Thumbs Up: Enlightenment 101

When Johnny Begood was eight years old, he experienced a horrendous event. If it had been an earthquake, it would have measured as a ground-shaking, pavement-heaving 10.0 on the Richter Scale. Now, at forty-seven, he can still remember what happened as though it was yesterday. Please glaze your eyes slightly as we travel back in time: Johnny was helping his father build a plywood doghouse:

Gleefully, Johnny hammered the shiny nails, one after another: Thump, thump! Thump, thump! Whack, whack, whack! Over and over, he repeated the process, using his “real man” hammer that his parents had bought him for his birthday. Before his very eyes, each nail that had stood so tall was pounded down, until its head was flush with the surface of the plywood. HE WAS A CARPENTER! However, during the pounding of one particularly stubborn nail that was leaning off to the side, his left thumb somehow strayed into the territory that was the domain of the head of his hammer. As the taut forearm muscles of his right arm brought the hammer down forcefully, he remembers seeing (as though in slow motion) the head of the hammer a mere split second before it contacted the surface of his tender young thumb. A thumbnail that turned purple within hours was his reminder for the next few weeks. The lesson: Keep your free hand away from the strike zone of the hammer.

***

As life would have it, Johnny Begood learned something else from that incident. He learned that he liked to help other people by sharing what he had learned; to spare them some of the pain associated with his “lessons.” In addition to cautions about the proper use of a hammer, he was also inspired to advise his younger siblings and neighbourhood friends of the following: that fingers and spokes of a spinning bicycle wheel should never get too close; that raccoons in the wild don’t like it when you poke a stick near them; and that before sitting on the end of a tree branch, you should always ensure that the branch is still alive. Johnny’s love of sharing knowledge would continue for the rest of his life.

Later in life, Johnny’s most important lesson was related to his sudden recognition of his true Self when he was forty-two. The profound nature of the “experience” was beyond words. He realized, of course, that awakening from the dream of personhood had to be known directly; but he was still happy to offer pointers to seekers who approached him with their questions. Using the hammer incident as an analogy, he advised seekers to maintain a healthy distance from the strike zone related to the perspective of their person. In this way, events that happened to the body-mind were processed in a detached manner, which lessened any associated suffering. He also reminded them of their innate I Amness–Consciousness, in which, and through which, all apparent events took place. “Be That which is aware of the person,” he said, “not the person.” During some of his talks, he shared the following description of our essential nature from the Bhagavad Gita:

“Weapons cannot cut it, nor can fire burn it; water cannot wet it, nor can wind dry it.”

In the years his recognition of true Self, Johnny has known of several seekers who have realized their essential nature. In other words, they transcended their conditioning–the uninvestigated belief that they were the person. You, too, dear readers may recognize That which you truly are. Do you dare? No hammers required; just an earnest eagerness to realize Truth.

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” 🙏🏻🧡

“Enlightenment Stuff”

According to the Veritas Publishing website, David R. Hawkins (1913 – 2012) was an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, psychiatrist, physician, researcher, lecturer and developer of the Map of Consciousness. I’ve read two of his well-known books (I, Reality and Subjectivity andThe Eye of the I) and found both of them helpful and informative. I remember chuckling when he expressed the following (paraphrased) statement in one of his YouTube videos:

People will either think you’re enlightened or insane!

The paradox that’s involved for “anyone” who has recognized our essential nature is that no person ever becomes enlightened! Although this may seem confusing from the perspective of the person, the reason is quite straightforward: To experience enlightenment is to awaken from the dream of personhood; in other words, the belief of being a person is transcended through direct experience. Conversely, the study “about” enlightenment yields only the accumulation of information.

The journey to Truth is not for the faint of heart. Along your journey, you may encounter questions about your mental stability, or face challenging interactions with Beings who are deeply rooted in the perspective of the person. Although such isn’t pleasant, it’s completely understandable because the spiritual perspective is vastly different from our conditioned ways of interpretting life. If such occurs, it’s wise to remain grounded in true Self and remember that conflict usually arises due to involvement of the ego, which needs to prove itself “right.”

One of the issues that will strongly challenge most seekers is related to the very nature of our apparent “world.” Fortunately, a deeper understanding is available through the Double-Slit Experiment. The subject is also addressed through the following two questions in Who Am I?, by Sri Ramana Maharshi:

Seeker: Will there not be realization of Self even while the world is there (taken as real)?

SRM: “There will not be.”

Seeker: “Why?“

SRM: “The seer and the object seen are like the rope and the snake [SRM is referring to the illustration of someone, who, while walking at night, mistakenly identifies a rope as a snake]. Just as the knowledge of the rope which is the substratum will not arise unless the false knowledge of the illusory serpent goes, so the realization of the Self which is the substratum will not be gained unless the belief that the world is real is removed.”

When I was first drawn to the subject of non duality (through books and videos by Eckhart Tolle, Rupert Spira, and Mooji), a point was reached at which my ego decreed that it wasn’t going to tolerate this “enlightenment stuff” any longer. Our true nature is beyond the mind; therefore, the mind cannot comprehend It. Through Grace I continued my daily practice of meditation and was repeatedly drawn back to the subject.

If you earnestly desire to recognize our essential nature, I hope that you’ll find comfort through this article and steadfastly continue along your spiritual path. As your perspective shifts, your ego will undoubtedly rebel. It might tempt you with into believing that you’d be better off with an affair, a new car, or another Netflix series. It’s also true that some of your familiar relationships may change or fall away; but you will attract new friends who can relate to the changes you’re going through. To slip back into the perspective of the person is only to invite more suffering. Keep the faith; the pearl of great price (self realization) is more than worth any apparent sacrifice required.

Note: To find a short but worthwhile video of David R. Hawkins that can lead to greater understanding, please type “Dr. David Hawkins: Enlightenment” on YouTube.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Spiritual Remedial School

It was Edward Trappedbythought’s first day at the world renowned Spiritual Remedial School. The school was famous for providing intense one-on-one attention; with the hope that students would knowingly recognize their essential nature. The head master, a tall stately man known as Hewithoutaname, was reading Ed’s lengthy record. “It’s recorded here,” said Hewithoutaname as he approached Ed, “that you’ve been taking this whole human story just a little bit too seriously. Is that so?”

“Guilty as charged,” replied Ed, as his hands wrestled each other.

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

“No, guess not,” said Ed.

“You guess,” said Hewithoutaname, raising an eyebrow, “or you know?”

“Pardon, Sir, of course; I know.” Although Ed was middle aged, he suddenly felt as though he was five years old.

“At SRS, we have a strict three-strike policy. Do you know what that means?”

“Kinda,” muttered Ed, his face flushing. “I think it means if I get three three incorrect answers that I’m immediately expelled.”

“Well, you’re off to a good start. It seems you’ve done your homework. So let’s get straight to it. You’ll be given ten seconds to respond yay, nay, or with a full length answer that’s clearly audible. Do you understand?

“Yes,” said Ed nervously. A sheen had appeared on Ed’s forehead, threatening to rain sweat off his eyebrows.

Holding a timer in his hand, Hewithoutaname momentarily said, “First exam beings NOW:”

***

Head Master: “I am my body.”

Ed (nervously shifting in his chair, glancing at cheat notes scribbled in his palm….10, 9, 8, 7,): “Yay?

Head Master: “Buzzz–strike one! Pitty, had such high hopes for you.”

Ed: “So sorry.”

Head Master: “No talking.”

Ed: (nodds humbly).

Head Master: “I am my mind.”

Ed (eyebrows alternately raising, searching for answers on the ceiling…6, 5, 4,): Yay?

Head Master: “Strike two! Oh, dear my, this is worse than your record reflects.”

Ed: (close to fainting, with a pale give-me-a-chance expession on his face).

Head Master: “Okay, one last chance. Spell Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj’s birthname backwards, in his native language of Marathi.”

Ed (blank stare, drool coming from the corner of his mouth…4, 3, 2, 1, 0,): No answer.

Head Master: “And that’s strike three! Just kidding! Here at SRS, we’re famous for having a wicked sense of humor–guffaw, guffaw. But more importantly, we’re known for our unconditional LOVE. We’re going to give you a second chance! Tomorrow we’ll get started with a sixteen-hour meditation period, beginning at 4:00 A.M. Just so you know, no bathroom breaks permitted; so you might be advised to go easy on the fluids before bed. See you in the morning!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Not By Accident

That you find yourself reading this article (perhaps with enough curiousity to read it twice), has not occurred by accident. In the right place, at the right time, conditions align. Such may be a sign that the real YOU is becoming weary of playing the persona you have erroneously assumed yourself to be. It may, indeed, be time to awaken to true Self and knowingly recognize that you are not the egoic self of name and form with whom you’re familiar. How can this possibly be?

From the human perspective, it’s often convenient to believe that we are responsible for the favourable circumstances of our lives. We naturally assume credit because it feels good to do so. However, when unpleasant circumstances arise, we may wonder what we did to deserve them, or blame ourselves for being such a fool. Upon the shifting sands of ever-changing circumstances, we attempt to forge rich and fulfilling lives. From the point of the Absolute, nothing occurs by accident. As challenging as this may be to contemplate (much less accept), the nature and quality of our predominant thoughts and beliefs have everything to do with the apparent events that arise in our lives.

To help deepen our understanding of our essential nature and of how events–both personal and collective–occur, I offer the following passages:

“We do not wake up into a really waking state. In the waking state the world emerges due to ignorance and takes one into a waking-dream state. Both sleep and waking are misnomers. We are only dreaming. True waking and true sleeping only the gnani knows. We dream that we are awake, we dream that we are asleep. The three states are only varieties of the dream state. Treating everything as a dream liberates. As long as you give reality to dreams, you are their slave. By imagining that you are born as so-and-so, you become a slave to the so-and-so.”

(I Am That,” by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

***

“Is there any reason to doubt that our dreaming mind functions uninterruptedly throughout the twenty-four hours of our time, that is, from birth, or before it, to death?“

(Why Lazarus Laughed, by Wei Wu Wei)

***

“You are at home in God, dreaming of exile but perfectly capable of awakening to reality. Is it your decision to do so? You recognize from your own experience that what you see in dreams you think is real while you are asleep. Yet the instant you awaken you realize that everything that seemed to happen did not happen at all. You do not think this strange, even though all the laws of what you awaken to were violated while you slept. Is it not possible that you merely shifted from one dream to another, without really waking?“

(A Course in Miracles, by Helen Schucman)

***

“No one doubts the reality of the world. They see trees and mountains, and they are certain that all of it exists. Only when this certainty is challenged is the dream doubted. Wake up, and find it was a dream.”

(Wake up and Roar, Satsang with Papaji, by Eli Jaxon-Bear)

***

“Every appearance on the physical or astral plane is just a dream before the soul. It is ignorance when it takes this experience to be real.”

(The Heart of Sufism, by Hazrat Inayat Khan)

***

“The fact of the matter is that our waking reality is as much a creation of our mind as our dreams.”

(The One in the Mirror, by Ramesh S. Balsekar)

***

Dear Readers: To identify with the perspective of the person is to invite suffering. Life may proceed smoothly for many years; but circumstances eventually change. When we recognize That which we truly are (Spirit, Awareness, Consciousness), we process the circumstances of life more easily. To help this occur for YOU is the reason that I share this information.

The Creator had no other way to apparently become a multiplicity and diversity of various forms except through the power of imagination. You are not who you think yourself to be. You are an Infinite Being, dreaming a human life. When we turn our attention inward, we can recognize a much deeper dimension of Self. The Bible states this in Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” Through Grace you may realize that Now.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Are We “There” Yet?

Most parents will be quite familiar with the question that serves as the title of this article. The question (or variations thereof: “Soon? Much farther?”) often arises from our children during long car trips. To the children, the destination just seems so dang far away. The same mindset often lurks within us during our journey-less journey toward knowing recognition of true Self. In The Perennial Philosophy, by Aldous Huxley, he expressed this very clearly:

This ‘experience,’ which is a state of emotional excitement–an excitement which may be mild and enduring or brief and epileptically violent, which is sometimes exultant in tone and sometimes despairing, which expresses itself here in song and dance, there in uncontrollable weeping. But emotional excitement, whatever its cause and whatever its nature, must be died to by anyone who aspires to live to divine Reality. ‘Excitement’ about God (the highest form of this kind of excitement) is incompatible with ‘experience’ as immediate awareness of God by a pure heart which has mortified even its most exalted emotions.”

The point that Aldous Huxley made so eloquently is about the experience of awakening to our essential nature and how that relates to the person. To fully awaken is to live from the perspective of true Self; as opposed to the perspective of the illusory conceptual self that we refer to by name and form. As with so many points related to spirituality, a paradox applies: If we (as a person) are incredibly jubilant about having experienced recognition “of” the pinnacle of our essential nature, we have still not arrived. We are yet not there (liberated) until we’re presently living “as” true Self, and fully aware of What–not who–we actually are. From that perspective, such just is what it is. The situation is also described through the following quote from St. John of the Cross:

"The fly that touches honey cannot use its wings; so the soul that clings to spiritual sweetness ruins its freedom and hinders contemplation."

The toggle switch between awareness of That which we actually are and who we think we are is incredibly sensitive. When we are knowingly unaware, it can be triggered abruptly by habits that belong to the body-mind. We can be reminded of the difference by contemplating a few questions: “In awareness of the inherent fullness of our true nature, who is it that could possibly be feeling lonely?” “In this dream called life, who is it that could feel guilty of acts labeled bad or rejoice in those labeled good?” As we stabilize in recognition of our essential nature, we may be surprised to realize that–yet again–we have descended a rung or two on the ladder toward personhood. When such occurs, it’s often wise to become still, take a few slow breaths, and regain our center. In time, the egoic voice that’s habitually asking whether we have arrived yet will lose energy and fall silent. And that’s good news.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. My YouTube videos may be found through this link. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. 🙏🏻🧡

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

“One In Other”

I have just had an up-close-and-personal reminder of the incredible goodness (Godliness) that’s shining just beneath the surface of human experience. I was shopping at a store in my home town, when I was approached by a man who made a huge difference in my life. He’s one of the many to whom I owe so much gratitude. We smiled and shook hands; and within a couple of minutes, I started to thank him for what he did several years earlier. A little back story is required:

In 2006, the apparent life story of Art included a sudden divorce from a twenty-year marriage. The shock of the event was like being driven off of a cliff; the after effects, a free fall that lasted for years. At the time, it was one of the most challenging circumstances I had ever faced. That life had fallen apart was the last thought on my mind before sleep, and the first thought to cross my mind in the morning.

Several months after the initial shock, I was shopping in the grocery store where Mark worked. We didn’t really know each other, beyond making a few passing comments to each other. On that particular day, I must have been having a tougher time than usual, which Mark sensed. For the next ten or fifteen minutes, he listened while I attempted to empty myself of some of the incredible pain that I was feeling. Patiently, supportively, non-judgmentally, he listened. When we parted, I felt better and a little stronger. And Mark was the reason.

As I began to thank Mark again today, he (remembering what had occurred) just patted me on the shoulder, looked me in the eye, and said:

“Hey, we look after one another.

It’s what we do.

It’s why we’re here.”

I was driving the short distance home, when I realized that Mark had summed up the whole purpose of life in just a few words. Whether we realize it or not, we’re here to nurture and look after “One in Other.”

The One that’s shining in me–“as” me–is the same One that’s shining in you–“as” you.

In Truth, there are no “others.” When we see beyond the differences in our personalities and fleshy costumes and recognize the God in all of us, life flows so much more smoothly. Our human experience then literally shines with immanent divinity.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Break Out The Champagne!

What great news, dear friends–a toast is in order!. The grandest, most important merger has occurred! It is a merger of “knowing” that you and the Lord of your Being are One! To this grand recognition we will be lifting our glasses in celebration. It’s that to which Rumi, the great Persian poet and mystic, was referring in the following quote:

“I searched for God and found only myself. I searched for myself and found only God.”

Strictly speaking, of course, this cannot actually be defined as a merger; for such would imply that we had ever been separated. You see, we already are–and always were–One with God. Only the illusion of Maya has made it appear otherwise. Since birth, we were conditioned to believe that we are the body-mind of name and form. In John 10:30, the same message is told once again:

“I and my Father are one.”

The Truth, of course, is not that one highly notable figure named Jesus was the only son of God. He came to make our lives more abundant by sharing that such was the birthright of every man, woman, and child. Logically, the Creator must be imminent in “all” of Its fruit:

Our true heritage is Divine, because we are of–and from–One Divine Creator.

The eyes of understanding open wide when we realize that just as our nighttime dream experiences are created by Consciousness in the dream state; so, also, are all of the objects, events, and circumstances in the waking state experience; which the masses erroneously believe to be foundational reality. Such is actually occurring within a dream. The following passage from Hebrews 11:3 will help to make clear this stunning revelation:

“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.”

It’s important to have a clear understanding of the material shared within this article. I am NOT stating that experiences are unreal; but that they are only relatively real within the contextual framework of a dream. Does this information help you understand why placebos give rise to cures and alleviate many conditions? It’s our belief “in them” that creates their effects. As Paramahansa Yogananda stated, “Mind is the creator of everything.” Such means that although the champagne referred to in the title is not real (in the way that we would have previously assumed), it can still make our legs wobbly. Now, let’s pop the bubbly and pour!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Neighbour Blues & Good News

It was Gwen’s fourth night in her new apartment. At forty-six, she was starting over; her divorce papers had been signed only a month prior. The pace of unpacking had slowed; and now, with some favourite knick knacks in place, her living space was beginning to feel like home. A smile lit its way across her face as she surveyed her efforts. At quarter to midnight, she climbed into bed; eager for a good night’s sleep. She felt tired but content. All seemed right in her world until she heard of the strident voice of her neighbour Harriet (who she had met briefly the previous day) explode in an uncontrollable tirade. “Get the f#%k out!” Harriet screamed. “Get out, you f#u%ng loser–NOW!” She was a spigget of profanity turned on full force. A fearful thought spiked into Gwen’s mentality as she pulled the covers higher: “Oh, dear God, have I just traded one hell for another?”

For the next half hour, Gwen was tossed by fearful thoughts as Harriet subjected anyone within earshot to her continuing explosion of anger. Harriet was demanding that a woman who was visiting must leave; but the woman, who was also screaming profane replies, refused to leave. Admidst the turmoil, Gwen came very close to notifying the superintendent or the police. However, she finally found peace–even during the event–when the following thought entered her mind:

“Persons who appear most unlovable actually need our love the most.”

With that anchor of understanding, Gwen gradually found her own fearful thoughts being crowded out by feelings of loving compassion. “No one in their right mind would deliberately choose to live this way?” she said to herself silently. “What inner fears are driving this release of pent up energy? What kind of hellish environment must Harriet have been raised in, or exposed to, to give rise to such behaviour?” As the noise from the apartment beneath her lessened in intensity and frequency, Gwen was finally able to fall asleep.

***

Dear Readers: Attempting to ensure that home “without” always remains peaceful is a losing battle; for our outer environment is subject to ever-shifting circumstances. It’s only when we recognize home “within,” (that placeless place beyond name and form) that we realize the peace that passes all understanding.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

In Him We Live

The following verse from Acts 17:28 may leave many of us scratching our head; especially if we interpret it thorugh the materialism perspective of reality: “For in him we live and move and have our being.” The “Him” (God) referred to often seems missing in action, and our logic begs the question: “If God is real, where is He/She/It? That we are puzzled by the verse, or write it off as complete insanity, is due to ignorance of our essential nature. The situation is made worse because we are unaware that we’re unaware.

During our waking-state reality, we believe with absolute certainty that we are persons living in a world made of matter. Our challenges appear very real; as do our triumphs. We mourn the passing of a dear friend; and we are joyous to receive a promotion. Due to our conditioning, we assume that we are persons and, thus, the doers of actions. In time, this often leads to feelings of pride or guilt.

The verse is easier to understand when it’s contemplated in relation to dreams within the dream state. Such dreams (which may include people, events, and circumstances that seem absolutely real during the dream) are assumed to arise within the brain of the person; but this is erroneous. They occur within Consciousness. The evil person who chased us, and the lovely person who invited us for tea, were both made of Consciousness, by Consciousness. It becomes obvious that any apparent matter must have been rendered by the mind.

If we replace “Him” in the above passage with “Consciousness,” we realize that the dream characters did, in fact, live and move and have their being in Him. This is completely logical. When we apply that template of understanding toward our experience within the waking state, the light of greater awareness shines more brightly within us. Through direct experience, we may awaken from our delusional belief of being the person and realize that the experience of our body-mind within an apparent world is also occurring within Consciousness. As we stabilize in Truth, the sense of doership lessens; and we realize that Infinite Living Mind is the doer of all actions and events.

As shocking as this may be, our so-called human lives are being dreamed in their entirety—including the writing of this article! We are characters of Consciousness who live and move and have our being in Him—God. Our ego (which is only a repetitive thought related to a conceptual person) will strongly rebel against this information; for its psychic realness is based upon the assumption that it lives of its own accord. Such is a falsity that creates tremendous suffering within Consciousness. The good news is that when that which is false (the ego) is crucified, the Truth of our being is recognized as Life eternal. We are made of the very God that many deny.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Eavesdropping on God

Not once upon a dead time in history, but continuously in the living here and now, I, God, create and recreate the apparent world and all objects, events, and persons contained therein. I Am the immanent and transcendent Mystery; the Creator of all that is, was, and ever will be. It is written in the Gospel of Thomas, “Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.” As I am omnipresent; nowhere am I not. I Am the alpha and the omega; for everything known begins with Me and ends in Me. It could be no other way; for I Am all that IS.

Due to confusion and innocent ignorance about your essential nature, humans continue to assume that they are the source of their own being. This mental story has spread like wildfire and burned its falsity into the human psyche. This erroneous perspective is based upon illusion and gives rise to suffering. Only through I do you live; for I Am Life, Itself. That humans live is the very proof that I Am.

Distracted by the apparently outer world, the majority of humans spend their life struggling against challenges which, they, themselves are creating. Like spiders, they unwittingly spin thought-webs that promise happiness for a false self in a future that doesn’t exist. Feeling lost and alone, they’re unaware of My divine inner Kingdom, which may be discovered by turning their attention within. There, I, the Light of their very Being, lie waiting to be recognized. We are One in quality and nature, varying only in degree. It’s true that I will never leave you; for I Am in you, and you are in Me.

Please hear this: Your soul reason for living is to come to recognize your true origin and, thus, experience life more abundantly. This cannot possibly occur until you realize That which you truly are. It’s time to cast aside your identification with the false self and recognize the eternal dimension of “I Am” within. The Truth will, indeed, set your free. To know this is to live in peace and harmony.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Love

Thumbs Up: Enlightenment 101

“Enlightenment Stuff”

Spiritual Remedial School

Not By Accident

Are We “There” Yet?

“One In Other”

Break Out The Champagne!

Neighbour Blues & Good News

In Him We Live

Eavesdropping on God

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