Author: R. Arthur Russell

Although I was employed as a Primary Care Paramedic for almost thirty-six years, I also have a keen interest in the study of Consciousness, Spirituality, and the Law of Attraction. I believe that when more persons recognize their True Self, they will be relieved of needless suffering. This is my purpose--to ease suffering and improve the quality of life through the sharing of knowledge. Toward that end, I have just published a book entitled "This Taste of Flesh and Bones" --September, 2020. I also publish articles on a regular basis @think2wice.me

Pointing To Truth

In today’s article, I offer several quotes from various authors and deep thinkers that point to a different reality from that which the majority of persons assume to be true. Perhaps some, or all, of these quotes will resonate with you, or inspire you to investigate your essential nature beyond name and form:

“The world as seen only exists in the mind of the observer. It has no independent existence.”

– David R. Hawkins.

“This world, with all its animate beings and inanimate objects, is nothing but the creation of the mind. When the activities of the mind cease, there is no world, no duality. There is only God.”

– Gaudapada

“Every phenomenon that exists is a creation of thought.”

– Huang Po

“The truth is that God is the mind and life of the individual. God is the only I.”

– Joel Goldsmith

“Your Self without ‘you’ is the one you seek.”

– Mooji

“God is man’s consciousness, his awareness, his I Amness. The drama of life is a psychological one in which we bring circumstances to pass by our attitudes rather than by our acts.”

– Neville Goddard

“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.”

– Plutarch

“The universe is a mere appearance and the ego-sense is a mere concept.”

– Ramesh S. Balsekar

“There is no difference in our actual experience between the substance of the apple that appears in memory and the substance of the apple that appears in ‘real time.’ Our only knowledge of both is made out of mind–out of seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting, and the substance of mind is only Awareness.“

– Rupert Spira

“Everything is in consciousness, nothing else.“

– Shri Ranjit Majarah

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

– Sri Swami Sivananda

“Phenomena only ‘exist’ in the mind that perceives them.”

– Tibetan Book of The Dead

“No thought of form can be impressed upon original substance without causing the creation of that form. A human being is a thinking center and can originate thought.”

– Wallace D. Wattles

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” 🙏🏻🧡

Deliberate Attunement

The nature and quality of the information to which we attune makes a tremendous difference in ourr apparent life. We naturally realize this, although we may not consciously contemplate the principle involved. Who of us after–first–attending a hostile debate, or–second–a spirited birthday party, would not admit to feeling negative after the former; and positive after the latter? To allow entry of harmful and meaningless content into our mind is not to practice wise government. We were given the power of choice; and it’s vitally important that we exercise it wisely.

Our modern-day societies are bombarded with stimuli; so much so, that it’s often challenging to find temporary sanctuary from the incessant visual and auditory bombing raids. Repeatedly, we are informed that conditions within the world are horrendous, and that they’re inevitably turning from bad to worse. With news of doom and gloom being reported on a worldwide basis, is it any wonder that suicide rates are high and enthusiasm for life often depressingly low? What nature of conversations are we being stimulated to parrot?

This article is not intended to be a rehash of bad-news bombing raids. It gladdens me that (no matter how bad outer circumstances may seem) each of us has a refuge within–a placeless place of stillness and peace. When I attune to Infinite Being within, I know that all is well; in spite of appearances to the contrary. I know that Infinite Living Mind is beating my heart, breathing my lungs, and circulating my blood. Through Deuteronomy 31:6, we also know the following:

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

These words are far from hollow in meaning. They are pointers to a deeper dimension of Consciousness, and the realization that true Self is always with us. At the divine center of Truth, we realize that The Father and I, are One. If we’re wise, we’ll habitually attune to That to help lighten our load and harmonize our way in the apparent world.

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–released September 8, 2020), press here. My YouTube videos may be found through this link. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. 🙏🧡

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

“That” Which Cannot Be Defined

I offer you my latest video about our essential nature:

“That” Which Cannot Be Defined:

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Strangest Dream

It was Celine’s weekend off work, so she was still dressed in her nightgown and robe when she meandered into the kitchen. Her long blond hair was tousled from the previous night’s sleep. As she reached for a mug from the cupboard, she said, “I think I’m going to need two cups of java this morning!”

“That tired?” asked her husband, Frank.

“No, it’s not that,” said Celine. “I just want an extra jolt of caffeine to get over a troubling dream that I had last night. It was so strange.”

“How was it strange?” said Frank.

After pouring her coffee and adding milk, Celine walked to the kitchen table and sat down across from Frank. “It’s kind of difficult to put into words,” she began, “but in the dream it felt as though my very being had been taken over by a strange, almost alien, force.

“That does sound weird,” said Frank.

“This thing–whatever it was–assumed complete control over me. I felt so constricted and bound. During the dream, I was forced to accept a name that I didn’t want–Neaera, whatever that means; and I had to believe that I could be defined by whatever thoughts entered my mind, especially negative ones. If I heard words such as dumb, ugly, or loser, I had to accept them as personal traits. I think I rarely, if ever, heard a positive word.

“Initially, I was resistant to such rules; but as the dream progressed, my spirit became beaten down and I willingly accepted them. I began to speak negatively about myself, and I lived in almost perpetual fear of what persons thought of me. I never felt at peace, and I was defensive most of the time. When situations didn’t meet my expectations, I often became resentful, and sometimes even enraged. Get this, I actually even hated some people!” At the thought of her last words, Celine felt a tremor shake through her body.

“Whew,” said Frank, as he reached to touch Celine’s hand, “well, at least the dream is over now.”

“Yes,” said Celine, “thank God. Now, I can go back to being who I Am. Get you another cup of coffee, Honey?”

***

Dear Readers: Does the term “ego” ring a bell? Are you living from the center (and power) of your essential nature, or merely existing by the so-called standards of your ego? There’s a deeper dimension of YOU; and It’s divine.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Hashtag (#) Everyone

How paradoxical truth IS…

Humankind is being sold a story of the apparent good life, and the majority of persons unwittingly buy it without examining it for value. I, for one, buy it no more. On the surface, the story seems bright, shiny, and sensible; a story that deserves to be placed on a high shelf in our lives. At some point, however, many of us learn that the degree of truth contained within the story is equivalent to the facts found in the rag magazines at the grocery store checkout line. The story promises, but it doesn’t deliver.

There are various versions of the story related to name, fame, and achievement; but the theme always remains the same: “If you, little Johnny or Mary, work hard enough, sacrifice enough, and keep your nose to the grindstone long enough, you can make something of yourself. You can be a success, become a somebody, and, thus, be happy.”

With that dangling carrot in mind, the false donkey “i” within us pulls back its shoulders and goes to work. Thoughts inform us that we must build an impressive resumé and be noticed to be worthy of the happiness we desire. We practice our hashtagging skills at every opportunity. We #this about ourselves, and we #that; #I was #here–don’t you know; and #I was #there. In our mind, life revolves around me and my story.

As long as we continue to feed the insatiable appetite of our ego, we will #never…#be…#happy. Through wisdom, we can finally realize the insanity of the story we’ve been telling. How long is it–really–before the luster of the shiny new car wears off? How long is it--really–before the promotion that promised happiness is realized for what it is? How long is it–really–before the perfect partner we adored doesn’t meet our needs?

So what’s the paradoxical truth alluded to at the beginning of this post? That the happiness we seek is recognized when we are empty of the “self” that requires anything in order to be happy. We discover–quite surprisingly–that we’re naturally most joyous when we:

#Give of our Heart,

#Be of Service,

and

#Share our Resources

And that’s not a story–it’s the Truth. I can’t imagine an emptier way to live than for #me, #me, #me.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

8 Billion Prodigal Sons

This article contains an exaggeration: There aren’t actually eight billion prodigal sons. It’s true, however, that the vast majority of Beings are prodigal sons and daughters without being aware of it. Before we go further, let’s share what the term prodigal son actually means:

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, prodigal is defined as follows: “characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure; recklessly spendthrift.” The Parable of the Lost Son, found in Luke 15: 11 – 32, relates the account of a father and his two sons. The younger son asks to receive his inheritance from the father, who willingly grants it. He travels to a distant country and lives an extravagant and wasteful life; while the older son stays at home. In time, the son who went away becomes destitute and is forced to work as a swineherd, which would have been considered repugnant work. When the circumstances of his life finally become unbearable, the prodigal son finally realizes that he must rise and return to his Father, who welcomes him with open arms.

The parable is actually a metaphor for what happens during our human journey. When we stray from the Father (Awareness), it means that we have been ensnared by the world of illusion (Maya) and forgotten our essential nature, which is Spirit. Due to conditioning, we assume ourselves to be a separate self of name and form. That’s what it means to turn away from the Father, aka Consciousness. In our confusion, we waste our life on self-centered goals related to a fictional self. The parable mentions repentance, but this doesn’t have to be interpreted heavily. To repent merely means to acknowledge our error (sin: to miss the mark) and recognize true Self. The son’s return to the Father means that the son has “awakened” and realized his true nature as Spirit.

For several hundred years, the materialist paradigm of reality has convinced the vast majority of beings that their apparent body-mind and world are made of independently existing stuff called “matter.” This continues to occur despite science informing us that atoms, which were once considered the building blocks of matter, are 99.999% empty space. The truth is that our apparent body-minds and the world are rendered by mind, which is Consciousness in motion. When Jesus said, “I and my Father are one,” he was referring to Consciousness.

How do we turn to the Father? By investigating the nature of our true identity through self-inquiry. We can “Know Thyself” by withdrawing our attention from our senses and becoming still. When we meditate, it becomes obvious that we are the witness of our sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. Our true nature is That which knows. Awareness, Itself, is the the very Substance of All That Is. It’s not dependent on the body or the mind. In fact, the truth is the other way around–the body and mind are dependent on Consciousness. They appear in the Waking State and are erroneously assumed to be the sum total of our being. Every time that we rest in the stillness of our essential nature, we return to the Father and, thus, know peace and joy. We only suffer, or become destitute (as in the case of the prodigal son), when we fall back into Maya and the perspective of personhood.

The ratio referred to in the first paragraph will begin to tip in favour of the Father when more beings investigate their essential nature. All that’s required is to ask the question “Who Am I?” with earnest curiosity. We are neither our body, nor our mind. Instead of trying to appease the false “i” through objects or activities, we are wise to turn within and discover the true Source of happiness. Human incarnation provides a unique opportunity to recognize our essential nature. It would seem a shame to waste it.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Reasons for Oneness: #119,104

Dear Everyone,

I hope that you’ll find that the content of my video a meaningful reason to go within and discover that deeper dimension of true Self.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

What Bear Ye?

With regard to the title of this article, please imagine that you are courageously stepping toward a guard at the entrance to a grand castle. As you approach, the guard clearly indicates by his hand that you are to stop. He then forcefully asks: “What bear ye?” The content of this article deals with the possible answers that you might offer if you were hoping to enter the castle.

Diverging briefly, let’s now briefly examine a couple of Sanskrit terms. In Hinduism, a “jiva” is loosely translated as the perspective of a “person.” A “gnani” is considered a “knower;” meaning a being who’s aware of his/her true Self. Based solely upon appearance, it’s impossible to tell the difference between a jiva and gnani. This is complicated by the fact that a true gnani will never be prideful about being a knower; for such would be a clear indication that traits of a jiva remain.

It’s important to understand that everyone is already a gnani–it’s just that the majority of beings are unaware of the fact. Becoming a gnani is not achieved by the accumulation of knowledge; it must be directly recognized. With regard to the fact that everyone is already a gnani, another way of expressing this would be to state that we cannot “not” be That which we truly are.

One of ways that we can differentiate between the two is related to the behaviour that both exhibit. The following passage from the Bible (Matthew 7: 15 – 16) relates this principle:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”

To “know them by their fruits” is a symbolic way of expressing that “actions speak louder than words.” A person might claim to be holy but then turn around and steal from unsuspecting investors. A gnani, conversely, who is clearly established in the Truth of his/her being, would never act against the best interests of everyone; for he/she recognizes our shared Oneness.

***

Dear Readers: I now ask you to consider how you would answer the following: “What bear ye?” Only you will know the answer. Through self inquiry, we can recognize our essential nature and, thereby, realize the highest gift that we can share with the world. Are we the jiva, with self-centered goals? Or are we bearing gifts that help to elevate everyone?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Thumbs Up: Enlightenment 101

When Johnny Begood was eight years old, he experienced a horrendous event. If it had been an earthquake, it would have measured as a ground-shaking, pavement-heaving 10.0 on the Richter Scale. Now, at forty-seven, he can still remember what happened as though it was yesterday. Please glaze your eyes slightly as we travel back in time: Johnny was helping his father build a plywood doghouse:

Gleefully, Johnny hammered the shiny nails, one after another: Thump, thump! Thump, thump! Whack, whack, whack! Over and over, he repeated the process, using his “real man” hammer that his parents had bought him for his birthday. Before his very eyes, each nail that had stood so tall was pounded down, until its head was flush with the surface of the plywood. HE WAS A CARPENTER! However, during the pounding of one particularly stubborn nail that was leaning off to the side, his left thumb somehow strayed into the territory that was the domain of the head of his hammer. As the taut forearm muscles of his right arm brought the hammer down forcefully, he remembers seeing (as though in slow motion) the head of the hammer a mere split second before it contacted the surface of his tender young thumb. A thumbnail that turned purple within hours was his reminder for the next few weeks. The lesson: Keep your free hand away from the strike zone of the hammer.

***

As life would have it, Johnny Begood learned something else from that incident. He learned that he liked to help other people by sharing what he had learned; to spare them some of the pain associated with his “lessons.” In addition to cautions about the proper use of a hammer, he was also inspired to advise his younger siblings and neighbourhood friends of the following: that fingers and spokes of a spinning bicycle wheel should never get too close; that raccoons in the wild don’t like it when you poke a stick near them; and that before sitting on the end of a tree branch, you should always ensure that the branch is still alive. Johnny’s love of sharing knowledge would continue for the rest of his life.

Later in life, Johnny’s most important lesson was related to his sudden recognition of his true Self when he was forty-two. The profound nature of the “experience” was beyond words. He realized, of course, that awakening from the dream of personhood had to be known directly; but he was still happy to offer pointers to seekers who approached him with their questions. Using the hammer incident as an analogy, he advised seekers to maintain a healthy distance from the strike zone related to the perspective of their person. In this way, events that happened to the body-mind were processed in a detached manner, which lessened any associated suffering. He also reminded them of their innate I Amness–Consciousness, in which, and through which, all apparent events took place. “Be That which is aware of the person,” he said, “not the person.” During some of his talks, he shared the following description of our essential nature from the Bhagavad Gita:

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

In the years his recognition of true Self, Johnny has known of several seekers who have realized their essential nature. In other words, they transcended their conditioning–the uninvestigated belief that they were the person. You, too, dear readers may recognize That which you truly are. Do you dare? No hammers required; just an earnest eagerness to realize Truth.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Enlightenment Stuff”

According to the Veritas Publishing website, David R. Hawkins (1913 – 2012) was an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, psychiatrist, physician, researcher, lecturer and developer of the Map of Consciousness. I’ve read two of his well-known books (I, Reality and Subjectivity andThe Eye of the I) and found both of them helpful and informative. I remember chuckling when he expressed the following (paraphrased) statement in one of his YouTube videos:

People will either think you’re enlightened or insane!

The paradox that’s involved for “anyone” who has recognized our essential nature is that no person ever becomes enlightened! Although this may seem confusing from the perspective of the person, the reason is quite straightforward: To experience enlightenment is to awaken from the dream of personhood; in other words, the belief of being a person is transcended through direct experience. Conversely, the study “about” enlightenment yields only the accumulation of information.

The journey to Truth is not for the faint of heart. Along your journey, you may encounter questions about your mental stability, or face challenging interactions with Beings who are deeply rooted in the perspective of the person. Although such isn’t pleasant, it’s completely understandable because the spiritual perspective is vastly different from our conditioned ways of interpretting life. If such occurs, it’s wise to remain grounded in true Self and remember that conflict usually arises due to involvement of the ego, which needs to prove itself “right.”

One of the issues that will strongly challenge most seekers is related to the very nature of our apparent “world.” Fortunately, a deeper understanding is available through the Double-Slit Experiment. The subject is also addressed through the following two questions in Who Am I?, by Sri Ramana Maharshi:

Seeker: Will there not be realization of Self even while the world is there (taken as real)?

SRM: “There will not be.”

Seeker: “Why?“

SRM: “The seer and the object seen are like the rope and the snake [SRM is referring to the illustration of someone, who, while walking at night, mistakenly identifies a rope as a snake]. Just as the knowledge of the rope which is the substratum will not arise unless the false knowledge of the illusory serpent goes, so the realization of the Self which is the substratum will not be gained unless the belief that the world is real is removed.”

When I was first drawn to the subject of non duality (through books and videos by Eckhart Tolle, Rupert Spira, and Mooji), a point was reached at which my ego decreed that it wasn’t going to tolerate this “enlightenment stuff” any longer. Our true nature is beyond the mind; therefore, the mind cannot comprehend It. Through Grace I continued my daily practice of meditation and was repeatedly drawn back to the subject.

If you earnestly desire to recognize our essential nature, I hope that you’ll find comfort through this article and steadfastly continue along your spiritual path. As your perspective shifts, your ego will undoubtedly rebel. It might tempt you with into believing that you’d be better off with an affair, a new car, or another Netflix series. It’s also true that some of your familiar relationships may change or fall away; but you will attract new friends who can relate to the changes you’re going through. To slip back into the perspective of the person is only to invite more suffering. Keep the faith; the pearl of great price (self realization) is more than worth any apparent sacrifice required.

Note: To find a short but worthwhile video of David R. Hawkins that can lead to greater understanding, please type “Dr. David Hawkins: Enlightenment” on YouTube.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Author: R. Arthur Russell

Pointing To Truth

Deliberate Attunement

“That” Which Cannot Be Defined

The Strangest Dream

Hashtag (#) Everyone

8 Billion Prodigal Sons

Reasons for Oneness: #119,104

What Bear Ye?

Thumbs Up: Enlightenment 101

“Enlightenment Stuff”

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