Sunday, July 24, 2016

The Pursuit of Happiness is Dead

The knowledge I am awareness, if firm, should affect the person. Why? Because once the identity shifts due to the knowledge, I am That, the person can no longer retain the values it once held. The body-mind still remains, but because it realizes that it is actually whole and complete, unlimited awareness, it doesn't have to pursue the values it previously held. Some of the relative values may remain, but they no longer have roots. Without roots, the undesirable values wither and drop away. This Jiva's values have certainly changed, mostly noticed in the lack of any pursuit of happiness. Pursuing happiness has become invalid. I am already all that I could be, or want to be.

What remains? There is only a peaceful existence that doesn't need to do any particular thing to be happy. If I am alone, I spontaneously move from activity to activity, none of which seems to be more conducive to pleasure than another. If something needs to be done. I enjoy doing it. If nothing needs to be done. I do what seems enjoyable to do. This jiva happens to like keeping the mind occupied, so I read on the Internet, or watch videos. Since I am still interested in nonduality, I enjoy watching videos on that. If my mind gets tired of that, I watch funny videos, or documentaries. The point is, whatever I am doing, I am aware of the background of contentedness. Not sure I would call it bliss. But I no longer have any need for bliss either. Whatever That is that I experience, it is enough.

Whatever I do is in the Silence. What is the Silence? It is just another word for Awareness. Some call it "pure consciousness." Awareness itself is primordial silence. It must be so because it is amenable to anything in the universe appearing in it. It can know matter, mind, spirit, and whatever else appears. Awareness itself, however, is not affected.

Awareness is no thing in particular, yet everything that exists or could exist, appears in it. What it is in itself, we cannot describe. We can only know that this is what we are. Anything we see, hear, feel, or know appears in what we are. It is ineffable, unnameable, and yet it exists. It exists because we are aware. When we are no longer trapped in what we see, hear, feel, and touch, we perceive the Awareness in which all obtains. It is our very own Self. Awareness, all pervading, ever present, without limit, without end. Hallelujah. 

No comments: