Dear FamilyofOne,

I thought I’d inform you of some recent happenings in “my” life. I’ve got some good news, and some good news. Although it may sound bad, or even wacko, I finally had to give “Art” the boot to make room for the emptiness of true Self. For the figurative move to the Truth, I had to clean house, so to speak. The place is feeling a lot more spacious without him. Sure, Art meant well, but his arrogance (he claimed to be the doer, when all of us know that mind is the creator of everything) and ignorance of our essential nature became very wearisome. By ignorance, I don’t mean to imply that he was stupid; I just mean that he didn’t know. He was unaware, but unaware that he was unaware. He and the majority of other persons on the planet are asleep to their true nature.

Have I lost anything by giving Art the boot? No, not at all. What can be lost by losing a ghost? In fact, I’ve gained–peace, joy, and freedom–simply by dropping what I am not. In truth, Art was simply a collection of repetitive sensations, images, feelings, thoughts and perceptions that habitually reinforced the idea (but not reality) of a separate self. Give it a name–like Jane or John Doe–and you’re off to the races. I’m happy to report that my suffering has decreased immensely since I got rid of Art. It was only he who was the negative voice; he who suffered apparent losses or wins; he who existed as a fictional self in apparent linear time and space. You and I–Spirit–realize that there is only here…now.

Doubt that space-time (they go together) can be an illusion? Go ahead, please try to experience the future. Can you actually live an hour from now or next Tuesday? Of course not. When that conceptual future hour or day arrives, it can only be lived “now.” Can you take a step into the past? No, even when you remember it, you do so “now.” Eckhart Tolle, a well-known spiritual teacher, shares this point through a sign that he once saw in a pub in England. The sign read: Free Beer Tomorrow. Get it? If you think you can show up and drink free beer tomorrow, you will remain thirsty forever. It’s always now, despite the protests of the finite mind.

Maybe you also feel that it’s time” for the shift to true Self. It’s easier than you might imagine. The key is to drop the thinking self–the fictional “i”–and let Awareness, your true identity, rule the roost. Don’t expect to find your true Self in anything that can be conceived or perceived. That’s why the following is expressed in Luke 17:21: “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” In stillness, you might at first only recognize a glimpse; but as you remain as Presence, the perspective of That will become your established point of view. This was the way that life was meant to be; but the conceptual self can be an ornery type. It doesn’t like to be dethroned. Take your position as Truth, and politely kick the little “i” out by regularly withdrawing your focus from it. You’re not losing anything that’s real; only a virtual thief. Stillness itself will help you transcend the costume playing “you.” Through self-inquiry, you lose nothing and gain the knowledge of true Self–Spirit.

Oh, by the by, just in case you think the “you’ve-gone-nuts” truck has pulled up to my place and picked a permanent parking space, you might be interested in this: Even science is backing up these findings. What was once considered matter is recognized as being nothing other than mind. They are one and same. The apparent objects that appear to our senses are perception only. What you call reality is nothing more than the Waking State, which is actually a projected story of “you” and the “world” in high definition 3-D. If you care to do a search regarding atoms on the Internet, you’ll discover that they’re 99.999% empty space, more aptly described as whirling clouds of energy. Ain’t that a kick in the imaginary gut! Yup, the “you” that you’ve been identified with is nothing more than a projection of the mind. True Self, my dear friend, is Spirit, aka Consciousness.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

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–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”