Awakening a Saint

Awakening may give us a profound insight into the nature of reality. The awakening may affect us deeply and cause changes in our personality in a good way. However, insight into the nature of reality does not necessarily make a person good, or saintly. It's just an insight. It may be more profound than other insights, but it doesn't bestow sainthood.

The sense of completeness happens, when after a long search, one feels finally, I understand. This is often after a number of mystical experiences and profound contemplation. When the pressure of the search relaxes, it feels like the end of the road. But it is not the end, it's just that the major question of Being is answered, or known.

So, although there may be a sense of finality about the search being over, the personality, with all its quirks and issues remains. One can then carry on, but to think that the end of the search creates perfection in the person is naive. The evidence of the fallen gurus proves this point. The rest of one's life can be dedicated to living up to the insight, which is perhaps the path after enlightenment. Seekers also have a responsibility to keep this in mind, and should not put teachers on a pedestal as a perfect being. 

 

Everything Is That One

If all appearances are actually That Formless One, then they do exist. There has never been anything but existence since the One I has always been and always will be. Saying we don't exist is the same as saying the Absolute doesn't exist. If non duality is the truth then everything is that and does exist. 

The Absolute And The Relative

Despite the fact that everyone is that One I Am, most people are not conscious of this fact. Ignorance of this fact is why most of us are unenlightened. Enlightenment is simply recognizing the fact that ultimately we are all That One. 

Knowing this does negate the person in the ultimate sense, but it does not negate the relative form. We can even call the form illusion, or an appearance, but the form remains. We live with the form. It is via the form we post here on media sties such as this one. 

To say there is 'no' you is misleading as it is only the perspective from the absolute. Most people don't have that view. Even with that view, the relative still exists. To deny it altogether is not helpful. 

Only the ignorant need enlightenment and there are many. To say there is 'no' you doesn't help them at all. 

Theories and Beliefs

First we have theories and beliefs. Then we test. What works we keep, what doesn't we don't. Hopefully this sharpens our clarity. Everything is tentative, although a deep truth will resonate deeper and deeper. 

Unknowability

My best life is to do the most I can to understand truth as I see it and then try and live that truth. How relative it is, who knows? That means that ultimately we live in an unknown. J. Krishnamurti made this clear. Acceptance of this unknowability can bring peace.

Aware Formless Subject

I just see an aware formless subject that creates whatever it wishes. Just like we create a dream out of nothing but thought and feeling. The brain and body are dream appearances that seem real to the form awareness embodies as us.

We borrow that awareness for the body/mind and believe it is ours and belongs to us. We are, in fact, just an appearance. We are a thought projection in form. The ultimate subject then gets to have experience and watch the evolution that unfolds. 

Truth is just the rules of the game. If we pay attention and perceive the rules, pursue truth, we play a better game and have a better life. 

Knowledge is Primary

I've had mystical experiences. They do come with authority that is mind boggling. And the ecstasies were wonderful. But these are experiences and they come and go. That is why Advaita talks consistently about knowledge being primary. Knowledge removes ignorance. We can say that experience is a kind of knowledge and I would agree to that. But knowledge is necessary and truth doesn't come and go.

Eternal Existence

For me, if there is existence, then it has always been. Since knowing existence requires consciousness, then awareness has always been and always will be. Call it God, Sat Chit Ananda, or whatever. It's what always is. The question of "who made God?" doesn't occur to me.

Honor Feelings, But Question Them

We have to honor our feelings. They point to our values. But, we can on our own or in therapy examine them. Often the feelings were embedded in a poor environment and do not currently reflect truth. To never question feelings is to be reactionary and robotic. Thank God we have an intellect. It is a useful tool. Balance is all!

Feelings

The best definition I've found for feelings is that they are "automatic value judgments." When someone expresses their feelings to you,  you can respect that they feel that way. However, it is an automatic value judgment and may not be currently valid. It may even be an irrational value judgment. 

You must acknowledge your own feelings, as well as others. But, you can question your own feelings, and other's feelings as to their current validity. The feelings may or may not be rational or practical. 

So many of our feelings were programmed when we were children. They often reflect the environment we had in our childhood. If the childhood environment was crazy or abusive, those feelings may be counterproductive in the outside world. Those values were only valid for surviving in that crazy family and are currently counterproductive. 

Therapy is excellent at unearthing repressed feelings. It is good to unearth them, feel them, and process them.  I personally respect my feelings, but I question them, and if I find they are not reflective of the truth I now know, or on reflection don't find them practical or productive, I let them go.

Ego Is Just A Tool

I see ego as just a manifestation of Being or Self in a focalized point. It is just a necessary tool of Self to have experience. Without form it is difficult to say we could have experiences. As a tool, the ego can be used ignorantly or wisely. Without following the prescription to "know thyself" we are ignorant. We think we are the body which the ego identifies with. As the ego develops it identifies with the personal characteristics. 

If through curiosity or suffering, the ego starts to look at itself, it can see its limitations and conditioned beliefs. It can dismantle itself. If done well, the ego takes the back seat and acknowledges a greater Self, or Being as the true and Original I. Then it is just a friendly tool used by the body/mind to survive and serve.

Instinct vs Ego

While animals have fairly set instincts designed for their survival, the human baby arrives with very few instincts. This lack of instincts is quite positive in regards to our adaptability. It's made us quite successful as a species. The downside of this is that we are programmed by family and cultural environment. This vast variety of influences creates tremendous differences between the values of human groups. 

As any of us knows, what we have instead of instincts is ego. And that is where our troubles start. As a replacement for instinct, ego is just as sticky and intransigent as instinct. 

Being one species, but with egos instead of instincts, it is difficult for us stay at peace. It is easy for one culture to see  other cultures as evil, less than human. They don't think like we do, so they must be eliminated. 

There is no easy way to change our ego. As a replacement for instinct, it will fight to the death in order to protect itself. Most of us think of our self more as an ego than a body. That's why we die in war. 

The awakening of people into non duality where we can see the ego for what it is, tends to make people more peaceful. Seeing the ego for what it is, is often experienced as a death. But on the other side is a oneness with others that may bring peace. Tolerance is much easier when the ego is seen through. May we all die before we die. Peace.

Thought is not the enemy.

Thought is not the enemy. It is what we think that is the enemy. We are all conditioned with thoughts that are not our own, thoughts based on fear and past trauma. When thoughts are refined by the search for truth, peace happens, relaxation happens, a quiet mind without conflict happens. 

The ego remains but it is in the background, a tool to be used by Self as needed. David Hawkins says that you treat the ego like a friendly pet. It doesn't rule the house, and it is also not the enemy when it knows its place. 

Relaxation

What I have found is that if you seek truth, and if you are willing to work at it, and face the dark night, you will find relaxation happening as a result of clarity. As the truth is discovered, relaxation happens automatically. I have never had to work at relaxation. I have only searched for truth. Relaxation happened as a result. So did a quiet mind come on its own as truth was known.

Love vs Religion

Love is fluid. Religion is rigid. 

Karma

You have karma as long as you think you are the doer. When you realize you are not the doer, how in the hell could you have karma?

World Is A Projection

Everything is a projection in consciousness, granted. But, only those beings that have a metabolism have consciousness. Only those beings with metabolism are self conscious. The rest is the playing field. A soccer team cares who wins. The field does not.

A Peaceful Place

"I am" is the fundamental expression of awareness. It is not personal. To become personal there has to be an object. For example, "I am Joe. Or "I am sad". Or "I am male," or "I am female." 

Nisargadatta recommends that we contemplate that simple "I am" without any other object. This keeps it impersonal. The end result is that eventually one identifies with impersonal awareness. This identity shift removes one's personal identifications, which removes us from much suffering, and quiets the mind. 

So, if you are looking for a simple meditation that works. This is a method that anyone can use and do anywhere. The result is that one can say "things happen, I do not do them." The person remains. It goes to work, eats, sleeps, has good days and bad days, but the impersonal self remains the focal point, and that is a peaceful place. 

Ego Nothing?

Compared to the Absolute, the small self is a nothing. It's a construct. But, it is an emanation from source, and it is due some respect. I have found that it is only people with a strong ego that can confront the fact of its 'nothingness." Defensive people don't have enough ego to confront its limitations. Paradoxical, like all subtle realities.

Misery

With realization, the small self knows he always was, and always will be That. And that's when the misery ends.