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.