Rumour Has It

Rumour has it, that the devil of the underworld is on a rampage. Apparently, it’s not the stereotypical beast that we’ve been warned about–you know, the red one that’s often imagined as holding a bident amidst the fires of hell. By some accounts, the beast is even more devious and elusive than we may have believed. It lurks where we may least expect to find it.

No matter how detailed, all descriptions of the devil are useless. They can never be accurate. Just when we think we have captured its likeness, the devil–as though made of flowing mercury–is able to pour itself into a different shape and behaviour. Its hatred then seems to become love; its pride, then humility; its greed, then generosity; its deception, then honesty. Without hint of remorse, it’s capable of appearing angelic, after having performed the most horrendous crime. A recent “Look Out, Beware Bulletin,” listed below, may be of service to help us avoid the devil’s touch:

It proclaims itself separate and autonomous of the one-and-only power, God.
Its nature is primarily greedy; its motives, self centered in varying degree.
It loves to boast without appearing boastful.
It prefers judgment over discernment.
Its nature is rooted in comparison to all apparent others. It competes to win, not for joy.
It haunts the past and the future, and can never be found in the ever-present Now.
Its moods and attitudes swing between good and bad.
It wouldn’t be caught dead reading David R. Hawkins’ Scale of Consciousness.

Throughout the centuries, the devil has been referred to by various names, including the following: Satan, Prince of Darkness, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, and The Tempter. Such terms actually refer to a lower level of consciousness, which presents itself in lesser or greater degrees. My personal devil is known as “Art.” What name does your devil go by? Collectively (when we assume the body-mind to be our actual identity), we are the devil mentioned above. When we re-cognize (know again) our true nature, as Consciousness, Itself, we’re spared the negative consequences related to the belief in our egoic identity.

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” 🙏🏻🧡

Muscleman Joe

Muscleman Joe was “the man” at his local gym, and knowing that filled him with quiet pride. He had dedicated a major amount of his time and energy to achieving that status. All of the other weightlifters and bodybuilders, both male and female, considered him as the epitome of their sport. He possessed the strength, bulk, and definition that made the majority of them stand back in awe. He was the king of the chest press, squat, and deadlift. He had lost count of the number of first-place trophies that he’d won at various competitions.

In Joe’s mind, he (not surprisingly) held a crystal-clear image of who he thought he was. In his mind’s eye, he imagined himself as a successful bodybuilder, a veritable physical legend. Unbeknownst to Joe, however, his mind contained various other images, which (having been unwittingly impressed with feeling into the subconscious mind) were creating their effects. Like the greater unseen portion of an iceberg, these contents were causing other areas of Joe’s life to sink like the Titanic. His personal relationships were filled with conflict; his financial debt load was heavy; and his career path always veered from success.

One night after leaving the gym, Joe got into his truck and attempted to start the engine. Instead of hearing the familiar sound of a cranking engine, however, all that he initially heard was silence. It seemed to envelope him and force him to remain still. Within a few moments, he became even more bewildered when he heard a soft voice utter the following words:

“You’ve been attempting to live a lie, Joe. Mistakenly, you believe that you are a physical bodybuilder. Given the conditioning of your environment, it’s understandable that you would believe that you are a person and, therefore, the doer; but such is an erroneous perspective. There is only one doer, Joe, and I Am That. Despite appearances to the contrary, I Am the One who lifts the weights…through you. I also beat your heart and breathe your lungs. To improve aspects of your life that you currently deem a failure, you must change the nature and quality of your thinking. There is no other way.”

When the message from the voice ended, Joe shook off his disbelief at what had occurred and pressed the starter button again. The car’s engine started without hesitation. Shaken with puzzlement, he then slowly drove home and soon fell into a deep sleep that lasted all night long.

***

In the coming months, Muscleman Joe began to flex spiritual government of his mind. Meditation and visualization became a regular part of his daily routine. Just as he deliberately chose which foods to include in his diet, he learned to deliberately choose which thoughts to allow entry into his mind. No longer did he dwell upon negative circumstances. It became his ingrained habit to remain strong in his true power; to seek opportunity in every situation. By embracing a new vision for his future (through persistent positive thoughts, imbued with the feeling of having already achieved his goals), he finally turned his circumstances around. In fact, in some circles he is now better known as Spirit Man Joe.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

To The One

In the barren lands of earth, our gestures of gratitude can often seem hollow and trite–an obligatory Thank You note written here; a box of chocolates given there; handshakes, hugs, and gift cards, though well intended, can also prove lacking. The worst, of course, is when someone’s precious gifts of time, effort, and heart are overlooked and entirely taken for granted.

There comes a time–and that time is NOW–when debts of gratitude must be expressed to the greatest degree possible. Despite the best of efforts, our attempts sometimes fall short of the mark. How can we ever repay gestures of kindness, which, in themselves, are priceless? To directly name those to whom I owe gratitude will not occur here; my intention is to thank That which they are–not who they appear to be. From my heart, I offer the following:

To the One…

who helped teach me how to be a man. Thank you.
who loved me unconditionally. Thank you.
who lovingly guided me, and still offers guidance. Thank you.
who loved me during times when I could barely love myself. Thank you.
who split wood and washed my vehicle….just because. Thank you.
who baked cupcakes for me on my first Valentine’s Day alone after divorce. Thank you.
who took a chance on me and my skills in the workplace. Thank you.
who drove me to surgery and waited with me. Thank you.
who repeatedly listened to my incredibly important woes. Thank you.
who carried my workload, on days when I could barely carry myself. Thank you.
who chose to overlook my inadequacies. Thank you.
who taught me painful, but necessary, lessons. Thank you.
who tolerated me; even when I displayed intolerance. Thank you.
who cut me down, when my pride had risen too high. Thank you.
who chose to forgive me. Thank you.
who offered food and shelter to me, a stranger. Thank you.
who saw my fear, yet pretended they didn’t. Thank you.
who prayed for me and my safe arrival back home. Thank you.
who gave me a compass when I retired; so that I would never lose my way. Thank you.
who helped me “see” the Light, in so many ways. Thank you.

***

Dear Readers:

Do you owe anyone heartfelt gratitude? If so, to whom? Is it family members, friends, or peers? The list above is pitifully short; it is, of course, an impossible task for me to list everyone to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. Perhaps you will display greater wisdom than I once did. If you can, please love those to whom you are grateful as though they are God incarnate. Because. They. Are.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Unnecessary Question

From the human perspective, we often directly or indirectly ask the following question of our family, friends, and peers: “Are you with me?” Depending on the answer that we receive, we may feel bolstered, ridiculed, or even abandoned. The time waiting to know if they will support us can feel unbearable. Within the psychological structure of the “person,” there is a part of us that seeks assurance in numbers; to know that we won’t be forced to push our personal boulder up the mountain alone. During various challenging circumstances of our lives, this can seem incredibly important.

Through Grace we know that this question–“Are you with me?”– need ever be asked of God; for we realize, that we, as the body-mind, are living proof that God is with us. Every heartbeat, every breath, and every step is permeated with, and initiated by, the essence of our Creator. With a deeper understanding of the divine matrix, we know that “I and the Father are one,” as related in the Bible, are not just empty words describing a theory but, indeed, FACT. The word omnipresent (which is often used to describe God’s nature) also rings loud and clear as Truth; for we realize–through direct experience–that there is literally no place in which God is not. Therefore, wherever we are, so, also, IS God.

Fooled by the evidence of the senses, the mind’s egoic perspective will attempt to convince us that the words above express a belief only; for the person (which is actually a conceptual identity only) bases its apparent existence upon time and the world of form. Through the mind’s logic, it will inform us that life beyond it (which, ironically, is dependent on the One and Only LIFE) is a hope at best and a hoax at worst. Asserting the false claim that it is the doer, it incessantly screams that we are a separate individual in a cold harsh world and must face our challenges alone.

In a flash of realization, the story told by the ego can evaporate into nothingness from which it originated. By engaging our intuition and listening to the pointings of awakened Beings who have gone before us, our faith that there is a greater dimension within us can be strengthened, and known. In the still silence, beyond the machinations of the mind, the Absolute lies waiting to be recognized. As expressed by scripture, it is true that the Source of our Being will never leave us. Here, right now, it is eternally the real YOU.

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”

By God, Through God

When I was first studying the teachings of the Law of Attraction, I read various books that emphasized that there’s only one true power, and that It’s spiritual. From my limited perspective at the time, such was an incredible premise to accept. It contradicted common sense and everything that I’d been conditioned to believe. Every which way I turned, I saw evidence of a seeming multitude of sources of energy; there was chemical, mechanical, thermal, nuclear energy, and at least a couple of others. Why, then, did the books clearly state that there was only One Power?

The answer is hinted by the capitalization of the last two words of the previous paragraph. When I refer to the One-and-Only Power, which is God (Consciousness), I ensure to capitalize any reference to It as a sign of my deep love and respect. The following are some passages from the Bible that point to the principle that I’m relating:

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
John 1:3

“For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him.”

Colossians 1:16 -20

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.”
Acts 17:28

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

John 14:10

Of course, the Bible is not the only source that relates this information. I offer the following two quotes to help relate the point about One Power more clearly:

“There are only two things you can do for yourself. One is conception, and the other is conviction. All the work of creation rests with another than you. For no man [woman] is responsible for anything in his [her] life except his [her] thought and his [her] belief.”
Three Magic Words, by U. S. Andersen

“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.”
The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D. Wattles

***

When we rise in our level of Consciousness, we realize that all of the apparent sources of power actually subsist within the One; which is Infinite Living Mind, or God. We also realize that our body-mind (person) is never the doer. That it undoubtedly seems that way is just part of the grand illusion. This is easier to comprehend when we realize, through comparison, that although we most certainly feel like the doers in our nighttime dreams, such is an impossibility. It’s due only to our ignorant assumptions that we believe that we, as the person, are the source of our own life. There’s only One Life, and It empowers what we ask of It via our predominant thoughts and beliefs.

As co-creators of reality, our task is to patiently and persistently maintain our highest ideals and rest assured that by God, and through God, they will be achieved.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Cautionary Tails

During my spiritual quest, I learned that Sri Ramana Maharshi (an Indian sage who recognized true Self at the age of sixteen) used the analogy of an electric fan–rotating again, after having been switched off–to refer to the return appearance of egoic behaviour and perspective. Mooji, who’s a noted speaker and author of books about non duality, refers to the same phenomena by stating that “the tail of the snake is still in the room.”

Language is a major obstacle in the discussion of Truth (in fact, it’s impossible to relate it via words); but most Beings who have recognized their essential nature would probably agree that the realization of true Self (a “person” never becomes enlightened) is not without its setbacks. Habitual ways of behaving in the world often surprise us when we are least aware. Knowing when and if the “tail of the snake” is back in the room can make a tremendous difference in the quality of our life experience. The following is a partial list of signs that indicate that the tail of the snake has reappeared:

Selfishness.
Defensiveness
Stubborn desire to be “right.”
Holier-than-thou-ness.
Judgmental behavour.
Dishonesty.
Hatred
Pride
Blame.
Shame.
Guilt.

When the tail of the snake appears, the perspective of Truth may be regained by becoming still. This provides an opportunity to recognize whether attention is flowing from an object of experience (the person) or from the formless Knower of it. We may also find it helpful to ask: “Who is it that’s expressing this self interest right now? What is its nature?” If circumstances permit, a few minutes of meditation may help to re-center in Presence.

Our egoic “self” attempts to convince us that it’s vitally important—that the world would fall to ruin if it were to vanish; but the fact is that the expression of life actually becomes richer when we recognize our essential nature beyond name and form. The ego doesn’t have to be annihilated. Of most import is to be firmly established as Spirit; rather than defending the perspective of a person who is, ultimately, illusory.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Worth Beyond Defintion

I recently viewed a YouTube video in which a guest related the account of a friend who had just bought a very expensive house. This wasn’t expressed, but his friend was probably quite proud of his achievement. The guest went on to share that his friend had attended a party at someone’s home; and during the tour of the house, he learned that one of the owner’s rare paintings cost more than the price of his home. In other words, the cost of his new house was “hanging” on the host’s wall.

Does this situation seem familiar? So often, we “hang” our happiness upon the achievement of a goal, with the erroneous expectation that such will fulfill us. The majority of our societies condition us to believe in “happiness-dependent” ways of living that are ultimately hollow. They feed our ego’s need to compete; to stand out in the arena of life like a triumphant victor; to hold our trophy high overhead and shout, “I have finally succeeded, for I am better than you!” What this system fails to point out is that even the value of the home with the rare painting could hang on someone else’s wall.

For a while, this way of existing may seem to function well; but there’s a trap door in the flawed belief system that can spring open at any moment; plummeting those who live according to it to the depths of despair. If we define success (whatever that means) via the egoic perspective and a competitive system, we have unwittingly signed a contract that leads to suffering.

The way out of the human predicament is to knowingly recognize That which is beyond the limited perspective of the “person” and the rules by which it attempts to govern. Buried deep within us there is worth beyond definition, a glorious dimension that “is” priceless. It is the rarest (because there’s only One of It); yet, paradoxically, the most common (because It permeates the interstices of everyone and everything). It’s the very heart of peace and joy. We needn’t hang our happiness upon a facade. We can recognize Truth now and enjoy our apparent paintings and homes just for the fun of it.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Only “This”

Language proves inadequate at expressing the Truth of the Absolute; for expressions about It are only representations-, not the original, Itself. Thus, when we attempt to describe It via our “A, B, C’s” (or equally valuable letters of other languages), we create a distorted understanding. We, the finite expression, can never replicate the Infinite. In other words, the Absolute is a One Off, a No-Thing that can’t be copied. Despite our best diligence, we unwittingly create conceptual idols. The “catch” is that although we can never know the Absolute, we can–through divine revelation–“be” It. One example of an attempt to explain That which cannot be known takes the form of the following question and answer from a book entitled All There Is, by Tony Parsons:

“When you say ‘just this’ [referring to the Absolute], would you call it a vibration or energy?”

“You could call it energy. You could call it life. All there is is life. There is no one living a life–there is life. All there is, is life apparently happening–only apparently.”

In an attempt to convey “knowing” which is impossible to convey, I offer this: We, as the apparent body-mind (person), are actually a function “of” the Absolute. In an environment (realm) that’s forever in flux, how do we logically believe that it’s possible to get a discrete “person,” when even time and space are elements within the dream? They are, in fact, the stage upon which the illusion of our lives is played. Our biggest blunder is the assumption that it’s possible to exist independent of the Creator. Such is analagous to Leonard the light bulb believing that he shines without being connected to the electric source which illumines him.

That we don’t exist as persons (I am being absolutely serious) is more easily understood when we realize that the characters within nighttime dreams are a function of the finite mind. During the dream, these conceptual characters sing, dance, and plan their lives; but the Substance of them, as with us, right here and now, is Consciousness d-r-e-a-m-i-n-g. To that daring statement, I add the following quote from the spiritual classic entitled I Am That, by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj:

“The real does not die; the unreal never lived.”

More evidence is supplied through Saying 50 (of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus) from The Gospel of Thomas:

(1) Jesus said: “If they say to you, ‘Where have you come from?’ say to them,

‘We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established [itself], and appeared in their image.’

(2) If they say to you, ‘Is it you?’ say,

‘We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living Father.’

(3) If they ask you, ‘What is the evidence of your Father in you?’ say to them,

‘It is motion and rest.'”

Note: Does that sound like the description of an Infinite Movie Projector to you? God/Consciousness is FIRST, and humans (ideas that are “created in Its image and likeness“) are projected into time and space, where we (as expressed in Acts 17:28) “live and move and have our being through Him.” This correlates with teachings of the law of attraction and explains why our “self image” is so important. Jesus expressed the same message when he said, “be it done unto you according to your faith.”

The most important question related to self inquiry about our essential nature is this: Are we willing to let go of an apparent lesser thing (the illusory person), to Be a No-Thing beyond definition? Even if our answer is “no,” we cannot escape actually Being It.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

What’s Driving The Dream Bus?

This “article” is a video presentation about our essential nature. I hope that it will help lead to direct recognition of true Self and help you manifest more of what you desire, and less of what you don’t.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Don’t Map Me In

Recently, I was invited to be on a podast with Troy Headrick, who’s one of the talented writers for a wonderful blogsite entitled WiseandShine. I feel very fortunate to be able to publish some of my writing there, also. The topic of our discussion was What’s Important?. I enjoyed our relaxed conversation very much, but I felt especially moved by an account that Troy related of a ceremony that took place at the end of his Pre-Service Training for the Peace Corps. During the training, they studied Polish language, history, and culture and also learned intercultural sensitivity. This is my interpretation only, but I feel that the heart of the ceremony demonstrated a much broader scale of the priniciple related to the following quote attributed to Alfred Korzybski:

“The map is not the territory.”

For seekers who are eager to dive into self inquiry, the meaning of this quote is tremendously important to understand. This single insight can open our mind and help shine a light of comprehension on many more. If we contemplate the quote, we may easily realize that a map cannot actually “be” the territory, because it’s a representation only–not the actual territory, itself.

When we apply this principle to our identity, we realize that all of the definitions “of” our person (body, mind, gender, race, nationality, status) cannot possibly “be” our essential nature. To do so would mean that we had erroneously believed the descriptions “of” the person (the visual representation, in the example of the map) to “be” identical to the person’s essence. This, of course, isn’t the case. Strangely, however, this is exactly what the majority of the world’s population believe, day after day. In the Bible, this occurrence is expressed through the account of the prodigal son, who turned his attention away from his “Father” (the Source of his Being, Consciousness), and focused his attention solely on his body-mind in the apparent world. To do so means that we have unconsciously confused descriptions “of” the person with his/her essential nature. When this occurs, we believe–with blind certainty–that we’re a separate “self” living in what can often seem a harsh and threatening world.

The ceremony that Troy shared with the listeners illustrated the antithesis of this position, especially as it relates to the stereotypical “identities” so often associated with nations. During the ceremony, Troy and his peers crossed a stage and unpinned a pushpin that marked their “home town” and then crossed the stage again and pinned the location on a map that indicated where they were going to serve. In Troy’s case, that was Tarrow, Poland, from 1994 to 1996. Through this symbolic act, they physically illustrated that they were stepping beyond the limited identity related to one nation and embracing a perspective in which they stood united in their humanity.

With regard to awakening to our essential nature, enlightenment means that we (as a perspective of Consciousness, in Consciousness–not a “person’) cross the stage from where we believe that we are who we “think” we are, to knowing recognition of That which we actually “are.” On the one side of the stage, we are living from the conceptual version of ourselves (name and form); and at the other side, we realize that our true essence is the formless No-Thing (Consciousness) in which the world and everything within it appears. The Truth of our Being is referred to in the following quote from the Bhagavad Gita:

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

When this is lived on an interpersonal level, the quality of our relationships improves dramatically; it means that we’re seeing the world and everyone within it from a perspective that’s beyond the definitions related to our personal mask. In other words, the “guy” or “girl” down the street is no longer viewed as just a guy or girl. We, thus, see them as expressions of the same fullness–the ONE–that shines through us. When this occurs on a much broader scale amongst nations, there will be peace on Earth. Is that not reason enough to awaken to true Self?

Note: This post is dedicated to Troy Headrick and “others” like him, who serve the best interests of humanity, instead of the self-serving interests related to the false self.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Consciousness, Spirituality, & Law of Attraction

Rumour Has It

Muscleman Joe

To The One

The Unnecessary Question

By God, Through God

Cautionary Tails

Worth Beyond Defintion

Only “This”

What’s Driving The Dream Bus?

Don’t Map Me In

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