To The One

In the barren lands of earth, our gestures of gratitude can often seem hollow and trite–an obligatory Thank You note written here; a box of chocolates given there; handshakes, hugs, and gift cards, though well intended, can also prove lacking. The worst, of course, is when someone’s precious gifts of time, effort, and heart are overlooked and entirely taken for granted.

There comes a time–and that time is NOW–when debts of gratitude must be expressed to the greatest degree possible. Despite the best of efforts, our attempts sometimes fall short of the mark. How can we ever repay gestures of kindness, which, in themselves, are priceless? To directly name those to whom I owe gratitude will not occur here; my intention is to thank That which they are–not who they appear to be. From my heart, I offer the following:

To the One…

who helped teach me how to be a man. Thank you.
who loved me unconditionally. Thank you.
who lovingly guided me, and still offers guidance. Thank you.
who loved me during times when I could barely love myself. Thank you.
who split wood and washed my vehicle….just because. Thank you.
who baked cupcakes for me on my first Valentine’s Day alone after divorce. Thank you.
who took a chance on me and my skills in the workplace. Thank you.
who drove me to surgery and waited with me. Thank you.
who repeatedly listened to my incredibly important woes. Thank you.
who carried my workload, on days when I could barely carry myself. Thank you.
who chose to overlook my inadequacies. Thank you.
who taught me painful, but necessary, lessons. Thank you.
who tolerated me; even when I displayed intolerance. Thank you.
who cut me down, when my pride had risen too high. Thank you.
who chose to forgive me. Thank you.
who offered food and shelter to me, a stranger. Thank you.
who saw my fear, yet pretended they didn’t. Thank you.
who prayed for me and my safe arrival back home. Thank you.
who gave me a compass when I retired; so that I would never lose my way. Thank you.
who helped me “see” the Light, in so many ways. Thank you.

***

Dear Readers:

Do you owe anyone heartfelt gratitude? If so, to whom? Is it family members, friends, or peers? The list above is pitifully short; it is, of course, an impossible task for me to list everyone to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. Perhaps you will display greater wisdom than I once did. If you can, please love those to whom you are grateful as though they are God incarnate. Because. They. Are.

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” 🙏🏻🧡

The Unnecessary Question

From the human perspective, we often directly or indirectly ask the following question of our family, friends, and peers: “Are you with me?” Depending on the answer that we receive, we may feel bolstered, ridiculed, or even abandoned. The time waiting to know if they will support us can feel unbearable. Within the psychological structure of the “person,” there is a part of us that seeks assurance in numbers; to know that we won’t be forced to push our personal boulder up the mountain alone. During various challenging circumstances of our lives, this can seem incredibly important.

Through Grace we know that this question–“Are you with me?”– need ever be asked of God; for we realize, that we, as the body-mind, are living proof that God is with us. Every heartbeat, every breath, and every step is permeated with, and initiated by, the essence of our Creator. With a deeper understanding of the divine matrix, we know that “I and the Father are one,” as related in the Bible, are not just empty words describing a theory but, indeed, FACT. The word omnipresent (which is often used to describe God’s nature) also rings loud and clear as Truth; for we realize–through direct experience–that there is literally no place in which God is not. Therefore, wherever we are, so, also, IS God.

Fooled by the evidence of the senses, the mind’s egoic perspective will attempt to convince us that the words above express a belief only; for the person (which is actually a conceptual identity only) bases its apparent existence upon time and the world of form. Through the mind’s logic, it will inform us that life beyond it (which, ironically, is dependent on the One and Only LIFE) is a hope at best and a hoax at worst. Asserting the false claim that it is the doer, it incessantly screams that we are a separate individual in a cold harsh world and must face our challenges alone.

In a flash of realization, the story told by the ego can evaporate into nothingness from which it originated. By engaging our intuition and listening to the pointings of awakened Beings who have gone before us, our faith that there is a greater dimension within us can be strengthened, and known. In the still silence, beyond the machinations of the mind, the Absolute lies waiting to be recognized. As expressed by scripture, it is true that the Source of our Being will never leave us. Here, right now, it is eternally the real YOU.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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”

Cautionary Tails

During my spiritual quest, I learned that Sri Ramana Maharshi (an Indian sage who recognized true Self at the age of sixteen) used the analogy of an electric fan–rotating again, after having been switched off–to refer to the return appearance of egoic behaviour and perspective. Mooji, who’s a noted speaker and author of books about non duality, refers to the same phenomena by stating that “the tail of the snake is still in the room.”

Language is a major obstacle in the discussion of Truth (in fact, it’s impossible to relate it via words); but most Beings who have recognized their essential nature would probably agree that the realization of true Self (a “person” never becomes enlightened) is not without its setbacks. Habitual ways of behaving in the world often surprise us when we are least aware. Knowing when and if the “tail of the snake” is back in the room can make a tremendous difference in the quality of our life experience. The following is a partial list of signs that indicate that the tail of the snake has reappeared:

Selfishness.
Defensiveness
Stubborn desire to be “right.”
Holier-than-thou-ness.
Judgmental behavour.
Dishonesty.
Hatred
Pride
Blame.
Shame.
Guilt.

When the tail of the snake appears, the perspective of Truth may be regained by becoming still. This provides an opportunity to recognize whether attention is flowing from an object of experience (the person) or from the formless Knower of it. We may also find it helpful to ask: “Who is it that’s expressing this self interest right now? What is its nature?” If circumstances permit, a few minutes of meditation may help to re-center in Presence.

Our egoic “self” attempts to convince us that it’s vitally important—that the world would fall to ruin if it were to vanish; but the fact is that the expression of life actually becomes richer when we recognize our essential nature beyond name and form. The ego doesn’t have to be annihilated. Of most import is to be firmly established as Spirit; rather than defending the perspective of a person who is, ultimately, illusory.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Worth Beyond Defintion

I recently viewed a YouTube video in which a guest related the account of a friend who had just bought a very expensive house. This wasn’t expressed, but his friend was probably quite proud of his achievement. The guest went on to share that his friend had attended a party at someone’s home; and during the tour of the house, he learned that one of the owner’s rare paintings cost more than the price of his home. In other words, the cost of his new house was “hanging” on the host’s wall.

Does this situation seem familiar? So often, we “hang” our happiness upon the achievement of a goal, with the erroneous expectation that such will fulfill us. The majority of our societies condition us to believe in “happiness-dependent” ways of living that are ultimately hollow. They feed our ego’s need to compete; to stand out in the arena of life like a triumphant victor; to hold our trophy high overhead and shout, “I have finally succeeded, for I am better than you!” What this system fails to point out is that even the value of the home with the rare painting could hang on someone else’s wall.

For a while, this way of existing may seem to function well; but there’s a trap door in the flawed belief system that can spring open at any moment; plummeting those who live according to it to the depths of despair. If we define success (whatever that means) via the egoic perspective and a competitive system, we have unwittingly signed a contract that leads to suffering.

The way out of the human predicament is to knowingly recognize That which is beyond the limited perspective of the “person” and the rules by which it attempts to govern. Buried deep within us there is worth beyond definition, a glorious dimension that “is” priceless. It is the rarest (because there’s only One of It); yet, paradoxically, the most common (because It permeates the interstices of everyone and everything). It’s the very heart of peace and joy. We needn’t hang our happiness upon a facade. We can recognize Truth now and enjoy our apparent paintings and homes just for the fun of it.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

What’s Driving The Dream Bus?

This “article” is a video presentation about our essential nature. I hope that it will help lead to direct recognition of true Self and help you manifest more of what you desire, and less of what you don’t.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Don’t Map Me In

Recently, I was invited to be on a podast with Troy Headrick, who’s one of the talented writers for a wonderful blogsite entitled WiseandShine. I feel very fortunate to be able to publish some of my writing there, also. The topic of our discussion was What’s Important?. I enjoyed our relaxed conversation very much, but I felt especially moved by an account that Troy related of a ceremony that took place at the end of his Pre-Service Training for the Peace Corps. During the training, they studied Polish language, history, and culture and also learned intercultural sensitivity. This is my interpretation only, but I feel that the heart of the ceremony demonstrated a much broader scale of the priniciple related to the following quote attributed to Alfred Korzybski:

“The map is not the territory.”

For seekers who are eager to dive into self inquiry, the meaning of this quote is tremendously important to understand. This single insight can open our mind and help shine a light of comprehension on many more. If we contemplate the quote, we may easily realize that a map cannot actually “be” the territory, because it’s a representation only–not the actual territory, itself.

When we apply this principle to our identity, we realize that all of the definitions “of” our person (body, mind, gender, race, nationality, status) cannot possibly “be” our essential nature. To do so would mean that we had erroneously believed the descriptions “of” the person (the visual representation, in the example of the map) to “be” identical to the person’s essence. This, of course, isn’t the case. Strangely, however, this is exactly what the majority of the world’s population believe, day after day. In the Bible, this occurrence is expressed through the account of the prodigal son, who turned his attention away from his “Father” (the Source of his Being, Consciousness), and focused his attention solely on his body-mind in the apparent world. To do so means that we have unconsciously confused descriptions “of” the person with his/her essential nature. When this occurs, we believe–with blind certainty–that we’re a separate “self” living in what can often seem a harsh and threatening world.

The ceremony that Troy shared with the listeners illustrated the antithesis of this position, especially as it relates to the stereotypical “identities” so often associated with nations. During the ceremony, Troy and his peers crossed a stage and unpinned a pushpin that marked their “home town” and then crossed the stage again and pinned the location on a map that indicated where they were going to serve. In Troy’s case, that was Tarrow, Poland, from 1994 to 1996. Through this symbolic act, they physically illustrated that they were stepping beyond the limited identity related to one nation and embracing a perspective in which they stood united in their humanity.

With regard to awakening to our essential nature, enlightenment means that we (as a perspective of Consciousness, in Consciousness–not a “person’) cross the stage from where we believe that we are who we “think” we are, to knowing recognition of That which we actually “are.” On the one side of the stage, we are living from the conceptual version of ourselves (name and form); and at the other side, we realize that our true essence is the formless No-Thing (Consciousness) in which the world and everything within it appears. The Truth of our Being is referred to in the following quote from the Bhagavad Gita:

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

When this is lived on an interpersonal level, the quality of our relationships improves dramatically; it means that we’re seeing the world and everyone within it from a perspective that’s beyond the definitions related to our personal mask. In other words, the “guy” or “girl” down the street is no longer viewed as just a guy or girl. We, thus, see them as expressions of the same fullness–the ONE–that shines through us. When this occurs on a much broader scale amongst nations, there will be peace on Earth. Is that not reason enough to awaken to true Self?

Note: This post is dedicated to Troy Headrick and “others” like him, who serve the best interests of humanity, instead of the self-serving interests related to the false self.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Being No-Thing Incorporated

To begin, please press the arrow:

***

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

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

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

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

Divine Diana (speaking offline, to her co-light worker Heavenly Helen): “You’re not going to believe this–I’ve got another Being on the line who thinks she’s a person with a lot of problems. That’s four in the last hour!

Heavenly Helen: “But our job here, Diana, is to help as many as possible.”

Divine Diana: “Yes, I know; it’s just that even a spirit can only take so much.”

Heavenly Helen: “Let’s put your caller through to Serene Specialist. She’s been with the company since the beginning; she’ll know what to do.”

Divine Diana: “Done,” she said, with an affirmative nod; and she transferred the call.

***

(Moments later)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Divine Mystery, You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Moving Mountains

During the years that I have studied the law of attraction and our essential nature, I’ve faithfully used many affirmations. One of my favourites is the abridged version of the passage found in Matthew 17:20:

“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,

‘Move from here to there,’

and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

If the statement that “and nothing shall be impossible for you” seems too good to be true, please continue reading with an open mind. My initial interpretation of the passage was based upon a much more limited perspective; but now I know–not just believe–that all things are truly possible through God. As each of us is unique, the circumstantial mountains that we might desire to be removed will be different. For some persons, it might be a health issue or financial problem. For others, it could be a career challenge or conflict within a relationship. Whatever the nature of mountain we face, greater understanding plays a tremendously important role in removing it.

The biggest issue that all of us face is our own ignorance (meaning unawareness) of the nature of the world and our true Being. The majority of persons are unaware of their essential nature; but they’re also unaware that they are unaware. Thus, they (as the apparent person) struggle against circumstances that often seem insurmountable. This was certainly the case with me. To gain greater clarity, we must let go of our assumptions and know REALITY as it IS. Let’s dive deeper into the subject by reading the following content from various books:

The Wish Fulfilled, by Neville Goddard

***

Before I Am, by Mooji

***

I Am That, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

***

Living Truth, by Jean Klein

***

What you have read in the quotations is true. The reason why mountains can be moved by our belief is because they are “dream” mountains, MADE OF MIND. What we habitually affirm (through our thoughts, beliefs and actions) is confirmed as our apparent reality; but when we change our beliefs and attitudes, our problems are compelled to change. The well-known placebo effect illustrates this perfectly. When a patient has absolute faith that a medication or procedure will work, the treatment WORKS! The principle related to belief is shared in the Bible in Matthew 9:29, through the following words spoken by Jesus:

“According to your faith be it unto you.”

To move our apparent personal mountains, it’s vitally important that we realize that we are–literally–not the body-mind (person). Such goes against every last bit of our mental conditioning. Therefore, we cannot possibly be the doer of actions. We are Awareness dreaming an apparently human life. This is also related in the Bible, in Acts 17:28:

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being.”

The depth of this is more easily comprehended by contemplating that we also believe, with absolute certainty, that we’re the doers during our nighttime dreams. Of course, when the dream ends, we realize that such couldn’t possibly have been the case–that all of the fantastic adventures, or scary situations, were rendered via the mind. Any actions that seemed to have been performed occurred within a dream. The same holds true in this, the waking-state dream. In Truth, we are the witness only.

Most Beings who are tightly bound to egoic identity will find the content of this article impossible to believe or, perhaps, even ludicrous; but its Truth may be known directly via the practice of self inquiry. Are you absolutely certain that you are the person? Can you actually be a name, or a body form that is changing moment to moment?

It took years for me to comprehend the nature of our mountains. The biggest challenge was my own lack of understanding. Perhaps you will also realize that you’ve been attempting to move mountains through an illusory character, instead of via the real YOU. Wouldn’t it be easier to let God within do it for you, and open yourself to life more abundant?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Family of One

There was a time, in my former narrowness of perspective, that I was practicing exclusion without being consciously aware of it. Through the love of my own family, I was decreeing that so-called “others” were excluded. Thus, “they” were not entitled to the benefits associated with inclusion. Such a perspective is deeply rooted in a personal sense of “i” who prefers to keep some persons close, and others distant. It’s the prevalent way of defining family in the majority of our current societies. It’s what leads to feuds between families on a small scale, and wars between nations on a larger scale. We’re so accustomed to it, that we accept it as normal.

It’s not surprising that this is a prevalent perspective, because it’s fostered by our media, governments, and the majority of families. It’s dispensed on a world-wide basis via a vending-machine mentality gone mad. Through our thoughts, words, and actions, we segregate and separate one another as though sorting conveyer-belt fruit into appropriate containers. You, the “Rockefellers,” belong here; while you, the “Smiths,” belong there. “Friends of the family?” we inquire, standing guard, as the poor and needy approach and smile with their hopeful faces.

In a fell swoop of conditioning, we belittle or dignify; accept or reject. Our processing ability to divide and classify is outdone only by our capacity to judge. We defend “our” positions by hurling rotten tomatoes and/or deadly torpedoes. “Out, out, damn spots” our minds cry, “you do NOT belong!” Gender and race, creed and nationality, colour and orientations–these are the tools of our biases; and apply them skillfully and willfully we do!

What if, however, humanity could awaken from its delusional belief in separation? On one shiny, perfect day, what if everyone entered the stillness and heard the following silent words from our Creator’s heart: “Everyone is of me, the only Creator. You are One.” Would we not then turn away from judging and embrace one another as family? Would we not then see with our hearts, instead of our eyes? Could we then look beyond appearances and comprehend our divine origin? We might even focus on building bridges of love, instead of fences of hatred.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Love

To The One

The Unnecessary Question

Cautionary Tails

Worth Beyond Defintion

What’s Driving The Dream Bus?

Don’t Map Me In

Being No-Thing Incorporated

The Divine Mystery, You

Moving Mountains

Family of One

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