Is Enlightenment Intellectual

If you know that the sun rises every day, is that knowledge or a feeling? It is knowledge. It is understanding. You realized it as a young child.

Now, you may have a feeling when the sun rises. If you are going to see a friend, it might be joyful. If you are going to work it might not be so pleasant. Either way, the knowledge that the sun will rise doesn't change. What I am trying to point out is that knowledge is primary. The sun doesn't come out on days you feel good, and not on days you feel bad. It always comes out.

If you want to call knowledge intellectual you may be diminishing its importance. There are many mystical, explosive, luminous experiences that may come with realization, but they are usually experienced after the realization. Looking for the big enlightenment experience can prevent one from the simple realization that awareness is the fundamental fact of the universe.

As an intuitive I was always aware that some fundamental knowledge was escaping me. The cliche of looking behind the curtain was my childhood sport, and continued into my adulthood. When I heard the word enlightenment and what it implied, I was off on the journey. The tiger definitely had me in its mouth.

I was looking for the big experience that would blow my head off and tell me in no uncertain terms that I was enlightened. Basically, I was chasing experience. Looking back, that was a mistake. It cost me many years of not acknowledging the simple fact that anything I might experience would be in awareness. A new, big, grand experience was not going to get me any more into awareness than I already was.

Searching for enlightenment takes place in awareness. Searching for the big experience takes place in awareness. Everything you think, feel, or intuit takes place in awareness. Just realizing that is enlightenment. It becomes an understanding, or knowledge. From then on you don't have to think about it.

You don't have to think or feel that the sun will rise tomorrow. It's knowledge. You realized it a long time ago. It's a fact of life. Awareness is like that. A simple fact. Having a grand awakening experience won't change the fact. A feeling of love, devotion, or oneness won't change that fact either.

After many grand, unitary, ecstatic experiences that didn't make me feel enlightened, the fact of awareness, present, always, dawned on me. The realization was just seeing this fact. The knowing that I was this awareness, was the realization. It was a quiet evening spent reading Robert Wolfe that finally delivered the realization. No explosion. No big experience. Just a simple realization. I thought, "Oh, that's it." I knew my search was over. I went to bed and had a good night's sleep. 

Householders Meditation

Is there any moment during the day or night that you are not aware? Is there any activity during your daily chores that is not performed in awareness? Do you need to go to church, the ashram, or the temple to be in awareness? No you do not.

To be in meditation day and night there is only one thing you need to do, be mindful that all your doing is in awareness. Mostly we do our chores routinely and unconsciously. It is no different than our breathing, which we can do consciously or unconsciously. Simply be aware of your movements,  your thoughts and consider if any could be outside of awareness.

To be in meditation at any time, simply be mindful of that activity being in awareness. Every motion, every feeling, every thought is in awareness. Notice that you are that awareness.

The preacher, the priest, the guru is no closer to awareness than the householder or the street urchin.  All are being and doing in awareness. Where could awareness go? It is closer than your breathing and you're seeing, your thoughts and feelings.

If you do this faithfully, a time will come when you see that the person you appear to be is an appearance, an object, in awareness. When you are conscious of this, you know, and you know that you know.

Since all beings are objects in awareness, and you are aware, can you be anything other than that awareness? When you drop your body, only an object has been removed, you, awareness, go nowhere. You were not the doer, ever, but you were always aware.

Be awareness itself in your doing. Your daily chores will then be the meditation that brings you to realization. The coverings of being this or that can be seen through. You are that awareness whatever position or station you may have in life, and none is greater than another. There is nothing more to realization than knowing, I am that awareness.

What Is The Silence

What is the silence that is spoken about. It's really very simple. The personal sense of self dissolves as identity with the Absolute increases. A sense of security develops in proportion to trust in the Absolute. This tends to dismisses personal worries and fears. Peace becomes predominant as the personal self falls into the background.

When the sense of personal will and intent is surrendered to the Absolute, an effortlessness appears. Action becomes motiveless. A knowing arises that is spontaneous, with a sense of following inner direction. Guidance that is not of thought, nor planed.

It becomes simple to follow that inner guidance, without effort, without any personal intent, or will. When one no longer needs to plan, to worry, to fear, thought naturally falls quiet. It has little to do. This is when the quality of non doership arises. You know for a fact that you are not the doer. You are simply following orders of the divine.  

Trust in That

The Absolute is the only thing that is real. As they say, "The real is that which does not change." The Absolute is the subject that projects all form, including forms of apparently limited consciousness. No form is the doer. Every I is but a limited form, a focal point of the Absolute. Rest in that. Trust in that is the only freedom we have.

No Instincts, Just the Still Small Voice

Our instincts have been replaced with culture. Children, open, honest, and believing everything, are easily corrupted. Children adapt to ideas and attitudes that are not true. Those who break free are those who listen to that still small voice, that quiet intuition that says, "There is something else. There is something deeper than this."

Nothingness

No thing, or nothingness means without form. So, realization is realizing that one is not the separate form of an personal individual, but that which is without form, awareness itself. Recognizing all things, awareness itself is not a thing. It may be NO THING, but it does exist.

Time is the Measurement of Change

Time is just a conceptual way to measure change. It's really that simple. The eternal Absolute has always been and always will be. The core of the Absolute doesn't change and is therefore outside of time. To enter time, the Absolute creates form which evolves and decays. Our eternal nature is obscured when we identify as a separate entity. But, when we pierce the veil of separation we realize our eternal nature as timeless, pure, universal consciousness.

The Balance

I may not know who I am, or what I am, but I do know that I exist and that I did not create myself. I am speaking from the human perspective, from the body and mind that I am hard wired to know as myself. As such I have to admit that I did NOT create myself. I find myself here, knowing nothing.

Slowly but surely, with the help of my parents, relatives, and others, I have been indoctrinated into certain beliefs and attitudes. Being totally dependent on the adults in my environment, I must at least fake adoption of the surrounding values in order to survive.

First I had to learn what those around me thought and believed, modified by the actual behaviors of people in the culture. Obviously, people reflect the culture in which they are raised, adopting the attitudes and beliefs so as to survive. Individuation is a must, but this is usually just enough to make a living for myself, and have a few hobbies.

With this in mind, how is it that we come to the conclusion that "I am living my dream. I'm doing it my way." How does one hang on to that idea? Free will? Doesn't this seem a little preposterous?

The greatest freedom one can find, it seems to me, is to search for that which created me. Only that would have the answer as to what and who I am. Isn't this the ground of the search for truth, the holy grail, the corner stone of the religious or spiritual quest?

It seems a fruitless task to take off on this quest, seeing that one is limited, facing the entire created universe which one barely comprehends. Do we stop here because our unknowing is such a great obstacle?

It is very difficult to challenge our cultural and family heritage. None of us like psychological insecurity. So stepping out past the edge of knowing into the unknown is a big step. There is going to be a free fall psychologically. But, to do this willingly, is the beginning of courage.

Once we've stepped off the edge and begun the journey, where do we stop? Isn't there always going to be a huge pit of the unknown, even if we find God, the Absolute, Brahman, whatever?

For myself, the search ended with a shift of identity. It was a move from identity as a small body and mind, to identity with the larger essence of that which created me. This of course leaves much to be desired. There is still the enormous field of the unknown.

But there is a deep satisfaction, a deep sense of coming home.  When one has gone beyond the limited self, to being, and trusting the Absolute, the creator of this small body-mind, a certain peace does arrive. After all, what could the Absolute create with but itself?

Realization is just an apt description of finding that one is more than the little self separate self. It is to find an identify that includes the whole. It brings a sense of security that has been called "The peace that passes understanding."

The paradox is, that the little self remains. It's just not all there is of you. You are the whole as well. The search for satisfaction may end, but a heap of unknown remains. Where does this leave us?

It leaves us with a paradoxical balance. On the one hand we have an expanded identity which we trust. On the other, the free fall into the unknown remains. Both exist in a balance of confidence and unknowing.

Motiveless Love

"Well, it seems to me that the action done without motive is the action that's enduring. The action that's done with a grand motive in mind, even though the motive may be so wonderful as to help all humanity, isn't the lasting wonder that love, just lived, just simply lived is."  ~ William Samuel

I love this quote. It stands out because it points to love being one's very self. Being love itself, one does not need a motive, just as Jesus said, "Why call me good?" David Hawkins repeatedly talks of not doing anything, not planning anything, but just being what one has become. Of course this doesn't make much sense until one arrives at being That, which is all.

The love without motive that William Samuel speaks of, is enduring, because it's not tainted with human ego. That taint which corrupts most doing. To know that "you are not the doer" means your ego, is out of the way. Then, what is done spontaneously, is the love that being is. That love has always been, and will endure. 

The Hard Problem of Consciousness

It's really funny that so many have embraced and believe there is a "Hard problem of consciousness." That is, trying to figure out how consciousness arises out of matter. Sorry, but that problem was solved in ancient times. The Indian sages showed long ago that matter arises in consciousness, just like a world appears in your dreams. William Samuel understood there was no "hard problem of consciousness." Simply put, the scientist examining the brain is using "consciousness" to study it. You can't get outside of consciousness no matter how hard you try. If you're stuck in a material world, try reading a little William Samuel. He explains these issues in simple, yet elegant ways.

Happiness

Happiness is when we get what we want. But there is a deeper peace that is greater than happiness. Then happiness is not necessary. It is just icing on the cake.

Self Forgiveness

The amazing thing about self forgiveness is that if you do it, suddenly, everyone else is sinless and guiltless. Everyone becomes innocent. Makes a much simpler world, with joy to boot.

With the understanding that God is all, the little man, the ego, can be seen as an operating system designed and operated by the Father. There is no effort of surrender if this is seen. One simply becomes innocent, the bystander only, awareness viewing the scene without judgment.

If one admits "I did not create myself, but am a created being, born into a world I did not create," how foolish it is to take on the guilt of this world, blaming oneself and others for the perception of sin. 

When one lets God be God, and gives back responsibility for this world, one can lay the burden of the world down, and take the position of the observer, awareness itself without judgment.

"You are not the doer," is a profound pointer to let go and let God. Doing so leaves you white as snow, and everyone else as well. Then unconditional love is not an effort, just a fact. 

The Alienation of Love

A child knows innately that it needs love. It knows innately if it is not receiving it. If the love is absent, the child knows that which is essential, is missing. In this case it represses it's own knowledge and grows up out of touch with itself. The repression then manifests alienation of self and others. It's a tragedy. The only hope is to feel the pain. It is still there, in the body, in the cells. But if the pain is felt, the reality of love pours back in.

Peace of Mind

What really calms the mind is the reduction of internal conflicts. Therapy and yoga both contribute to this reduction. Realization of the non dual nature of reality also reduces internal conflict. In fact, external conflict reduces when one realizes that ultimately there is no reality to the appearance of separateness.

It is said that a quiet mind is required to grasp the subtleties of enlightenment. This is understandable. Maslow's hierarchy of needs lists physiological needs at the top of the list, followed by safety, belonging, self esteem, and self actualization. The implication of the hierarchy is that enlightenment or realization is likely to be put off until these other needs are met.

A large number of current teachers have stated that they find an increasing number of people interested in realization. There is a quickening of the spirit. This may certainly be due to the larger proportion of people having their basic needs met. I would suggest that the prevalence of therapeutic methods and the increasing number of people who take advantage of these, contributes greatly to the ability to pursue spiritual attainment.

Yoga was originally a method of quieting the mind. We know that meditation and yoga do exactly that. It seems that personal therapy also contributes enormously to the lessening of internal conflict, and therefore the emergence of a quieter mind.

A quiet mind is simply a mind that is not in conflict with itself. It implies a unified mind, a mind that has examined and refined its values. A mind that has placed its values in a hierarchy which allows lesser values to accept their place.

Whatever therapy, yoga, meditation, or other practice allows one to calm the mind will provide a path for clear contemplation and concentration. If the goal is realization, the quiet mind and its lack of distraction will make the path to realization easier.

There is a paradox in this picture. It is this: the realization of the non dual nature of reality itself is a profound quieting of the mind. To see that ultimately there is no separation, that one belongs, and is the eternal essence, ends the existential angst. It is the answer that ends all seeking as all conflicts are subsumed into knowing that all is one. To know that one has always been existence, consciousness, peace, and always will be, is the quietest place one could be.

If You Ask The Question

If you ask the question "What am I" or "Why am I here?" You have already made a statement that you are not the creator or source of your being. You have admitted that something else is the author of your body/mind. You have revealed that the person you find yourself to be is not something you created. You need to discover what this thing is! And what it is supposed to do!

If you just consider the question you are asking, you have already acknowledged God, whether you call it that or not. Call it nature, call it energy, whatever, it is the source of your existence.

To answer this question is often a life long goal. It is certainly worth pursuing. Religion and philosophy are a means to answer the question. But, to simply adopt a religion or philosophy as a belief, does not answer the question deeply enough. It can keep existential angst at bay, but it will not deeply satisfy unless it is known in one's core.

It seems that one needs to go deeply into who is asking the question. It is the person, the ego, the intellect, that is asking. It is the seeking of the Holy Grail. The answer that answers all fundamental questions. Advaita says the answer is "existence, consciousness, peace."

To know "I exist" is to be conscious. To realize that personality, ego, and body are focal points in consciousness, and are known to you, suggests that you are other than the personality, ego, body, or intellect.

If you go deep enough, the answer to "What am I" can only be consciousness itself. Not a particular consciousness, but awareness itself. That awareness in which the whole universe exists. That awareness that was before the big bang. That awareness that will be there at the end. And after the end. And you are that. And that is peace.

We Are Flowering

The apparent imperfection of life experience is the perfect expression of the learning experience. We may not know what we are here to learn, but the high view is that perfection is the goal. That perfection is unfolding through each life.

Is the bud less than the flower? No, it is just the potential flower. The essence is the same. We are the bud, working through the changes necessary to flower. We are the bud before the bloom.

God's Dreamscape

An experience, even the most ecstatic ends. So, even a great experience doesn't solve the problem of freedom from suffering. Knowledge does solve the problem because it is valid whatever experience you are having. The knowledge you need is that whatever experience you are having, good or bad, appears in awareness. That awareness is not personal. You are the knower of experience. You are beyond experience. You are the eternal presence.

The big picture is that awareness is not a product of evolution or a product of the physical brain. The brain, and in fact the universe, are in awareness. If you don't think this could be, your personal experience of the dream state can help. In your dream a whole universe appears in which all experience is available. You experience a physical universe with objects, actions, and emotions. It is real until you wake up. Consider that the whole dreamscape was conjured up in your mind, created entirely of mind stuff.

Just so, the universe we see in our daily waking life is a dream in the mind of God. Any experience, any knowing, is dependent on awareness. With examination, awareness can be seen to be the sole and primary factor of existence. It is not personal and not limited to any body. Being that existent awareness you are eternal and beyond any experience. 

Podcast on Spiritual Teachers Channel

An interview I did with spiritualteachers.org has been posted. If you like my posts you might enjoy this interview.  Interview with Spiritual Teachers

Judge Not

I have always been bothered by Jesus' statement, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Why did this phrase bother me? First, because it seemed an impossible ideal. Who hasn't been hurt and therefore judged the situation or person that harmed you. Don't we need to respond, to condemn that situation or person, so as to know our way forward? Aren't we also advised to have discernment? To discriminate between right and wrong, good and evil?

The answer seems to be in perspective, the position from which one is looking. On the one hand we are a being, a body, a focal point. Metaphysically, we call this perspective relative. In other words, we are looking at the world as an individual, with needs, desires, goals and dreams.

On the other hand, there is the perspective from the Absolute, from Being itself. From this perspective, the world, the universe, is as it should be. As it was intended. From this perspective, the world is perfect. It could be no other way.

It seems to me, that to understand Jesus' directive, one needs to take the top-down view, not the bottom-up view. Jesus is letting us know that to be aligned with truth, with God, the Absolute, we are required to let go of the bottom-up view, the personal view.

Isn't it the personal view that suffers, that resents, that assigns guilt and feels guilty in return? Isn't it the personal view, the bottom-up view, that judges, that condemns?

Jesus was speaking from the top-down view, from the view of Being, the Absolute. He was speaking from a higher truth. The view from the Absolute, which loves the whole of creation, without judgment. Beyond good and evil.

It is said we are created in the image of God. In essence, we can be nothing other than That.

If we are strong enough, and brave enough to look deeply into our self, we can leave off the judgments of the small self. We can surrender to the Absolute, the Impersonal Self. And in this surrender, we can enjoy the "peace that passeth understanding," where there is no sin, no judgment, no guilt. Free at last. 

Who's Freedom

There are some basic assumptions people take on unconsciously. One of them is the idea of free will. This is programmed from early childhood as parents and society continuously remind us to be responsible. Being responsible implies choice. We also know from personal experience that being responsible, making good choices, works. Culture rewards this.

For many years I struggled to overcome what I had been taught. So much of it rejected, not because of some rebellious nature that was opposed to authority, but because so much of what I saw in the culture was dishonest. Not necessarily a super conscious purposeful dishonesty, but a lack of integrity that allowed the dishonesty to flourish.

In early childhood it was a spontaneous intuition that was unshakable. It was an intuition that the truth was covered over to allow for the culture to continue, to endure without confrontation. This intuition forcibly drove me to keep pulling at the veil, to question authority. I did not reject authority, I just saw that authority had to be earned. It had to be established in truth. I looked for and searched for that authority.

The most truthful authorities seemed to point within, teaching that if you wanted to know the truth, you could be guided, but that ultimately it would be found within.
In the West it starts in Genesis where we are informed that we are made in the image of God. In the East it is the Atman, which turns out to be the same as Brahman.

When I looked within, and went deep enough, the personal self was not myself, but as the sages have always pointed out, my true Self was the Self of the Absolute. And what do we know of the Absolute other than its function as Awareness. Our deepest knowing of our self as existence is this pure awareness.

William Samuel had this to say about Awareness in his book, "The Child Within Us Lives."

"Awareness is God's Self perception going on. Therefore, it's God's responsibility. We feel the weight of the world taken from our shoulders. We rejoice with a new joy. We receive the promise of old. 'Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.'

The person is not in a position to judge what is going on. William Samuel claimed that the best contemplation we can do is to see the good in everyone. At least look for it. We don't set off to save the world, we just do the next right thing, the good thing that comes before us.

Freedom does not reside in the person, it resides in the Absolute. As we take on That identify, freedom becomes what we are. Free will is to surrender to That.

Use the Intellect Honestly

You can't play God from the human perspective. That's what transcendence is all about. To play God from the human point of view causes a lot of suffering. Attempt to see from the Absolute's point of view. That will lessen suffering.

You can't put the intellect, rationality, or logic above Being, but you can certainly use the intellect and logic to grasp at Being. You are Beingness itself! And Being, created the intellect. So use the tool, but use it honestly, not in the defense of the ego. That's transcendence.

The intellect is a tool like any other. Everyone wants an honest carpenter because a hammer can be used to build a house or kill the owner. Like any other tool, the intellect can be used for good or ill. Use it honestly and it will serve you well.

Experience and intuition are not rational processes. But the intellect can analyze and determine the value of an experience. The story of the rope and the snake is the most well known example of this. Unpacking experience in a rational and logical manner can add great value to any experience, and can help you let go of experience that does not add value to your life because it is not true to the fact.

Using the intellect willingly, honestly, look at yourself and how you experience life. Question the validity of how you experience. Are your experiences a valid response to what is? Look at yourself honestly. Inquire into yourself without holding back what the facts are. Isn't this what self inquiry is? The wise saying, "Know thyself," is of paramount importance. But, you have to do it thoroughly and honestly.

Since the intellect is a product Being, it is secondary to Being. Using the intellect well will take you beyond it. But use it well first. Self inquiry is an intellectual task. You can transcend the ego, seeing that it is a construct, a useful tool, just like the intellect.

The hard problem of consciousness was answered long ago. Self inquiry will answer this for you. You will find that consciousness is primary. You are that. Problem solved.

Mystics and Meaning

We can all agree that meaning is essential to human life and health. Culture and religion are methods to provide meaning, providing stories and structures that define values. But what happens to the individual that for some reason doesn't fit with the culture or can't stomach the religion in their environment?

Most people are pretty agreeable and they want to fit in. They don't question too much and join the parade. They can have fairly meaningful lives adjusting to the status quo. The issue of meaning isn't challenged because they adapt to the culture and religion provided. But what happens to the people that can't adjust?

Mystics through the ages have always been somewhat disagreeable. There a hundreds of stories of them being burned at the stake, forced to take poison, or simply banished from their homeland.

It's quite easy to see that for the mystic, accepting what has been handed down without examination or critique is anathema to their being. It's not that their religion isn't pointing to the truth, it's that they want to go deeper, to experience the truth for themselves. They don't want God, or Being, mediated to them by a priestly cast, they want to know God or Being directly.

This insistence most certainly puts them at odds with the culture, especially the religious aspect that has hardened into beliefs. The church says "This is what you must believe to belong, to be good, to be worthy." For the mystics, belief is not enough.

The mystic is the not the "true believer." The mystic is the one whose inside is screaming, "I want to know myself, as I am, in the ground of my Being." This demand cannot be mediated by any priest. It is a journey of the self to the Self. It is a lonely journey, a  journey into the desert, into the wastelands. A journey of discovery.

The mystic's search for meaning goes beneath the platitudes and insists that meaning must come directly from the Source itself. There must be in them some intuition that there is more to this life, this existence, than meets the eye, or is told in the town square.

Spiritual journeys are singular, and much of the journey is not pleasant. But, whatever the individual path, the mystics come to the same Source, the same fountain of profound truth. That is why their writings have been called "The perennial philosophy." The mystic finds that all the world's religious come from a single source, the being of existence itself.

The discovery of the mystic provides the authority with which they speak. The humility of their knowing shows they have transcended the personal self. That combination of authority and humility attracts seekers of wisdom. They do not put a price on sharing. They are available to all.

The mystic has tapped into the ground of Being. They speak of instantaneous knowledge, a direct download from Source. It comes with such authority that to question it seems absurd. Meaning pours through their souls like water after the years in the desert, making their journey worthwhile.

The mystic, knowing source directly, as the Beingness that they are, have the joy of meaning that they need not understand. In other words, knowing they are that which they sought, they know longer need to question their existence or justify it. The world is their creation.

Whatever travails the mystic endured, he comes to know the essence he is, is non other than the being that created this universe. As an individual they know their limitations, and they may not have all the answers, but the answer to the big question is complete. In that they rest.

Meaning and Intent

Meaning has to do with intent. It points to a significant quality. Isn't this what the search for Truth is? Finding what is significant and shows the intent of life?

The lack of meaning in one's life is a sure pointer that one has not found the Truth that satisfies. We're not talking about beliefs here. If one is defensive about one's position, you're standing on shaky ground.

The sages that seem to have the Truth, or a good taste of it, are humble, but speak with authority. They can speak with authority because it is not borrowed Truth, it is known in their bones.

If the universe is a random occurrence, can one find Truth in it? Or meaning. Evidence seems to show that one can. The Existentialists grappled with this. To a large extent they came to the conclusion that the individual had to answer their own question. Many did this without belief or acknowledgment of God.

I was an atheist for many years and found meaning in my life. It was very personal. It worked for me. But this never answered the question of the universe. I was still curious. Why the universe? Why the way it is? Why me?

These questions about the universe imply that as satisfying as my personal life might be, it did not answer some fundamental questions. And the fundamental questions did not just slip out of my psyche like chaff.

The drive to discover the most meaning possible in life remained. And these questions were larger than the personal self. The fact of the need for meaning, although personal to a large extent, points beyond. And it must point beyond because we did not create ourselves.

To my mind, finding myself a created being, could I really be satisfied with having personal meaning that did not include the creator? What was its intention? What was the creation for?

This process led to looking for deeper intent, a more profound meaning, a more inclusive understanding. Existence is. The search for meaning is. This is inherent in the human. Doesn't this make it clear the search is valid?

The sages have made it clear that "You are That." There is a lot of meaning in that statement. It means that you are larger than the small self. It means that although the small self exists, it is just a part of That.

The path from hearing "You are That," to knowing you are "That," is a long process, or a giant leap. The search is nothing but the path to know "That." When the truth of "You are That" dawns, meaning seems to drop like manna from heaven.

Knowing "You are That," makes you the whole. You are the creator of the universe and the purpose is yours. While still being the small self playing the role you are in, you are also the creator, the being of it all. How can you not be at peace with existence? It is you doing your thing. Your intent, your meaning. 

The Search

The only reason we search is that we think awareness is a personal product of our brain. Realization is seeing that our body and mind are in awareness, and we are That.

Be the Source

You can be the experiment source has created, or you can be the source and stand as the observer.

Why Is There a Creation

Everything that has ever been experienced has been the registering of change in awareness. When this happens, we become conscious of the experience. There is always the empty field of awareness as background. If we see a mountain, it is registering a presence as a change (the appearance of form) against the silent, blank, background of awareness.

Everything in the universe changes. Yet change can only be registered if there is something unchanging on which, or to which, it appears. That which registers all the change (experience) in the universe, must be prior to the creation for anything to register. That has been called "The Knower."

Though materialists would like to think that Awareness could be created, it is Awareness itself conducting the experiment in the lab. Awareness is the knower of the scientist and his experiment. You can't create Awareness because it is already here.

Anything known in this universe is known in Awareness as an experience. Any knowing since the beginning of time, since the manifestation of form, has been registered in Awareness. Just as there is personal memory, there is also cosmic memory, known as the Akashic records. As above, so below.

The one unifying force in the universe is the subjective I experience. It is common to all life. It had to be there prior to the first creature. Beingness itself is That Awareness. If it was there prior to the universe, it would be outside the creation, without beginning or end.

If experience is the registering of change, there has to be a background against which change is experienced. Awareness is that background, and the projection or manifestation of form is the process by which Awareness creates boundaries in order to register experience.

Everything we know is in Awareness. The projection of itself into form allows Awareness to know itself. Limitless creates limited form, boundaries of apparent separation in order to experience itself in infinite ways. No two of us are the same, but the subjective experience of I is the same for all of us. That subjective I, Awareness, is what we are.

Personal Responsibility

If you are not the "Doer," where does personal responsibility apply?

With deep examination, great sages have come to the conclusion that "I am not the doer, and neither are you." Assuming that you have read and pondered deeply enough to realize this, where does personal responsibility come into play?

I am not of the persuasion the person does not exist. The individual bodymind does exist even though its appearance is temporary, and it did not create itself. No one can say "I do not exist."

If we stand as Awareness, the Absolute, all responsibility resides here. The manifested creation, the projection into form, is my creation and my responsibility. It follows the universal laws I have laid down.

As the Absolute I can create focal points of limited consciousness, but can I give free will to any of the created beings?

If we have realized "We are not the doer," does that absolve us of responsibility in this world? Common sense says "No."

Realization does not disappear the body, and it does not disappear the mind, even though it may feel like the personal self is dissolved to a great degree.

Knowing that reality is non dual, forms still exist. There is the Absolute and there is the relative world of plants and animals. There are universal laws that obtain to all creatures, including realized beings. 

Regardless of the level of realization, the personal body and mind continue to exist. That existence is in the relative world, and the relative world has universal laws which apply. Jesus acknowledged this in saying "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." Matthew 22:21. David Hawkins, likewise, reminded us not to mix levels.

As long as we remain in form, the universal laws apply. It is said, "Next to good manners, enlightenment is best." The point here is that no matter how realized a teacher is, as long as they remain in form, living in this world, the relative universal laws apply. As Jesus said, "Be in the world, but not of it."

The point is this:

Realization does not absolve the teacher of values. Realization does not bestow permission to abuse students. Realization doesn't make one a law unto themselves. 

Freedom Expressing

The only free will is that which is expressing, and it's certainly not the personal I. For me, total freedom is the expression for which I personally am not responsible, and take no credit or blame. A relaxation into this is a great peace.

Intuition, Seeking and Finding

My thoughts on my search and the role that intuition played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6NjCYBAZeY

You are That

"You are That"  Nonduality Interview with Maury Lee 

Kyle Hilding of Spiritual Download asked for an interview. It was recorded today. Enjoy, and thank Kyle for providing this opportunity.

(Part 1)   LINK:         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guKvG_T7Iyk

(Part 2)  LINK:          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufra667BcNU&t=4s

A Strong Ego Is Necessary

With therapy I developed a much less defensive ego, a healthier, stronger ego. The strength developed by experiencing that which I had repressed gave me the courage to face more and more.  The risk of finding out who you really are, how you really feel, teaches you to challenge yourself. True therapy teaches one to take risks. The result is a quieter more relaxed mind. Contemplation and the search for truth becomes easier.

In the pursuit of truth, a strong ego is necessary. You have to face your conditioning, challenge it, even when parents, family, friends and society are telling you what to think. Being strong allows for self examination. Put no head above your own. This does not mean that you do not learn from others you perceive to know more than you.

A strong ego that no longer needs defenses is much more capable of self examination. An ego that knows it can take a hit is much more open. It knows a threat to a current position can be examined. A strong ego is not threatened by deep contemplation and exploration. The opposite is true of a weak, defensive ego. It is not in a position to allow transcendence.

A strong ego is actually capable of pursuing truth, capable of discovering that it is not the doer, that it is not the center of the universe. It can handle the shift from primary identification, to secondary. After realization my ego is still intact. It is not who I am, but remains an excellent tool I use to navigate this realm.

Freedom and Bondage

When people use the word God they usually have many assumptions attached. That gets people into arguments. I like to use more neutral words such as Source, The Absolute, or The Ineffable. If we just drop all God concepts and just think of the indescribable force creating the universe, that's enough. Since the Source manifests everything out of itself, anything that has existence is That. Whatever That is in it's essence is what everything is. That means you are just as much That as I am. No matter who we are, we all say "I am." It's all the same existence. Non duality simply acknowledges that Oneness. Since all is one, the Absolute is the doer. We appearances have to make choices, and that certainly feels like free will. It isn't. You chose one action over another. The higher value wins out. Just common sense. It's a setup. The Absolute is in charge. When you identify with the Absolute, you can forget about the issue of free will. From the standpoint of one essence there is neither free will nor bondage. Nothing is opposed to it. The limitless knows nothing of bondage or freedom.

Disinterest

I haven't written much lately. I haven't lost my realization, it's just not that interesting. Once it's obvious, the obsession with enlightenment is gone. I'm just as interested in working on my old car. I did happen on this video which I thought was very good. Pretty much says it.

Darryl Sloan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0xzZ4L7ZpA

Playfulness

When one relaxes into the Absolute with trust, playfulness arises spontaneously.

Seek And You Will Find

There is this myth that seeking is the problem. But, where does the seeking come from? None other than That. The inefable is all there is, any seeking is That seeking itself. My seeking was never to avoid anything. During my many years of seeking, I may have not been able to see or accept the deep impersonal implications of the Absolute, but my seeking was not in the way. Whatever detours I took were necessary or they would not have happened. Could not have been otherwise. Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find." It works. 

Reprogramming the Subconscious

Realization is nice. It stops the seeking and gives incredible peace of mind. However, it does not wipe the slate clean of your habits, conditioning, and unconscious programs. These buried vassanas still operate: "A vasana literally means 'wishing' or 'desiring', but is used in Advaita in the sense of the sub-conscious or latent tendencies in one's nature."

The first changes are due to a loss of wishful thinking, imagining that something outside yourself will make you happy. These wishes diminish over time. You find that you avoid drama and discover that peace is a primary virtue. You don't go seeking experiences. It's all right here.

The subconscious is programed from ages one to seven years. An animal has instincts, they are hardwired and there isn't much they can do about it. If you've been around animals you know how strong the instincts are. In humans, instincts are few, but what we are programed with during our early years becomes our instinctual behavior. Because they are unconscious, not chosen, but taken in to survive our family and culture. In other words, to fit in. Realization does not automatically remove these.

I have never been one to meditate. Contemplation always suited me better. However, I have had some success doing subconscious reprogramming just before I fall asleep. I developed acid reflux due to a stressful family situation. It lingered after the situation was resolved. I felt guilt, and resentment. As a last resort I spent three evenings before I fell asleep imagining a golden light coming down and through me removing all guilt, shame, and fear. I told myself that I no longer stored these emotions in my body.

It took three days for all the symptoms to stop. That was a few years ago, and the acid reflux has not returned. That's a pretty big return on a few meditation sessions of reprogramming my subconscious. Below is a link to a short video by Dr. John Lipton. I think it makes the case very well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpGsAgE3TkA

Simple Happens

The ego is just fine, it gets a loss of power on awakening, but after adjustment you find it carried a lot projections and drama you no longer need. Without needing to get happiness out there, life becomes a lot simpler. The head of the outfitter company Patagonia said, "The more you know, the less you need." There's a lot of truth in that statement. Simple happens. 

What Reading Judo Krishnamurti Meant for Me

After my interview on batgap.com, someone asked me to post on what reading J. Krishnamurti did for me. I've been very hesitant to video myself and put myself out on the youtube scene, but I decided to give it a try since I enjoy other peoples videos. I'm old enough now that I really don't care what people think. I don't really care if it's not polished. Just sharing what might be interesting to some.

https://youtu.be/nLbCipr-yqc

One Truth, Many Paths

No matter what one's background, some of us are born with an intuition that things aren't as they seem. We have an intuition that what has been accepted as truth, isn't quite so. It is a problem for the possessor of this intuition as it puts one at odds with one's parents, culture, and tradition. The pursuit of truth does not seem like an option, but a drive, a devotion that requires an answer. When one is ready to give all for the uncovering of the truth, grace often removes the veil. 

Can an intellectual realize nonduality? Surely they can, even though it is said that the Jnana (intellectual path) is the most difficult. Franklin Merrell-Wolff approached enlightenment with philosophy and pure mathematics, and his realization was profound. The branch of philosophy called Phenomenology tries to examine the base from which all scientific exploration can be pronounced valid. 

A philosophical form of meditation called phenomenological reduction is not widely known. It does not have the popularity of the Eastern yogas, or the authority of religion, but it works just the same. This video by Tomaj Javidtash shows the power of phenomenological reduction meditation.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=27&v=hFm1_Yf9gYM

Awareness is All

Some say that Awareness is just another thought, a description of an object we are thinking about. I have to disagree. We have the word food. We know what it refers to, an actual object, say spaghetti. We can't eat the word, but we can eat the spaghetti.

In the case of Awareness we are speaking of something we know, but it isn't really an object, it is what we are. Although we have a form through which we perceive, Awareness is a function, a principle that allows for consciousness. There is nothing outside of Awareness. It is the perceiving of the Subject, the Absolute.

Every being is a perspective, a focal point of Awareness. Each focal point perceives in its own way. It perceives according to the faculties it has, type of eye, ear, or nose, but however different, depending on the organs of perception, Awareness is what delivers the perspective.

Awareness is. It is not another object. It is what perceives all objects. Awareness is the Subject. It is what we are.

Whatever objects are, matter and energy projected, they are created by the Absolute, and perceived by the function of Awareness. We can only know via Awareness. It is the basis of all knowing. We know we are because we are Awareness itself, and whatever the Absolute is.

There is not anything in the universe that is not aware on some level. That awareness is conscious of something, even if only the attraction between positive and negative particles of atoms. From the outer limits of the cosmos to the tiniest quark, Awareness reigns. 

Before Good and Evil, You Are

Are you aware that it is God looking out through your eyes? Do you see that Awareness itself is revealing without judgment? Do you see that it is your mind, your positions and opinions, that judge? Do you know that if you could see this you would have peace?

You are wrapped up in judgment of what you see, do, and feel. Your mind has opinions about all these experiences, and judges them accordingly. This is essentially where good and evil come from, your opinions, conditioning, likes and dislikes. Your suffering comes from these positions.

Awareness comes first, without judgment, then your mind comes in with opinions, likes and dislikes, good and bad. Awareness has no opinion about what is going on. It is simply the field in which all you know appears. Have you ever stepped back from your mind to realize Awareness itself?

Awareness is the function of God. It is the revealing function, the function that allows for knowing. Everything you have ever known has been in the light of Awareness. Have you not heard that "You are the light." Of course you have, but do you know it is the truth?

Awareness, the function, is a field of knowing. It is always present. It is the one truth you cannot deny. If asked, "Do you exist?" can you answer other than yes. That knowing is existence itself. It is primary. Without this knowing function you cannot say anything exists.

You might think Awareness is yours. It's not. You borrowed it from the Absolute. When your body dies, the universe still exists because the Absolute, with its function of Awareness still exists. Awareness is primary. The content of awareness is all that exists.

Step back from your opinions for a moment. Stand as Awareness the knowing function, and see whatever appears is revealed by that alone. It is only after the revealing that your mind comes in to deliver its judgments. But Awareness, the revealer, never makes a judgment.

You are the light simply means that your true Self is Awareness. The light does not belong to you as a body with a mind. Awareness is not personal. It is impersonal until your mind takes over to judge what it reveals. This is where suffering begins.

Existence is whatever Awareness is conscious of. Existence and Awareness cannot be separated. This is why Awareness, the knowing function, is primary.  You are this impersonal Awareness. The world is your projection. It is your imagination, your play at the highest level. You are this Awareness right here, right now. Leave your mind out of it and feel the peace.

There Are No Things

When a sage says "There are no things," it is not dismissing the fact that we see things, tables, chairs, trees, and flowers. It means that although we perceive these different objects, their separateness isn't real.

What the sage means is that name and form are creations of our mind. A chair only exists to a human. A snail or a snake does not see a chair. It sees a form, but it is just another part of the environment.

The whole of creation is a perception in Awareness. It is one field with apparent difference. Whatever the thing is in itself, it is not separate from Awareness. All separateness is just an interpretation.

We can't say these things don't exist, yet, being all one, we can say "There are no things." There is only existence, and all existence is known in Awareness. One, being all that is. 

The Unified Field

There is hope for the world in that Quantum mechanics and nondual Advaita Vedanta are both science based. Both are interpretations of what is. Although Quantum Mechanics looks at matter and discovers consciousness, Advaita Vedanta looks at human experience and reveals nothing but consciousness.

As Quantum Mechanics reveals further proofs of the primacy of consciousness, the oneness of creation that Advaita Vedanta espouses will be more easily accepted. In simple terms, existence is nothing more than consciousness.

The Unified Field is nothing more than consciousness expressing Itself as everything that is. 

Where Love Is

The creator does not judge his creation. It only loves. Whatever the creation does, the creator looks on with love. That love is without beginning or end.

To love as the creator loves, first one must come to love oneself. That begins when one stops judging oneself good or bad, righteous or unrighteous.

Improvement doesn't come from judgment, it comes from love. The expression of love begins with forgiveness of self and others. There really are no others, so what you forgive in yourself forgives the world. Then the world becomes a beautiful place, a place where love is. 

Responsibly Innocent

Although we must demand responsibility, we are all innocent. The Absolute which we experience as Awareness is the doer.

Your Loved One

Say you are grieving for a loved one who is gone. I ask you, how did you know that loved one? You knew them in Awareness, as Awareness. And how did that loved one know himself, or herself? In Awareness, as Awareness. And where is that awareness now? Right here, where you are. Can you see this Awareness is all there ever was, and is?

Awareness being every image from microbe to tiger, to friend, is the only life there ever was. You, this Awareness are still here. Your friend, loved one, known in and as Awareness, cannot be gone. Awareness is still here.

You are an image in this Awareness, just as your loved one was an image this Awareness. As that Awareness your loved one is still here, present as this Awareness. In fact, the only friend you've ever had is this Awareness, right here, right now.    

Choiceless Awareness

When I deeply examine choice, I find only the feeling of choice, a sense of choice, but not the fact. As an individual I did not create this world, this body, or the process. Any choice ultimately is the play of Lila. Surrender to that is choiceless awareness.

Realization and Embodiment

"The view cannot be the viewer," was a simple statement by Richard Rose. It cuts right to the chase. It means that no matter what you see with your eyes, or feel, or think, the knower of those objects can't be them. This points to Awareness as being the knower, the true Self. This is in line with the basic Vedanta discrimination "Not this. Not that."

Vedanta has a progression of propositions to bring an entirely ignorant person along a conceptual path to the truth of non duality. "The view cannot be the viewer," is a first step to discriminate between Self and appearance. However, once one gets this point, and sees Self as Impersonal Awareness, a subtler point is made, "The "observer is the observed." This follows because there is nothing outside of Awareness.

Nothing in existence can be outside Awareness. Unfortunately, we humans are primarily aware of the content of Awareness, not the Awareness that is looking. We also tend to think of Awareness as personal, belonging to us. Coming to see that our personal self is known by Impersonal Awareness is a big step.

"You are what you seek," is a simple pointer to Impersonal Awareness. The seeker is Awareness under the mistaken identity of the personal self. When Awareness as the essence, the very existence of all that is seen, then "The observer is the observed"
 
Seeking ends when the personal I falls into the background and Awareness takes the foreground. Realization is this shift from personal identity to Impersonal Awareness. When Impersonal Awareness is known to be the true Self, there really is nothing else to seek. It is the knowledge that stops the search. The big existential question has been answered.

"The faint remains of ignorance" is the phrase used to describe what remains of the ego. The personality doesn't disappear, but its dominance is undone. This usually conveys an initial sense of loss, or death. In time, "the faint remains of ignorance," (the personal self), enjoys the freedom of not being the doer.

The subtleties of Realization can deepen until the end of life. Actualizing the deepening realization is the ongoing process. Embodiment of the realization is all that's left to do. Living the realization is now where the rubber hits the road. This is where gurus live up to the realization, or fail. Do they walk the talk? 

Awareness Inside and Out

When you realize that you are the Awareness in which your searching is occuring, and that nothing you can do is outside of awareness, you will be well on your way. The shift in identity from personal searcher to Awareness itself, is realization.

To End Separation

In form, in a body and mind that believes it is a body, there is a sense of separation. Every other bodymind is sensed to be separate. In fact, everything in the universe is deemed to be outside the body. This sense of separation is untrue and causes one to seek.

For this universe to exist, and for the drama of life to play, there must be form, and form requires limitation. This sense of limitation gnaws at us, and we long for freedom. The teachings of non duality show that we are free and not limited.

The Eastern sages call the world Maya, an illusion. It is not that the forms do not exist, but that they are temporary. If they are temporary, can they be real? 

As one seeks truth one has to question deeply, "Who am I." It stands to reason that to know anything about this universe, and this life, one needs to start from the one truth no one can deny, "I exist." What is this I, and what is existence? The sages of ancient India used the phrase, "Existence, Conscious, Bliss" to sum up reality. The unpacking of this phrase shows that Existence cannot be outside consciousness. Existence equals consciousness.

Awareness, from which we are never separate is available, without judgment, to see any object, physical or mental. Every thought, feeling, sight, and sound, appears in awareness. Yet, one seldom steps back from the objects of awareness to awareness itself. If one can do this, the feeling of separation has a chance to recede. This is called, "standing in awareness."

If one contemplates this long enough, one begins to get the sense that the bodymind and everything known is in awareness. Pursued to the furthest depth, one comes to the conclusion that one is awareness, not a bodymind in a universe.

This shift from being a bodymind to being Impersonal Awareness is a difficult shift. We are hard wired and conditioned by experience to perceive ourselves as a body in a world. A better interpretation of our experience is required to see that we are Impersonal Awareness. It is a difficult, outrageous, and counter intuitive leap. But this shift must happen to end the sense of separation.

One may have an intuition that non separation is the truth. To get the mind to see this, accept this, is the journey. It is a journey from separation to oneness, or non duality. When one sees this non duality, and it becomes real, that is called "Realization."

My own path found real value in studying the Upanishads of Advaita Vedanta. The ancient sages developed many teachings that reveal to the mind, in a logical and methodical way, the correct method of interpreting experience. It shows that everything is in Awareness, and "You are That." 

Why Must Innocence Be Lost?

Why must innocence be lost; tasting the fruit of the tree of good and evil? A clue is in statements such as "To know and know that you know."

Why the double know? You could say animals don't question what they are. They are just pure expression of That. They are That, but they do not know they are That.

The human is required to take a much more profound step, and that step is the suffering accompanied by separation. The separation has to happen so that innocence is destroyed. Then when innocence returns it is known.

This is expressed by T. S. Elliot when he said, “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” 

As Above, So Below

If you read about near death experiences, or watch video accounts of them, there is a commonality to the reports. There is initially darkness, vast and impenetrable. Then a small light appears in the distance. It gets brighter and one is drawn to it. Reports tell of flying towards the light without effort. Upon entering the light, love is felt to a profound depth unknown before. Then a place appears and one is introduced to Christ, or Buddha, or Mohamed, or God, and a life review begins.

I've been told these stories by people who experienced them. They are like the accounts I've read. Yes, I'm talking about these stories, but I would like to point out something more basic. You've heard this pointer before.

Whether in life or in the afterlife, the basic fact is our knowing, our awareness of events. Yes, this basic awareness, so hidden by events. Hidden by stories of life on earth, and in the afterlife. Awareness.

Is there anytime, on earth or in heaven that we are not aware? People who are able to speak of their past lives, can only speak of them as having known them, having been aware of them.

Awareness is basic. It seems to be the ground of being. Existence itself is only evident in awareness. Can we separate existence from awareness?

The ancient sages had a phrase, "Existence, Consciousness, Bliss." They had pierced the veil of content, of story, of objects, and made clear that  existence itself was awareness, the ground of being.

Awareness, the ground of eternal knowing, is existence. It is what we really are. Whole, complete, and at peace. 

Slings and Arrows

The world as seen as an individual bodymind is separate, needing protection and defense. The individual world is full of projections, jealousy, resentments, etc. When the identity shifts to the Self, impersonal Awareness, you stop creating that world of separate beings and populating it with the slings and arrows of individuality.

TV Dramas

When you are watching a good movie on TV, you are totally wrapped up in the action on the screen. You forget all about the TV. In fact, you are not even aware of the TV, you are only aware of the story. Yet, without the TV, there would be no action on the screen.

Our lives are similar. We are so wrapped up in the story of me and my dramas, that we do not recognize the Awareness that we are. Awareness perceiving the story.

So, if we never stop to ask, "What is this Awareness that holds and knows this story, this drama," we never know we are that Awareness, and not the story.

We are the TV that receives all channels, knows all channels, and is all channels. The stories appear in me, and yet, I am free of all the stories. 

You Are Not The Story

You only need to be aware that awareness is what you already are. I used to remind myself by saying "I am the awareness that knows Maury, the awareness in which Maury appears."

You, is a story being played out in awareness. You can see the story because you are NOT the story. You are the awareness that sees the story. As awareness you are not affected by the story, not anxious, not afraid. You are the knower of the story, not the story character.

You Are Awareness

Someone asked me, "I'm having the hardest time staying present in my day-to-day. Is there anything you can suggest (mantra, what have you) to help a novice get a better grip on Now?"

Actually, what you are is presence, is awareness. Awareness is always here. When you find yourself distracted, anxious, or worried, it is awareness that is knowing those thoughts. You are not the distracting thoughts, the anxious feelings. You are the awareness that knows those thoughts and feelings.

You can never be outside awareness. Yes, your mind may be distracted, but whatever is the distraction, it is known by awareness. So, rather than a mantra, and certainly not the mantra that "I am distracted," just realize that awareness is knowing the distraction, and you are that awareness.

So, you are never not present, you are eternally present as that Awareness. It is what you are. If you just remember you are awareness, when you feel distracted, that is enough. 

Freedom

Freedom is freedom from suffering, from fearing death. It is freedom from the limitation of identification with the body. It is not freedom to do what you want without responsibility. It's feeling free as identity has shifted to being impersonal awareness. It not about action, it's about freedom from the actor.

The Most Unchanging

Jordan Peterson, in his book "12 Rules For Life, An Antidote to Chaos" has this to say on page 13.

"It's chaos, within order, within chaos, within higher order. The order that is most real is the order that is most unchanging -- and that is not necessarily the order that is most easily seen."

Reading those words really stunned me due to my understanding of non duality. In the world understood by the non dual sages, reality is defined as "That which does not change." Now isn't it astounding that Jordan Peterson, one of the most profound intellectuals of our current Western thinkers, has discovered this? Doesn't his statement make it clear that the ground of being is that which doesn't change?

That which doesn't change is ineffable, unlimited, unbound, beyond good or bad. The ancient Hindu sages stated thousands of years ago that Reality is that which doesn't change. And now, in our time, Jordan Peterson, perhaps the most popular lecturer of our time is saying the same thing, having made the same discovery.

Anyone who has pursued enlightenment can vouch for the fact that understanding and finding the impersonal non dual Self is perhaps the hardest thing a man can pursue. The difficulty lies in the simple fact that it is not easily seen. One literally has to step back from the personal self which changes, and discover the pure Awareness that is unchanging, no matter what is appearing in its field.

I believe the popularity of Jordan Peterson may be that he is touching on this foundational truth of Reality, that the ground of being is Awareness. And since it is the truth, and it is foundational, it can be trusted. 

Realization Is Not Sainthood

I read that "Realization, enlightenment, or awakening, does not necessarily make one kinder, more compassionate, more caring, more truthful, more saintly, more open, more noble, more ethical or more religious."

That's true, realization is no guarantee of virtues. However, there is a tendency towards less reactivity, less projection, and less egoic concern, resulting in a more peaceful disposition with less concern. Grieve not for the living or the dead,' begins to make sense.

So the trend upon realization is good, but the results vary. Anomalies abound.
Even Jesus said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good--except God alone."

My own pursuit of realization was never about being good, or being saintly. My only concern was for the Truth. My devotion was to Truth. I believe this helped me stay clear of lousy half-baked teachings and guru worship. I always knew the guru was just the messenger. I never put a teacher above my own head.

Lastly, realizing "I am That," does not automatically make you different. It stops your seeking, and your mind quiets down, but you don't just become saintly because of the knowledge. I think the current talk in spiritual circles about embodiment and actualization reflect the fact that after realization there must follow a lifelong unfolding of what that implies.  

Watching Your Thoughts

Watching your thoughts should simply point out that what is watching is who you really are. The thoughts are what you took to be yourself, but now you see that they are only appearances upon the real Self, awareness. 

Existence Equals Awareness

The ear doesn't make sound, but it hears all sounds. The eye doesn't make images, but it sees any image that appears. The nose doesn't make smells, but it smells many different scents. The skin doesn't make touch, but it senses many different textures. The tongue doesn't have a taste, but it tastes whatever is put on it.

You could say that the senses are neutral. They simply reveal what is available. The single factor behind all these sense organs is awareness. It registers without choice, what the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin reveal. 

Just so, the knower, awareness, doesn't have a preference for what it experiences. It simply registers whatever experience is presented. However different our lived experience, it is all known by awareness. Isn't it obvious that awareness, the knower, is universal?

I can say that my experiences are different from your experiences, but can I say that the knower, awareness, is different from yours?

It is said that the one thing no one can deny, is that I exist. Your knowledge of existence is rooted in awareness. Is there any difference between the knower and existence? Can't we then say, that there is one existent awareness, and every experience, name and form, is nothing but that? 

Unveiling Awareness

It seems to me that the void of emptiness reveals that even the most subtle object we can know, unveils awareness as the knower of all.

All Religions Are Non Dual

If nondual means not two, and Brahman is the principle of Awareness, does it matter what branch of Advaita, or what religion one claims? No. Whatever God you pray to appears in awareness. Whatever God you believe in, and how you think and feel about that God appears only in awareness. Likewise, any experience of any kind appears in awareness. Nothing appears without the presence of awareness. So, nonduality is a fact and verified by anyone who looks. So whatever your religion or philosophy, it appears in nondual awareness. You might say that Advaita is actually a science of consciousness and it only appears to be a religion because awareness is seen to be the absolute irreducible fact of existence. 

What Is The Observer

The observer is always present. It is the very screen the mind is projected on. But who notices the movie screen? It takes some subtle looking and contemplating to see that awareness is the background of everything. It is hard to see because it doesn't judge, and it isn't mind content. Like the movie screen, whatever is projected on it, it reveals. It doesn't have thoughts about the movie, it just reveals the content. If you truly stand as awareness you can discover that which is unconditional. There's a lot of freedom in that.

Let the Magic Pass

While the illusory images do pass, while they last they do exist. Since all existence is an expression of that which is, we cannot dismiss it. Enjoy it while it lasts; while your bodymind lasts. Just keep in mind that all coming and going is in you, and that existence itself is beyond coming and going. 

Thought Is Not The Problem

Some have said "You cannot use thought to resolve your problems in life; it has created them." It is also said that you have to kill thought to be enlightened. I don't find any validity in such statements, and I don't think not thinking will make you enlightened.

No. It is not thought that is the problem. Granted, there are terrible thoughts and noble thoughts. The problem is ignorance of your true nature. Advaita Vedanta has laid the problem out beautifully and provided the solution. Advaita uses words to remove ignorance and replace it with knowledge. The words of Advaita Vedanta, nonduality, have lessened the suffering of many. It uses words skillfully, which leads to knowledge which removes ignorance. Contemplation by the intellect is one of the greatest gifts we have. Advaita is the best example of this that I have ever encountered.

Realization & Individual Expression

It has been shown that in countries that have successfully implemented policies that promote equal gender opportunities, the differences between men and women flourish. This was an unexpected result and therefore additional surveys were conducted which verified the results. In other words, the natural interests and attributes of gender were free to arise and express.

It seems to me that the same can be said for awakening/realization. When someone realizes their true Self, and therefore have more internal freedom, the individuality of the realizer flowers.

In both cases (equal gender opportunity and realization), personal and gender expression flourishes.

It seems paradoxical that realization of the "impersonal Self" releases individual expressiveness. It is similar to the effect that equal opportunity for male and female persons increases gender differences.

The French have the expression, "vive la difference." Maybe they were on to something. Freedom brings out the best in us, and lets us be different. It is the realization of our oneness that gives us the freedom to be ourselves. We are not better than another, ultimately, just different.

It seems beautiful to me that freedom releases individuality and gender to express more naturally.

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Gender Differences Enhanced

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-times-are-good-the-gender-gap-grows/


https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/the-more-gender-equality-the-fewer-women-in-stem/553592/

Automatic Value Judgements

The best definition of emotions is that they are "automatic value judgements." This definition clearly shows that judgements picked up in childhood, school, and church, have become automatic. This is conditioning 101. If you then decide that all your emotions are valid, you will never be clear and never free. Your whole life will be a series of reactions with no path out.

Realization for Free

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I have found that this is perfectly true. I would add that a personal teacher is not necessary. It is helpful I am sure. My search was intense, but I was also a householder, so I did not go on retreats. I never felt I needed a personal spiritual teacher. I always felt that the seeking was guiding me and the light was in me. I needed to search, and I did. But I never felt I had to have a personal teacher. I needed to know what they said, how they lived, what they did, but this was available in books. I did spend a lot of money on books and it was very rewarding. A book could be read and reread many times. I studied many great teachers. When the Internet arrived I got on forums. Sometimes a teacher would be reading the forums and I had several jump in and send me personal emails suggesting a book I was ready for. This is how I came to read Nisargadatta before he was well known. When I tuned in and resonated with a book by a great teacher, I felt no separation. Reading them to me was like being there. When truth resonated, it filled my soul with joy, peace, and sometimes teachers. I remember reading Nisargadatta. He was there in the chair with me. When I read about his funeral there were tears streaming down my cheeks. Yet he had died years before. Now we have the Internet and youtube. When I watch a batgap video, it is as if I am in the room with them. I feel no separation. How could there be? If they are speaking truth and I am attuned to truth, it will resonate. I have been to several lectures by David Hawkins. Most were free, but I did pay to go to an all day conference in Sedona to hear him. I did not get more out of the personal presence than I did out of his books. If I have enjoyed a book by a current teacher I have never found that if I emailed them I did not get a response. I have called several and just talked. I did not pay to talk, and I have not felt inclined to talk to spiritual teachers that charge. I am not against a popular teacher charging. But there are teachers with just as much truth that do not.

The energy of truth is not limited by proximity to a body. Truth is everywhere and unlimited. If the text you are reading is true, or the video is full of truth, and you are open, truth will resonate in you and rain on you with grace. Bottom line. I don't think as a spiritual person, a seeker, that we can complain. There is so much that is free, you couldn't read it all! There are youtube videos by and about all the great teachers. If a person's search is genuine, there is enough available free spiritual material to gain the insight you need. Because there is also a lot of BS out there, you will learn discernment. If you are serious, that discernment will develop and you will not be led astray. We will get out of our search what we put into it. Period.

Hope

Hope is a pointer that pain and suffering is not all there is. Hope tells us there is something we are missing. Hope tells us that what is missing can be found. In the end, we do find that what we are searching for is what we are, but it is hope that leads us down the path. It was always hope that allowed me to feel my pain, which I was avoiding. So hope gave me the strength to feel my pain and let it go. The other side is beautiful.

True Knowledge

It seems to me the problem is that so many people are not happy with their current experience of life.  If so many weren't suffering in their current experience, teachers wouldn't have an audience. Bad teachers thrive because so many are longing for something outside their current experience and they have no clue what the problem is.

We tend to live our lives based on experience. It does not register with most that their experience would change if they had the knowledge and understanding of their true position, ie, as the Self.

Teachers that teach experience as the way to truth will probably keep students for a lifetime. At least until they see they will never have the experience being espoused. Knowledge however, can be taught, and knowledge pursued can be gained. Experience tells us something is missing. Experience tells us there is something more. But, it is understanding that sets us free.

Experience comes and goes, but true knowledge lasts forever. In other words, the right understanding will deliver the experience of peace and satisfaction. But chasing experience is a dead end. 

Faith Is Not Necessary

The intuition that God is, and is all, is because the Absolute is all there is. How could faith be necessary? Thirst tells us there is water. Hunger tells us there is food. Longing for the Absolute tells us God is.

Desirelessness

The search for enlightenment is not a search for desirelessness. Dharma is not opposed to the desire for liberation. In fact, the desire for liberation needs to be a burning desire. Enlightenment does convey a strong sense of satisfaction and peace resulting in a lessening of desires. However, killing desires is not the prescription for enlightenment. In the spiritual world the effects of Realization are often misinterpreted as the cause. Whatever the practice or method, the goal is to see that the essence of the person is non different from the essence of the universe. With identification with the Absolute, the personal self recedes into the background. The absolute, experienced as presence awareness, existence without end, has a sense of satisfaction that is complete. With this understanding, desires are less, and conditioning begins to unravel in the pure light.

Experience is Not the Rx for Enlightenment

Stories of enlightenment experiences are incredible and get shared and retold. People beginning the spiritual quest read these stories and believe they are looking for an experience.

However, trying to reproduce someone else's experience is a big problem. As a unique human being, what are the chances that you can reproduce someone else's experience? Seeing this issue many assume that the experience they will have will be so powerful, so beautiful, so intense, that they will know they are enlightened. When that doesn't happen they feel lost.

When people realize their true nature they have a variety of experiences, often blissful, intense, and sometimes debilitating. It is easy to see how the intensity of the experience is taken for realization. This is a problem because no two experiences are the same.

Experience is not the bottom line for enlightenment. There is a reason that enlightenment is called "Realization." It is the realization "I am That." It is the understanding  at a deep level which causes the variety of experiences to arise. When the understanding and truth of non duality is seen, any sort of experience can ensue. Don't mistake the experience for enlightenment. It is always the realization "I am That," which is key. 

Presence in Time

Time is just a construct to measure change. No matter what time scale we use, presence is. Can presence change? No, so it is out of time.

Suffering

My understanding is that from the Absolute perspective everything is perfect. There is harmony in the whole. But, to claim that there is a state on earth where no harm comes to individuals, or that there is no suffering, seems a fantasy. Heaven on earth is to take one's perspective as the Absolute. I know perfection, but it does not preclude suffering on the relative level.

The Other Side Of Paradise

This is a post is in regard to the Esquire article  The Other Side Of Paradise

A very well written and informative article. Rick Archer in his interviews often mentions that most people do this work in a progressive manner whereby what is discovered is integrated in a manageable manner. If you view the process as a ladder (even the picture shows steps) and you progress slowly those aspects that are frightening and disrupting can be managed. A seven day silent retreat as described in the article as a "jump" is sometimes too much. 

Through personal experience with a Gestalt therapy group, I can report that psychosis can be brought on by therapy that is beneficial to most. When more than can be psychologically absorbed is experienced, severe psychological disruption can occur. It was a joke in our group that participation was hazardous and it was common that people lost their relationships, homes, and jobs. It was a joke because we were all committed to unravelling the suffering we harbored, despite having material security. In other words, the risk was worth it. 

There is a fine line between mystical experiences and psychosis. The mystic is simply able to absorb the blows of seeing what most avoid. Those who cannot absorb the intensity, collapse. The ego simply is overwhelmed and cannot take in the view. This is why I appreciate the joke that goes: "What's the difference between a mystic and schizophrenic? The mystic knows when to keep his mouth shut."

If you want a more complete view of the process I went through, check out my interview on batgap.com.

475. Maury Lee

Enlightenment Isn't Something You Get

Enlightenment isn't something you get. It's an understanding that comes from knowledge. The knowledge will not get you anything other than "the peace that passeth understanding." Then, of course, money and a big house are irrelevant. Being free of those needs is very satisfying.