daily business.
Seeking enlightenment is like searching for a pair of
glasses that are perched on top of your head. All efforts to find the
glasses are seen as ridiculous once one understands the situation.
How humorous it is to discover what was there all along!
What if the only complicated thing about enlightenment
was noticing what had been there all along? How could one not be
amused after all the searching? Perhaps, laughter will result when
you realize that enlightenment has been "perched upon your head"
all this time, patiently waiting to be discovered.
Everything is completely different, yet everything
is exactly as it was before. The difference is orientation.
Understanding allows a different way of seeing what already is.
The required understanding is ultimately very simple, but
unraveling your case of mistaken identity still requires precision.
Human beings have an uncanny knack for self-deception when
it comes to discovering their own essence. Ironically, spiritual
seekers seem naturally conditioned to look in the direction
opposite from where their awakening lies.
Like a child chasing the end of a rainbow, most spiritual
seekers are forever almost there because they chase an illusion that
will always remain just out of reach. With understanding, chasing
the illusion ends as you realize that what you have been looking
for is already right here, right now. This is why only a clear and
unambiguous understanding of your illusion will steer you through
self-deception and into an awakening to enlightenment.
Enlightenment may well be in an entirely different
orientation from where you’ve been searching. All your efforts
until now may have been like pulling on a door that needs only to
be pushed for it to open. Once again, such situations are usually
met with a chuckle when understanding finally occurs. Please
remember this as you read the chapters that follow.
Enlightenment is readily available for those with the ability
to face what is. This book attempts to clearly and concisely assist
in this endeavor by wholly uprooting the cause of your suffering.
Be forewarned: once the roots of suffering have been exposed,
they are forever changed.
Suffering results from maintaining the most prized of all
possessions, an illusionary self. The illusionary self is the ransom
that must be paid by the spiritual seeker. When the arrow of
understanding hits its mark, your illusionary self is its casualty. If
this does not sound like an appealing proposition, then this book is
not for you. However, if this description sounds intriguing, then
let us begin the journey from "here to here."...........from the book "from here to here" by Gary Crowley
regarding enlightenment often become complicated, the answer
always remains simple: enlightenment is the direct result
of freedom from the illusion of a separate self. A profound
understanding of this ultimate simplicity provides all that is
required for an awakening to enlightenment.
Enlightenment is what we are. There is nothing to
gain, only its recognition. Enlightenment’s simplicity has been
expressed in many ways:
I am, but there is no ‘me.’ Wei Wu Wei
You are the perceiving, not the perceiver. Ch’an
You are looking for what is looking. St. Francis of Assisi
That which is seeking, is the sought. Buddhic Scripture
The above quotations all express enlightenment’s
simplicity. The possible examples are endless; I just happen to
like those that do it in seven words. As you will soon discover,
understanding the essence of these statements is all that is
required for the spiritual seeker because you are always already
enlightened.
Your illusionary self is never the same once it is seen
through. After decades of spiritual seeking, I read one footnote by
Wei Wu Wei that changed everything:
Free, we are not the number One, the first of all our objects,
but Zero – their universal and Absolute Subject.1
This footnote caused a shift in orientation that cannot be shifted
back. It was devastatingly simple and understanding was the only
requirement.
Understanding is recognition, clear seeing. It is not the
same as knowledge. In daily life, the words "understanding" and
"knowledge" are often used interchangeably, but throughout this
book "understanding" refers to a direct recognition of what is.
We all can think of times when we had knowledge of something
in our head, but it was not integrated, and therefore, was only a
theoretical notion. As a child you may have been given knowledge
that fire was hot, but until you ran your hand over a flame, no
true understanding could exist. Now, whenever you see a fire, an
understanding occurs, a direct recognition that fire is hot, without
any need for abstract concepts about what is.
Without understanding, enlightenment’s simplicity is
missed. With understanding, enlightenment’s simplicity cannot
be ignored. The poet Rumi expressed this sentiment as:
I lived on the lip,
of insanity, wanting to know reasons,
knocking on a door. It opens.
I’ve been knocking from the inside!
Awakening to enlightenment is a journey from here to
here, not from here to there. There is nowhere to go and nothing
to be attained. Enlightenment is simply an awakening to what has
always been the case. There is only the seeing through of our own
ignorance. The journey becomes a circle because it finishes where
it started, but at the finish, one experiences the same world from an
entirely different perspective. As a result, your case of mistaken
identity effortlessly dissolves.
The release of an illusionary separate self occurs
effortlessly through understanding what was never really there.
The false self, though not ultimately real, is thereby devastated.
its wake remains only what we are, which is enlightenment.
What if awakening to enlightenment requires only
understanding? What if this understanding causes the release of
an illusionary self, something you never even were? Would you
be willing to let go of something you never were if it allowed an
awakening to enlightenment?
The masterpiece of enlightenment is already here. There is
only the awakening to it. Innumerable masters have affirmed it is
so. Upon awakening, one sage purportedly exclaimed, "Is that all
it is?" He then laughed and went about his daily business.
Seeking enlightenment is like searching for a pair of
glasses that are perched on top of your head. All efforts to find the
glasses are seen as ridiculous once one understands the situation.
How humorous it is to discover what was there all along!
What if the only complicated thing about enlightenment
was noticing what had been there all along? How could one not be
amused after all the searching? Perhaps, laughter will result when
you realize that enlightenment has been "perched upon your head"
all this time, patiently waiting to be discovered.
Everything is completely different, yet everything
is exactly as it was before. The difference is orientation.
Understanding allows a different way of seeing what already is.
The required understanding is ultimately very simple, but
unraveling your case of mistaken identity still requires precision.
Human beings have an uncanny knack for self-deception when
it comes to discovering their own essence. Ironically, spiritual
seekers seem naturally conditioned to look in the direction
opposite from where their awakening lies.
Like a child chasing the end of a rainbow, most spiritual
seekers are forever almost there because they chase an illusion that
will always remain just out of reach. With understanding, chasing
the illusion ends as you realize that what you have been looking
for is already right here, right now. This is why only a clear and
unambiguous understanding of your illusion will steer you through
self-deception and into an awakening to enlightenment.
Enlightenment may well be in an entirely different
orientation from where you’ve been searching. All your efforts
until now may have been like pulling on a door that needs only to
be pushed for it to open. Once again, such situations are usually
met with a chuckle when understanding finally occurs. Please
remember this as you read the chapters that follow.
Enlightenment is readily available for those with the ability
to face what is. This book attempts to clearly and concisely assist
in this endeavor by wholly uprooting the cause of your suffering.
Be forewarned: once the roots of suffering have been exposed,
they are forever changed.
Suffering results from maintaining the most prized of all
possessions, an illusionary self. The illusionary self is the ransom
that must be paid by the spiritual seeker. When the arrow of
understanding hits its mark, your illusionary self is its casualty. If
this does not sound like an appealing proposition, then this book is
not for you. However, if this description sounds intriguing, then
let us begin the journey from "here to here."...........from the book "from here to here" by Gary Crowley
Introduction To LIVING REALITY...
The literal definition of Advaita (pronounced “ad-vie-ta”) is “not two,” a technically preferable way of describing oneness because the term “oneness” implies the possibility of more than one. Nonetheless, the word “oneness” is commonly used to refer to the underlying or essential indivisibility, sameness, or unity of all manifestation that Advaita reveals. Scientifically, this oneness is seen in quantum mechanical physics, which shows that all matter can be broken down into smaller and smaller subatomic particles, which eventually can be seen to be composed of nothing more than light, or emptiness, or space. Truly, everything in manifestation is made up of one, and only one, essence.
Thus, there is actually objective proof that within our experience of life, which is tremendously varied and full of differences, there is an integrating element that is almost entirely being ignored. And that element is the sameness, or oneness, that is constantly present and makes all experience possible. It is called presence awareness (among many other names), and it is essentially the present moment—right here, right now. It is the “right here, right now” that has always been and will always be. It is the “right here, right now” that you experienced at age five and experience even as you read this page. And this sameness is what makes a sixty- or seventy-year-old feel no different inside than he or she did as a child. Presence awareness. It was present at birth; it is present at death. Right here, right now. Our one constant.
In early 2004, I had the great good fortune to pick up a book called What’s Wrong With Right Now Unless You Think About It? by an Australian teacher named Sailor Bob Adamson. Bob’s search ended in the mid-1970s when he studied with the great Hindu sage Nisargadatta Maharaj. He has been teaching non-duality ever since. As fate would have it, Bob and his wife came to America and stayed at our home for five weeks. During that time, he gave many wonderful talks and teachings, most of which are transcribed in this book.
For most seekers of enlightenment or liberation, the search is long and arduous with many twists and turns along the way. Finding truth is all the more challenging because there are so many varying viewpoints. People are different genetically, culturally, emotionally, and so on. There are paths for devotional types, intellectual types, mystical types, and so forth. What most paths and religions have in common is that they allow the disciple to seek without ever actually finding. This does not mean such paths are fruitless. It simply means that there is always more to chase and more to seek. There is always a bigger and better experience to be had. There is always a promise of a better future (even though life can only be lived in the present). And there is almost never a point where one stops to say, “Aha! The goal is reached. I have found. I am complete.” There is, of course, the rare case where that occurs, but it is sure to be the exception, not the rule. The few who claim to have found are nearly always the leaders, never the participants. This fact alone should give one pause.
In this regard, the teachings of non-duality are entirely unique. They are unique because they leave room only for finding and none for seeking! In Advaita, seeking is patently absurd because it implies a future time of finding. If all that exists is oneness, how can there be a past or future? Past and future are concepts in the mind, while the present moment—right here, right now—is all that truly is. If there is an opposite to Advaita, it is the act of seeking!
Advaita is based on understanding reality and existence from the broadest possible viewpoint. It is entirely unconcerned with practices, disciplines, rituals, and experiences. Seekers looking for self-development or for promises of a better future will not find them here. Non-duality rejects preferences and considers no experience, positive or negative, one iota better or worse than another.
For seekers who are ripe, non-duality brings ending upon ending, until only freedom remains. Once it is recognized that the reference point we live from, the “me,” is based on nothing more than a collection of thoughts and images, any sense of self-importance and individuality ends. Once the definition of reality is seen to be “that which never changes,” the illusory nature of our “apparent” creation is exposed. As soon as the essential oneness of existence is understood, the pervasive sense of separation gained in early childhood—when a so-called “individual” identity was created—cannot continue to exist. It simply disappears. Once it is realized that the present moment, right here, right now, is all that ever has been and all that ever will be, the senseless behavior of thinking about the past and worrying about the future utterly ceases. When we see clearly that who we are is actually “no thing”—non-conceptual, ever present, self-shining, just this and nothing else, as Sailor Bob puts it—any trying to change, fix, modify, or correct ourselves becomes pointless. One’s sense of “becoming” immediately drops away. When it is understood that everything in creation is, in essence, actually one (because everything in creation is comprised of the same underlying consciousness), it becomes obvious that all reference points are false. When it is seen that all reference points are false, judging any experience or any person as good or bad, or right or wrong becomes ludicrous. Everything that occurs is seen simply as “what is.” Once all experience is seen as “what is,” the perpetual habit of craving pleasure and resisting pain is over. Thus, for the ripe seeker, Advaita is the endgame of a search that previously appeared to have no resolution. Let me repeat that: for the ripe seeker, non-duality is the endgame of a search that previously appeared to have no resolution.........
JAMESBRAHA.COM
Thus, there is actually objective proof that within our experience of life, which is tremendously varied and full of differences, there is an integrating element that is almost entirely being ignored. And that element is the sameness, or oneness, that is constantly present and makes all experience possible. It is called presence awareness (among many other names), and it is essentially the present moment—right here, right now. It is the “right here, right now” that has always been and will always be. It is the “right here, right now” that you experienced at age five and experience even as you read this page. And this sameness is what makes a sixty- or seventy-year-old feel no different inside than he or she did as a child. Presence awareness. It was present at birth; it is present at death. Right here, right now. Our one constant.
In early 2004, I had the great good fortune to pick up a book called What’s Wrong With Right Now Unless You Think About It? by an Australian teacher named Sailor Bob Adamson. Bob’s search ended in the mid-1970s when he studied with the great Hindu sage Nisargadatta Maharaj. He has been teaching non-duality ever since. As fate would have it, Bob and his wife came to America and stayed at our home for five weeks. During that time, he gave many wonderful talks and teachings, most of which are transcribed in this book.
For most seekers of enlightenment or liberation, the search is long and arduous with many twists and turns along the way. Finding truth is all the more challenging because there are so many varying viewpoints. People are different genetically, culturally, emotionally, and so on. There are paths for devotional types, intellectual types, mystical types, and so forth. What most paths and religions have in common is that they allow the disciple to seek without ever actually finding. This does not mean such paths are fruitless. It simply means that there is always more to chase and more to seek. There is always a bigger and better experience to be had. There is always a promise of a better future (even though life can only be lived in the present). And there is almost never a point where one stops to say, “Aha! The goal is reached. I have found. I am complete.” There is, of course, the rare case where that occurs, but it is sure to be the exception, not the rule. The few who claim to have found are nearly always the leaders, never the participants. This fact alone should give one pause.
In this regard, the teachings of non-duality are entirely unique. They are unique because they leave room only for finding and none for seeking! In Advaita, seeking is patently absurd because it implies a future time of finding. If all that exists is oneness, how can there be a past or future? Past and future are concepts in the mind, while the present moment—right here, right now—is all that truly is. If there is an opposite to Advaita, it is the act of seeking!
Advaita is based on understanding reality and existence from the broadest possible viewpoint. It is entirely unconcerned with practices, disciplines, rituals, and experiences. Seekers looking for self-development or for promises of a better future will not find them here. Non-duality rejects preferences and considers no experience, positive or negative, one iota better or worse than another.
For seekers who are ripe, non-duality brings ending upon ending, until only freedom remains. Once it is recognized that the reference point we live from, the “me,” is based on nothing more than a collection of thoughts and images, any sense of self-importance and individuality ends. Once the definition of reality is seen to be “that which never changes,” the illusory nature of our “apparent” creation is exposed. As soon as the essential oneness of existence is understood, the pervasive sense of separation gained in early childhood—when a so-called “individual” identity was created—cannot continue to exist. It simply disappears. Once it is realized that the present moment, right here, right now, is all that ever has been and all that ever will be, the senseless behavior of thinking about the past and worrying about the future utterly ceases. When we see clearly that who we are is actually “no thing”—non-conceptual, ever present, self-shining, just this and nothing else, as Sailor Bob puts it—any trying to change, fix, modify, or correct ourselves becomes pointless. One’s sense of “becoming” immediately drops away. When it is understood that everything in creation is, in essence, actually one (because everything in creation is comprised of the same underlying consciousness), it becomes obvious that all reference points are false. When it is seen that all reference points are false, judging any experience or any person as good or bad, or right or wrong becomes ludicrous. Everything that occurs is seen simply as “what is.” Once all experience is seen as “what is,” the perpetual habit of craving pleasure and resisting pain is over. Thus, for the ripe seeker, Advaita is the endgame of a search that previously appeared to have no resolution. Let me repeat that: for the ripe seeker, non-duality is the endgame of a search that previously appeared to have no resolution.........
JAMESBRAHA.COM
The Final Resolution..
Enlightenment is beyond self-improvement and spiritual seeking. It is the final resolution of a case of mistaken identity. It is the direct recognition of your eternal nature and the seeing through of who you have falsely believed yourself to be.
Awakening to enlightenment is not for the faint of heart.........GaryCrowley, author of "from here to here"...
Awakening to enlightenment is not for the faint of heart.........GaryCrowley, author of "from here to here"...
Real Bliss...
Real bliss is the absence of the wanting of
bliss. The enlightenment state is not wanting
either bliss or anything else.
- Ramesh S. Balsekar
bliss. The enlightenment state is not wanting
either bliss or anything else.
- Ramesh S. Balsekar
The Desire to Awaken...
You are already free. You are pure, uninterrupted consciousness. Somehow in the play of yourself, of consciousness itself, there has been a veiling of the inherent truth of freedom. Consciousness somehow hides from itself and pretends it is lost. In a certain moment of the play, there arises the desire to end the game of hiding and begin being eternally found. The desire to be found is the desire to awaken in the dream...
- Gangaji
- Gangaji
Ram Tzu knows this...
You are caught
In a web of beliefs.
You spin them from
Your own abdomen
They are made from
The substance of your self.
You believe in
Your own power.
You consider yourself
The Source.
Even though
When under duress
You pay lip service
To an all powerful God.
You believe in
The supremacy of technique.
You are convinced that if
You can but manage...
Your mind
Your money
Your breath
Your energy
Your body
Your faith
Your relationships
Your prayers
You will unlock the door
To peace, happiness and contentment.
Guess again.
In a web of beliefs.
You spin them from
Your own abdomen
They are made from
The substance of your self.
You believe in
Your own power.
You consider yourself
The Source.
Even though
When under duress
You pay lip service
To an all powerful God.
You believe in
The supremacy of technique.
You are convinced that if
You can but manage...
Your mind
Your money
Your breath
Your energy
Your body
Your faith
Your relationships
Your prayers
You will unlock the door
To peace, happiness and contentment.
Guess again.
Happy...
Happy is that soul, which heareth the Lord speaking within her, and from His mouth receiveth the word of comfort.
Happy ears, which receive the strains of the divine whisper, and take no notice of the whisperings of the world .
Happy ears indeed, which hearken to truth itself teaching within, and not to the voice which soundeth without.
Happy eyes, which are shut to outward things, but are attentive to things interior.
Happy they, who penetrate into internal things, and endeavour to prepare themselves more and more by daily exercises for attaining to heavenly secrets............ Saint Thomas a Kempis
Happy ears, which receive the strains of the divine whisper, and take no notice of the whisperings of the world .
Happy ears indeed, which hearken to truth itself teaching within, and not to the voice which soundeth without.
Happy eyes, which are shut to outward things, but are attentive to things interior.
Happy they, who penetrate into internal things, and endeavour to prepare themselves more and more by daily exercises for attaining to heavenly secrets............ Saint Thomas a Kempis
A Mirror...
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
--Carl Jung
--Carl Jung
Practice Awareness...
Be conscious of yourself, watch your mind, give
it your full attention. Don't look for quick results,
there may be none within your noticing. Unknown
to you, your psyche will undergo a change, there will
be more clarity in your thinking and feeling, purity
in your behaviour. You need not aim at these - you
will witness the change all the same.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
it your full attention. Don't look for quick results,
there may be none within your noticing. Unknown
to you, your psyche will undergo a change, there will
be more clarity in your thinking and feeling, purity
in your behaviour. You need not aim at these - you
will witness the change all the same.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
The Ultimate Teacher...
Your own self is your ultimate teacher (sadguru).
The outer teacher (Guru) is merely a milestone.
It is only your inner teacher that will walk with
you to the goal, for he is the goal.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
The outer teacher (Guru) is merely a milestone.
It is only your inner teacher that will walk with
you to the goal, for he is the goal.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
Real is Unchangeable...
Nothing ever happened or ever will. You
have always been perfect Love and Peace.
What changes is not real and what is Real
cannot change. You are that Secret, that
Purity beyond change and description, but
if you touch the "I" you become polluted with
pride. The "I" rising from the effort of ego is
not the real "I." The real "I" knows that every-
thing is my reflection-projection. Simply
knowing "I AM I AM" is effortlessness, is
meditation, and is Sahaja, the natural state
of Being.
- Papaji
have always been perfect Love and Peace.
What changes is not real and what is Real
cannot change. You are that Secret, that
Purity beyond change and description, but
if you touch the "I" you become polluted with
pride. The "I" rising from the effort of ego is
not the real "I." The real "I" knows that every-
thing is my reflection-projection. Simply
knowing "I AM I AM" is effortlessness, is
meditation, and is Sahaja, the natural state
of Being.
- Papaji
Falsehood...
Since the shining truth is a cause of tranquility,
the heart will not be calmed by lying words.
Falsehood is like a piece of straw, and the heart like a mouth:
a straw never remains quietly hidden in the mouth.
As long as it's there, the one annoyed by it keeps moving his tongue,
so that he may rid his mouth of it.
- Rumi
the heart will not be calmed by lying words.
Falsehood is like a piece of straw, and the heart like a mouth:
a straw never remains quietly hidden in the mouth.
As long as it's there, the one annoyed by it keeps moving his tongue,
so that he may rid his mouth of it.
- Rumi
What is Joy ?...
Can you imagine if you loved all humans with the same intensity that you loved
your first born child.. this is the secret of the Saints.. They lived in the
energy of Love for all humans with this same intensity.. therefore, they lived
in a state of Joy.. because, they lived in the joy of Love.. Love is what every
human seeks.. It is a joy beyond comparison.. because Love is God.. You become
this energy called Love, you become yourself.. you leave this illusion of life
and reenter Reality.. you have become Free in life and in LIFE.. This is
Reality, This is You..........namaste, thomas
your first born child.. this is the secret of the Saints.. They lived in the
energy of Love for all humans with this same intensity.. therefore, they lived
in a state of Joy.. because, they lived in the joy of Love.. Love is what every
human seeks.. It is a joy beyond comparison.. because Love is God.. You become
this energy called Love, you become yourself.. you leave this illusion of life
and reenter Reality.. you have become Free in life and in LIFE.. This is
Reality, This is You..........namaste, thomas
Who is Ram Tzu ?...
ram tzu really does not exist , this is a false
name for an author that is trying to use humor and a certain amount
of pushing, to get you to know yourself.. He pushes harder than most
teachers because, he wants you to attain Freedom faster than the
teachers that teach with a silk glove.. If you are advanced in
spiritual knowledge , you may have a chance to attain Enlightenment
on your own but, the Knowledge of others that have traveled this
path before you can help you to shorten the path.. The I Am is of
course the name for God and is also our name.. If you can surrender
the false ego, then you will Know I AM.. If you cannot.. then you
will only know i.. the self that the author is speaking of is both
self (ego) and Self(God).. you must have the deeper Knowledge to know
the difference.. He uses humor to exhibit the point of destroying the
ego.. remember, he does not exist, he is speaking as the thoughts of
your own mind.............namaste, thomas
name for an author that is trying to use humor and a certain amount
of pushing, to get you to know yourself.. He pushes harder than most
teachers because, he wants you to attain Freedom faster than the
teachers that teach with a silk glove.. If you are advanced in
spiritual knowledge , you may have a chance to attain Enlightenment
on your own but, the Knowledge of others that have traveled this
path before you can help you to shorten the path.. The I Am is of
course the name for God and is also our name.. If you can surrender
the false ego, then you will Know I AM.. If you cannot.. then you
will only know i.. the self that the author is speaking of is both
self (ego) and Self(God).. you must have the deeper Knowledge to know
the difference.. He uses humor to exhibit the point of destroying the
ego.. remember, he does not exist, he is speaking as the thoughts of
your own mind.............namaste, thomas
Zen Poem...
Clambering up the Cold Mountain path,
The Cold Mountain trail goes on and on:
The long gorge choked with scree and boulders,
The wide creek, the mist-blurred grass.
The moss is slippery, though there's been no rain
The pine sings, but there's no wind.
Who can leap the world's ties
And sit with me among the white clouds?........by Han-shan (Cold Mountain)
(730? - 850?)
The Cold Mountain trail goes on and on:
The long gorge choked with scree and boulders,
The wide creek, the mist-blurred grass.
The moss is slippery, though there's been no rain
The pine sings, but there's no wind.
Who can leap the world's ties
And sit with me among the white clouds?........by Han-shan (Cold Mountain)
(730? - 850?)
The Spiritual Humorist...
Wayne Liquorman is a teacher in the Advaita nondualist tradition of Ramesh S.
Balsekar, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Ramana Maharshi.
Ram Tzu is his poetic alter-ego (alter non-ego?). Liquorman says he published
his poetry under the pen name Ram Tzu because he "didn't want a bunch of
miserable seekers cluttering up his living room."
His poetry often reveals an iconoclastic sense of humor and sarcasm similar to
Han Shan and some of the Zen rascals.
"For Ram Tzu, only Nothing is truly sacred."
Balsekar, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Ramana Maharshi.
Ram Tzu is his poetic alter-ego (alter non-ego?). Liquorman says he published
his poetry under the pen name Ram Tzu because he "didn't want a bunch of
miserable seekers cluttering up his living room."
His poetry often reveals an iconoclastic sense of humor and sarcasm similar to
Han Shan and some of the Zen rascals.
"For Ram Tzu, only Nothing is truly sacred."
Destroying "you"...
Ram Tzu loves you...
So he is out to destroy you.
He knows you are your own
Worst enemy
So to destroy you
Is to save you.
Your ego must be smashed
Or you will surely die.
Yet words are like
Sledge hammers with greased handles.
They're difficult to guide
To their target,
Dangerous,
Liable to hit anything.
Ram Tzu loves you.
You can trust him.
Just put your head right here.
That's it.
Nothing to worry about...
Why do you hesitate?
So he is out to destroy you.
He knows you are your own
Worst enemy
So to destroy you
Is to save you.
Your ego must be smashed
Or you will surely die.
Yet words are like
Sledge hammers with greased handles.
They're difficult to guide
To their target,
Dangerous,
Liable to hit anything.
Ram Tzu loves you.
You can trust him.
Just put your head right here.
That's it.
Nothing to worry about...
Why do you hesitate?
Disease...
The original definition of the word "disease" is lack of ease, discomfort,
uneasiness, trouble, disquiet, annoyance, injury.
Disease, is an image of thought externalized. The mental state is
called a material state. Whatever is held in the subconscious
mind as the physical condition is imaged forth on the body. This
also applies to heat, cold, hunger, poverty, or any form of
discord, all of which are mental, though the human mind regards
them as material states. It can therefore be easily seen how the
law of God, which is mental, can be applied to a physical
problem. In reality the problem is not physical, but purely
mental, and is the direct result of some thought cherished in the
human mind, impressed on the subconscious, and then
externalized...........from selfimprovement books.com
uneasiness, trouble, disquiet, annoyance, injury.
Disease, is an image of thought externalized. The mental state is
called a material state. Whatever is held in the subconscious
mind as the physical condition is imaged forth on the body. This
also applies to heat, cold, hunger, poverty, or any form of
discord, all of which are mental, though the human mind regards
them as material states. It can therefore be easily seen how the
law of God, which is mental, can be applied to a physical
problem. In reality the problem is not physical, but purely
mental, and is the direct result of some thought cherished in the
human mind, impressed on the subconscious, and then
externalized...........from selfimprovement books.com
Amazement...
"Do not go ungrateful into your everlasting bliss, but let your gratitude
surface with your mounting amazement that anything at all exists and that only
the first person singular present tense is really and truly awake and is none
other than the LOVE that makes the world go round and leaves no-one whatever
out."
Douglas Harding
On the occasion of his ninety-seventh birthday last year...
surface with your mounting amazement that anything at all exists and that only
the first person singular present tense is really and truly awake and is none
other than the LOVE that makes the world go round and leaves no-one whatever
out."
Douglas Harding
On the occasion of his ninety-seventh birthday last year...
Realization...
Realization is nothing to be gained afresh; it is already
there. All that is necessary is to get rid of the thought 'I
have not realized'.
Stillness or peace is realization. There is no moment
when the Self is not. So long as there is doubt or the feeling
of non-realization, the attempt should be made to rid oneself
of these thoughts. They are due to the identification of the
Self with the not-Self. When the not-Self disappears, the
Self alone remains. To make room, it is enough that objects
be removed. Room is not brought in from elsewhere.
- Sri Ramana Maharshi
there. All that is necessary is to get rid of the thought 'I
have not realized'.
Stillness or peace is realization. There is no moment
when the Self is not. So long as there is doubt or the feeling
of non-realization, the attempt should be made to rid oneself
of these thoughts. They are due to the identification of the
Self with the not-Self. When the not-Self disappears, the
Self alone remains. To make room, it is enough that objects
be removed. Room is not brought in from elsewhere.
- Sri Ramana Maharshi
Enlightenment...
Realizing one's true nature requires no
phenomenal efforts. Enlightenment cannot
be attained or forced; it can only happen.
So long as there is a pseudo-entity
considering itself a seeker working toward
enlightenment, for just so long will
enlightenment be prevented from happening.
- Ramesh S. Balsekar
phenomenal efforts. Enlightenment cannot
be attained or forced; it can only happen.
So long as there is a pseudo-entity
considering itself a seeker working toward
enlightenment, for just so long will
enlightenment be prevented from happening.
- Ramesh S. Balsekar
Waking up from the dream ...
To know itself the self must be faced with its
opposite - the not-self. Desire leads to
experience. Experience leads to discrimination,
detachment, self-knowledge - liberation. And
what is liberation after all? To know that you
are beyond birth and death. By forgetting who
you are and imagining yourself a mortal
creature, you created so much trouble for
yourself that you have to wake up, like from a
bad dream.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
opposite - the not-self. Desire leads to
experience. Experience leads to discrimination,
detachment, self-knowledge - liberation. And
what is liberation after all? To know that you
are beyond birth and death. By forgetting who
you are and imagining yourself a mortal
creature, you created so much trouble for
yourself that you have to wake up, like from a
bad dream.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
Krishnamurti on Solitude...
Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was a unique figure in twentieth century thought. Born in India and educated in England, Krishnamurti reflects a confluence of Eastern and Western thinking unmatched by any similar contemporary except, perhaps, Gandhi.
Krishnamurti's Western style is evidenced in his tightly organized prose, which relentlessly pursues a given theme or topic. At times he is Socratic in his push for clarity and sometimes he is a rationalist in his Cartesian doubt and his analytical frame of mind.
But Krishnamurti is also, as an Eastern thinker, aware of a tradition of spirituality not dependent on a given system or religion. This perennial thinking underlies much of his work. Krishnamurti's concepts of consciousness, mind, emptiness, and the unmasking of culture and institutions are all strenghthened by the insights of the East. The medley of Western methodology and Eastern wisdom is felicitous and rewarding.
Within Krishnamurti's thought, solitude has its place as a methodological tool. Here he anticipates Western psychology while borrowing from Eastern tradition. We know that solitude has little place in the historical philosophy of the West, except among mystics. But Krishnamurti "rescues" solitude from mysticism and makes solitude available to all. Of course, he has seen its efficacy in Eastern traditions, but here there is little trace of solitude as strictly Eastern. This is notable because Krishnamurti is developing these themes as early as the 1930's, before Western audiences, when Westerners still knew little about Eastern thought and even less were they applying it to philosophy.
We can follow Krishnamurti's train of thought concerning solitude by beginning with what he calls "sensitivity." In Life Ahead1, Krishnamurti explains the context.
Sensitivity means being sensitive to everything around one -- to the plants, the animals, the trees, the skies, the waters of the river, the bird on the wing; and also the moods of the people around one, and to the stranger who passes by. This sensitivity brings about the quality of uncalculated, unselfish, response, which is true moraliity and conduct.
Buddhist tradition has identified this virtue as compassion, the origin of which is in mindfulness. Krishnamurti points to it as a methodology for dispelling the arbitrariness of culture and authority. Other traditions will root this virtue in metaphysics or define it as the essence of morality. But from the point of view of Krishnamurti's philosophy and psychology -- not Western but not merely Eastern, either -- mindfulness or sensitivity is a prerequisite to knowledge of self.
For the total development of the human being, solitude as a means of cultivating sensitivity becomes a necessity. One has to know what it is to be alone, what it is to meditate, what it is to die; and the implications of solitude, of meditation, of death, can be known only by seeking them out.
Krishnamurti points out not only the path of solitude as a necessity to enlightenment but also the necessity of experience rather than ritual or doctrine external to oneself. How much solitude? How much meditation? That is exactly for the individual to discover, not awating authority to sanction it or persuade the individual to pursue it.
Solitude cannot be brought about by instruction, or urged by the external authority of tradition, or induced by the influence of those who want to sit quietly but are incapable of being alone. Solitude helps the mind to see itself clearly, as in a mirror, and to free itself from the vain endeavor of ambition with all its complexities, fears, and frustrations, which are the outcome of self-centered activity.
This freedom from personal vanities cultivates a better self, a universal self. One need not be a moralist to witness the fuller humanity that unfolds in such a process. It has great fruits for the individual returning to society.
Solitude gives to the mind a stability, a constancy, which is not to be measured in terms of time. Such clarity of mind is character. The lack of character is the state of self-contradiction.
Krishnamurti is not proposing solitude for hermits and solitaries. He is proposing solitude as a method, for everyone. The result of this process is "character," or integrity, the very heart of the person, especially in a social setting. He is distinguishing solitude from isolation and from what he calls the "cultivation of detachment," (as in, presumably, Stoicism). Instead, Krishnamurti sees solitude as aloneness, but aloneness as that condition distinct from and separate from culture. We may call it alienation in existential terms, but it means separation from the social contrivances and accretions of oppressive culture around us. If we can rid ourselves of all that is merely dependent on culture, says Krishnamurti, we can become alone, yes, but also free.
You are never alone because you are full of all the memories, all the conditioning, all the mutterings of yesterday; your mind is never clear of all the rubbish it has accumulated. To be alone you must die to the past. When you are alone, totally alone, not belonging to any family, any nation, any culture, any particular continent, there is the sense of being an outsider.2
The word "outsider" is reminniscent of Albert Camus' L'estranger, the novel sometimes translated as "outsider" or "stranger." This status is alienation from culture that is not (yet) at a fruitful stage. (This is also reminniscent of Thomas Merton's use of existentialism in his Notes Towards a Philosophy of Solitude). For Krishnamurti such a person would achieve "innocence," which is the beginning of a mind "free from sorrow."
We carry about us the burden of what thousands of people have said and the memories of all our misfortunes. To abandon all that is to be alone, and the mind that is alone is not only innocent but young -- not in time or age, but young, innocent, alive at whatever age -- and only such a mind can see that which is truth and that which is not measurable by words.
Krishnamurti wants the individual to open the mind to the true nature of itself and the universe, and to use solitude to begin to accomplish the task of self-knowledge. While his concept of solitude appears utilitarian, Krishnamurti wisely sees that everyone -- hermit or civil servant -- has the task of discovering their true nature, and will benefit from the practice of solitude. For in this sense of aloneness, we disclose the essential, and the universe itself discloses it to us at every moment.
In a late journal entry, Krishnamurti wrote:
It is good to be alone. To be far away from the world and yet walk its streets is to be alone. To be alone walking up the path beside the rushing, noisy mountain stream full of spring water and melting snows is to be aware of the solitary tree, alone in its beauty. The loneliness of a man in the street is the pain of life; he's never alone, far away, untouched and vulnerable ............www.hermitary.com/
Krishnamurti's Western style is evidenced in his tightly organized prose, which relentlessly pursues a given theme or topic. At times he is Socratic in his push for clarity and sometimes he is a rationalist in his Cartesian doubt and his analytical frame of mind.
But Krishnamurti is also, as an Eastern thinker, aware of a tradition of spirituality not dependent on a given system or religion. This perennial thinking underlies much of his work. Krishnamurti's concepts of consciousness, mind, emptiness, and the unmasking of culture and institutions are all strenghthened by the insights of the East. The medley of Western methodology and Eastern wisdom is felicitous and rewarding.
Within Krishnamurti's thought, solitude has its place as a methodological tool. Here he anticipates Western psychology while borrowing from Eastern tradition. We know that solitude has little place in the historical philosophy of the West, except among mystics. But Krishnamurti "rescues" solitude from mysticism and makes solitude available to all. Of course, he has seen its efficacy in Eastern traditions, but here there is little trace of solitude as strictly Eastern. This is notable because Krishnamurti is developing these themes as early as the 1930's, before Western audiences, when Westerners still knew little about Eastern thought and even less were they applying it to philosophy.
We can follow Krishnamurti's train of thought concerning solitude by beginning with what he calls "sensitivity." In Life Ahead1, Krishnamurti explains the context.
Sensitivity means being sensitive to everything around one -- to the plants, the animals, the trees, the skies, the waters of the river, the bird on the wing; and also the moods of the people around one, and to the stranger who passes by. This sensitivity brings about the quality of uncalculated, unselfish, response, which is true moraliity and conduct.
Buddhist tradition has identified this virtue as compassion, the origin of which is in mindfulness. Krishnamurti points to it as a methodology for dispelling the arbitrariness of culture and authority. Other traditions will root this virtue in metaphysics or define it as the essence of morality. But from the point of view of Krishnamurti's philosophy and psychology -- not Western but not merely Eastern, either -- mindfulness or sensitivity is a prerequisite to knowledge of self.
For the total development of the human being, solitude as a means of cultivating sensitivity becomes a necessity. One has to know what it is to be alone, what it is to meditate, what it is to die; and the implications of solitude, of meditation, of death, can be known only by seeking them out.
Krishnamurti points out not only the path of solitude as a necessity to enlightenment but also the necessity of experience rather than ritual or doctrine external to oneself. How much solitude? How much meditation? That is exactly for the individual to discover, not awating authority to sanction it or persuade the individual to pursue it.
Solitude cannot be brought about by instruction, or urged by the external authority of tradition, or induced by the influence of those who want to sit quietly but are incapable of being alone. Solitude helps the mind to see itself clearly, as in a mirror, and to free itself from the vain endeavor of ambition with all its complexities, fears, and frustrations, which are the outcome of self-centered activity.
This freedom from personal vanities cultivates a better self, a universal self. One need not be a moralist to witness the fuller humanity that unfolds in such a process. It has great fruits for the individual returning to society.
Solitude gives to the mind a stability, a constancy, which is not to be measured in terms of time. Such clarity of mind is character. The lack of character is the state of self-contradiction.
Krishnamurti is not proposing solitude for hermits and solitaries. He is proposing solitude as a method, for everyone. The result of this process is "character," or integrity, the very heart of the person, especially in a social setting. He is distinguishing solitude from isolation and from what he calls the "cultivation of detachment," (as in, presumably, Stoicism). Instead, Krishnamurti sees solitude as aloneness, but aloneness as that condition distinct from and separate from culture. We may call it alienation in existential terms, but it means separation from the social contrivances and accretions of oppressive culture around us. If we can rid ourselves of all that is merely dependent on culture, says Krishnamurti, we can become alone, yes, but also free.
You are never alone because you are full of all the memories, all the conditioning, all the mutterings of yesterday; your mind is never clear of all the rubbish it has accumulated. To be alone you must die to the past. When you are alone, totally alone, not belonging to any family, any nation, any culture, any particular continent, there is the sense of being an outsider.2
The word "outsider" is reminniscent of Albert Camus' L'estranger, the novel sometimes translated as "outsider" or "stranger." This status is alienation from culture that is not (yet) at a fruitful stage. (This is also reminniscent of Thomas Merton's use of existentialism in his Notes Towards a Philosophy of Solitude). For Krishnamurti such a person would achieve "innocence," which is the beginning of a mind "free from sorrow."
We carry about us the burden of what thousands of people have said and the memories of all our misfortunes. To abandon all that is to be alone, and the mind that is alone is not only innocent but young -- not in time or age, but young, innocent, alive at whatever age -- and only such a mind can see that which is truth and that which is not measurable by words.
Krishnamurti wants the individual to open the mind to the true nature of itself and the universe, and to use solitude to begin to accomplish the task of self-knowledge. While his concept of solitude appears utilitarian, Krishnamurti wisely sees that everyone -- hermit or civil servant -- has the task of discovering their true nature, and will benefit from the practice of solitude. For in this sense of aloneness, we disclose the essential, and the universe itself discloses it to us at every moment.
In a late journal entry, Krishnamurti wrote:
It is good to be alone. To be far away from the world and yet walk its streets is to be alone. To be alone walking up the path beside the rushing, noisy mountain stream full of spring water and melting snows is to be aware of the solitary tree, alone in its beauty. The loneliness of a man in the street is the pain of life; he's never alone, far away, untouched and vulnerable ............www.hermitary.com/
Ram Tzu has some questions for you…
Just who do you think you are?
Are you other than God?
Are you separate from Me?
If so…
What are you made of?
Where did it come from?
Don't look to science to help you.
The physicists have all become mystics.
They're of no more use to you than is Ram Tzu.
If you're really clever you'll turn around
And walk away
Fast!
Hang around here and you're liable to lose
Everything you hold dear.
Go back to your church, your temple,
Your therapist, your drug dealer, your ashram.
There you may find a moment's peace.
You found it there once.
Here is only emptiness for you.
You'll find no food for your ego here.
What if your precious sense of self
Were to shrivel up and die?
Where would you be then?
What would happen?
Best not to risk it.
- Ram Tzu
Are you other than God?
Are you separate from Me?
If so…
What are you made of?
Where did it come from?
Don't look to science to help you.
The physicists have all become mystics.
They're of no more use to you than is Ram Tzu.
If you're really clever you'll turn around
And walk away
Fast!
Hang around here and you're liable to lose
Everything you hold dear.
Go back to your church, your temple,
Your therapist, your drug dealer, your ashram.
There you may find a moment's peace.
You found it there once.
Here is only emptiness for you.
You'll find no food for your ego here.
What if your precious sense of self
Were to shrivel up and die?
Where would you be then?
What would happen?
Best not to risk it.
- Ram Tzu
Perceiving is Receiving...
"You receive whatever you perceive. In esoteric teachings, _seeing_
something is the same thing as possessing that something. Awareness
of a new height automatically returns the profits of that new height."
Psycho-Pictography, p. 83.... Vernon Howard
something is the same thing as possessing that something. Awareness
of a new height automatically returns the profits of that new height."
Psycho-Pictography, p. 83.... Vernon Howard
"The Over-soul" is an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson, first published in 1841.
For Emerson the term denotes a supreme underlying unity which transcends duality or plurality, much in keeping with the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. This non-Abrahamic interpretation of Emerson's use of the term is further supported by the fact that Emerson's Journal records in 1845 that he was reading the Bhagavad Gita and Henry Thomas Colebrooke's Essays on the Vedas. [2] Emerson goes on in the same essay to further articulate his view of this dichotomy between phenomenal plurality and transcendental unity:
We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE. And this deep power in which we exist and whose beatitude is all accessible to us, is not only self-sufficing and perfect in every hour, but the act of seeing and the thing seen, the seer and the spectacle, the subject and the object, are one. We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are shining parts, is the soul. [1]
Over-soul has more recently come to be used by Eastern philosophers such as Meher Baba and others as the closest English language equivalent of the Vedic concept of Paramatman.[3] (In Sanskrit the word param means "supreme" and atman means "soul"; thus Paramatman literally means "Supreme-Soul.") [1] The term is used frequently in discussion of Eastern metaphysics and has also entered western vernacular. In this context, the term "Over-soul" is understood as the collective indivisible Soul, of which all individual souls or identities are included. The experience of this underlying reality of the indivisible "I am" state of the Over-soul is said to be veiled from the human mind by sanskaras, or impressions, acquired over the course of evolution and reincarnation. Such past impressions form a kind of sheath between the Over-soul and its true identity, as they give rise to the tendency of identification with the gross differentiated body. Thus the world, as apperceived through the impressions of the past appears plural, while reality experienced in the present, unencumbered by past impressions (the unconditioned or liberated mind), perceives itself as the One indivisible totality, i.e. the Over-soul......from Wikipedia
We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE. And this deep power in which we exist and whose beatitude is all accessible to us, is not only self-sufficing and perfect in every hour, but the act of seeing and the thing seen, the seer and the spectacle, the subject and the object, are one. We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are shining parts, is the soul. [1]
Over-soul has more recently come to be used by Eastern philosophers such as Meher Baba and others as the closest English language equivalent of the Vedic concept of Paramatman.[3] (In Sanskrit the word param means "supreme" and atman means "soul"; thus Paramatman literally means "Supreme-Soul.") [1] The term is used frequently in discussion of Eastern metaphysics and has also entered western vernacular. In this context, the term "Over-soul" is understood as the collective indivisible Soul, of which all individual souls or identities are included. The experience of this underlying reality of the indivisible "I am" state of the Over-soul is said to be veiled from the human mind by sanskaras, or impressions, acquired over the course of evolution and reincarnation. Such past impressions form a kind of sheath between the Over-soul and its true identity, as they give rise to the tendency of identification with the gross differentiated body. Thus the world, as apperceived through the impressions of the past appears plural, while reality experienced in the present, unencumbered by past impressions (the unconditioned or liberated mind), perceives itself as the One indivisible totality, i.e. the Over-soul......from Wikipedia
Universal and Individual...
This is the paradox, that the Overself is at once universal and individual. It is the first because it overshadows all men as a single power. It is the second because it is found by each man within himself. It is both space and the point in space. It is infinite Spirit and yet it is also the holy presence in everyone's heart.........Paul Brunton
" Self " Remembering...
It all begins with simply reclaiming your attention, so the first step is to bring yourself back into the present moment. Be quietly aware of your own breathing and the feeling of your feet on the floor. Notice the sounds in the room and the tension in your shoulders. See that even as life goes on all around you, it's going on within you as well. Be aware that not only do you have a body, but that you are in it!
Can you feel the shift of energy? This small action feels so new and different because it connects us to our true nature. Now, instead of relating to the world through our limited thoughts and feelings about it, we are in direct contact with what's Real -- no more middleman means no more confusion, no more conflict over what's best and brightest for you and everyone else.
Next, as you keep your attention in your body and on the present moment, be aware that you are alive -- quietly know that you exist and rest there in this understanding: that who you really are is beyond thought, above imagination, outside time... an instrument of the Divine. To know and act on this understanding is what it means to remember yourself. This is the true "practicing of the Presence," because you enter into that Presence each time you remember to make this shift in your attention.
This shift in consciousness opens the door to a whole new vibrant and extraordinary world. However, even though the exercise itself may seem easy and straightforward, don't be fooled. Remembering yourself every once in a while may be easy, but it won't change your life.
You must learn how to make self-remembering part of your moment-to-moment experience, so that you begin to live within this higher level of conscious awareness. And so while it's fair to say that remembering yourself is simple and easy, it can also be said that remembering to remember yourself consistently is one of the hardest things for a human being to do.
I can't stress this point enough...
In fact, you could say that the difference between a person who has an important and enlightened life, and someone who lives out an ordinary, unimportant one, is determined by how often and how deeply a person remembers to remember him- or herself.
You instinctively know the truth of this fact. After all, we've all experienced the energy and enthusiasm of a great book, movie, or motivational seminar. I know that when I left the theater after watching the movie Braveheart, I could feel that there was greatness inside me -- and I told myself that I would never again compromise my principles to gain the approval of another person. Yet, after moments like these, what happens a day, or a week later?
Nothing. The book or the movie is forgotten, the New Year's resolution is broken, the new diet gives way to Ben & Jerry's, and life is back to "normal."
Why?
Because we forget.
The power of any idea -- no matter how grand -- is only as good as our ability to remember it. Self-remembering is not exempt from this law of self success. Its power and beauty is only as good as our ability to remember and be in relationship with it............. Guy Finlay
Can you feel the shift of energy? This small action feels so new and different because it connects us to our true nature. Now, instead of relating to the world through our limited thoughts and feelings about it, we are in direct contact with what's Real -- no more middleman means no more confusion, no more conflict over what's best and brightest for you and everyone else.
Next, as you keep your attention in your body and on the present moment, be aware that you are alive -- quietly know that you exist and rest there in this understanding: that who you really are is beyond thought, above imagination, outside time... an instrument of the Divine. To know and act on this understanding is what it means to remember yourself. This is the true "practicing of the Presence," because you enter into that Presence each time you remember to make this shift in your attention.
This shift in consciousness opens the door to a whole new vibrant and extraordinary world. However, even though the exercise itself may seem easy and straightforward, don't be fooled. Remembering yourself every once in a while may be easy, but it won't change your life.
You must learn how to make self-remembering part of your moment-to-moment experience, so that you begin to live within this higher level of conscious awareness. And so while it's fair to say that remembering yourself is simple and easy, it can also be said that remembering to remember yourself consistently is one of the hardest things for a human being to do.
I can't stress this point enough...
In fact, you could say that the difference between a person who has an important and enlightened life, and someone who lives out an ordinary, unimportant one, is determined by how often and how deeply a person remembers to remember him- or herself.
You instinctively know the truth of this fact. After all, we've all experienced the energy and enthusiasm of a great book, movie, or motivational seminar. I know that when I left the theater after watching the movie Braveheart, I could feel that there was greatness inside me -- and I told myself that I would never again compromise my principles to gain the approval of another person. Yet, after moments like these, what happens a day, or a week later?
Nothing. The book or the movie is forgotten, the New Year's resolution is broken, the new diet gives way to Ben & Jerry's, and life is back to "normal."
Why?
Because we forget.
The power of any idea -- no matter how grand -- is only as good as our ability to remember it. Self-remembering is not exempt from this law of self success. Its power and beauty is only as good as our ability to remember and be in relationship with it............. Guy Finlay
Kindness...
Kindness is the first of the three great treasures advocated by Lao Tzu. The
Buddha taught that generosity is a primary quality of an awakened mind. Muhammad
regarded kindness as an essential sign of faith. Jewish and Christian ethics are
built upon deeds of kindness, as are the daily interactions of people of primal
traditions.
The spiritual practice of kindness encompasses a range of small acts and habits
that we know as old-fashioned good manners — saying "please" and "thank you,"
waiting your turn, lending a helping hand, or cheering someone up with a smile.
It applies not just to your relationships with other people. Etiquette in the
spiritual life extends to things, animals, plants, and the Earth.
This practice also means being generous with your presence, your time, and your
money. Give freely without expecting anything in return. Just do it. Kindness is
not a quid pro quo endeavor.
The biblical maxim "love your neighbor as yourself" sets a very high goal for
our human relationships. Sometimes, for a moment, we may love our neighbor, but
as a way of life, love eludes us. We can, though, work to approach love through
its practical manifestation: kindness.
Simple, unassuming kindness toward the people and the life around us brings both
immediate and lasting rewards. As with any thoroughly right action, acts of
kindness bring a special satisfaction to us and a ray of light into the world.
Kindness flows naturally from our hearts: we need only lift the veils that hide
and block it.
First and foremost, our ordinary self-centeredness precludes true kindness. As
long as we measure everything in life in terms of our own needs, wants, and
antipathies, as long as we regard other people as objects like pieces of
furniture, we leave no room for kindness. We may consider certain people
undeserving of our kindness. It may even seem stupid to us to be kind, to give
something of ourselves freely for no visible reward. Where is the profit in
that? Not seeing the real answer, we may even be unkind or at best neutral
toward our neighbor.
But there is a profit in kindness, even for our self-interest, our true
self-interest. Being kind removes us from the thrall of egoism, at least
temporarily, and ushers us into a more connected and natural world. If we could
but see that acts of kindness benefit our own being as much as the recipient of
our kindness, our resistance would melt away and we would seek opportunities to
be kind. In the meantime, the most powerful medicine for hard-heartedness
derives from seeing our own indifference, our own unkindness in actual life
events, actions, and attitudes.
Living nearly all the time in the world of pre-programmed actions and reactions,
we rarely actually notice anything, including opportunities for kindness.
Openings for kindness usually do not appear on our radar, as our habits and
conditioning block their perception. Not present to occasions for potential
kindness, we sleep walk right past them. As an antidote, we can diligently
practice the methods for awakening, for presence, for being fully in this
moment. True presence unveils our basic kindness and shows us appropriate venues
for its expression.
When our willingness to be kind does break through and our awareness reveals
opportunities, difficult questions naturally arise. What constitutes kindness?
What is the most appropriate and effective action in a given situation? Most of
us have had experiences in which we thought we were being kind, only to have it
all backfire because we did or said the wrong thing. We need wisdom to guide our
actions. Good intentions alone can lead to misguided actions. Giving the addict
money, may only prolong the addiction. Offering our opinions, when the more
appropriate stance is to just listen, can easily spoil the moment. Conversely,
remaining silent when we should speak truly can be a disservice. Intruding when
we should do nothing, clumsily aggravates the situation. To act appropriately
and effectively, we need bring all our powers to bear, our intelligence and
experience, our insight into the person and the circumstances, our kind
attitude, the humility of knowing our limitations, and our developing inner eye
for the truth.
We can, however, readily practice kindness in certain simple situations that do
not call for deep wisdom. Courtesy is a common and underrated form of kindness,
whether in holding a door for a stranger or in driving. Indeed, the practice of
kindness while driving can prove a very fruitful field, because it arouses our
resistance to giving way, to being magnanimous, to letting the other guy win
even when he's rude and greedy.
Work on kindness serves to purify and transform our hearts. Kindness operates
directly against self-centeredness, though it can be arrogated by egoism: being
kind while preening in an inward mirror. "That was kind of me. I'm such a kind
and wonderful person." If we look carefully, though, we find that mirror empty:
no separation from our neighbor. The best kindness occurs when we serve another
without reflecting that we are performing an act of kindness and without seeking
or expecting gratitude in return. This may be a distant goal, so we begin where
we are. Far better to take credit for kindness, than to succumb to unkindness or
wallow in indifference.
Rightly conducted spiritual practice inevitably leads to the manifestation of
more kindness. Outward kindness may even be considered as one measure of a
person's spiritual station. Conversely, the practice of kindness, toward both
friend and stranger, helps enormously in that most essential task of the
spiritual path: the purification of heart and motivation. So we remember to open
our hearts and actions toward others both as an expression of the Great Heart of
the World and as a method to cleanse our soul. We remember to do this until the
day arrives when kindness becomes our nature.............from "enlightenmentchapel"
Buddha taught that generosity is a primary quality of an awakened mind. Muhammad
regarded kindness as an essential sign of faith. Jewish and Christian ethics are
built upon deeds of kindness, as are the daily interactions of people of primal
traditions.
The spiritual practice of kindness encompasses a range of small acts and habits
that we know as old-fashioned good manners — saying "please" and "thank you,"
waiting your turn, lending a helping hand, or cheering someone up with a smile.
It applies not just to your relationships with other people. Etiquette in the
spiritual life extends to things, animals, plants, and the Earth.
This practice also means being generous with your presence, your time, and your
money. Give freely without expecting anything in return. Just do it. Kindness is
not a quid pro quo endeavor.
The biblical maxim "love your neighbor as yourself" sets a very high goal for
our human relationships. Sometimes, for a moment, we may love our neighbor, but
as a way of life, love eludes us. We can, though, work to approach love through
its practical manifestation: kindness.
Simple, unassuming kindness toward the people and the life around us brings both
immediate and lasting rewards. As with any thoroughly right action, acts of
kindness bring a special satisfaction to us and a ray of light into the world.
Kindness flows naturally from our hearts: we need only lift the veils that hide
and block it.
First and foremost, our ordinary self-centeredness precludes true kindness. As
long as we measure everything in life in terms of our own needs, wants, and
antipathies, as long as we regard other people as objects like pieces of
furniture, we leave no room for kindness. We may consider certain people
undeserving of our kindness. It may even seem stupid to us to be kind, to give
something of ourselves freely for no visible reward. Where is the profit in
that? Not seeing the real answer, we may even be unkind or at best neutral
toward our neighbor.
But there is a profit in kindness, even for our self-interest, our true
self-interest. Being kind removes us from the thrall of egoism, at least
temporarily, and ushers us into a more connected and natural world. If we could
but see that acts of kindness benefit our own being as much as the recipient of
our kindness, our resistance would melt away and we would seek opportunities to
be kind. In the meantime, the most powerful medicine for hard-heartedness
derives from seeing our own indifference, our own unkindness in actual life
events, actions, and attitudes.
Living nearly all the time in the world of pre-programmed actions and reactions,
we rarely actually notice anything, including opportunities for kindness.
Openings for kindness usually do not appear on our radar, as our habits and
conditioning block their perception. Not present to occasions for potential
kindness, we sleep walk right past them. As an antidote, we can diligently
practice the methods for awakening, for presence, for being fully in this
moment. True presence unveils our basic kindness and shows us appropriate venues
for its expression.
When our willingness to be kind does break through and our awareness reveals
opportunities, difficult questions naturally arise. What constitutes kindness?
What is the most appropriate and effective action in a given situation? Most of
us have had experiences in which we thought we were being kind, only to have it
all backfire because we did or said the wrong thing. We need wisdom to guide our
actions. Good intentions alone can lead to misguided actions. Giving the addict
money, may only prolong the addiction. Offering our opinions, when the more
appropriate stance is to just listen, can easily spoil the moment. Conversely,
remaining silent when we should speak truly can be a disservice. Intruding when
we should do nothing, clumsily aggravates the situation. To act appropriately
and effectively, we need bring all our powers to bear, our intelligence and
experience, our insight into the person and the circumstances, our kind
attitude, the humility of knowing our limitations, and our developing inner eye
for the truth.
We can, however, readily practice kindness in certain simple situations that do
not call for deep wisdom. Courtesy is a common and underrated form of kindness,
whether in holding a door for a stranger or in driving. Indeed, the practice of
kindness while driving can prove a very fruitful field, because it arouses our
resistance to giving way, to being magnanimous, to letting the other guy win
even when he's rude and greedy.
Work on kindness serves to purify and transform our hearts. Kindness operates
directly against self-centeredness, though it can be arrogated by egoism: being
kind while preening in an inward mirror. "That was kind of me. I'm such a kind
and wonderful person." If we look carefully, though, we find that mirror empty:
no separation from our neighbor. The best kindness occurs when we serve another
without reflecting that we are performing an act of kindness and without seeking
or expecting gratitude in return. This may be a distant goal, so we begin where
we are. Far better to take credit for kindness, than to succumb to unkindness or
wallow in indifference.
Rightly conducted spiritual practice inevitably leads to the manifestation of
more kindness. Outward kindness may even be considered as one measure of a
person's spiritual station. Conversely, the practice of kindness, toward both
friend and stranger, helps enormously in that most essential task of the
spiritual path: the purification of heart and motivation. So we remember to open
our hearts and actions toward others both as an expression of the Great Heart of
the World and as a method to cleanse our soul. We remember to do this until the
day arrives when kindness becomes our nature.............from "enlightenmentchapel"
What have we learned?..
It has been awhile since I have spoken to you, so , I have to ask you, "What have you learned"?.. Have you learned that you are not separate from each other?.. Have you learned that you and God are One ?.. Have you learned that Love is the answer ?.. Have you learned that God is Love ?.. Have you learned that the belief in the ego is the only wall that separates you from this Knowledge ?...Are you ready to dispose of the ego ?.. Are you ready to experience Freedom ?.. What holds you back ?.. Could it be Fear of the Unknown ?.. The Unknown is called God.. Do not be afraid.. Meditate and know that you are not the ego.. Know that you are not the life that you hold so dear.. you are far beyond these puny conceptions.. You are already All, but you are unaware of this Truth.. Take courage and reach the end of suffering.. this is your time to know Truth............namaste, thomas
What You Are...
If you but cease from useless conceptual-
izing, you will be what you are and what
you have always been.
- Ramesh S. Balsekar
izing, you will be what you are and what
you have always been.
- Ramesh S. Balsekar
Delusion...
The fundamental delusion of humanity is
to suppose that I am here and you are out
there.
- Yasutani Roshi
to suppose that I am here and you are out
there.
- Yasutani Roshi
No Desire, No Fear...
I see the same world as you do, but not the same
way. There is nothing mysterious about it.
Everybody sees the world through the idea he has
of himself. As you think yourself to be, so you think
the world to be. If you imagine yourself as separate
from the world, the world will appear as separate
from you and you will experience desire and fear.
I do not see the world as separate from me and so
there is nothing for me to desire, or fear.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
way. There is nothing mysterious about it.
Everybody sees the world through the idea he has
of himself. As you think yourself to be, so you think
the world to be. If you imagine yourself as separate
from the world, the world will appear as separate
from you and you will experience desire and fear.
I do not see the world as separate from me and so
there is nothing for me to desire, or fear.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
I Never Knew It...
By day I praised you
And never knew it.
By night I stayed with you
And never knew it.
I always thought that I was me – but no,
I was you
and never knew it!
- Rumi
And never knew it.
By night I stayed with you
And never knew it.
I always thought that I was me – but no,
I was you
and never knew it!
- Rumi
The Mind Colors...
The mind that projects the world, colors it its
own way. When you meet a man, he is a stranger.
When you marry him, he becomes your own self.
When you quarrel, he becomes your enemy. It is
your mind's attitude that determines what he is to
you.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
own way. When you meet a man, he is a stranger.
When you marry him, he becomes your own self.
When you quarrel, he becomes your enemy. It is
your mind's attitude that determines what he is to
you.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
The Mystic Christ...
The following is excerpted and condensed from the book The Mystic Christ...Jesus never said he was the only way. In John 14:6 we read, ”I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.” In the original Greek version of this scripture, the word for “comes” is erchetai and it is very present tense meaning it does not apply to all people for all time. This verse applied only to those people Jesus was talking to at that time. In the Aramaic Bible, Jesus’ own language, the word for “I” in this scripture is ena-ena or I-I. The meaning is not the same as ena which is an individual “I.” Ena-ena is a cosmic “I” or I AM THAT I AM (Ex. 3:13 -14). In another scripture, Jesus tells us that we make a mistake if we think he is good, “Why do you call me good?” ‘Jesus answered.’ “No one is good - except God alone.” (Luke 18:19). And again: “By myself I can do nothing.” (John 5:30). The way to reconcile “I am the way...” And “Don’t call me good...” is to understand that it is the I AM (ena-ena) that is talking in John 14:6. The I AM is bigger than Jesus in the same way that all the water on this earth is more than any individual lake. By analogy, Jesus, Buddha and Krishna are lakes filled with the one living I AM. In another scripture, Jesus clearly says the only requirement for attaining eternal life is loving God and loving our neighbor: “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’ He answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’” (Luke 10:25-28). If believing in Jesus were necessary to attain eternal life, Jesus would have been guilty of lying to the temple official in this scripture. Not a single time did Jesus ever warn us about other religions. Rather, he said, “And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.” (Luke 9:49-50). A Buddhist that is not against Jesus is for Jesus.
Krishna comments on his own incarnation:
When goodness grows weak, when evil increases, I make myself a body. In every age I come back to deliver the holy, to destroy the sin of the sinner; to establish righteousness. Bhagavad Gita
And Buddha said:
You are my children, I am your father; through me you have been released from your sufferings. I myself having reached the other shore, help others to cross the stream; I myself having attained salvation, am a savior of others; being comforted, I comfort others and lead them to the place of refuge. My thoughts are always in the truth. For lo! my self has become the truth. Whosoever comprehends the truth will see the Blessed One.
GOD IS WITHIN YOU
Ponder that Moses did not know how to tell the Israelites who had given him the Ten Commandments. “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”(Exodus 3:13-14). This is curious. Why not tell the Israelites Yahweh (Jehovah) had sent him? All of the Israelites knew that name. Moses was experiencing God in a way he knew they would not easily understand. He was experiencing God as the one Self of all beings; as pure awareness, the basis of all existence, the ground of all being - the I AM. The I AM is within us all. The I AM that is in you is the same I AM that is in me and everyone else. At the center of our being we are all connected. This is why Jesus tells us the kingdom of God is within us: “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21). Some have attempted to dilute this scripture by saying that Jesus meant he himself was among them. However, this is easily dismissed because he also says the kingdom of God does not come with observation and Jesus was certainly observable. Also, the Master says the kingdom is not “here” or “there” and Jesus could be regarded as being either here or there. The I AM is not observable because it is not a “thing” rather it is pure awareness. It is not “here” or “there” because it is all-pervading and that includes “within us.” The concept of looking within to find God also tallies with Buddhist and Hindu scriptures. If the Old Testament says God is I AM, what does the New Testament say? “God is love.” (1 John 4:8, 4:16 ). Like the I AM, love also comes from within us. Love is another name for I AM. We can only experience love for God or our neighbor as something that comes from within us. Thus, the kingdom of God is within us. And what are Jesus’ two commandments? “One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:35-40).
GRACE AND HARDWORK
To think that salvation can be had by simply mouthing the words, “I believe in Jesus” is nothing but pure laziness. First of all, Jesus said that we must regain our childlike innocence or we are absolutely not going to heaven: “And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 18:3). How about these: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). And: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). If Jesus’ crucifixion atoned for our sins for all time then why did he give us so much instruction? Why did he give us his two commandments? Salvation means roll up our shirtsleeves and get to work. God will not hand out His grace if we make no effort to become innocent of mind and loving at heart.
LOVE AND THE EGO
The mantra of the ego is, “Its all about me.” The footprint of the ego is “My way is the only way.” The ego, by nature, will adopt any belief as an identity. Then it is fearful when faced with other beliefs. It feels threatened. There is no love in the ego and the path to God is love - not a belief. The ego must always imagine that it is the center of the universe. Thus, “My way is the only way” comes into being and, by extension, everything with which the ego is associated. An ego-centered Christian says “Jesus is the only way” and an ego-centered Muslim says, “Islam is the only way.” The translation of both statements is, “My way or the highway.” The ego is the opposite of love. The ego is me... me... me... and love is you... you... you... The ego is motivated by, “What’s in it for me?” Love asks, “How may I serve you?” The ego is Satan in us. Love is God in us. The ego is the sense of separation from God and others. Love is a feeling of unity with God and others. The ego is “I” and “mine.” Love does not seek to possess but only to give. Where there is ego there can be no love and where there is selfless love, there can be no ego. Think of any negative emotion - jealousy, hatred, greed, anger - all of them are the fruit of the ego whose roots are “I” and “mine.” Therefore, love is the most potent destroyer of the ego. Jesus says loving our neighbor and loving God are the keys to salvation. Innocence is the fertile soil in which love takes root. That brings us to these questions: “Do I love God with all my heart and mind? Do I love my neighbor as my own self?” - as Jesus commanded? If the answer is no, then we are not going to heaven. If no, then we must begin the quest for this love to which Jesus directs us. Yet we will attend church for years of Sundays and not hear one sermon about love much less any advice as to how to practice this kind of love. Christian books and tapes are more numerous than the stars in the sky but few are concerned with love and how to attain it. This is astonishing because this is the central teaching of Jesus! Love is the very path to salvation! Sadly, we don’t recognize love or the need for it because we ourselves have no love. We have long since forgotten what pure selfless love is or what it feels like..........www.devipress.com
Krishna comments on his own incarnation:
When goodness grows weak, when evil increases, I make myself a body. In every age I come back to deliver the holy, to destroy the sin of the sinner; to establish righteousness. Bhagavad Gita
And Buddha said:
You are my children, I am your father; through me you have been released from your sufferings. I myself having reached the other shore, help others to cross the stream; I myself having attained salvation, am a savior of others; being comforted, I comfort others and lead them to the place of refuge. My thoughts are always in the truth. For lo! my self has become the truth. Whosoever comprehends the truth will see the Blessed One.
GOD IS WITHIN YOU
Ponder that Moses did not know how to tell the Israelites who had given him the Ten Commandments. “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”(Exodus 3:13-14). This is curious. Why not tell the Israelites Yahweh (Jehovah) had sent him? All of the Israelites knew that name. Moses was experiencing God in a way he knew they would not easily understand. He was experiencing God as the one Self of all beings; as pure awareness, the basis of all existence, the ground of all being - the I AM. The I AM is within us all. The I AM that is in you is the same I AM that is in me and everyone else. At the center of our being we are all connected. This is why Jesus tells us the kingdom of God is within us: “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21). Some have attempted to dilute this scripture by saying that Jesus meant he himself was among them. However, this is easily dismissed because he also says the kingdom of God does not come with observation and Jesus was certainly observable. Also, the Master says the kingdom is not “here” or “there” and Jesus could be regarded as being either here or there. The I AM is not observable because it is not a “thing” rather it is pure awareness. It is not “here” or “there” because it is all-pervading and that includes “within us.” The concept of looking within to find God also tallies with Buddhist and Hindu scriptures. If the Old Testament says God is I AM, what does the New Testament say? “God is love.” (1 John 4:8, 4:16 ). Like the I AM, love also comes from within us. Love is another name for I AM. We can only experience love for God or our neighbor as something that comes from within us. Thus, the kingdom of God is within us. And what are Jesus’ two commandments? “One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:35-40).
GRACE AND HARDWORK
To think that salvation can be had by simply mouthing the words, “I believe in Jesus” is nothing but pure laziness. First of all, Jesus said that we must regain our childlike innocence or we are absolutely not going to heaven: “And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 18:3). How about these: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). And: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). If Jesus’ crucifixion atoned for our sins for all time then why did he give us so much instruction? Why did he give us his two commandments? Salvation means roll up our shirtsleeves and get to work. God will not hand out His grace if we make no effort to become innocent of mind and loving at heart.
LOVE AND THE EGO
The mantra of the ego is, “Its all about me.” The footprint of the ego is “My way is the only way.” The ego, by nature, will adopt any belief as an identity. Then it is fearful when faced with other beliefs. It feels threatened. There is no love in the ego and the path to God is love - not a belief. The ego must always imagine that it is the center of the universe. Thus, “My way is the only way” comes into being and, by extension, everything with which the ego is associated. An ego-centered Christian says “Jesus is the only way” and an ego-centered Muslim says, “Islam is the only way.” The translation of both statements is, “My way or the highway.” The ego is the opposite of love. The ego is me... me... me... and love is you... you... you... The ego is motivated by, “What’s in it for me?” Love asks, “How may I serve you?” The ego is Satan in us. Love is God in us. The ego is the sense of separation from God and others. Love is a feeling of unity with God and others. The ego is “I” and “mine.” Love does not seek to possess but only to give. Where there is ego there can be no love and where there is selfless love, there can be no ego. Think of any negative emotion - jealousy, hatred, greed, anger - all of them are the fruit of the ego whose roots are “I” and “mine.” Therefore, love is the most potent destroyer of the ego. Jesus says loving our neighbor and loving God are the keys to salvation. Innocence is the fertile soil in which love takes root. That brings us to these questions: “Do I love God with all my heart and mind? Do I love my neighbor as my own self?” - as Jesus commanded? If the answer is no, then we are not going to heaven. If no, then we must begin the quest for this love to which Jesus directs us. Yet we will attend church for years of Sundays and not hear one sermon about love much less any advice as to how to practice this kind of love. Christian books and tapes are more numerous than the stars in the sky but few are concerned with love and how to attain it. This is astonishing because this is the central teaching of Jesus! Love is the very path to salvation! Sadly, we don’t recognize love or the need for it because we ourselves have no love. We have long since forgotten what pure selfless love is or what it feels like..........www.devipress.com
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