Pink Elephant Begone!

Early in Helen’s study of the law of attraction, she learned the importance of thinking properly, especially when it related to manifesting the results that she desired. She remembers reading about the example of a pink elephant: that we can never rid ourselves of a pink elephant by thinking of it. Of course, the lesson has nothing to do with a pink elephant, but everything with the principle related to it. Helen realized that to rid herself of unfavourable conditions in her life–the illness, poverty mindset, and lack of success–that she much focus on their apparent opposite. She knew that to attract what she desired, she must claim it (through feeling-imbued imagination) as–already–being hers NOW. As a result, she began a daily visualization practice that she still continues to this day.

To understand the law of attraction more clearly, Helen had to realize that we, as apparent humans, are not actually observing an independent, stand-alone reality (for no such reality exists!) and that we are co-creators of it. Her teacher repeatedly emphasized that the mind is the creator of everything. The following two quotes also helped to deepen Helen’s understanding:

“The Universal Mind that flows through everyone knows no limitations or lack, and nothing is impossible to it. Its great dominant characteristic is creativeness. Since it is all knowledge and all substance and all power, indeed, the only thing it does is create. And it creates exactly what the mind of each individual thinks into it.“
The Magic In Your Mind, by U. S. Andersen

***

“Things have no reality other than in consciousness. Therefore, get the consciousness first and the thing is compelled to appear.”
Neville Goddard’s Interpretation of Scripture, by Neville Goddard

***

It took months of meditation to arrive at a deeper knowing of her true Self, beyond name and form; but Helen finally understood that “her” true “I” was Universal Consciousness. Her so-called personal self (the body-mind) was actually created via Consciousness, as is everything else.

***

What about you, dear readers: Are you attempting to get rid of poverty, illness, and failure by focusing your attention upon them? If that’s the case, you might be wise to take a look around your living area. It’s highly probable that there’s a pink elephant standing somewhere nearby. You get rid of it by visualizing that which you desire, not what you don’t.

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. (F. A.)🙏🧡

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Observations of Terah

In a distant galaxy, far far away, there is a planet named Terah with a population of almost eight billion people. The people, who are of various races, colours, and creeds, live in compartmentalized sections of land called “countries” and usually consider themselves to be quite civilized; that is, when they aren’t waging war against one another in the name of keeping the peace. Terahlings are usually quite proud of themselves; for they believe they have advanced from the dark ages. Ignorance, however, can be a tricky beast to wrestle, because we are often unaware of its presence. This is the case with the majority of Terahlings, who, for reasons unknown, choose to turn a blind eye to the following:

***

Despite the discovery in 1911 by Ernest Rutherford (one of Terah’s acclaimed scientists) that atoms are actually comprised of 99.999% empty space, the citizens of Terah continue to believe that they live upon a planet made of solid stuff called matter, which they assume to exist independent of consciousness. No amount of logic-based arguments can sway their population from the reports of their senses.

***

Despite passages in one of their Holy books called the Bible, which states (in Acts 17:28) “for in Him we live and move and have our being,” Terahlings continue to believe that each of them is, indeed, a separate source of consciousness. Their argument is that it certainly feels that way. That David Chalmers, who is a noted philosopher and cognitive scientist, coined the phrase “the hard problem of consciousness” to refer to the unprovable assumption that neuronal processes of the brain give rise to consciousness seems trifling and unimportant.

***

Despite the best efforts of sages and saints of Terah, who claim that the “reality” of their lives actually occurs in the Waking State (which is similar to the well-known Dream State, in which people, objects, and events are also experienced), the majority of Terahlings choose to ignore such reports and continue to believe in their autonomy as “persons.” The irony is that by doing so they are denying the existence of the Creator that is the very Source of their life.

***

Despite evidence from science (The Double-Slit Experiment), which strongly suggests that mind is directly related to apparent objects experienced in consciousness, and that a world independent of consciousness cannot be proven, Terahlings continue to deny their divinity as co-creators with Infinite Living Mind and assume themselves to be mortals of flesh and bones.

***

The majority of Terahlings are actually prodigal, without being aware that such is the case. In the well-known Biblical account of the prodigal son, the son turned away from The Father (his Creator) and spent his inheritance with his attention facing outward, toward the apparent world. When his suffering related to the perspective of being a “person” became too great, the son finally turned his attention back toward The Father, which symbolizes turning his attention within, to the Truth of his Being. That same opportunity to investigate their essential nature is available to all citizens of Terah NOW.

By last account, life is much the same for the citizens of Terah–strife, conflict, mass shootings, selfishness, greed, and war. Of course, there is also a lot of goodness occurring on Terah; but for some reason, that doesn’t often get reported. One noted university professor of Terah, who preferred to remain nameless for the purposes of this article, stated, “Do you have any idea how much it would cost to rewrite all of our history books…and tell the Truth?! Don’t be insane!” Please note; any similarity to the situation on Earth is ~~purely~~ coincidental.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Lock, Stock, and Barrel

The expression “lock, stock, and barrel” is commonly interpreted as the following: the all, entirety, or completeness. Initially, it referred to the three major components of a gun. This article has nothing to do with guns, but it has everything to do with knowingly recognizing our essential nature.

***

How completely gullible “i” was; so completely trusting. I believed the story of “Art,” lock, stock, and barrel. Until a few years ago, I assumed that all of “my” life events and circumstances were, indeed, factual: that i had been born to Katherine and Walter Russell. If asked about my upbringing, i would have shared about being raised in a rural setting, with two loving sisters and wonderful parents. We were rich, indeed, in family. How fortunate we were to love one another so whole heartedly.

Major details, accumulated along Art’s way, would include travel, adventure, writing, paramedicine, marriage, children, and divorce. Of course, there would be other minor occurrences, labelled either good or bad, that I accepted blindly and dealt with as effectively as possible. There would be suffering, too, both physical and mental; but I’m grateful that such caused me to go within and question my uninvestigated assumptions.

Liberation, aka enlightenment, means to be freed from the belief that you are the person. To awaken to the recognition of our essential nature, beyond name and form, is much similar to the way that a person awakens from a nighttime dream. When daylight dawns, the majority of persons yawn and stretch, and believe that they are now in foundational “reality.” We accept that the events that occurred whilst our body-mind slept were only dream happenings; that the scary dragon of our dreams wasn’t actually real (in the usual sense of the word), and neither was the daring rescue from the skyscraper, or our parched drama in the desert. We assume, however, that our morning coffee and a shower are very real, indeed. In actuality, it is all a grand illusion (as is this, right now); produced, directed, and created by the one-and-only Infinite Living Mind.

Little did I realize at the time, but by not realizing That which I truly Am, karma would decree that “i” would figuratively shoot myself in the foot repeatedly. I’m sorry to say that “others” were occasionally wounded. With this knowing, we are wise to remember that this–even the reading of this article–is occurring within the framework of a dream. This Spiritual knowing confirms what science realized about apparent “matter” more than a hundred years ago–that it cannot be said to exist independent of the mind that perceives it. As we recognize our essential nature in increasing numbers, our collective dream experience will reflect that positive energy. Each delusion that falls away allows me to knowingly see more clearly That, which I truly Am. More importantly, it also allows me to know the The Greatness That Is You.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Birthday Assumptions

On my apparent birth date, “i” (baby boy) was consciously unaware that such was the donning of a costume named “Arthur” that “i” was destined to wear. In a continuous display of magic, that costume of flesh and bones transformed from baby to infant–to child, teenager, and adult. At birthday after birthday, cakes with lighted candles were placed before me; and “i,”–so fortunate–silently affirmed my future wishes. To have questioned any, or part, of these celebrations as unreal would have seemed ludicrous. Just one finger held to a lighted candle would have verified the facts. Here, though, is a passage from Hebrews 11:3, which might help us investigate those apparent facts more closely:

“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.”

What do you think that this passage means? How very strange to state that “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” The passage means that objects, persons, and the world have no independent existence, apart from the mind that perceives them. They are made of, and known by, the only Substance that is: Consciousness.

When we assume ourselves to be a relatively long-lasting “self” in time/space, the weight of personal history labelled mine often becomes burdensome. Due to ignorance of our essential nature, we attempt to carry our experiences, instead of allowing them to flow to, and through, us. Because of this attachment, even the pleasant past memories related to family and friends may give rise to suffering; especially if they are no longer currently present. In our blind assuredness that we know all there is to be known, we unwittingly invite suffering to come and visit. Too often, it comes to stay.

Until a few years ago, I assumed everyone and every object in the apparent world to be as real as real could be–that they were discrete and independent of my mind. How could I have possibly known that my body-mind is actually a character in a dream of my own making? When we experience nighttime dreams, we naturally assume that our character and the dream are real. The food in our dreams is hot and spicy; the beverages cool and wet. A high mountain peak is covered in snow; a desert, filled with sand.

It is only when we awaken that we realize that all was but a dream.

This, dear friends, provides a major clue to a deeper understanding of our essential nature. We may know life, stripped bare of assumptions, here and now. Is it not so, that the reading of this article, could also be occurring within a dream? If not, how may we be certain? Is it not possible that the mind that weaves our nighttime dreams could also be creating our daylight world? What if there was only One Knower/Creator that was dreaming our various roles? Could it be that the Creator searched the world over–seeking “others” to play our apparent roles–but found no other than Itself existed? Such would imply that “i’ was God incarnate. So, too, are you.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

“Spelling” Success

In the following fictional account, I share real tips that I hope will help you experience more success in your life, both personally and professionally. As the title suggests, it relates to casting “spells:”

***

Kate and Sloane, who are now forty-three and forty-five respectively, first met when they were young children. They liked each other immediately and soon became best friends. During the long hot days of summer, they enjoyed spending time together as often as possible. They took great joy in sharing their secret dreams of success–of countries they desired to visit, businesses to start, and possessions to acquire. Excitedly, they would high-five each other and exclaim, “Yes, we can do this!“

When they were in college, the difference in their approaches to life became evident. Although both of them faced challenges, Kate somehow managed to surmount them fairly easily. Sloane’s life was filled with struggle–with his grades, part-time jobs, and relationships. Undaunted, he vowed to work harder to achieve the success he deserved. Over time, their friendship slowly drifted apart. Their lives diverged in other ways, too. Kate did, indeed, achieve the success she had envisioned; Sloane, however, did not.

From a law of attraction perspective, the difference in their level of achievement resulted from the ways that they were spelling success. Whether we realize this or not, everyone is casting “spells” via our habitual thoughts, feelings, and actions. Kate happily performed her work “from” the perspective of already being successful. She was living her passion, which made it natural to feel successful. This was the paradigm (pattern, or example) that she carried within her wherever she went. Sloane, on the other hand, performed his work with the dream “of” one day being successful. He reasoned that if he worked hard enough, he would finally achieve his dreams. The subconscious paradigm that he mentally carried was of his self-proclaimed past failures. He talked about them frequently. Kate had mentally claimed her success, before it manifest; Sloane was mentally chasing success that he hoped to experience in the future.

***

The reason for the varying degrees of success experienced by Kate and Sloane is related in the following passage from Matthew 13:12:

“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance;

but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

“Whoever has” refers to those who have claimed their success and prosperity in consciousness (in health, wealth, and relationships) and, thus, carry it with them in the core of their Being. “Whoever does not have” refers to those who carry subconscious paradigms of failure and poverty.

This message is echoed in the following passage from Proverbs 23:7:

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

If you’re seeking success (as you, yourself, define it), you might consider asking yourself the following question: Do I already possess my success at the core of my being, or do I hope to experience it in the future? Just for the record, no one has ever experienced the future; in other words, “you can’t get there from here.” We live eternally, now.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Notes From Beyond

In the spring of 2019, I was drawn to purchase “I Am That,” which is considered a spiritual classic. At the time, I was consciously unaware that its content would play such an important role in liberating “me” from “my” life. The book, which relates the wisdom that Sri Nisargatta Maharaj shared with seekers of Truth, has a bold and highly recognizable design–a bright yellow border that surrounds a black inlay, with the title “I AM THAT” in the center. After I finished the book, I immediately began successive readings in which I highlighted quotations that resonated with deep meaning, such as the following:

“Both sleep and waking are misnomers. We are only dreaming. True waking and true sleeping only the gnani [sanskrit, “wise” or “sage”] knows. We dream that we are awake, we dream that we are asleep. The three states are only varieties of dream state. Treating everything as a dream liberates.”

From the materialist paradigm (example or pattern) of reality, the quote will seem ludicrous. After all, this world is real, and we know it—or do we? What could Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj possibly have meant? That we would be perplexed by, or totally discredit, his message is understandable; for we have little or no way to process it. Since our apparent birth, we’ve been conditioned to believe that the “world” in which we rise and shine is comprised of solid matter. However much that we assume this, science has been unable to discover “matter” that exists independent of mind. Perhaps the following quotes will help shine more light on the nature of the world and our essential Being:

“The mind is the creator of everything.”
The Law of Success, by Paramhansa Yogananda

***

“Phenomena only ‘exist’ in the mind that perceives them.”
The Tibetan Book of The Dead, by Sogyal Rinpoche

***

“All your body sensations, all your visual and audio input, the body itself, all the objects in the room, all the objects in the sky, everything–it all exists in aware [Consciousness].”
Liberation Is, by Salvadore Poe

“It is not the body that contains Awareness and separates it from the world, but rather our true body, Awareness, that contains the body, mind, and the world.”
The Intimacy of All Experience, by Rupert Spira

***

“If you understand that this is all illusion, the body, mind, and all that you see and perceive, then I can say you are on the right path, and you’ve understood yourself.”
Illusion vs Reality, by Shri Ranjit Maharaj

***

“This world is a play of the mind.”
Thought Power, by Sri Swami Sivananda

***

“The Absolute [Consciousness] is the only reality, all else is unreal.”
Teachings of Ramakrishna, by Sri Ramakrishna

***

“The world which is described from observation is a manifestation of the mental activity of the observer.”
Neville Goddard’s Interpretation of Scripture, by Neville Goddard

Humankind’s understanding of the nature of reality has been erroneous for hundreds of years. Do not the occurrences in nighttime dreams seem very real–until you awaken? Such is the case with the continuing drama of “our” life in the waking state. So-called “matter,” our body-minds, and all apparent objects only exist in Consciousness. The brain does not give rise to consciousness (the hard problem of consciousness) ; consciousness gives rise to the apparent brain. Yes, dear readers, this means that YOU are dreaming the reading of this article right now. We are Spirit, eternal, having an apparent human experience within the Divine Matrix. Have you been told stories to the contrary?

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Visits From “Art”

The purpose of this article is not to ramble on about “Art” and his apparent life. We’ve all heard enough “then-i-did-this” stories to realize that they usually, if not always, become quite boring. That is not to say that I do not love “Art” or appreciate his apparent journey; I do. It’s just that if we desire to recognize (know again) the Truth of our Being, it’s important to gain and maintain figurative distance between true Self and the character who you’ve erroneously assumed yourself to be. Most persons do not; and as a result there is the experience of suffering, both personally and collectively.

Physical, mental, and emotional suffering is related to a variety of circumstances; but despite the variety, all apparent suffering shares one root cause: our ignorance-based identification with the character that is masquerading as “you.” This identification is understandable, because from Day 1 of our appearance, we are conditioned to believe that we are the person of name and form that is experienced. The truth is that we are not.

We may illustrate this point by imagining that we are a court lawyer (true Self) who–day after day, year after year–is forced to defend the same defendant (our character) as though “our” very life depended on it! The defendant and we seem so closely united as to appear inseparable. On some days, it’s relatively easy to arrange bail for our character (which gives rise to happiness); on other days, it’s impossible to escape a harsh sentence (which gives rise to unhappiness). This is the human condition. It manifests as experiences that alternate between pleasure and pain.

For persons who experience the suffering related to identification with the egoic character, please know that there is a solution. It’s called enlightenment; which means to awaken from the dream of personhood and, thus, be liberated from identification with our character. It can happen in much the same way that persons awaken after sleep and realize that the events that occurred during the dream state were only dreams. It’s important to realize that true enlightenment refers to freedom from the perspective of the person, not as the person. No person ever becomes enlightened.

Regarding the title of this article, Visits From Art refers to remnant energies related to my character “Art” and his attempts to impress me with his realness. He and the apparent world are not absolutely real; they are both rendered in the waking state (termed reality by most persons), by the same Infinite Mind that creates dreams in the dream state. Occasionally, my character still whispers, or demandingly cries, that life must bend to “his” will. A few years ago, knowing Awareness was freed from Its delusional identification with “Art;” and the feeling of freedom and expansion that followed has been, and is, amazing. Now, when the imposter (Art) comes to visit, the natural tendency is to become still and settle knowingly in, and as, Truth. So, too, can YOU. You are not the body-mind character that has been suffering. True Self is immortal and infinite.

***

For those who are earnestly eager to recognize true Self, you might find my YouTube presentation beneficial. I’ll leave you with a quote from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, and his spiritual classic entitled I Am That:

“To be a person is to be asleep.”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Train Station Truth

Rupert Spira is a noted author of books about our essential nature. Through his seminars, held online and in various locations throughout the world, he also relates valuable information about non-duality. To him, I owe a debt of gratitude; for he has played an important role in deepening my level of understanding about true Self. This article was inspired by one of his free daily notes that really struck a chord within me. I hope that its message will also resonate with you. All credit is given to Rupert Spira for the following quote:

“See thoughts and feelings like a train that enters a station and then leaves;

be like the station, not like a passenger.”

From the moment of our arrival on “Earth,” we are conditioned to believe–with absolute certainty–that we are the apparent body-mind (the “train,” in the analogy). This perspective is directly opposite to the one that Rupert advises us to be. As young children, we are told that our train (the body-mind) has a name, and that it functions autonomously in the world. As our egoic “train” gains momentum and apparent realness, it also gathers various judgments and opinions about itself and its journey. Through comparison, our train habitually judges itself as worthy or unworthy based on shifting criteria that it deems important. One day, our body-mind feels blessed by wonderful circumstances; on another, it feels cursed by terrible conditions. When we blindly assume that we are the train, we are bound to suffer. Due to this perspective, which has been ingrained in us since childhood, we see no choice but to take life’s vagaries personally and very seriously, indeed.

We may, however, investigate the validity of this perspective. What if our perspective (as the train) was based on uninvestigated assumptions–not Truth? Can we, through a practice of meditation that allows our mind to become still, understand that we, in Truth, are the Station of Awareness, in which, and through which, we experience our train (body-mind) and the world? A deeper understanding related to Rupert’s note may arise within us when we realize that our body-mind (which feels so incredibly real and autonomous) is actually being rendered by the mind. In The Law of Success, Paramhansa Yogananda wrote the following: “Mind is the creator of everything.”

Mind creates our ephemeral experiences in the dream state; and it also creates our high resolution 3-D experiences in the waking state. This world (assumed to be reality, by the masses) is populated with a variety of characters with continuing plotlines and histories. In Truth, we recognize that we are actually the empty station of Awareness, dreaming an apparently human train ride. Knowing this can make our apparent human journey more joyful. Self-inquiry is the ticket.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Deliberate Creation 5:5

Persons who’ve heard about the law of attraction will most likely have polarized views. There will be a large camp of people who believe that it is absolutely ludicrous; and there will be those in my camp, who’ve investigated it deeply, and believe in it entirely. With the hope of helping you make an informed decision, I’m going to list five incredible books about the law of attraction that I’ve read during a period of forty years. I also share five quotations that relate great insights, for those who are ready to receive them. Let’s begin:

Number 1: My overall favourite book about the law of attraction is entitled The Master Key System, by Charles F. Haanel. The book may seem a challenging read (it was for me the first few times); but I believe that its difficulty is offset by the amazing depth of content within it. Mr. Haanel was a heavyweight when it came to his level of understanding about our essential nature and manifestation. Here’s an important quote from Part Eight:

“It is the few who know that the things which they see are only effects, and understand the causes by which these effects were brought into existence.”

Number 2: Another book that holds a valued place in my small library of carefully chosen books is entitled The Power of Awareness, by Neville Goddard. He possessed a wealth of knowledge and expressed a great deal of it within this small book. I highly recommend this as an introductory book for anyone who desires to gain a deeper understanding. Here, I offer a quote from Chapter Thirteen, Acceptance:

“However much you seem to be living in a material world, ‘you are actually living in a world of imagination.’ The outer, physical events of life are the fruit of forgotten blossom-times–the results of previous and usually forgotton states of consciousness.”

Number 3: The next book on our list, entitled The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, is undoubtedly the most well-known book about the law of attraction; but I believe that Ms. Byrne may not always receive the credit that she deserves. She is still very passionate about helping people improve the quality of their life; and even more importantly, she’s also shares rich information about our essential nature. Here, I offer a quote from Dr. John Hagelin, found in the chapter entitled The Secret to You:

“Quantum mechanics confirms it. Quantum cosmology confirms it. That the Universe essentially emerges from thought and all of this matter around us is just precipitated thought. Ultimately we are the source of the Universe, and when we understand that power directly by experience, we can start to exercise our authority and begin to achieve more and more.”

Number 4: Neville Goddard’s depth of understanding about the law of attraction was so great that I’m going to include another one of his books, entitled Neville Goddard’s Interpretation of Scripture. I highly recommend it for persons with at least a moderate degree of knowledge about the teachings. Here, I offer a quote from page fifteen:

“Things have no reality other than in consciousness. Therefore, get the consciousness first and the thing is compelled to appear.”

Number 5: Last, but definitely not least, on my list of books with incredible value related to the teachings of the law of attraction is entitled A Happy Pocket Full of Money, by David Cameron Gikandi. He relates a wealth of knowledge about quantum physics, our essential nature, and techniques for manifesting. His book also contains a great affirmation that is repeated throughout the book. Here, I offer a quote from Chapter 4, Images of the Mind, The Blueprints of Life:

“The world is an illusion, as we will see much more clearly as we move on. See it as an illusion; believe it to be an illusion, an illusion designed to help you know and experience your Self. Once you do so, you will always remember to create the next version of the illusion that you wish to have. You literally create the next version of the world by painting your mind’s images with certainty.”

***

As you can see from the above quotes, to fully understand the law of attraction requires a paradigm shift toward so-called reality. Initially, this will undoubtedly seem strange; but if you allow your mind to open, you will discover the amazing benefits. A couple of questions may help: “Is not a world created within the dream state every night? Then, why is it not conceivable–in fact, quite probable–that Infinite living Mind is also creating this world of reality right now? To shift towards this perspective requires that we surrender our ingrained belief of being a body-mind. It is an appearance in Consciousness. The degree to which you might find this unbelievable (or even offensive) signifies the strength of the egoic grip.

The law of attraction applies to every aspect of our life–health, wealth, and success. For readers who are earnestly eager to learn more about our essential nature and how to manifest more easily, I suggest that you click here to watch my five-minute video, and also read more of my previous articles. The information has been inspired from my personal experience and the study of more than one hundred books.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Insights From Ashtavakra

Note: Readers who are ready to receive an important message related to Truth, will find it within this article. To all others, the content will pass as words, just words.

Thanks to Janki Parikh, we have a wonderful translation of the Ashtavakra Gita (song of Ashtavakra), which is considered one of the holy texts in Hinduism. It relates a dialogue between a King named Janaka and a sage named Ashtavakra, about the our essential Self and the nature of reality. The dialogue occurs after a troubling event in the king’s life:

***

One night, King Janaka had a terrible dream. In the dream, his kingdom was invaded by a brutal enemy. Although he and his army fought valiantly to defind his kingdom, they lost the battle. In exile, King Janaka found himself living as a beggar. People who had been his subjects, wouldn’t even approach him. Seeking food and shelter, he wandered through the streets, lost in misery. The dream, which seemed so incredibly real, ended abruptly; and once again, he found himself living as a king in his beautiful palace. However…

His misery soon transformed into deep confusion. He wondered: “Which is real?” He felt caught between two worlds, with a question he could not answer: “Am I really a king who dreamed I was a beggar, or am I really a beggar who dreamed I was a king?” In the following days, his condition worsened until Asktavakra was able to offer help. With great wisdom, Ashtavakra questioned King Janaka about the state in which he appeared to be a king, and the one in which he had imagined himself to be a beggar–both which came and went. Finally, King Janaka knowingly recognized a glimpse of his true nature. The following passages in bold are quotes from Ashtavakra Gita, by Janki Parikh:

“Then it’s simple, O King. If that [you as a king, in a kingdom] doesn’t always exist, and this [you as a beggar, in the street] doesn’t always exist, then neither this nor that is real!”

“What is real, then?” asked King Janaka.

“Then, Dear King, neither this is real, nor that is real. Only YOU are real!”

***

Now, dear readers, please allow me to ask: Do you know–with absolute certainty–that you are the person who is reading this article, or have you merely assumed it so? Do you know beyond doubt that you experience a body-mind, or do you actually experience thoughts, sensations and perceptions that imply a body-mind? Could it be that the mind that creates nighttime dreams also creates the waking state, which the majority of persons refer to as “reality?” Are you really a king, queen, or beggar reading this article, or is all of this occurring within a dream? Could the real YOU be all-pervading, Consciousness, immortal and eternal, dreaming a so-called human life? I freely admit that I, true Self, witnessed “Art” apparently writing this article. Recognition of true Self is at the heart of nonduality. Wake up, dear soul, wake up.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Idealism

Pink Elephant Begone!

Observations of Terah

Lock, Stock, and Barrel

Birthday Assumptions

“Spelling” Success

Notes From Beyond

Visits From “Art”

Train Station Truth

Deliberate Creation 5:5

Insights From Ashtavakra

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