Who’s Ruling Your Castle?

Many, if not most, of us are familiar with the children’s rhyme: “I’m the king of the castle, and you’re the dirty rascal!” It relates to a children’s game in which boys and girls race to the top of a hill and defend their right to proclaim that they’re the king or queen of the castle. The origin of the game seems unclear; but by some accounts, it was played in 16th-century France and 17th-century Scotland and, perhaps, earlier.

Let’s investigate the rhyme and discover if it could possibly refer to an underlying spiritual meaning related to our essential nature. In support of this, I offer the following verse found in John 8:58:

“Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am.”

To be clear, the verse doesn’t state that Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I, ‘Jesus,’ was”–it states “I Am.” I offer that Jesus was conveying that “I Am” (Consciousness) is prior to physical form (as illustrated by mentioning Abraham). Consciousness is the very foundation of our Being. Objects, both physical and mental, appear in Consciousness and are known by Consciousness. Research into the field of consciousness adds weight to this assertion; for try as they might, scientists have been unable to determine how physical processes give rise to consciousness. Ancient teachings assert that the body-mind arises in Consciousness; not the other way around, as materialists assume. In other words: “I Am” (Spirit, Consciousness) is the Reality (Castle) of each apparent King or Queen. A similar message is stated in 1 Corinthians 6:19:

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”

My dirty rascal, “Art,” had it backwards for apparent years. “He” fooled everyone, including “himself.” Due to ignorance, ego “me” declared that he was the king of Being. Such seemed to occur only because the Real King–“I AM“–hadn’t, as yet, been recognized. Because of the veil of amnesia, which is an inherent mechanism of our apparently human journey, we must set out on a spiritual journey to knowingly rediscover our True Self. When we do, we knowingly assume our rightful “place” as Universal Consciousness, which is our eternal nature.

To realize the Ruler of the castle we must be It. When such occurs, it is not a pretense made by the mind; it is a “remembering” or re-cognition of that which is our true Self. The realization can be facilitated through meditation. Psalm 46:10 directs us clearly to the method: “Be still and know that I am God.” In John 14:6, the following is stated: Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Can you see the parallel message contained in the nursery rhyme (“I Am the King of the Castle“) and the Biblical verses mentioned?

What can we do with this recognition? Live by it, as it. By being That, the quality of life will improve dramatically. Old energies related to the perspective of the false self will fall away as we remain as “I Am” Awareness. And when “I Am” notices thought patterns related to fear and competitiveness, we can turn away and deliberately focus on our positive visions. “I Am” is intended to be the ruler of our kingdom. As Spirit, our essential nature is beyond name and form. (For those who would like to delve deeper into this subject, I offer my YouTube video entitled “Children of The Light.“)

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), press here. My YouTube videos can be found at Think2wice@I-Am-Aware. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. “Thank You” & “Note to Publishers” 🙏🏻🧡

Mind Is The Creator of Everything

I offer you my latest Youtube video, which includes information about our true Self and the Law of Attraction. I hope that it will be of service.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Bobby’s Pockets

From the moment he was born until the age of approximately seven, the subconscious pockets of Bobby’s mind were being filled with a multitude of thoughts and beliefs about himself and the nature of his world. He had no choice but to accept the type of information that was placed within them. By the time he reached adulthood, his pockets were bursting at the seams. Although Bobby wasn’t aware of it, the energy of his negative assumptions about reality far outweighed the positive. Here are a few that were lurking inside his pockets:

You’re just like your father–a loser!
I’m a failure.
You take after me; you’re terrible at math.
I’m not smart.
Our family can’t afford vacations like other families can.
I’m poor.
You’re not smart enough to create your own business.
I’ll always have to work for someone else.
Persons like me don’t go to university.
I’ll never amount to much.
Life is hard–very hard!

Estimates about the number of thoughts that an average adult has on a daily basis vary (depending on whether they’re conscious high level or underlying mental events); but it’s safe to state that our thoughts are highly repetitive and that negative thoughts are more salient. If you doubt that the nature of the thoughts make a difference in the quality of your experience, I offer the following quotes from In Tune With The Infinite, by Ralph Waldo Trine:

“Carry any kind of thought you please about with you, and so long as you retain it, no matter how you roam over the land or sea, you will increasingly attract to yourself, knowingly or inadvertently, exactly and only what corresponds to your own dominant quality of thought.”

“To be sure minded is to be sure footed.”

It’s important to realize that we’re not experiencing the world as it is; we’re experiencing the world as we “are.” Our “self” image is intimately related to the nature and quality of our reality. In support of this, I offer the following quotes from Thought Power, by Sri Swami Sivananda:

“As you think, so you become. As are your thoughts: so must be your life.”

“Thought creates the world. Thoughts brings things into existence.”

“This world is a play of the mind.”

And from The Master Key System, by Charles F. Haanel, I offer you the following:

“The law is that thought will manifest itself in form.”

A similar message is related in spiritual terms in Proverbs 23:7:

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

What we think in our heart is what we know in our essence, without having to think about it. In this regard, it’s much easier to realize that a greater degree of success is possible when we recognize our true Self, beyond the limitations associated with our egoic identity.

Dear Readers: Are you letting other persons’ definitions of your avatar (the “person”) in the game of life determine your level of success? What is the nature of the thoughts that you’re carrying in your pockets? How do you feel about you? Are you unwittingly carrying a negative story and, thus, creating less than ideal results? If so, perhaps it’s time to begin anew and choose to fill your pockets with some high quality ideas. You might find my YouTube video entitled “Law of Attraction: Key Points” helpful.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Oh, Jubilant Heart

Recently, I, Heart, heard several rapid-fire knocks on my door. When I opened it, I saw Mind dressed in a loud plaid suit and holding a briefcase. Mind told me that it had some information of great importance to share and that it would appreciate a few minutes of my time. As I didn’t wish to be rude, I invited Mind to come in. We sat across from each other at my kitchen table.

“This is your lucky day,” said Mind, as it snapped opened its briefcase, “because I have a plan for your life; and I think–rather, I know–that you’d be wise to follow my advice. At FollowTheCrowdInc., we have a monthly installment plan that makes payments easy and affordable.” Mind then slid a colour brochure toward me that was filled with graphs, glossy photos, and gobbledygook. “It seems to me,” said Mind, with a few judgmental glances, “that you could use some help putting your life in order. How lucky you are that I stopped by–chuckle, chuckle, hack, hack! Here’s a few questions to get you thinking:

“Are your taxes in order? What about savings? Income property–do you have one? Have you considered multiple streams of income? And what about the Joneses down the street–can you not only keep up with them but also outdo them? I noticed that your car looks a little long in the tooth–can you afford a new one? What about your children, if you have any–can you help them financially? Retirement, whew, now there’s a topic! How many years before you get the golden handshake? Do you have continuing benefits? Dental coverage isn’t cheap you know–you don’t want to be gumming it at the golf course. And what about funeral arrangements? Have you made them? Are you thinking burial or cremation? What about plans to travel before you’re too old and doddery? Have you got your name on a nursing home waiting list yet? And last but not least, have you filed your GYBTB-4321-Yellow Form yet? Don’t want to be late with that one! As you can see, there are so many details to be arranged. Thoughts?” asked Mind, as it surfaced for air.

With a soft smile, I, Heart, handed the brochure back to Mind and said, “Yes, I do. I plan to live my days to the fullest, without carrying the burden of an illusory past or anxiety about a future that never arrives. I keep my focus on being present, enjoying this wonderful experience called life. I keep my worries low, and my enthusiasm high. I frequently wake early to view a sunrise and occasionally go for a walk in the rain. I make sure that I watch what I think, not a television. I eat well, love myself, and live by the Golden Rule. I write and paint when I feel inspired. Oh, and I sing in the shower and have been known to skinny dip at midnight. But that’s probably a little too much information, isn’t it?

“Yes,” said Mind, gagging forth an awkward smile, “I think it is.”

And with that, I politely showed a very glum-looking Mind to the door.

***

Dear Readers: Now is all there ever “is.” Do you, Awareness, really want to let Mind (ego) dictate how to live? If you’re curious about our essential nature beyond name and form, my YouTube video entitled “The Nature of Reality” may be of interest.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Little Johnny Acres

At the tender age of nine, Little Johnny Acres witnessed the death of his father. Family, friends, and neighbours labelled what occurred as “passing over” or “going to a greater reward;” but Johnny knew the facts. He had witnessed his father clutch his chest, take his last breath, and die. The father that he loved so dearly was dead and gone. Afterward, Johnny pretended (as he assumed the rest of his family was pretending) that his father was in a wonderful place called Heaven. But deep in his heart, Johnny doubted that such could be true.

In the coming years, Johnny’s interpretation of his father’s death coloured his attitude about many of his experiences. He chose to live now, for tomorrow you may die. He believed, as the majority of persons still do, that you only live once, so make the best of it! Time seemed like an enemy that could strike anyone down without warning. An adult now, he preferred to be called John; but he still clutched the childhood wound like a prized possession that somehow kept his father close. If he let it go, it would seem like giving up on his father; and he wasn’t about to do that. Until…

Years later, John discovered an esoteric book entitled The Master Key System, by Charles F. Haanel. He read it several times; gleaning what knowledge he could from its content. Upon one such reading, the following leapt out at him:

“The spirit of a thing is that thing; it is necessarily fixed, changeless and eternal.

The spirit of you is — you; without the spirit you would be nothing.

It becomes active through your recognition of it and its possibilities.”

Over the coming months, John’s understanding grew by leaps and bounds as he re-read The Master Key System. The tumblers of his locked view of a “material world” were clicking open. Haanel’s message was that we are spiritual beings, here and now. Through daily meditation, he realized that his experience on Earth was occurring within the waking-state dream. With this knowledge, he was finally able to peacefully set the memory of his father to rest. He also knew the meaning of Acts 17:28:

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.”

***

Dear Readers: I know that many of you may have experienced the death of a loved family member or friend. If it feels right to do so, please contemplate the words that helped to free Little Johnny Acres from his emotional suffering: “The spirit of a thing is that thing.” Appearances are, indeed, deceiving. We aren’t who we appear to be. We are Spirit. “In Him [Consciousness] we live and move and have our being.” The description of our essential nature is related in the following quote from the Bhagavad Gita, one of the Hindu holy books:

“Weapons cannot cut It, nor can fire burn It; water cannot wet It, nor can wind dry It.”

Let not your heart be troubled. (If you’re curious, I offer more information in my YouTube video entitled “The Incarnate I Am.”)

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Lucky Charms

It was Saturday afternoon, and Randy and Ananda, who were nine and ten, respectively, were out for a walk in the backstreets of the small town in which they lived. They were headed nowhere in particular, but there was a high probability that the local playground would magnetically attract them to its swings. The days of September were winding down, signalling that another summer was almost over. As they turned onto Revelation Street, an empty pop can caught their attention; and they took turns kicking it back and forth.

When they arrived at the playground, they sat in the swings and lazily traced patterns in the sand with their shoes.

“I’ve gotta get better grades in school this year,” said Randy. “My mom and dad say that I have to study harder.”

“Yeah?” said Ananada.

“Uh, huh,” said Randy, “but I already do study hard.”

“You can do it,” said Ananda, “just really have to believe that you can.”

Abruptly, Randy leapt up from the swing and dug deep into his left pocket of his blue jeans. “This is going to help me, too,” he said. He was holding a rabbit’s foot lucky charm outstretched in his left hand.

“How is that gonna help?” asked Ananda, as he moved closer for a better look.

“It’s going to bring me good luck.”

“Hmm,” said Ananda, “I guess if you believe it’s going to help, then, maybe it will; but the charm itself doesn’t have any power.”

“No?” asked Randy.

“Uh, uh,” said Ananda. “My mom and dad have been teaching me stuff about the mind since I was six. Last week, they read a passage to me from a book called “Thought Power,” by a guy named Siv…ananda.”

“Like your name,” said Randy.

“Close, at least, said Ananda. “He said that the type of thoughts that we carry around with us is what’s really important. Good thoughts, which are believed with feeling, lead to better stuff happening.”

“Are you trying to say that I could do better in school if I just believed I was getting better grades?”

“Yup,” said Ananda, “as long as you can really see it in your mind.”

“Hmmph,” said Randy, shaking his head, “I don’t know. That sounds kinda weirdo to me–about my thoughts making a difference in my grades.”

“I can prove it,” said Ananda.

“How?” asked Randy.

“When I first moved to town, I didn’t have any friends at all,” said Ananda. “I was feeling really lonely. Mom and dad said that I should put my mind to work, and imagine that I had the best friend, ever.”

“And…?”

“I’m looking at him!” exclaimed Ananda.

A smile as broad as the prairies swept across Randy’s face; and with that the two boys left the playground and headed home.

***

For readers who are interested in making their own luck, I offer the following quote from Thought Power, by Swami Sivananda, which was referred to by Ananda:

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Dreaming of Coffee

At precisely 7:00 a.m., Bob Brightman heard the sound of the alarm on his bedside table and slowly wakened from his slumber. He shut off the alarm, stretched his arms wide, and ambled to the washroom. A few minutes later, he groggily joined his wife, Helen, in their rustic kitchen. The room was aglow with the warm sunlight that was shining through their kitchen’s eastward-facing window.

“Coffee?” Helen asked, as he approached her and kissed her softly on the cheek.

“You know it,” said Bob, with a grin. He added milk to the coffee and assumed his favourite position in the glider chair next to the window. The first few sips of his coffee tasted like morning nectar.

Holding her own cup of coffee, Helen moved into a chair directly across from her dream guy.

“You know,” began Bob, “last night I dreamed that I was drinking coffee that tasted every bit as real as this.”

“Tell me more,” said Helen.

“Well, I was holding my favourite mug, the one you and boys got me for my birthday. I could feel its weight, the heat of the coffee, and even smell the aroma of the freshly-ground coffee beans. Strangely enough, just like I’m doing now.”

Helen took a few sips of her coffee and looked around their kitchen. “It’s incredible, isn’t it,” she said, “how the mind can replicate reality in our dreams.”

“It definitely is,” said Bob, “even to the point of fabricating skyscrapers, mountains, and people.”

“Truly amazing,” said Helen.

Lost in thought, Bob seemed to freeze momentarily. “You know,” he said, with a puzzled expression, “it almost makes you wonder if the mind could be rendering this, right here and now.”

“What do you mean?” asked Helen.

“You know, dreaming us, drinking coffee in our kitchen.”

“Well, that’s preposterous,” said Helen.

“Is it?” said Bob.

Helen smiled and softly pinched her cheek. “I feel pretty real to me,” she said.

“But we feel real in our nighttime dreams, too,” said Bob. “When we dream that we’re skiing, driving a car, or eating a meal, it all seems very real.”

“Oh, you–you crazy Mr. Brightman!” exclaimed Helen.”Don’t be so silly. Enjoy your coffee and then get your butt into the shower. “Our backyard lawn really needs to be cut today.”

Bob smiled and slowly sipped the remains of his coffee; but as he showered and, later, cut the grass, the question about the nature of reality kept begging to be answered. As Helen washed the breakfast dishes, she also found herself pondering the following question: “How would we know if our lives were a dream?”

That afternoon, Bob was rummaging through his collection of books about spirituality when he came across the following quotes. Given what Helen and he had talked about earlier that day, it gave him pause to contemplate the issue very deeply:

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”

– T. E. Lawrence

***

“Live in the consciousness of Spirit, in that oneness with God wherein you know that life is a dream.”

– Man’s Eternal Quest, by Paramahansa Yogananda

***

“Everyone is sleeping. When you see other, when you see otherness, when you see duality, it is called dreaming. Only in the dream do you see objects. When there is other, it is a dream, and prior to this dream, you must be sleeping. Sleeping is ignorance. When you wake up from this state, you wake up to awareness.”

– Wake Up And Roar, Satsang With Papaji,” by Eli Jaxon-Bear

***

Dear Readers: We can awaken, now. When you realize this, a world full of new and exciting possibilities opens up before you. We’re informed of this in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” You are Spirit eternal. (If you’re curious about learning more, you might find my YouTube video entitled “Living The Dream” and my blog article entitled “Notes From Beyond” helpful.)

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Fooled By Your Name”

The title of this article is borrowed from a line in The Book, by Alan Watts, who was a noted British author and expert on Buddhism, Taoism, and theology. The subtitle of his book, On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, hints of a door to a dimension of Self that most may never be tempted to knock on, let alone open.

Our conceptual “person” can never know lasting peace and joy. It’s like asking an illusion to produce something that’s “real.” But beneath the world of name and form, in which we refer to things by words, there lies the most mysterious of mysteries. Our true Self is prior to the mind; therefore, beyond the scope of definition and comparison. It’s nature is peaceful, singular, and all-pervading; there’s, literally, nowhere that It is not. The key that unlocks the door to this dimension is stillness. When we turn away from sense objects and become still through meditation, it’s possible to “re-cognize” (know again) the very nature of our Being. We discover that we’re not our thoughts; nor our sensations, feelings, or perceptions. These, and everything else, are known by the real You, Awareness. Its nature is pointed at through the following quote from Chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching:

“There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born. It is serene. Empty. Solitary. Unchanging. Infinite. Eternally present. It is the mother of the universe.”

Even a little investigation can reveal invaluable insights. Think: For objects to be known, they must be known by something. True Self is not a thing in the common use of the word; nevertheless, it is present; or, more accurately, Presence. Wherever we are, Consciousness is. It’s impossible to think “I don’t exist” because the very thought requires Consciousness to think it. Our essential nature is That which registers impressions from an apparently external world. It is also Consciousness that registers the name and form of the body-mind that we erroneously believed to be our personal identity.

Why should we care, especially when life seems to be ticking along just fine? For that very reason. The hands of our body-mind’s clock are moving; but we need not wait for the “alarm” of its impending death to recognize true Self. There’s a multitude of benefits that can be realized now; not the least of which is that we are immortal Beings. Our true Self is immune to the human drama; thus, not tainted by suffering and fear. No event, circumstance, or situation can harm it. The Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord) points to our true nature through the following quotes:

“Weapons cannot cut it, nor can fire burn it; water cannot wet it, nor can wind dry it.”

“I am the Self, O Gudakesha [one who has conquered sleep or ignorance], seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.”

Dear Readers: There’s a Source of Love within you that’s waiting to be rediscovered. Due to the veil of forgetfulness that’s required for a “human” journey, we forfeited knowledge of our true nature; but forgetting can never erase That which we truly are. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare summarized a deep truth about names, through a line spoken by Juliet: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The essential You is That sweet fragrance–not the name and form through which true Self expresses Its divine nature. (If you’re curious about learning more, I believe you would find the content of my YouTube video entitled “To The Point: I Am” helpful.)

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Awake In The Dream

Simon couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t loved to read. It seemed as though his passion for reading and books was woven into the strands of his DNA. When he was a young boy, the stories of Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, and The Hardy Boys had transported him into fictional worlds in which he experienced great adventures and solved crimes that puzzled adults. Now, at fifty-two, Simon’s love of reading was as strong as ever. For the last twenty years, his focus had been directed to books about the law of attraction and our spiritual nature.

In the fall of 2017, Simon’s logical mind was not prepared for the revelation that occurred during an evening flight from Toronto to Vancouver. He was in a window seat, reading The Power of Awareness, by Neville Goddard, when a quote leapt like a lion of realization into his awareness. In the depths of his being, beyond the level of his personality, he understood it fully:

“However much you seem to be living in a material world, you are actually living in a world of imagination. The outer, physical events of life are the fruit of forgotten blossom-times–results of previous and usually forgotten states of consciousness.”

Simon’s breathing had slowed, so much so that his body inhaled a deep breath to compensate. He had previously read the book at least twice, but the meaning of the words hadn’t registered. This time was different. Consciousness was awakening to Itself. For unknown seconds, he gripped the armrests tightly. When his attention returned to the book, the following quotes lighted up his awareness:

“Nothing has existence for man save through the consciousness he has of it.”

***

“Your assumption of the wish fulfilled is the ship that carries you over the unknown seas to the fulfillment of your dream.”

***

“The present moment is always the most opportune in which to eliminate all unlovely assumptions and to concentrate on only the good.”

***

Simon was staring out the window, at clouds that seemed mystically surreal, when he suddenly heard, “Can I get you anything, sir?” Shaken from thoughts that were vying for his attention, he turned and saw a flight attendant, with her hands on a service cart. “No, thank you,” he said with a faint smile. As he settled again, all of the information that he had read about spirituality and the law of attraction began to make sense. Consciousness, “I Am,” was our true nature; the body-mind, “person,” an appearance. It also explained why the teachings of the law of attraction stated that we could be, do, and have anything we desire. The Bible verse from Mark 11:24 called out to him: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Soon after, the verse from Romans 12:2 crossed his mind: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

***

Dear Readers: I realize that it doesn’t take a sleuth with Hardy Boy credentials to conclude that Simon is playing the role of “Art.” Although the account is fictional, there are pointers to Truth in the quotes from Neville Goddard. In the case of Art’s story, as he continued to meditate and read books about the law of attraction and our spiritual nature, I, Awareness, awakened in the dream of life. This means that I knew my Self as the Self; the Dreamer at the foundation of all dreams. To state that this was a surprise is an immense understatement. My interpretation of reality gradually shifted from one based upon physical “matter” to that which is founded in Consciousness only.

For those who are earnest about self inquiry, I ask this: If space-time isn’t fundamental, where is there “room” for discrete persons and objects that stand apart from the mind that perceives them? Do the persons and objects within nighttime dreams truly “exist?” If you’re interested, you might find my YouTube video entitled To The Point: “I Am” helpful.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

To The Point: “I Am”

I offer you my latest YouTube video about our essential nature, beyond the name and form of the “person.” There’s a much deeper and richer dimension of True Self.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Who’s Ruling Your Castle?

Mind Is The Creator of Everything

Bobby’s Pockets

Oh, Jubilant Heart

Little Johnny Acres

Lucky Charms

Dreaming of Coffee

“Fooled By Your Name”

Awake In The Dream

To The Point: “I Am”

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