Category: Freedom

Whittling Away

One late summer day, Frank Nash set off walking down the grassy-dirt lane that led to the forest at the back of his hobby farm. He was holding his meditation cushion in his right hand and a canteen in his left. At the edge of the deciduous forest, he stopped, took a swig of water, and then zigzagged his way through the woods, dry leaves crunching underfoot. When Frank came to a clearing, which was speckled with sunlight, he set down his cushion on a soft patch of grass and removed his boots. Wtih a well-practiced move, he then bent down and folded his sixty-two-year-old body upon the cushion. Hands cupped together near his lap, he then closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and entered the silence.

***

“Whatcha doin’?” came a soft voice an hour later. It was Jeffry, a young neighbour boy from an adjacent farm. He was standing off to the side of a tree stump that was directly ahead of Frank.

“I thought that might be you,” said Frank, as he opened his eyes to the young boy. “I was whittling,” he said.

“But you don’t even have a pocketknife!” exclaimed Jeffry. “You can borrow mine if you want,” he said, with a pat of the right pocket of his jeans.

“Thanks,” said Frank, with a smile, “but for this kind of whittling, I don’t need one.”

“Huh?” said Jeffry. “What kind of whittlin’ is that?”

Frank beckoned the boy to come sit near him, which Jeffry did. “We’ll it’s kind of like sculpting. Do you know much about that?”

“Uh, uh,” said Jeffry.

“Well, the really great sculptors know what’s hidden within the piece of marble before they ever touch it with a chisel and hammer. They know that they’re just releasing the statue that’s waiting inside.”

“Wow, that’s kind of neat! That’s the kind of whittlin’ you do?”

“Yup,” said Frank, “the only difference is that I work on the person.” He offered the canteen to Ralph, who took a drink. “When I meditate, I’m actually just whittling away the parts of “me” that are the costume. I let the story of me fall away, like shavings from a piece of wood, and just “be.”

“Are you looking for something special inside, like the sculptors?”

“Yup,” said Frank.

“Do I have that special somethin’ inside me, too?”

“You sure do,” said Frank, “everybody does. When I meditate, I go within to find my real Self–the I Am. When I do, I stay in peace and commune with my Maker.”

“Ohh,” said Jeffry, with a nod of his head, “that’s definitely a different type of whittling. When I whittle, the regular way, I make little boats and take them down to float them in the creek.”

“Well, that’s a pretty neat way to whittle, too,” said Frank. A few minutes later, Frank and Jeffry were tramping back up the lane, enjoying conversation that flowed easily from the subjects of frogs to airplanes to rhubarb pie. Jeffry thought that one day it might be neat to try whittling without a knife; and he knew his mom would definitely like it “’cause she always worries that I might cut myself with my Buck knife.” As they were about to diverge, Frank said that he’d love to see one of Jeffry’s whittled boats someday.

“I’ll bring one for you tomorrow,” Jeffry called; and with a wave of the hand, they went their apparently separate ways.

***

Note: This article was inspired by the term “whittling away” in a book entitled The Gift of Grace, Awakening To Its Presence, by Paul Brunton. It, as well as another of Paul Brunton’s books entitled Jesus, Krishna, And The Way of Awakening have added to my developing spiritual understanding.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), 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” 🙏🏻🧡

Founded Upon The Rock

If we were building a house, how meticulous most of us would be about its construction. At the very least, we would do our best to ensure to employ a great architect, an honest supplier of quality materials, and a builder with a great reputation. Most important, however (as real estate agents inform us) is location, location, location. As such relates to the title of this article, we’re not referring to the superficial appeal of a potential neighbourhood; we’re referring to the foundation upon which we build our home. How ironic that the majority of us pay great attention to the foundation upon which we plan to build a house; yet remain unaware of that upon which we base our life. Perhaps the following passages from Matthew 7:24-27 will help us become curious about our essential nature:

24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock.

25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it has its foundation on the rock.

26But everyone who hears these words of mind and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Without being aware of it, most of us have been building our life (the house referred to in the passages) upon the shifting sandy foundations that ultimately lead to its destruction. Those foundations are false assumptions related to the nature of our Being. We have assumed that we are the person that we believe ourselves to be. Thus, we’re happy when the conceptual person is experiencing situations labeled “good;” and very unhappy when suffering those labeled “bad.” Due to identification with something we are not (and which ultimately proves to be illusory), many of us will spend our life chasing the good times–no matter how much energy is required to do so. We will sacrifice our health, our family, and all of our resources in the pursuit of happiness. And once we finally arrive we are content…until we are not.

In desperation, most persons attempt to correct their unhappy situations through the usual means. Those means (which almost always entail external behaviour), lead persons to believe that having an affair, purchasing a shiny new red sports car, climbing the corporate ladder, having another baby, moving to a new house, becoming more spiritual, or buying another twenty pairs of shoes will correct the underlying dissatisfaction. On and on the not-so-merry Ferris wheel spins, until the person cries, “Stop the ride! This isn’t working anymore!” Suffering, although extremely painful at the time, finally leads us to turn away from the phenomenal world and seek a better foundation upon which to build our life.

What is the rock to which the scripture referred? Nothing less than the very Source of our Being. It’s not something acquired through accretion of mind-based knowledge; it’s heart-based recognition of That which we have always been. Contrary to what we have been conditioned to believe, the phenomenal world, which seems so real, is not the Absolute Reality of our Being–not even close. It is appearance only. What’s Real is Consciousness (aka God). It is That which creates and knows all apparent phenomena. The Infinite cannot be defined; but It can be known directly when we become still. We are not the person we believe ourselves to be. We ARE–period; but not as a “thing.” We are That which cannot be forgotten. To know our essential nature is to build our life upon The Rock.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), 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” 🙏🏻🧡

The Regression

Since my teenage years, I’ve possessed an incredible longing to know the nature of our origin. To settle for the common definition of name and form always felt sadly lacking; for it seemed obvious (at least to me) that such was like a recipe that was missing not an–but The–essential ingredient. My deep and earnest curiousity, which has been lessened by a degree of revelation that I once believed impossible to know, has now transformed into a magical appreciation for Life, Itself. As a humble offering to you, my spiritual brothers and sisters, I present the following poem from my youth:

***

The Regression


Compelled by deep desire
To know my true Self,
To find that part of me
Distinct and separate of the body and the mind,
I employed a hypnotist to assist me with my quest.
Eyes closed, entranced, 
I was soon transported aboard a conjured boat.
Amidst the pitch and roll of mystic waves,
I heard the lulling voice of the hypnotist
As he steered me up my stream of consciousness
To discover the Truth of my origin.
Through swirling memories
Entwined with wisps of emotion,
He guided me deep, and even deeper still, 
Beyond my adolescence and childhood,
To the womb.
There, wrapped in the warm flesh
Of my loving mother,
He coaxed me back, farther still,
Until I faintly heard him ask, “Where are you now?”
Bathed in a light and love
Which I intuitively embraced
As both my beginning and my end,
I joyously replied,
“I am with God.”

- R. Arthur Russell -

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Amazing Grace

Many of us are familiar with a hymn entitled Amazing Grace. The poignant lyrics were inspired by an event in the life of John Newton, the hymn’s author. From online accounts, John Newton was a strong willed young man who was rebellious to authority. He was conscripted into the Royal Navy, but was soon discharged due to behavioral issues. As a result, he later served on various slave trade vessels.

During a severe storm off the coast of Ireland in 1748, John found himself crying out to God for mercy. A conversion occurred, which changed his life forever. Although he continued to work on slave ships for a few more years, he experienced a growing sense of sympathy for the slaves. After retiring from sailing, he studied Christian theology and became an abolitionist. Here is the first stanza of his transformative hymn, Amazing Grace:

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”

“Amazing Grace” ~ John Newton

The hymn relates the potent feelings that accompany the realization that we’re not who we think ourselves to be, but actually an aspect of the Creator. As long as we believe that we’re a person, we’re enslaved without realizing it. In I Am That, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj expressed the condition this way: “To be a person is to be asleep.” We’re asleep when we’re still caught within the net of Maya (illusion) and unaware that our true Self is Universal Consciousness. To awaken, we needn’t endure a perilous sea voyage. We need only to turn our attention within, to the silent stillness of meditation. Amazing Grace will determine if we’re set free.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), 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” 🙏🏻🧡

Self–Capital “S”

The Self that’s referred to in the title of this article is One with a capital “S.” It’s the Self that’s routinely overshadowed by the majority of persons, who blindly accept that their identity is name and form. All of us are very familiar with the lowercase self; but most are unaware that it’s a conceptual self only. It’s illusory through and through; a thief that’s robbing us of the true joy which is our birthright. It’s my fervent desire to help you become knowingly acquainted with uppercase “Self” via this article. Let’s begin with the following thought-provoking quote from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, from his spiritual classic I Am That:

“To be a person is to be asleep.”

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, “I Am That.”

“So, Mr. Russell (writer guy), what the heck are you talking about?” For many, the notion of investigating the nature of our Being may seem a very boring, and unnecessary, subject matter; but such isn’t the case. It’s the most exciting journey that we may ever undertake. There’s good reason why the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece was inscribed with the words “Know Thyself.” That culture realized that recognition of true Self was the way to transcend the tribulations that accompany the apparent life of a person. Most of us are very familiar with the polar swings between happiness and unhappiness. In spiritual terms, this is sometimes referred to brittle happiness, because it’s dependent on circumstances and, thus, easily broken.

When we discover Self–capital “S,” we transcend our belief in the false self and, thus, are at peace.

Now it’s time for logic, which may ignite a spark of curiosity. Please contemplate this: Can you really be your name? Can you get burned from the word fire? Can you get wet from the word water? If you’ve been able to answer “no” to both of those questions, you’ve realized that the word is only a term by which we refer to the objects. Now, if you apply that very same logic to the case of your name, you’ll realize that you can’t possibly be your name. Surely, then, this will naturally cause the question (“Who Am I?”) to arise within you.

Time for more logic: When persons understand that they cannot possibly be their name, most will quite naturally assume that they must be their body. This assumption proves, once again, to relate to a fleeting ghost of a thing;” for the body is changing–literally–from one split second to the next. How can such a changeful thing (which is actually a process of Infinite Living Mind) be me? The answer: It can’t. “But,” you may claim, “I feel so real, within; then, I must be my mind.” This also proves to be a very fleeting identity; for our thoughts, which seem so personal, are changeful, too. The “personality” may seem stable; but it’s actually fabricated by discrete flashes of intelligence, memory, and a repetitive “i”-thought. There’s no long-lasting person independent of mind. How could there be when mind is the creator of everything?

Doubt can be a powerful motivator to help lead us toward Truth. Let doubt serve you. Let doubt cast a shadow over the false self, which the majority assume as their identity. By turning your attention from the apparent outer world, to the still world within, you’ll discover that there’s a deeper dimension of “You” that’s awaiting recognition. That is the Changeless, the Eternal, the Immortal Self–capital “S.” We are Spirit.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), 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” 🙏🏻🧡

A Frog By Any Name

Once upon a pond named Earth, there lived a male frog. If viewed by us, frog might have been described as big and green and slippery-skinned; but to the frog, he was only is-ness. Frog was quite oblivious to the world around him. He gave no thought to yesterday or tomorrow; for frog knew not the silliness of humankind. Every day was a new and daring adventure. When nature decreed, he would do leap-laps around the perimeter of the pond, lazily swim out to the submerged log on the other shore, or perch upon one of the big rocks that surrounded the pond and cribbet frog opera just for the sheer love of it. Frog didn’t know a lick of Italian, but he never judged the quality of his croak-singing against any other frogs’ musical efforts–such would never have occurred to him. Frog felt at home in the pond because is-ness allowed him to instinctively know he was an integral part of the world as a whole. But then…

***

One day, “thought” entered the still voidness of frog’s consciousness and whispered “you should give yourself a name.” At first, frog was befuddled, hearing that little voice within his head; but the more frog listened to thought, the more he liked the idea. “Yes,” he thought, “I shall name myself–a name befitting a frog of my grand status within the pond.” Initially, frog was tempted to use alliteration, thinking that names beginning with an F might be quite appealing. For one full day, he mulled over names such as Freddy, Franklin, and Fernando; but frog finally settled on naming himself Ralph Lauren–no relation to the designer. Once he had chosen the name, frog sensed pride rise within himself; he felt as though he was wearing a king’s crown as he stepped smartly around the pond. Now he was a “somebody.”

As life would have it, within a few days Ralph Lauren caught the protruding eye of one of the lovely lady frogs that inhabited the pond. When Ralph Lauren noticed, he played it cool, very cool. In response to the voice in his head (which said, “Damn it frog, stand up straight and look your best!”), he stood up on his hind legs, squared back his shoulders, and puffed up his chest. To top it off, he nonchalantly smiled his “I’m-the-frog” smile and snagged a fly in mid flight without even looking. Lady frog, who was quite impressed, smiled back; and Ralph felt his heartbeat quicken. The voice in his head was very happy, indeed.

Within a few days, Ralph and lady frog arranged to go out on a date. They would have dinner on one of the lily pads with a view. In preparation, Ralph paid a visit to a local apparel shop not far from the pond. After much deliberation, and a silent “yes” from the voice within his head, Ralph selected a tuxedo–basic black, notch lapels, french cuffs, and silk pant stripe. Oh, how Ralph smiled as he strode from the shop, the tuxedo within a clothing bag over his shoulder. He was feeling on top of the world, and he was going to look oh-so-fine on the date!

The date, unfortunately, did not go as planned. When Ralph Lauren rang the doorbell at lady frog’s pad, she opened the door, took one look at his finery, and laughed him off her front stoop. “You think I’m going to go out with you if you’re wearing that!” she exclaimed. “What kind of frog wears a tuxedo to dinner?!” Dejected, Ralph Lauren turned and plodded home. All night long, the voice in his head tortured him. “If only I’d chosen a white suit,” he thought, “everything would have turned out fine.” Life had once seemed so easy; but Ralph was now miserable due to the endless commentary by the voice in his head. How Ralph yearned for the days when he was a nobody singing opera on the big rock at the pond.

In the following weeks, Ralph Lauren visited a local frog psychiatrist, who, after numerous sessions, diagnosed Ralph as displaying human-like behaviour, proclaimed him neurotic, and prescribed anti-anxiety medication, which he still takes to this day. The psychiatrist also advised Ralph to continue their appointments indefinitely. In an effort to alleviate his suffering, Ralph is currently seeking a guru to help guide him back to recognition of his true Nature–That–and the blissful life he knew before “thought-in-the-head” convinced him to believe that he could ever be anything other than what he is already. As of last report, frog had dropped the moniker of Ralph Lauren, preferring to simplify his life as much as possible. Be forewarned, folks. Could it happen to “you?” Special note: “Lady frog” soonafter shacked up with an old toad with a criminal background, and she’s put on a lot of weight. “Thought-in-the-head” would be happy.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), 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” 🙏🏻🧡

The Hidden Treasure of “I Am”

What if you were told that there is far more to “you” than meets the eye. Would you be curious? Would you be tempted to set out on a journey to discover your essential Self that is beyond name and form? As a young man living in Bombay, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli in 1897) was earnestly curious; and as a result he realized true Self at the age of thirty-seven. Soon after, be began to hold informal satsang (spiritual discourse, sacred gatherings) with seekers in his humble home in Bombay until the passing of his body in 1981. One of my favourite quotes from his spiritual classic entitled I Am That reads as follows:

“Your begging bowl may be of pure gold, but as long as you do not know it, you are a pauper.”

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj wasn’t talking about the number of coins in our pocket, or the status of our bank account; although such is the prevalent worldly defintion of wealth. He meant that as long as we are still identified with name and form (as our society has conditioned us to believe), we have not discovered the treasure of “I Am.” We may also think of I Am as That without a Second, Source, or The Light of Pure Awareness. It is eternal, immortal, and limitless. The treasure referred to in the title of this article is true Self–“I,” Consciousness. It is the very foundation of our Being. Contrary to popular belief, consciousness is not an epiphenomenon of biological processes. In fact, the common world paradigm of materialism is backward; for the body and the mind arise within Consciousness; not the other way around as is predominantly believed.

To help with our understanding, let’s begin the process of discerning between what is real (lasting and changeless) and what is false (transient and changeful). As we know, our body is losing millions of cells every moment–by some estimates as many as 300,000,000 cells per minute. How, logically, can we claim to be that which is changing so rapidly? At what precise moment could we stop the clock and exclaim, “There I am!” The same logic can be applied to our sensations, images, feelings, thoughts, and perceptions; for all of these are also transient and changeful. However, true Self does not come and go. Our true “I Am” is the same today as it was when our person was ten, twenty, forty, or sixty. There’s a good reason to explain this: Consciousness is beyond the limitations of time and space; for both are constructs of the finite mind. The true “I” is infinite and eternal.

Our name is another good place to further investigation into our essential nature; and we may do so by understanding that a name is a representation for that to which it refers. In short, we can’t get wet from the word water; nor can the word quench our thirst. That means, of course, that common names for persons cannot literally be them. This alone–this opening for doubt about our essential nature–may provide the stimulus for us to investigate our true nature via the question “Who Am I?” –and not relent until we’ve discovered the treasure of “I Am” within. It is the heart of our Being–eternal, immortal, and limitless. We have nothing to fear; for we are Life itself. The body and mind have a beginning and an end; but true Self does not. The person and the world are within us–not the other way around.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020) press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Beyond The Mask

We’re going to begin this article with a poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The following is sourced from Wikipedia: “He was an American poet, playwright, and novelist; born to parents who were enslaved before the American Civil War.” In 1902, his body passed at the tender age of thirty-three. How talented a writer; how rich his writing. I include his poem because I believe it clearly relates his understanding of true Self–That, which is beyond our mask of name and form:

***

We Wear the Mask
 
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
 
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
       We wear the mask.
 
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
       We wear the mask!
 
– Paul Laurence Dunbar –
 
***
 

We may also discover true Self, That, which is beyond any of the human drama that may have apparently occurred in “our” life. We are not now–nor were we ever–the mind’s sharpness or dullness; the body’s health or disease; our apparent failures or successes! We are neither our costume nor our story. We are beyond the mask! We do not rise or fall by our mask; the mask shines by the light of true Self. We are That which cannot be defined. I Am is our true Self–SPIRIT!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Working For “The One”

The following fictional account didn’t take place–ever; but for fun, let’s go with it and pretend that it did. Special Note: The characters and events depicted in this article are fictitious. Any similarity to persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental. No persons were harmed in any way during the writing, editing, or subsequent publishing of this article. 🙂

***

“Have a seat, Bob,” said Mr. Swanger. He descended from a long line of Swangers, before swanging became a cultural phenomena in certain circles.

“Thank you,” said Bob. He slowly stepped forward and settled himself in the chair across from Mr. Swanger’s desk. He tried to appear calm, but his fidgetting fingers gave him away.

Mr. Swanger leaned forward over his desk, which was distracting because he had a mole on his left cheek the size of Saskatchewan. His computer screen was open to Bob’s profile. “How long have you been with us at The One?”

“Little over a month,” said Bob.

“I’ve brought you in here today,” said Mr. Swanger, “because there’s been a nasty rumor circulating, at the yellow ticker tape that surrounds the previously available water cooler.”

Bob leaned forward, an expression of innocent curiosity pasted on his face. “About what?” he said.

Mr. Swanger sat back and arched his hands together in the stereoptypical teepee power position. “This makes me very uncomfortable,” he began. “Rumor has it that you actually believe that you’re ‘Bob.’ That’s incredibly awkward, given that we all work for The One. See my point?”

“Can’t say that I do,” said Bob. “I’m not Bob?” He patted his knees; they certainly felt real.

Mr. Swanger rolled his eyes. Inwardly, he wondered how Bob had slipped through the hiring process. “No,” said Mr. Swanger. “These bodies are what show up in the waking state. Contrary to public opinion, they’re not your essential nature.” He turned his attention to the computer screen. “It says here,” he said, “that there’s evidence that you still believe you’re the doer.”

Bob crossed his legs and gripped the arms of the chair firmly, knuckles blanced. “I’m not?” he said.

“No,” said Mr. Swanger. “Not now–or ever, for that matter. These,” he said, moving his arms about with floating ease, “move by one power alone–Consciousness. This is idealism, Bob. We gave up that old software called naive realism years ago. That’s when we formed the new company–The One.”

Bob began to fidget; he needed this job. He had nowhere else to go. Everyone these days was talking about the wonderful living immediacy of the present moment; the “Here and Now,” they called it. “What can I do to make it right?” he asked, learning forward. “I could stay late, make coffee. I have an advanced degree in Modern Sychophancy,” he offered. “Would that help?”

“No,” said Mr. Swanger, with a wave of his hand. “Groveling is passé–went out with landlines and the notion of personal consciousness. Since enlightenment, we don’t work that way; we’re all equal here. I think it best if you go home–now, of course–and spend some time in silent solitude. If you do so often enough, you’ll see that the true You isn’t Bob at all. This company is founded on the principles of The One. There’s no room for a bunch of persons running around like egoic chickens, thinking that they own the place. We work for The One; and the world functions a whole lot better when all of us know It.”

***

The meeting concluded a few minutes later, and Bob departed with a fearful I-could-soon-be-walking-down-the -road-kicking-my-lunchpail expression. He was almost out of the building when he became curious about the note that Mr. Swanger had handed to him before leaving. Politely but firmly, he had told Bob that if he wanted to continue working for The One, he should follow the instructions on the note closely. Bob’s pace slowed as his hand fumbled to remove the note from his pocket. It read as follows:

  • Meditate for ten minutes, once a day. Increase to fifteen minutes, twice each day.
  • Earnestly ask the question (“Who Am I?”) and don’t settle for the story self.
  • Read about the teachings of Buddha, Jesus, Ramana Maharshi, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, and similar sages.
  • Watch this presentation on self-inquiry by Rupert Spira.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), 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” 🙏🏻🧡

The Raping of The Sheep

“Don” is in this life for himself, and he makes no bones about it. He often says “You gotta look out for number one,” and the expression perfectly reflects his behaviour. Behind his customers’ backs, he calls them foul names and ridicules their mannerisms. In business deals, he’s proud of “raping the sheep,” which means getting the upper hand through sly manipulation. The love of money is his sole reason for being. After a deal concludes, he smiles and shakes hands with his customers; but behind closed doors, he mocks their gullibility. The memory of the sweet deal with Rosie, one his trusting elderly neighbours, always brings a smile to his face; it was so easy to defraud her of an extra ten thousand dollars. In his personal relationships, he’s no less ruthless; for his pleasure is what matters most. It is all about him. Although Don is six feet two inches tall, he is a small man; trouble is, he doesn’t know it.

***

What Don and innumerable persons like him don’t realize is that our body-minds are expressions of The One, aka Consciousness. Consciousness is the only reality. Due to this, absolutely nothing can be hidden from The One–how could it? If such were, indeed, possible, how could we ever accomplish this miracle of hiding our best or worst from the Loving Power–“That”—which is Omnipresent? In Luke 12:7, KJB, we may read the following: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. When we come to know Truth, we realize that there is only One Knower and One Doer masquerading as a multiplicity and diversity of apparent forms. Any act performed against an apparent other is actually an act against ourself. I make no pretense of being an authority on the Bible, but this truth is clearly revealed in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” It’s informing us that Consciousness knows whether you’ve been bad or good; so be good for goodness sake.

It’s important to realize that we are not punished for our sins (by some vengeful God in the sky); rather, we are punished by our sins (which is actually defined as to miss the mark). What we apparently do comes back to us. Fortunately, the same holds true as it relates to goodness. Thus, if we desire more love in the world, we must be more loving. If we desire to experience more compassion, generosity, and sincerity, we must be more compassionate, generous, and sincere. We can spare ourselves a lot of needless suffering by embracing high ideals on a regular basis. If we’re serving “we” on a regular basis, as opposed to the little “me,” we’re on the right track. Our human incarnation is of tremendous value; for it provides an opportunity to awaken to the Truth of our essential nature. We are so much more than name and form. We are divine Spirit having an apparent human incarnation.

***

Update: The majority of us are likely tempted to wish otherwise, but Don’s unethical business tactics went undetected while he remained in human form. However, nothing escapes the snares of karma. Subsequent to a major business deal in which he apparently raped all of the sheep involved, his body-mind passed from this world–not one soul attended the funeral. Don is currently serving time in Colorado, as an intestinal parasite in a sheep named Rosie. You might say, that’s he’s awaiting his extradition papers. With any luck and a little more grazing, he’ll be out in a day or so to continue his journey. Be kind; wish him well; embrace the love that flows through you–that is you–and be wise enough to turn the other cheek and seek not human revenge. Hold no evil wish against anyone. The wheels of this Universe roll along in unexpected and mysterious ways.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), 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” 🙏🏻🧡