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Question: There is a simplicity that I hear in your words that lets me step out of the striving, driving "follower" mode. I too want to disappear into that presence of being. Thank you.
Answer: What a wonderful paradox. It so clearly points to the heart of the matter: the wish for the end of separation. In essence all desire is the desire for our own absence. Intuitively it is sensed that this absence will bring clarity and peace. Yet -and here is the paradox- the desire for the absence, is the illusion of separation itself in one of its more elegant disguises. This I/ego that wants to dissolve is illusory and therefore not a true obstacle to understanding; much like a cloud is not a true obstacle to the sun's presence. What is more, when we look into this, we will see that the cloud is generated by the sun's own heat. In the same way the 'I' that wants to disappear in to the Presence of Being is itself a reflection/activity of this Presence. This Presence is all there is, so there is nothing that can stand apart from it to disappear in it. It may seem so, just like the cloud seems to erase the sun, and independent waves seem to appear and disappear on the ocean. These waves are in fact nothing but an activity of the ocean. Ocean and waves are a single body of water. Likewise, the One and the many are the expression of a Single Light, or of 'One Taste' as the Tibetan Buddhists say. The mind translates this Single Light into dualistic concepts such as 'I' and the Presence of Being, the permanent and the temporal, or awareness and its content. Here the concept awareness represents the Eternal Context (like space) and all that appears (including thoughts and feelings) is its content. In THIS the 'I' is one of the objects that comes and goes. You-As-Awareness sees the 'I' as well as its longing to disappear into the Presence of Being. You -as this Single Light- are This Presence of Being, and nothing can or has to be done to make this so. In other words, You (as a separate character) never really appeared, so there is no need -nor any one- to wait for its disappearance. All appearances are again nothing but that very Presence of Being, appearing to ItSelf AS the illusion of someone separate longing for reunification. Rest AS the Seeing, AS the One Context and know that all there is is THIS. You are THIS.
If or when you have a question you'd like to see answered in this newsletter send it to:
author@awakeningtothedream.com Painting by: Wieslaw Sadurski Title: One Light. Visit him at: http://www.wisarts.com/index.html |
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Right now you exist; you are aware. Without taking a thought,
you are absolutely sure of your being. That is the essential
reality being pointed to. All of the Buddhas and sages of all
times are fully present at the core of the one who is reading
these words right now. You will never a.ain this, never find
it and never know it as some object of thought or experience.
Why? Because the very awareness that you are and have
always been is fully and completely that now!
The most direct teachings set aside all philosophizing and theorizing and go directly into an investigation of the import (real meaning) of the word ‘I’. You can never find the answer in the mind, so it is useless to look there. No amount of thinking can free you from the riddles created by thought. So how do you stay with the presence awareness that you are? It is effortless because it is always on... you don’t have to try just see. If you're trying then you're just not noticing that it is inescapably what is all the time; or you're trying to become something that you already are. Presence is effortless. Awareness is effortless. The fact is you don’t have any choice but to stay with it, because you are it. It does not change. It does not move. It does not hide, but be watchful; don’t turn the obvious presence/awareness into a concept or an idea about yourself. Stay with the livingness of it by not following what the mind thinks about it. Presence/Awareness is in the ever present now. If you think there is an ‘I’ in there somewhere, then have a serious look and see if you can find it. That is the only way to get that resolved. With the issue of the ‘I’ resolved once and for good, the understanding of your true nature as the present awareness becomes clear with no possibility of obscuration. It is never obscured, even now, but the idea of separation, that is, being a separate ‘I’, appears to make the obvious doubtful. Have a good look for the ‘I’ and see what you can come up with. Amazing experiences are not it. Before we are clear on the basics, we are o.en enamoured of so-called spiritual experiences. Experiences come and go in this that is aware. Mystical experiences, lights, energetic experiences and so on have nothing to do with this, really. In this moment – for you, right now – there is a clear light of awareness in which everything is appearing. It is what you are. You are that! It is free, totally unobscured, full and complete. Christ said, ‘I am the light of the world’. You, as that awareness, can say the same thing. Separation from that is a total illusion. It never happened, except in imagination. It is based on a ‘me’ that never existed. It is just a wrong idea.
Quotes From John Wheeler's book "Awakening to the Natural State"
Available from: Non-duality Press http://www.non-dualitybooks.com/ |
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Maitripa's Essential Mahamudra Verses To innermost bliss, I pay homage! Were I to explain Mahamudra, I would say— And mind is merely the flux of awareness, That's Mahamudra, as we call it. Rest in the true nature, free of fabrication. Because it's like space, or like a magical show, Then, aware of all good and bad stuff as the basic
reality, What are notions of going or staying? But if you do get it, what can ever fetter you? See, nothing is ultimately established. Like a wide stream flowing non-stop, All phenomena are empty of intrinsic nature I've put together these lines
Colophon
This was Maitripa's Essential Mahamudra Instruction (in Tibetan: Phyag rgya chen po tshig bsdus pa), received from Maitripa himself and translated by the Tibetan translator Marpa Chökyi Lodrö. Translated into English by Nicole Riggs. © 2002 by Nicole Riggs. Reproduction welcome if not for profit and with full acknowledgement. Found at: http://hjem.get2net.dk/civet-cat/index.htmPainting by: Alceon Jones, Lumbee Title: Multiplicity Visit him at: http://www.uncp.edu/nativemuseum/collections/art/multiplicity.htm |
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Question: Does the absolute know itself? Bhagavan: The ever-conscious is beyond both knowledge and ignorance. Your question presupposes subject and object but the absolute is beyond both. It is knowledge itself. Ramana Marharshi from the book Padamalai Publisher: Avadhuta Foundation (July 1, 2004) # ISBN: 0971137137 |
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Reasonable Doubt A defendant was on trial for murder. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense's closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom." He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened. Finally the lawyer said, "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But, you all looked on with anticipation. I therefore put to you that you have a reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty." The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty. "But how?" inquired the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door." The jury foreman replied, "Oh, we looked, but your client didn't." Painting by: Greg Evans Title: Courtroom Drama. Visit him at: http://www.evansart.com/index.html |
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