Take Me “Home”

This article was inspired by the song entitled Take Me Home, Country Roads, by the late John Denver. As many of will realize, the lyrics relate memories and feelings of a man who’s longing for his home in West Virginia, USA. I’m using the theme of the song to share a way to help seekers recognize true Self, which in my opinion is our Holy Home. This Home, which all of us intuitively know, is described in a short passage from The Inner Life, by Hazrat Inayat Khan, who was a Sufi mystic:

“The real home of man is the Spirit of God, and elsewhere he will never be satisfied.”

In my book entitled This Taste of Flesh and Bones, I share the following information as one of the primary means that helps to keep me anchored in the perspective of Truth. When we understand how eyesight functions, we realize that Consciousness is actually Universal, even though it feels separate and individual. Here’s the passage from my book, which is available at Amazon:

The easiest method that I’ve discovered to see the truth pertaining to the symbols we mistake for reality is to remind myself how eyesight functions. Eyesight is almost always taken for granted, which means that we are not practicing discernment! When a person opens his/her eyelids, photons of light enter the eyes and travel through the cornea and then the pupil. Light then hits the lens, which focuses the light rays on the retina (a light-sensitive nerve layer) and gives rise to an inverted image. The optic nerve then carries signals of light to the visual cortex area of the brain where the signals are cross-referenced at lightning speed and assembled into images projected right side up. Thus, we are informed of what is seen. The coffee cup that we believe is on the table positioned in the center of the floor is a three-dimensional representation formed in the dark space within the brain. All of the objects—the coffee cup, the table, and the floor—only appear to be outside.

This method of staying centered in the perspective of “home” reminds me of what we’re truly seeing when we view the apparent world. It’s reinforced by the following passage from Hebrews 11:3: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” As challenging as this may be to accept, everything that we see (including our body-mind) is representational ONLY. There’s no way to interact with the reality as it actually is because it’s always mediated by the mind and perception. Rupert Spira (a renowned spiritual teacher of non duality) likens this to a skier who’s searching for white snow while wearing orange-tinted sunglasses. Our senses are the sunglasses.

The information that I’m sharing in this article reflects the perspective of idealism; and it’s at complete odds with that of realism, which has conditioned us to believe that we live in a world made of stuff called “matter.” Please contemplate the fact that scientists cannot find the smallest units of matter; they’re well aware that atoms, which were once considered the building blocks of the so-called “material world,” are actually 99.999% empty space. This, my dear friends, is why remembering how eyesight functions truly helps to Take Me Home. Perhaps it will help to do the same for you. We are Spirit–here and now. It’s impossible not to be.

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” 🙏🏻🧡

As Though By Magic

For individuals who are curious to learn more about the teachings of the Law of Attraction, a book entitled The Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier may be of interest. Mr. Collier was a leader in the New Thought movement in the early to mid twentieth century. A short account from Chapter Three (under the heading The Philosopher’s Charm) is worth noting; as I believe that it has the potential to help you achieve your goals. As strange as this may seem, it relates to the word “Abracadabra.”

Mr. Collier shares the account of a magician who informs a king that he has discovered a way of turning sand into gold. Naturally, the king is quite interested and employs the magician to do just that. The king listens attentively while the magician tells him the method, which seems plausible. The magician cautions the king that for the method to work, he must not think of the word abracadabra. Try as he might, the king cannot keep the word out of his mind.

And the point? It’s actually based in logic, especially for those who understand the correlation between what we’re thinking and what we’re experiencing in life. When we desire success in a certain aspect of our life–perhaps in health, wealth, career, or relationship–it’s imperative that we keep our focus on what we desire; not on thoughts related to doubt, fear, or failure. These are the equivalent to the king’s experience with the word abracadabra.

While this may initially seem like hocus pocus, there are real implications. Do you believe that a business owner creates a successful venture by concentrating on everything that could go wrong? Do you believe a world-class high jumper sets a new record by envisioning a crashing bar? Do you believe an opera singer sustains that high note by imagining a faltering voice? Do you think that healing occurs by focusing on disease? Do you believe that thinking “I can’t do this” will yield the positive results achieved by persons who’ve trained themselves to think “I can” in every circumstance?

Although the word origin of abracadabra is uncertain, there are two translations that add to the importance of what we’re telling ourselves, through thought and/or word. The first is from Aramaic: I create like the word. The second is from the Hebrew: It came to pass as it was spoken. We might remind ourselves that words are merely the outer reflection of inner thoughts. The word abracadabra literally means that thought (imbued with feeling in mind) matters, or apparently becomes “real.”

Please let the positive message of this article seep into your Being. You might also remind yourself that you’re a spiritual child of the Most High. As such, you have neither been forsaken nor doomed to failure. In fact, you’re endowed with the greatest power–the power to choose the thoughts that you entertain. That, in itself, is the real magic that allows you to manifest your golden desires.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Death of “Me”

At one time or another, most of us have probably heard the phrase that serves as the title of this article: “That will be the death of me.” It implies that a stressful situation or challenging task will spell our end. What I propose in this article is that such is impossible. This basically means that you can never—”not”—be. Why? Because the true “Self” doesn’t die. This stance, although certainly contrary to common belief, isn’t new. It’s in alignment with the following quote attributed to Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj in I Am That:

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

I’m not denying that body-minds (persons) die; for the daily news is filled with proof: an earthquake results in the deaths of several hundred persons; an armed gunman enters a mall and kills twenty-five innocent bystanders; a multi-vehicle pileup on the freeway leads to the death of eight persons. Why, then, do I state that we don’t die? The answer is related to the inscription that was engraved on the frontispiece of the Temple of Apollo, in Delphi, Greece:

“Know Thyself”

If you believe that all there is to “you” is the body-mind that’s apparently reading this article, you will have little choice but to scoff at its content. And who could blame you? But, if you’re eager to investigate a deeper dimension of Being that’s beyond name and form, you may be tempted to continue reading.

We get a taste of our essential nature through meditation; for when we become still, it’s possible to realize that Awareness is prior to mind. We are the Silent Witness of all sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. When we re-cognize true Self, we know through direct experience that we couldn’t possibly be a name; nor could we be a body, which is exchanging approximately three-hundred million cells per minute. Our essential nature is That; the changeless Source of all that is changeful.

In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle (a famous spiritual teacher and author) shares an event that happened to him at the age of twenty-nine: “I woke up in the early hours with a feeling of absolute dread.” He had experienced similar occurrences many times previously, having suffered from anxiety for several years. Suddenly, he was caught off guard by the following repetitive thought:

“I can’t live with myself any longer.”

Eckhart Tolle then became increasingly aware that the sentence implied two: the “I” and the “myself,” which was the cause of all of his suffering. As his puzzlement deepened, he began to wonder if only one of them was real. It would be the night of his awakening to true Self; which basically means liberation from identification with the false self. Humankinds’ confusion about death occurs because the majority of beings remain asleep to a deeper dimension that transcends name and form. In short, we erroneously believe that consciousness is personal; when, in fact, Consciousness is impersonal and Universal—the Foundation of all that is. This knowledge may help to explain the following passage from Psalm 23:4 and its use of the specific word shadow:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

To merely believe the information that I’m sharing in this article is pointless; for such means next to nothing when the rubber meets the road, so to speak. To know it as reality, we must be willing to set aside our assumptions related to identity and directly investigate our true nature. Can you really be Jane or John Doe? Please contemplate this deeply. Can letters strung together in the form of words (which are merely symbols that refer to things) actually “be” you? No; of course not. It’s why the noted author and speaker Alan Watts stated that you can’t get wet from the word water. If you can acknowledge that a word is only a symbol for that to which it refers, you’ll easily apply the same logic to your name. It’s what William Shakespeare meant when he penned the following famous line from Romeo and Juliet:

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Although persons might accept that a name cannot possibly be their identity, most will struggle to accept that they’re not their body-mind. We’ve been conditioned since infancy to believe that we are the person; thus, that deep belief is completely understandable. However, it may help us dive deeper into the nature of our Being if we understand that all effects (including our person) are rendered by the mind. In The Law of Success, Paramahansa Yogananda stated the following:

“Mind is the creator of everything.”

Consciousness, not a supposedly material world made of “matter,” is the substance of every form and experience. We could not, indeed, have any experience in the absence of consciousness. This also helps us understand why the following, attributed to Jesus, is stated in Luke 17:21: “Neither shall they say, lo here! or, lo there! for behold the kingdom of God is within you.” He meant that Consciousness cannot be located in time and space as an object. Contrary to popular belief, our body-mind is actually a function of mind; not an independently-existing entity. Our true identity is Spirit, aka Consciousness. Could all of this, as Edgar Allen Poe penned, actually just be a dream within a dream? Most definitely.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Constructive Thinking

Are you ready? Got your hammer? Your saw? Tape measure? Carpenter’s apron? Safety boots. Hard hat? Nails? Lumber–and plenty of it? Good. We’re almost ready to build.

***

Now, I’ve heard a rumor that you’d like to build the life of your dreams. That’s great, because at least you know what you desire! It means that you’re ahead of ninety-nine percent of the world’s population, who are simply waiting for what will come next. Not you, though–you’ve got a plan! Before we make that first saw cut, however, let’s take a look at what you’ve got in mind.

When it comes to building, or dreaming, there’s an important point to remember. Now please pay attention; I’m only going to write this once. You can’t build a bungalow by focusing on the plans for a barn. Amazing? Astounding? How incredibly insightful? Best darn obvious advice you’ve ever heard? And what the heck could that possibly have to do with manifesting your dream?

My point is that you can’t manifest what you want by focusing on what you don’t want! In my illustration, if you actually want to build a beautiful little bungalow, it’s imperative that you never focus on the plans for a barn. If you give more thought to the plans for the barn, well…you’ll end up building a barn! The same holds true for the following: focusing on disease, instead of health; focusing on poverty, instead of prosperity; and last but not least, focusing on losing, instead of winning!

The key is to concentrate on what you desire, as though you already possess it. Let your thoughts be playful and detached; but keep them focused on your vision. If you desire wealth, imagine it. If you desire greater health, imagine that. If you’d like a great relationship, imagine that too. Engage as many of your senses as possible and feel the reality of the end result. It all begins in the mind; and is, in fact, manifested by the mind.

So, by now you realize that I used a catchy little alliteration to make a point. Let it serve you. Apply it to your dreams and what’s important to you. Oh, and one last word: If a barn is what you really desire, then don’t, of course, focus on plans for a bungalow; because so-called reality will always match the blueprint in your mind.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“I Will Fear No Evil”

As most of you probably realize, the title of this article is borrowed from Psalm 23. Please consider with me, if you will, that it could actually be possible to “fear no evil.” Imagine how much more light-heartedly we would live our lives; how good it would feel to shrug off the heavy burden of worry that most persons carry. Is this delusional to suggest that it’s possible to fear no evil; especially when we’re bombarded with negative news each day? No, dear friends, it’s not. When we know more about our essential nature, we can, indeed, fear no evil. Before we dive deeper into the article, I offer the 23rd Psalm in full for you to contemplate:

***

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

***

I’d like to share some facts that may have a bearing on whether you take anything of value away from this article. I apply a logical approach to the subjects of consciousness and spirituality. In my opinion, a bridge built solely from belief–without the supporting structure of understanding–is too weak to support a crossing from ignorance to knowing. To know that it’s possible to live without fearing evil, we must understand a few key points:

Fear belongs to the body-mind, also referred to as the “person.” You may be thinking, “Hey, wait a minute, bucko, I thought you said that I could live without fear of evil, and now you’ve just contradicted yourself!” To understand this more fully, please read the next point.
You’re not the body-mind. The body-mind (person) is rendered totally via the mind. To support this, I’d like to offer a quote from The Tibetan Book of The Dead: “Phenomena only ‘exist’ in the mind that perceives them.” Another quote, borrowed from a book of esoteric knowledge entitled The Kybalion, supports this: “The All is mind; the Universe is mental.”
Consciousness is not created by the brain. Although the majority of persons assume that there’s a little “i” located somewhere behind their forehead, there isn’t. That this could possibly be true is easily verified by a search on the internet. Please enter “The hard problem of consciousness” in your browser. You’ll find many interesting articles and discover that the term was first coined by David Chalmers, an Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist. Science has basically assumed that consciousness arises from neural processes. It doesn’t.
Matter doesn’t exist. That’s right, you read correctly; matter doesn’t exist (independent of the mind). “But, how the heck can that possibly be?” I can hear you asking. “I exist, and I’m pretty darn real!” The answer is that so-called matter is rendered via the mind. Please do another internet search and look up the famous “Double-Slit Experiment,” which was first performed by Thomas Young. Quantum physicists have known for more than a hundred years that light behaves as both a wave and a particle; and that the observer is exerting an effect with regard to what’s witnessed. So-called matter is comprised of packets of energy that are flashing in and out of existence at an incredibly rapid rate.
Human life is a dream. To understand this fully, we must realize that what most persons erroneously assume to be “reality” is actually the Waking State. It’s similar to the nighttime dream state, but it’s more clearly defined and has a continuing plotline. When asked about the difference between the two states, Ramana Maharshi (who was a realized sage) replied: “Waking is long and dream short; other than this there is no difference. Just as waking happenings seem real while awake, so do those in a dream while dreaming.”
You’re true Self is Awareness, aka Consciousness. You’re an aspect of God. As such, you are an eternal Being. Logically, if what is happening now is a dream, what is there to fear? This may help you understand why the following line is included in Psalm 23: “Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Isn’t that an interesting choice of words?
God (Consciousness) is All There Is, playing a multiplicity and diversity of forms, including your body-mind and mine. By spending a little time in meditation, it’s possible to directly realize that you witness your sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. They’re not who you are. You can also witness your body; for it is also an object in consciousness–not the subject of Being as you have previously assumed. The true YOU is prior to the mind.

There you have it, dear friend–my attempt to explain why it’s possible to actually live without fear. The key is recognition of true Self. The great news is that when we realize Truth, we’re free to live so much more fully.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The “Discernment Show”

Backstage, in the Green Room,

ten minutes before the interview is about to begin:

Two guests, Mr. Ego-Head and Ms. IAmThatIAm, are sitting in chairs as the secretary to the host of the show preps them before going onstage. “So,” Ms. Hathaway, began, “because this is a live show, we’ve decided to set a timer for your replies–just to be fair about the interview. You’ll both be given three minutes in which to make your statement, and then the other guest will be given an opportunity to make a statement and/or a rebuttal. That sound, okay?”

Mr. Ego-Head said, “Certainly, Ms. Hathaway. Thanks so much for having me. By the way, that’s a lovely dress you’re wearing.”

“Certainly,” said Ms. IAmThatIAm with a smile.

“Great,” said Ms. Hathaway. “Let’s get you into your chairs onstage and we’ll roll in about five minutes.”

***

And…rolling:

“Welcome, folks, I’m your host Donald Discerning; and this is the “The Discernment Show;” a show in which we get to the bottom of topics that range from ants in your pants to quantum physics to the use of the media to control the masses. Our guests today–who have widely differing approaches to life–are Mr. Ego-Head and Ms. IAmThatIAm (cue applause). Donald nodded to both of the guests and then said, “Welcome to both of you.”

“Thanks for having me,” said Mr. Ego-Head.

Ms. IAmThatIAm nodded, smiling.

“So,” continued Mr. Discerning, “we tossed a coin backstage (honestly, this has nothing to do with a guy named Art Russell guy who pretends to write these articles) and the toss went to Mr. Ego-Head. We’ll begin with you.”

A smile the size of Saskatchewan (hint: Canada) spread across Mr. Ego-Head’s face.

“If you will, please tell our viewing audience a little about your approach to life.”

“Well, Donald, thank you for asking. “Why, it was just the other day that a good friend of mine–a well-known professor at Yale–was asking me for advice about that very topic. I said to him, Barney, I’ll tell you the same points that I shared with the president. I said blah, blah, blah, blah, yada yada yada, blah, blah, blah, blah–and then I said yada blah blah, yada blah blah, yada blah, yada blah, yada yada, blah blah. Well of course, I laughed; and my friend just howled–he has such an infectious laugh! I tell you, I slapped my knee more than once! But it was important that he realized this:

***

3 Minutes

(Donald waves, in a polite attempt to get Mr. Ego-Head’s attention)

***

…yada blah haha, yada blah haha. Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti do, MEEEEE^-so-so, MEEEEE^-so-so. La, la, la, la, laa laa^laa. La, la, la, la, laa laa ^laa. This-life-is-all-about-ME and ME and ME and Me and ^MEEEEE. This-life-is-all-about-ME and ME and ME and Me and ^MEEEEE. Yada yada, bling, so-ho. Yada yada, bling, so-ho. He saw my point–he truly did. He said to me, you are so wise–perhaps the wisest man I’ve ever met. How fortunate I am to have a friend like you…

***

13 Minutes

(Donald is standing, waving, stomping his feet; signaling for help from crew members back stage)

***

….and so I said to Sylvester, Stallone, that is, I said, ‘Sly, why don’t you do a film about boxing; you could call it Rocky.’ He wasn’t too sure, but thank goodness he listened to me. Rata tat, haha, rata tat, haha. I was a gifted child. Chug-a-chug, chug-a-chug, me me ^meeee. Chug-a-chug, me me ^meeee. Got straight A’s–in everything! Yada bling, yada bling, so so so. Steve–you know–Jobs, was once asking me for advice; and I said, ‘Why don’t you go with something fruity–maybe an apple, with a different look to it.’

***

47 minutes…and counting

(Backstage

(Crew Member One: “Can you get a bead on him?” Crew Member Two: “No, he keeps moving too much.”)

***

Finally

Donald Discerning fanned his hands at Ms. IAmThatIAm to signal there was nothing more he could do. Through it all, Ms. IAmThatIAm had remained peaceful and calmly detached. She appeared as though a serene bird that was perched high in a tree. Below her, a different bird was busily building its nest and tasting of fruit that was either bitter or sweet. Ms. IAmThatIAm was not bothered by such nonsense; for she realized that so much of what people worry about really doesn’t matter. Mr. Ego-Head was still talking when Donald Discerning signaled to Ms. IAmThatIAm that they might as well leave. They stood and quietly walked off stage. Stage hands soon appeared and began to sweep the floor. When they were finished, the stage manager turned off the overhead lights. As far as we know, Mr. Ego-Head is still there.

***.

Special Note: What’s the point of this little drama above? My intention is to illustrate that we have a choice–one largely unrecognized by the masses–about what type of Being/guest we invite to be dominant in our life. We can let Ego-Head dominate, especially if we desire to listen to negative and meaningless chatter all day; or we can discover that deeper dimension within ourselves and live with the peace of I Am That I Am. (P.S. The statement “get a bead on him” at the forty-seven minute mark referred to a water gun…just in case you were wondering.)

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. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

In The Case of “Stupid”

“All rise,” said the bailiff in a booming voice–there was a loud shuffle of feet as members of the courtoom stood. The bailiff continued: “Court is now in session. The honourable Judge Mary Bullwinkle is presiding.”

The judge ascended the two steps to the raised platform and assumed her position behind the bench.

Mr. Travolta, the attorney for the defense, raised his hand.

“Something on your mind?” said Judge Bullwinkle, with a frown.

“Yes,” your Honour, “may I approach the bench?”

“Only if you do a funny walk.”

Without batting an eye, Mr. Travolta stepped out from behind his desk, did a slide step right, a scoot to the left, and a two-step goose step. After a brief moonwalk, he was there–in front of the bench. Ms. Ciriello, the Crown Prosecutor, sedately stepped forward and joined him.

“Nice work, Travolta,” said Judge Bullwinkle as she leaned forward. “You realize this is highly irregular. We haven’t even begun.”

“Yes, your Honour, I’m well aware; but I believe I can supply evidence that can end this trial before it even begins.”

“Hmph, we’ll see about that,” muttered Ms. Ciriello.

While the members of the court remained standing, the two attorneys conferred in whispers with the judge. Finally Judge Bullwinkle gave a nod and motioned for the bailiff to approach the bench. After he listened to her instructions, he nodded assent and turned around to face the members of the court.

When the attorneys were standing behind their respective desks, the bailiff nervously said, “All of you may now be seated–ahem, except the stupid ones.”

A great kerfuffle erupted. The members of the court sat, stood up again, turned right and left, and yo-yoed between standing or seated positions.

“Do I look stupid?” one elderly woman beseechingly asked the person next to her. “Not particularly,” came the reply.

“I got a “C” once in Home Ed. Does that count?” asked another lady.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” exclaimed a man behind her. “Letters don’t count–numbers do!”

“I’ve never been good with directions,” said one woman nervously. “I got lost twice coming here!”

“I don’t know a great deal about cooking,” stated one man with a glum expression. “I’ve been eating bacon and eggs for years–don’t know how to cook anything else.”

“I flunked History and Geography in high school,” said a young woman.

“My ten-year-old son had to solve my Rubik’s Cube for me,” stated a mother, close to weeping.

“I once purchased polyester slacks,” blurted another lady. “Honestly, I thought they were cotton!”

“I’ve been married six times,” said one lady. “Does that make me stupid?”

“Of course not!” exclaimed the man to her right. “I’m on my seventh–practice, my dear, practice!”

The see-saw of the members of the court seemed unstoppable. With a stern expression, Judge Bullwinkle finally reached for her gavel and slammed it down hard. “Order!” she exclaimed. “All of you–sit down, now!”

Mr. Travolta adjusted his tie. “May I, your Honor?,” he asked with a wave of his hand.

“I wish that you would,” replied Judge Bullwinkle, “since you’re the cause of this mess.”

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” he began.

Suddenly the doors at the back of the courtroom flung open as Jack Nicholson burst into the room and snapped off his trademark sunglasses. After positioning himself mid aisle, he shook a scowl onto his face and bellowed, “You can’t handle the truth!”

“C’mon, Jack, ” said Mr. Travolta, “is this really necessary?”

“Not at all,’ said Jack, grinning nonchalantly. “A guy named Art Russell asked me to do a walk-on.” He then saluted the court, snapped his heels together, and marched from the courtroom.

Mr. Travolta rolled his eyes at the court reporter and said, “Now, where was I?”

The reporter carefully scanned her computer and said, “yada, yada, yada.”

“Oh yes,” said Mr. Travolta, “thank you. I assert that my client, Mr. Dimwatt, has been unjustly accused of “Gross Stupidity” and that all charges against him should be dropped immediately! We’ve just had proof–right here, in this very courtroom–that even you fine folks can’t determine if you’re stupid unless you compare yourselves against someone else. Humans have this insane habit of judging themselves by appearance and performance. It’s nonsense! Isn’t it true that each and every one of us has strengths and weaknesses? Aren’t all of us gifted in our own ways? I’ll tell you what’s really stupid, folks:

Trying to be like everyone else!

Be yourself, shine!

We’re meant to share our unique gifts for the common good.

I strongly urge you–in fact, I beg of you–to find Mr. Dimwatt NOT GUILTY, on all counts! Finally, Mr. Travolta spun around to face Judge Bullwinkle and spiked his best Saturday Night Fever impression. He then bowed and said, “Your Honour, I rest my case.”

Given a few moments to reflect upon the case (and the secret knowledge that she had flunked the Bar Exam twice, and always been a Jack Nicholson fan), Judge Bullwinkle snapped down her gavel and proclaimed, “Case dismissed! Mr. Dimwatt is free to go.”

***

Believe it or not, there’s actually a point to the story: The competitive mindset of humankind is the cause of great suffering and misery. If we desire to express our greatest potential, we must learn to accentuate what’s positive and embrace our innate creativity. We must cast aside our habit of judging ourselves against the appearance and performance of so-called others. Each of us is a miracle, with unique talents and intrinsic value. Isn’t it time that we learned to love ourselves…just…as…we…are?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Affirming Truth

It’s almost inevitable that anyone who is earnest about studying the Law of Attraction will come across the following famous quote attributed to Henry Ford. It has become an integral part of the human story, especially as it pertains to motivation. Unfortunately, the depth of its meaning is often lost to most persons. The quote reads as follows:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

The quote is truly inspiring; but it may lead many individuals to conclude–understandably so–that if we focus on our goal, work extremely hard, and apply ourselves diligently that we can achieve whatever we desire. However, there is a huge chunk of missing information that must be known and understood if we desire to manifest more effectively. For the majority of individuals, the information will seem so astonishing as to be unbelievable. Before we delve deeper, please read the next quotation; it’s from Andrew Carnegie, who was once considered the richest man in the world:

“Any idea that is held in the mind, that is emphasized, that is either feared or revered, will begin to clothe itself in the most convenient and appropriate form available.”

Are you curious why a man who–apparently–achieved such incredible financial success would write such a quote? What could he possibly have meant by writing that ideas held in the mind would begin to clothe themselves in form? Mr. Carnegie did not inform us to work really hard, forfeit our heath, and sacrifice our family life in an effort to achieve our goals. So, just what was he really suggesting? Could it be that he and a relatively few others knew a secret–unrealized by the masses–by which they wielded a scepter of great power? Let’s open our minds to more understanding by reading the following quote from Napoleon Hill, who was commissioned by Mr. Carnegie to write Think and Grow Rich, which is still considered one of the best motivational books of all time:

“More gold has been mined from the minds of men than the earth it self.”

What could Napoleon Hill have possibly been trying to convey through such a quotation? I mean, really, Napoleon–get a grip! Let’s read his words again in an attempt to absorb their full meaning: “More gold has been mined from the minds of men than the earth it self.” Nonsense–at least from the human perspective; for any logical thinking human knows that gold is mined from the earth–that real stuff beneath our feet. The following passage from Mark 9:23 may add to our growing curiosity:

Jesus said unto him, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Could it be that the Bible and other sacred books actually hold great truths that have been thrown aside by the majority of persons due to innocent ignorance? Is it possible that we could be healed if we changed our fundamental beliefs about the nature of reality? Could this explain why placebos (sugar pills) often outperform supposed “actual” drugs in test trials? The next quotation is borrowed from This Mysterious Universe by James Jeans, who was a noted English physicist and astronomer:

“The Universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter… we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter.”

The true secret related to the Law of Attraction eluded me for many years, in spite of my reading a great many books related to the subject. Such is understandable; for we’ve been strongly conditioned to blindly accept the materialist perspective, which supposes that objects exist independent of the mind. They do not. For more than one hundred years, science has realized that mind and matter are irrefutably linked. The original Buddha shared Truth twenty-five hundred years ago through the following quote:

“Events happen, deeds are done, consequences happen, but there is no individual doer of any deed.”

To understand this fully, we must deeply investigate the very nature of our Being. We must be relentless; we must ask ourselves What–not who–we truly are. Here’s the answer: We are Spirit, whether we’re aware of the fact or not. What is impressed upon the mind (as Andrew Carnegie expressed) will be expressed as the apparent circumstances of our so-called human life. Right now, as you read the lines upon this page, YOU ARE DREAMING; but the majority of human beings are asleep to this fact. Let’s add to my words through a passage from Open Secret, by Wei Wu Wei, who was a respected author and scholar of philosophy and metaphysics:

“Our dreamed ‘selves,’ autonomous in appearance, as in life, can be seen in awakened retrospect to be puppets totally devoid of volitional possibilities of their own.”

The person that you think you are is rendered by the mind and is conceptual only. Enlightenment means to awaken from the dream of personhood to the awareness of our essential nature, which is Presence. Sages have been aware of this since time immemorial. We do not live on a planet made of matter; we live in a realm that exists in Consciousness, as do our body-minds.

For readers who believe this is ludicrous, it may help to know that René Descartes considered this, although he ultimately backed away from the position. His famous quote–“I think, therefore I am”–is backward; rather, it should read: “I am, therefore I think.” To realize this can be of tremendous benefit. According to our degree of faith, we may remedy at least part of our apparent lacks–in health, wealth, and relationships–through a change in our beliefs. This means, of course, that we must be careful about what we intentionally–and unintentionally–impress upon the mind. And, yes, this definitely applies to what has been impressed upon us during the current world situation. Wake up, wake up, wake up!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“True-Self” Centeredness

Regarding the title of this article: Please know that I am not advocating living a lowercase “self”-centered life; we already have more than enough of that present in the world. I speak from experience; for I kept “Art,” the persona that I once believed myself to be, fed, watered, and distracted for many years. In the end, “he” (although well-intentioned) proved not only tiring but also frustrating. Such is the way of the false self; it is never satisfied.

Now, I realize that “my” happiest days–paradoxically–are when there is little sense of a personal “i.” My suffering, which could not be alleviated through the usual ways of this world (think: possessions, careers, relationships, and vacations), finally led to a crack in the shell of the guy that professed to be me. I saw that beneath the facade of Art there is a profound Reality that does not need to try to be anything. It just is. It is true Self, Universal Spirit. By this I do not mean to suggest that I found a new way of being, or acquired some sort of spiritual badge to be pinned to Art’s lapel. I recognized (to know again) the domain of true Self, the silent witness of our human drama.

To be established in true Self is, indeed, to live from the center of our Being. It is a Unitive Power; for it recognizes Itself in everything and everyone. There are no strangers from this perspective of living; for we are all recognized as spiritual family. It is That–uppercase “Self”–to which the title of this article refers. To state that such is pure bliss may be an overstatement; but to knowingly live from the perspective of Truth is definitely more peaceful than existing as the false self. Why? Because the false self, which is divisive and competitive by nature, is actually the root of all of our so-called problems. Now, from the perspective of Awareness, the thoughts of “what’s in this for me?” rarely, if ever, occur. If they do, they are recognized as the shenanigans of the little self attempting to diminish the unconditioned quality of life.

How do we realize true Self and establish ourselves in the center of our Being? The good news is that there is nothing to be done; for no amount of doing can transform us into what we already “are.” There is nothing to be acquired. Only ego would dare to proclaim that climbing yet another mountain is required to be enough. We need only recognize that we are–already–That which we seek. I know of no better way to recognize this Truth than to let go of all of our doing. The transcendent dimension of true Self can be found in silent stillness; for that is the trademark of Its nature.

There, dear friends, is what I meant by being “Self Centered.” This is true Self, the Source in which we live and move and have our being. It is unchanging, immortal, eternal, and irreducible. This is the discovery beyond all discoveries; the inner treasure for which we seek. It needs nothing; for out of It arises everything. It is the center of our Being, and It can be known–directly–now.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Bye, Bye, Ego–Hello “Videhi”

For many long years, I believed (as you may still believe of yourself) that I was the body-mind, aka “person.” It would have seemed insane to deny the apparent but erroneous conclusion. Thus, if Art’s body was physically satisfied and his mind mentally stable, “i” was content and happy. If such was not the case, Art used distraction, deliberate focus, and self-help books to rectify the situation. But here’s the rub, of which you’re probably well aware: At some point after circumstances slide to the polar opposite of pain and suffering (pain free happiness), the forces of this earthly realm, which are always in play, invariably slide the person back into challenging situations. Such is the human predicament.

Although none of us would choose suffering as a first (or last) choice as a method to “wise up,” it does serve a useful purpose. As I’ve mentioned previously, suffering reminds us that we have strayed too far from the Truth of our Being and need to change our ways. The degree of our suffering will be different for each of us; for although we are one in Essence, we are unique in character and form. Problems are relative to the person having them. We might view suffering as a tireless loving parent. “Be careful,” suffering shouts, “you’ll get burned if you touch the hot stove!” And time and again, we reach for the hot stove. Is there a way to avoid such needless suffering?

Yes! The solution (which is seemingly insane, yet paradoxically beautiful) occurs when we transcend the perspective of the person and recognize our essential nature. We discover the Truth: That we are in the world, but not of it. Problems are inherent to the body-mind perspective because the person is a creation of mind and, therefore, unstable. One minute, the person is happy; the next minute sad. To overcome suffering, we must realize that the body-mind is not who we are; it’s a constume that’s worn during this incarnation.

Let’s now investigate the Marathi term videhi from the title of this article, in the hope of gleaning more understanding. I was unfamiliar with the word until I noticed it in a book entitled Amrut Laya, The Stateless State by Shri Sadguru Siddharameshwar. In the book, he shared the account of a king who sought a guru to help him recognize his essential nature beyond name and form. The king eventually did; and thereafter the king was referred to as a videhi, meaning “he without a body.” From an online Marathi-English dictionary, we find the following definition: 1. Disembodied, released from the body. 2. Weaned from bodily and earthly enjoyments and pursuits. Please don’t be alarmed by the term disembodied; it’s not as ghoulish as it may seem. Such only means that you realize–here and now–that you’re not the body-mind. You know that you can’t possibly be who you think yourself to be.

Truth: You are Consciousness, Itself–an immortal Being, beyond this place called Earth. Your true Self is of the same quality and nature as that of God, only varying in degree. Your entire life story is but a divine play of God. To realize this directly, I earnestly suggest that you enter the stillness of meditation on a daily basis; for it’s in the placeless place beyond the mind that you will discover that, indeed, you are now–and always have been–a videhi. Awareness is commonly assumed to arise due to body-mind functions; but such has never been proven by science, and it never will be. The Truth is that the body-mind arises due to Consciousness; not the other way around. Bye, bye, ego. Please take your suffering with you.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Empowerment

Take Me “Home”

As Though By Magic

The Death of “Me”

Constructive Thinking

“I Will Fear No Evil”

The “Discernment Show”

In The Case of “Stupid”

Affirming Truth

“True-Self” Centeredness

Bye, Bye, Ego–Hello “Videhi”

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