Song Of The Soul

The conditioning that is prevalent in the majority of western-type societies has created a mythological version of happiness that is highly conditional. It is founded upon ignorance of our essential nature and offers an empty promise that is dependent on one simple word–“when.”

Led by the relentless desires of our ego, we often conclude that life will be dandy: when I find the love of my life; when we move into our new home; when all of our bills are paid; when the dishes are done; when I complete my first marathon; when we have financed our children’s education; when I receive a pay raise; when I summit another mountain; when my book is published; when I buy another fifty pair of shoes; when I buy another motorcycle/boat/thing; when the economy improves; when so-and-so is elected; when our neighbours behave; when I receive an apology for what he/she did twenty-two years, three months, and two days ago; when it’s Friday; when the weather is just right; when the waiter arrives; when I lose/gain twenty pounds; when I’ve had another three (ten?) beers; when I’m living on the west coast (east coast); when he/she/ loves me; when my bank account reflects a certain amount of numbers; when my talent is recognized by “others;” when I can bench press a Buick; and last, but not least, when I’m perfect.

The voice of the ego temptingly assures us that when our desires are fulfilled, we will be happy; but here’s the catch–it’s LYING! The sad, and often overlooked, twist to this conditioning is that NOW is all there ever IS. When we attempt to acquire happiness by fulfilling the desires of the time-bound phantom “self,” we overlook the very non-thing whose nature is happiness Itself. Our BEing is not dependent upon anything to be happy. It rejoices in LIFE, as LIFE. It revels in Isness. Can you, here and now, become still and feel the delightful song of your soul?

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”

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

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Cautionary Tails

During my spiritual quest, I learned that Sri Ramana Maharshi (an Indian sage who suddenly 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 is 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/if the “tail of the snake” is back in the room can make a tremendous difference in the quality of our life experience. With the goal of improving our collective experience, I offer the following partial list of signs to help you recognize if 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 “That” which is the knower of it. It may also be helpful to ask, “Who is it that is expressing this self interest right now? What is its nature?” If circumstances permit, a few minutes of meditation may also help to re-center in Beingness.

The egoic structure attempts to convince us that it is vitally important–that the world would fall to ruin if it were to vanish; but the expression of life actually becomes richer when we recognize (Latin, cognoscere: to know again) our essential nature beyond name and form. This is not to state that the ego must be annihilated; only that we are established as Spirit, instead of defending the perspective of the person who, ultimately, is illusory.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

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 a rare painting there 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–not the specific details–seem familiar? So often, we “hang” our happiness upon the achievement of a goal, with the erroneous expectation that its achievement can 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–a triumphant victor, our trophy raised 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 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 inherent in the flawed belief system is a trap door that can spring open at any moment; plummeting those who have unconsciously consumed the bait into the depths of despair. If we define success (whatever that means) via the egoic perspective and a competition-based system, we have unwittingly signed a contract that leads to suffering. Upon the dotted line will be our name.

The way out of the human predicament is to see clearly; 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 each of us, there is worth beyond definition, a glorious dimension that “is” us. It is the rarest (because there is only One of IT) and, therefore, priceless; yet, paradoxically, It is the most common, because It permeates the interstices of everyone and everything. It is 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

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Only “This”

Language, even with our most precise usage, proves totally inadequate at expressing the Truth of the Absolute; for it soon becomes apparent that expressions about It are forced by their inherent limitations to remain verbal or written representations–not the original, Itself. Thus, in describing via our “A, B, C’s” (or equally valuable letters of other languages), we create a distorted view of That which is beyond definition. The finite expression (we) can never replicate the Infinite. In other words, the Absolute is a One Off, a No-Thing impossible to be copied. Despite our best diligence, we unwittingly create conceptual false idols by the desire to express our understanding about the nature of our Creator and, thereby, know the Truth of our origin. The “catch” which is inherent to the divine system 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 is forever in flux, how do we logically believe that it’s possible to get anything lasting (the 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 our ignorance-based assumption that we exist independent of the Creator. Such is analogous to Leonard the light bulb believing that he shines by his own power, without being connected to the electric source by which he is illumined!

That we don’t exist as persons (I am being absolutely serious) is more easily understood when we realize that the substance of the characters within nighttime dreams are only a function of Infinite Living Mind. During the dream, these conceptual characters sing, dance, and even sit around bon fires roasting marshmallows; but the Substance of them, as with us–right here and now–is only the Absolute, 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.”

That this content may seem ludicrous or impossible to believe is understandable; but before closing your mind to it, please consider reading the following passage (number 50 of 114 sayings attributed directly 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 about the law of attraction and explains why the “image” you hold of yourself is so vitally 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 limitation and 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

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

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 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

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

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 is representational only–not the actual territory, itself.

When we apply this principle toward a deeper understanding of our essential Being, 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, is not 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 are 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 cut it, nor can wind dry it.”

When this is lived on an interpersonal level, the quality of our relationships improves dramatically; for such means that we are seeing the world and everyone within it from a perspective that is 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 very 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

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Being No-Thing Incorporated

To begin, please press the arrow:

***

“You’ve reached Being No-Thing Incorporated, specializing in the business of eternal IS-ness. My name is Divine Diana. How may I be of service?”

Caller: “Oh, hello, I’m Pamela Person, and I’ve been having a lot of problems. Everything seems to be going wrong.”

Divine Diana: “Your call is important to us, Pamela, and so are YOU. Please hold the line. I’ll just need a few moments to redirect you to one of our representatives.”

Pamela Person: “Certainly.” (hums the theme from Jeopardy, while waiting).

Divine Diana (speaking offline, to her co-light worker Heavenly Helen): “You’re not going to believe this–I’ve got another Being on the line who thinks she’s a person with a lot of problems. That’s four in the last hour! Heavenly Helen: “But our job here, Diana, is to help as many as possible.” Divine Diana: “Yes, I know; it’s just that even a spirit can only take so much.” Heavenly Helen: “Let’s put your caller through to Serene Specialist. She’s been with the company since the beginning; she’ll know what to do.” Divine Diana: “Done,” she said, with an affirmative nod; and she transferred the call.

***

(Moments later)

Serene Specialist: “Hello, Pamela, I apologize for keeping you waiting. My name is Serene; I work as a specialist at Being No-Thing Incorporated. I understand that you think you’re a person with a lot of problems. Would you care to share more?”

Pamela Person: “Hi, Serene. Yes, I’m definitely a person with a lot of problems. My mind’s driven me close to the edge during the last several years. I think many of my issues began when I felt a sense of being abandoned by my mother when I was two. Can you teach me how to let go of my problems?”

Serene Specialist: “Thank you for sharing that,” Serene said compassionately. “Here at Being No-Thing Incorporated, we really can’t teach you anything. Our main intention is to help clear up some confusion and point to knowing recognition of your essential nature.”

Pamela Person: “My essential nature?” said Pamela. “Well, my mother was a McFadden, of Scottish decent, if that’s any help; and my father’s background is a mix of Dutch-Irish.”

Serene Specialist: “Thank you,” said Serene, “but that wasn’t what I meant. To get to the root of human problems, we have to dive deeper into the investigation of true Self, beyond the apparent person. It’s called self inquiry. Have you ever heard that term before?”

Pamela Person: “No, I must admit that I haven’t.”

Serene Specialist: “You’re not alone in that regard,” said Serene. “Most human beings haven’t. The root of the issue related to self inquiry is misunderstanding. It’s a case of mistaken identification.”

Pamela Person: “Hmmm,” said Pamela, “sounds interesting. How much will it cost for me to get rid of my problems?”

Serene Specialist: “At the most profound level, such requires sacrificing every erroneous belief of ever being the person. I know that sounds strange, but it’s Truth.”

Pamela Person (perplexed): “You mean I’d have to surrender myself?”

Serene Specialist: “Only the beliefs of ever being the person. What remains is real.”

***

Dear Readers: The primary purpose of this article is to relate the following: There is a great distinction between believing yourself to be the conceptual “self” that is fabricated by the mind, and just BEING That which you already are. In short, the definitions “of” you can never be the “real” YOU. The idea that you exist as a “person” is just that–an assumption that has gathered so much gravity that it appears real. To “Know Thyself,” it’s important to discern clearly. With clear seeing, the quality of life that expresses through our “I Am” perspective in Consciousness improves dramatically.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Letting Go

The following is one well-known method to catch a monkey: A hunter makes a small hole in a coconut and scoops out the contents with a special tool. Afterward, some fruit or nuts is placed inside as bait, and the coconut is then tied to a nearby tree. The trap works because the monkey is able to insert its empty hand, but it’s unable to extricate its hand while holding the bait. Due to the monkey’s greed and desire to keep the apparent prize, it’s trapped. The monkey could easily escape, if it would only let go of the bait.

The human condition shares many similarities with the monkey and trap described. Due to ignorance of our essential nature, and desires related to the “person,” there is suffering. We want this to occur but not that. Based upon apparently outer circumstances, we habitually judge a day as good or bad, successful or unsuccessful. We conclude that if we get what we desire, and avoid that which we don’t desire, we will be happy. Because of our deeply ingrained belief that happiness is dependent on getting, we spend our lives competing for whatever we believe symbolizes success. For many persons, such might be a promotion, a raise, a spouse, or a beautiful house. We will, and often do, sacrifice our health, time with family, and years of our life to attain–what? Can our happiness really be guaranteed by acquiring a shiny trophy in a bookcase, or a bank account with a specific amount of numbers?

I am NOT advocating a desireless life upon a couch; for such a strategy would soon reveal itself as only a softer, but ultimately no less painful, trap. To do nothing is not the answer. The solution is to let go of our identification with the person who is adamant that things or achievements will ensure happiness. Through deepening awareness, we learn that we can set a goal and–quite remarkably–still remain happy in spite of the results. In a paradoxical twist, we often achieve more and experience greater fulfillment by letting go.

We’ve been strongly conditioned to believe that objects, people, and certain circumstances hold the power to grant us happiness. This belief is the bait of the human trap. From a wisdom perspective, it is well known that it is not objects, people, or certain circumstances that actually yield happiness–but the dropping of the state of desire! When we get what we desire, or avoid getting what we don’t desire, we are briefly happy. Through self investigation, we can realize this directly. How long did the new house, spouse, car, or promotion yield happiness, before another replacement desire arose?

This strategy is not some drummed-up belief system in which we pretend that we are not Jane or John Doe. It involves understanding the mechanism related to desire and self inquiry into the very nature of our Being. This is most often facilitated through periods of stillness. There, as Silent Awareness, we may witness sensations, images, feelings, thoughts and perceptions–which clearly indicates that we are NOT them. We are the eternal, immutable witness. We needn’t experience the suffering of monkeys; for we, unlike them, can investigate our erroneous and grievous assumptions related to identity. In short, we may ask–“Who Am I?”–and not relent until we directly know the answer.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

The Divine Mystery, You

This article was inspired by the following question and answer from “I Am That,” a well-known spiritual book which chronicles talks between Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and seekers who were eager to recognize true Self:

Q: “Is there no way of making out who is realized and who is not?”

M: “Your only proof is in yourself. If you find that you turn to gold, it will be a sign that you have touched the philosopher’s stone.”

The philosopher’s stone was believed to be a substance that was capable of transforming ordinary metals such as iron, tin, and nickel into gold; this is the metaphysical alchemy of which many of us may have read or heard. The related Truth, however, goes much deeper than a claim to transform base metals into gold. At its most profound level, it’s about transcending our false self through the recognition of our divine essential nature.

To touch the philosopher’s stone, we must (as Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj expressed) be earnestly eager to recognize the Gold which we actually–already–are. Such means that we are no longer willing to blindly believe our long held assumptions related to human identity. We desire to dive deep into the very nature of our Being, and we will not relent until we directly KNOW the answer! “Who Am I?”–really–will be the burning question in the foreground of our daily life.

The process involved in realization cannot be forced through efforts related to our egoic “self;” to do so, in fact, almost certainly dooms our efforts to failure. To touch the philosopher’s stone, we need not collect endless amounts of information about true Self; nor must we make unnecessary pilgrimages to ashrams or holy temples. Right where we are, we may become a knower; but to do so, we must leave behind what we have accepted as fact. For seekers who are ripe for realization, the following quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi contains a potent hint:

“What we are looking for, is what’s looking.”

In our spiritual quest, we must cast aside all of our apparent history, beliefs, and assumptions and dare to step–barer than naked–beyond our ignorance. We must discern clearly between what is real and unreal. In the stillness of now, free of interpretation, we will recognize the Source of our Being. No “person” ever becomes enlightened; to touch the stone, in fact, means that we awaken from the delusional belief that we ever were the person. This occurs in a similar way that we shrug off the fictional character we were playing in a nighttime dream.

When false beliefs and assumptions related to our egoic “i” fall away, we knowingly merge with the Gold to which Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj referred. There, beyond name and form, That which is the eternal and immutable Source of all that was, is, and will be, is found. We cannot, however, ever point to It (“lo, here It is,” or “lo, there It is“); for such would mean that we were still mired in the perspective of duality–a subject pointing to an object. The Oneness of Infinite Being is beyond all conceptions and perceptions. Eternally, It is both everywhere and nowhere–a no “thing” that can never be objectified, but out of which all apparent things–including our body-mind, arise.

The Truth of the philosopher’s stone is that you–as true Self–“are” It. We figuratively touch the stone through direct recognition and are, thereby, transmuted into the golden child of God that has always been our true “I Am-ness.” Only through our ignorance have we believed it possible to be separate and otherwise. Free of the chatter of the mind, we, thus, know the deepest meaning of Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” To understand this deeply is to realize there is a difference between the definition you hold of yourself, and That which you truly are.

When we awaken to our essential nature, our paradigm of “reality” must also change; it is through this knowledge that we engage the true magic related to the philosopher’s stone. Plutarch summed up the principle involved through the following quote: “What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” Centuries later, this was echoed by Paramahansa Yogananda, who stated that “the mind is the creator of everything.” To Know Thyself is to touch the philosopher’s stone.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers“

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Freedom

Song Of The Soul

The Unnecessary Question

Cautionary Tails

Worth Beyond Defintion

Only “This”

What’s Driving The Dream Bus?

Don’t Map Me In

Being No-Thing Incorporated

Letting Go

The Divine Mystery, You

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