The Harmonica Player

Art doesn’t know the man’s name; but I Am knows the harmonica player very well, indeed. In fact, I Am knows the count of every hair on his head, and ours, and every sparrow that falls. I Am knows that the harmonica player once owned a successful business, lived in a modest home, and was married to his high school sweetheart…until. I Am also knows that he fell on tough times and lost his way. Passersby who know not one whit about him will judge him as this or that, worthy or unworthy. Hunched forward, the harmonica player sits on the concrete skirt outside the entrance to the grocery store, his weathered coat fanned out in front of him. A few coins have been tossed upon it by passing shoppers who are eager to fill their carts. The harmonica player, who appears fifty-five or sixty years of age, has a grey beard and a full head of hair. Intermittently, he offers several notes of unrecognizable songs. His performance at Carnegie Hall isn’t scheduled anytime soon.

***

What–not who–is this apparent man who plays for us? Is his disguise of particular name and form really any different from the disguises worn by you and me? Is there not a Golden Thread that unites our various stories related to skin colour, nationality, gender, and status? Are not definitions such as rich or poor, friend or foe, and winner or loser utterly worthless in terms of the Truth of our essential nature? Does the harmonica player’s name, or ours, reveal anything real? Who is he in relation to us, and who are we in relation to him?

We, the apparent multitude of flesh and bones, will not recognize the harmonica player’s true Self until we look within and recognize our own I Am-ness. Until then, the Truth related to him, and everyone “else,” will remain an uninvestigated mystery. Unaware that we’re unaware, we will continue to conceptualize beings as Mr. or Mrs., Bob or Betty, Miguel or Mabel, Pradeep or Pratima. Through our own innocent ignorance, the harmonica player will, thus, appear to us as only a “so-and-so,” a “down-and-out,” or “the guy outside the store.” Surely, we and our world deserve more than this sorry tale of fiction.

It’s time for Truth.

***

On his way into the store, Art approaches the man, says “hi,” and offers a few coins to his brother from another mother. The harmonica player smiles, says “thanks;” and they make brief mention about the weather. There is no running mental commentary of “i” the giver or “i” the receiver. In Presence, there is no room for our tired personal stories. Thank God our eyes reveal what the heart knows. Can you “see” the harmonica player in your Self? Can you see your Self in him? The I Am that is you and I is the same I Am that is him. Nothing separates us but the disguises of our mind.

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” 🙏🏻🧡

Perspective As Oneness

I’m sure that most of us have heard the expression that “perspective is everything,” and, indeed, a change of viewpoint can make a tremendous difference in the quality of our life. There are two basic ways to look at life: one which is the predominant world perspective; and a second that is completely at odds with the first. In the first, persons believe that they “exist” in a world made of matter, and that there might or might not be a God. In the second, Beings know that they are an aspect of The One; and that the world, persons, and objects are part of God’s divine dream. As it turns out, it’s quite challenging to prove the validity of either; for the dream world of “matter” behaves in accordance with how matter appears.

Persons who adhere to the first view believe that consciousness arises within the physical brain. Despite any supportive evidence, beyond correlative activity, it’s assumed that neuronal processes give rise to a personal “you” that exists somewhere behind the forehead or near the heart. Because it is assumed that “you” began at conception or at birth, it’s also commonly believed that “you” end with death. In the second view point, Beings (through direct experience that’s impossible to share via words) know that the apparent “world” occurs in a dream. They realize, as Paramahansa Yogananda stated, that”mind is the creator of everything.” For these folks, daily “reality” occurs within the waking state. We basically have a case of those who believe in “matter” as the substance of everything; and those who believe in God, aka Consciousness, as the Substance of everything that ever was, is, and will be.

For those who are curious to realize a deeper level of life, the following questions might help spur you to investigate your essential nature more deeply:

What happened to the meadow, mountain peak, or desert that was part of your dream last night? Where are they now? Of what were they made? Consciousness. Could this apparent reality–here, now–be made of the same?
Have you ever had a dream so real that you wakened in a sweat? Is it possible that “reality” of your personhood on “Earth” is a sharper, more defined, dream with a continuing plotline?
Why do you claim that consciousness is personal? Science has yet to discover how it could possibly arise from neuronal processes. The issue is termed “the hard problem of consciousness.”
What is it–not who–that is aware of your sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts? Could it be that Awareness is the substratum of the world, not that ever-elusive “stuff” called matter?
Can you really be a name? If not, What are you?
Why do you continue to embrace the paradigm of matter? In 1911, Ernest Rutherford discovered that atoms (which were once believed to indivisible units of matter) are actually 99.999% empty space. This is fact, not fiction.
What is the one-and-only ingredient required to have an “apparent” experience? Consciousness.

Am I attempting to convince you to believe in God? No, not at all. Our world has experienced great suffering by those who force their religious views upon others. I am, however, gently prompting you to investigate your spiritual nature. You might be surprised to discover that you’re not who you think yourself to be.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Behind The Eight Ball

The expression that serves as the title of this article implies that someone is at a disadvantage for a particular reason. We might be considered to be “behind the eight ball” if we’re in a Catch22 situation or faced with a puzzling life situation. Such is even more challenging when we don’t realize that we’re behind the eight ball. In other words, we’re unaware that we’re unaware. The majority of indivuals don’t realize that they–right now–are in such a position.

So, Mr. Russell, just what do you mean? The answer is simple, but not easy to comprehend. If you believe, as did I, that you’re a person–you’re behind the eight ball. Period. Have you settled down yet? Spilled your coffee? Called 911 and ordered me a straight jacket (medium, please)? Scrolled to someone else’s article? Pressed delete and cursed because it didn’t work? Stopped guffawing? The point, dear folks, is that I’m being one-hundred percent serious. No joke.

The majority of “persons” are unaware that they are Spirit having a “human” experience. They may have heard or read of such a “tale” (and most likely scoffed at it); but the Truth of that statement has probably escaped them–so strong is Maya (loosely defined as “illusion” in Sanskrit). Such is easy to understand. From the time of our apparent birth, we’re taught that we are name and form. That’s the way that we process this “world” because those who raised us had been conditioned to believe the same of themselves. In other words, they knew no better. They, too, had fallen deep into the illusion of “life on Earth.“

The Truth is that “reality” as persons know it, is occurring in the waking state. It’s akin to the nighttime dream state, only with a continuing plot set in high-definition 3-D. Everything is created by mind. To knowingly recognize Truth (and, thereby, step out from behind the eight ball), it’s necessary to meditate, and place your attention inward; to Universal Consciousness, or Awareness. Until you do, you’ll remain behind the eight ball and assume that the knower is within the “person.” This is usually imagined as a point of knowing either in the head or the chest. Modern science has been unable to find the seat of consciousness within the human body-mind, and for good reason. It’s not there! Our body-minds are placed in apparent motion through forces of Infinite Living Mind. As much as it seems to be the case, they don’t move by their own power; nor are they sentient. Consiousness definitely seems personal, but that’s just part of the illusion. Body-minds exist in Consciousness only–that wispy-like dream “stuff” in which space, time, and your life story occurs. (This is referred to in the following highlighted passages):

(Open Secret, by Wei Wu Wei)

(Who Am I?, Sri Ramana Maharshi)

(I Am That, talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

The good news is that you actually do exist–but not as a person. The definition of “You,” if you’re earnestly seeking it, would more appropriately be called Being + Knowing, which = Awareness. For the record, such is the same nature as our Creator, God (aka Consciousness). Consciousness dreams worlds and, we, the human contingent, are part of that creation. From the perspective of true Self, we have dominion over the illusion (because we can think and imagine); but such isn’t the case from the human perspective. This is why the following is stated in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Its purpose is to help us get out from behind the eight ball.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Get Over Your “Self”

If you ask the majority of persons where they believe the little “i” of them resides, most body-minds will invariably point to a location behind the forehead or to the middle of their chest. Such just feels true. Due to deeply imbedded beliefs that are rarely, if ever, investigated for validity, humans almost always accept such blind assumptions as fact. They are not. This is backward to the nature of Reality. Please contemplate the following if you’re curious about recognizing true Self.

For any “thing” to be known (including an apparent object that is described as a person), there must, indeed, be a knower. How else could any “thing” ever be known? When we assume that our knowing identity rises and falls with the relatively long-lasting form labeled by various names (insert your name here), we are bound to suffer. Because body-minds believe that they began with conception or birth they, therefore, believe that they “end” when the body-mind dies. This also means that persons take life events (ranging from those rated incredibly great to ghastly terrible) of their character very seriously, indeed. Due to the polar nature of Earth, pain and pleasure are united, for they are complementary aspects of one.

How, dear friends, do you know with any certainty that the Consciousness which knows what’s occurring to your “i” is within the head or behind the chest? Scientists have rigorously been searching for the seat of consciousness within the body-mind and cannot locate it. Newsflash: They never will. Why? Because it doesn’t arise from neural processes. In fact, the body-mind arises from the one-and-only placeless place that gives rise to everything–Consciousness. When we understand that Consciousness is The Absolute, we will clearly understand that attempting to locate its Source within the body-mind is not only absurd but also futile. You cannot contain the Container; for Consciousness is, in fact, the Container of all that ever was, is, and will be. What I’m stating is that you are an aspect of God. Your “I”is of the same nature as the “I” that fashions universes. It is the Foundation of All. It is also the same “I” by which “others” refer to themselves. Such means that we are all spiritual brothers and sisters, despite the counter claims of our ego.

There are invaluable teachings of historical and modern-day sages, saints, and saviours. Their names included Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Eckhart Tolle, Rupert Spira, Shunyamurti, Mooji, and many more. Their teachings may be summed up as follows: Get over yourself. You are NOT the concept that you believe yourself to be. Time spent investigating the nature of the “imposter” that goes by your name and form is time well spent; it may, indeed, be a contributing factor toward liberation.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

To Swim As God

One of the books that I’m currently reading is entitled The Yoga of Knowledge, Jnana Yoga, by Swami Vivekananda. From what I’ve discovered about Swami Vivekananda, he was an Indian monk who was a disciple of Ramakrishna and played an instrumental role in bringing the teachings of Vedanta and Yoga to the West. Here, I offer you the quote which inspired this article:

“Only the man [woman] who has actually perceived God and soul has religion.”

What was the great Swami Vivekananda attempting to communicate? Was he stating that only a few special Beings were worthy of knowing God? Not at all. The heart of the message that he was sharing is analogous to persons who state that they are swimmers…without ever having dipped their feet in the water. The point is that intellectual understanding of a subject is never the same as knowing. We can study a thousand books about religion; we can visit various ashrams, temples, synagogues, and cathedrals until we are turquoise in the face; but until a Being gets “wet” with the personal–direct–knowing of “The Water” it would be ludicrous to state that he or she is truly a swimmer. Ramesh S. Balsekar, who was a remarkable author and teacher of nonduality, stated the same principle this way:

“No amount of description can replace the taste of a mango.”

The word “religion” stems from the Latin verb religare, which means to “re-bind.” Its meaning is similar to that of the Sanskrit word “yoga,” which means “to yoke” or “unite.” True yoga, or religion, means to have direct experience of union with the Source of our Being. It’s not something that can be acquired through intellectual studies or a lifetime spend attending a place of worship. I’m not passing judgment on any of these activities (which definitely have benefits in their own right); I’m just stating that neither is the same as direct experience.

This is why the great sages and saints realized that in most–if not all–cases, silence speaks the loudest. So what’s “the way?” I humbly offer that we must go within to discover The Treasure that’s waiting to be discovered. It cannot be named; for any attempt to name It places a conceptual definition upon That which is Infinite, therefore limitless. What is that unchanging part of You that knows all experience? You descended from That; so logically it follows that the heart of you must be Thatness. Such is reflected in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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

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

Ride-Out Day At Spirit Hall Ten

It was Manuel’s first ride-out day at Spirit Hall Ten. The previous few months had been spent in the college classroom; but now he was going to have the opportunity to experience the practical side of saving lives. A banner just inside the entrance to Spirit Hall Ten read: “Humbly Deflating Egos Since 1882.” His preceptor, Michael, greeted him at the door and introduced him to his partner “Buster” (as he was affectionately called) and his colleagues who would be using the second rig at the hall. “My boots haven’t looked that shiny since–never,” quipped Michael with a smile as he pointed to Manuel’s footwear. Manuel blushed; he had wanted to make a good first impression.

After all of the gear had been checked on the rigs, the crews of Spirit Hall Ten retired to the crew room. A few poured cups of coffee; others began to make a light breakfast. Within minutes, the emergency tones blared, and a dispatcher’s voice said: “Respond for a 99 slash 1. Repeat, 99 slash 1. More details on the air.” The other crew, who was first up, stopped what they were doing and smartly headed out to their rig.

“Your turn will come,” said Buster, noticing the glimmer in Manuel’s eyes.

“What’s a 99 slash 1?” asked Manuel.

“Your teachers haven’t taught you that yet?” asked Buster

“Nope,” said Manuel. “Dispatch codes aren’t until next semester.”

“A 99/1 is one of the most dangerous calls in the book. It’s when the body-mind, aka person, is extremely out of balance–99% human, with only 1% recall of Spirit.”

“That sounds bad,” said Manuel.

“It is,” said Buster. “Balance is key. Most persons forget to nurture the Spirit.”

“Have you ever gone to a 100/0?”

Oh, here we go, thought Michael, with a soft wince. He sat down on the couch; for he knew the direction that the conversation was headed.

“You might want to pull up a chair, ” said Buster. “I remember it like it was…yesterday.”

(Insert _flashback ^scene_lighting ^and _music here):

***

“What do we have?” asked Buster as he approached the police officer on scene.

“It doesn’t sound good,” said the officer. He tipped back his hat. “I’ve already talked to the family members. It seems the patient’s been using ‘I, Me, My, and Mine’ excessively for the last few weeks. There was nothing they could do to stop him.”

“You had a look at him yet?”

“Only through the living room window,” said the officer. “I know this is your field of expertise.”

Buster hustled back to the rig to get his equipment. Michael and he knew they had to follow the book on this call. Only one of them would be allowed to attend. It was too dangerous to place both of them at risk. When he returned a few minutes later, he was carrying a kit of Deflato Syringes^TM and a ten-foot extension pole with a pin attached at the end. He had donned his protective chest shield, helmet, boots, and gloves. He was about to turn toward the residence, when the officer called, “Just so you know, he’s bloated…real bad.”

It took a belly crawl, a dash this way, and a scoot that way for Buster to make his way close to the patient. He tip-toed the last few steps into the dim-lighted living room. The air was filled with the unmistakable putrid stench of ego. The patient appeared unconsciousness; his respirations irregular and shallow. He was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “It’s All About Me” His entire body was bloated like an overinflated balloon.

Years of experience told Buster that the situation was beyond the use of syringes. The patient was so full of himself that only the pole and pin would do. If he could just deflate that ego a…little…at…a…time. Inching closer, chin tucked toward his chest, he was about to apply the pin, when the patient suddenly exploded: BAA-BOOMMM! Windows shattered, floor boards up heaved, and Buster was catapulted across the room. When he gathered his senses, all that Buster could see were signs of ego splattered everywhere. Pride was stuck to the ceiling; ignorance and arrogance covered the walls; the glop of lust, fear, envy, jealousy, greed, anger, and hatred were dripping from the furniture. There was nothing he could do.

***

“You okay?” called Michael. “You okay?”

“Uh, huh,” said Buster, obviously shaken by the traumatic memory of the call. He took a deep breath and blinked. Everything was fine; they were safe and sound at Spirit Hall Ten.

Manuel looked pale, indeed. “You know,” he said to Buster, “my mom always wanted me to be an accountant. I’ve always been good with numbers. I think I’ll serve humanity that way.” And with that, he got up, grabbed his books, and exited Spirit Hall Ten without looking back.

***

We’ll conclude this article with a quote from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, borrowed from I Am That: “The real doesn’t die; the unreal never lived.” You’re Spirit, folks–now and forever.

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”

“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

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Freedom

The Harmonica Player

Perspective As Oneness

Behind The Eight Ball

Get Over Your “Self”

To Swim As God

Take Me “Home”

The Death of “Me”

Ride-Out Day At Spirit Hall Ten

“I Will Fear No Evil”

The “Discernment Show”

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