The Better Way

If you’re searching (as was I) for a better way to live and, thus, to experience an improvement in the circumstances of your life, I offer you the following examples to consider. When the principle behind them (which is Divine Love by All for All) is applied until it becomes our habitual way of Being, we will definitely notice positive changes occurring. The world of effects is a mirror to our innermost beliefs and assumptions; therefore, it’s in our best interest to maintain our highest ideals. By practicing this way of Being in the easy times, we develop a strong mental muscle that proves of great service during the most challenging situations. So, onward…to the good life!

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For that irate driver who swerves suddenly and almost causes an accident, LOVE him/her.
For your children who, unaware of the burden that you are carrying, take you for granted, LOVE them.
For your boss, who piles an increasing work load upon you and rarely, if ever, expresses praise, LOVE him/her.
For your friends, who at times may seem to be only fair-weather friends, LOVE them.
For your spouse who, in the midst of a challenging day, uncharacteristically snaps at you, LOVE him/her.
For your co-worker, who takes credit for your creative ideas, LOVE him/her.
For persons who, in dealing with their own fears, intolerantly demand your behaviour to mirror theirs, LOVE them.
For strangers who, in dealing with their own stressful lives, express anger toward you, LOVE them.
And last, but definitely not least: For you, when you make a mistake regarding best behaviour or the wisest choice, LOVE yourself.

The purpose of these examples is not to turn us into holier-than-thou persons willing to subjugate our needs at the expense of poor behaviour. The principle of expressing Divine Love is to free us from the negative repercussions that we attract when/if we retaliate with negative thoughts and behaviour. Like truly does attract like. Please realize, also, that although I’ve written that we are wise to express LOVE, such doesn’t mean that we should suppress our true feelings and tolerate abuse, of any nature. If it’s time to exit a situation that’s harmful or demeaning, we must realize this and ensure that we protect ourselves and our best interests. It’s true that we teach others how to treat us; therefore, what we tolerate out of fear, we appear to condone.

The positive effects of this way of Being in the world will not happen overnight–but they will “occur” when we change within. As we apply the principle of Divine Love for all, our world will begin to change without. As ye sow, so shall ye reap is not a trite saying intended to appease the masses; it’s spiritual law. What we sincerely feel in our heart is reflected back. The world (which is created via, and known by, Consciousness) is a reflection of our innermost way of Being; and when we exercise our inner authority in a positive way, circumstances MUST change for the better. Of course, the way to prove this for yourself is to put it into practice.

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” 🙏🏻🧡

“Job, Well Done”

Humankind has it backwards. The trouble is, it thinks it’s doing a good job. All of our human mistakes occur, and continue to reoccur, for two basic reasons: 1. We’re unaware that we unaware we’re making them. 2. The majority of humans are unaware of their higher nature. Due to our ignorance (defined as: lacking wisdom or knowledge), humankind is constrained to act in accordance with ways that it thinks are best. However, to produce the best results, it’s not enough to embody the best that we think we can be; in daily living we must express “Being” the best that we are. Only when we awaken to the Truth of our essential nature will our results reflect our inner greatness.

If we allow ourselves to be governed by the finite mind of humankind, the work that we think we can do will always be somewhat stained by self-centered motives. Such means that no matter how good our intentions, we will still be ruled to a certain degree by human instincts and drive. No doubt, there is much goodness in human potential; but that’s not enough. Only when we knowingly live from our Being will we create the best-of-the-best conditions on earth. The following illustrates the difference:

If I allow Art to perform what he (the false self) desires to express,

the work, even if only faintly, will bear the stamp of getting.

In other words, there will still be self-interest of the little “me.”

Conversely:

If the Spirit of Infinite Living Mind (the true Self) expresses Itself through Art,

the work will bear the stamp of giving.

This means that everyone potentially gains.

In the first example, we can see that the work will still contain what’s in the best interest of Art. However, when we live and move and have our Being in accordance with the second example, we–in human form–become a conduit to the expression of Divine Greatness. Deep down, all of us know when we’re living according to the second way; for there’s not a hint of selfishness within the work.

At this point in human evolution, the majority of us are habitually expressing our finite humanity. Why? Because we’ve been conditioned to believe that we’re mere flesh and bones. Our results will dramatically improve when we fully express our Infinite Divinity. When we habitually express That, which is Infinite in potential and Glorious in actuality, will our work bear proof that we have knowingly climbed to the peak of our Being. Only then will we lovingly look at one another and truthfully say, “Job, well done.”

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Still Small Voice

One day, Frank became aware.

He became aware that he had been living unaware; that for as long as he could remember he had been existing on automatic pilot. Every day of the week was pre-planned, and so a week, a month, and, thus, a year. With startling clarity, he realized the shadow of his future–scripted by forces not his own–was both frightening and depressing. The revelation foretold the story of a man, apparently alive, standing at the foot of his own grave, awaiting the fall.

As Frank’s level of consciousness increased, he noticed that for years untold, he had willingly subjected his “Self” to the “cacophony of the multitude.” The trend had been so insidious that its increasing noise had escaped his attention. Morning news (“weapons of mass destruction“) was parroted at mid-day and echoed, yet again, at night. Repeatedly, various media outlets offered identical sound bites. For most of his life, Frank had assumed that the intention of such programs was simply meaning to inform; but now, he realized that conform, conform, conform was their more likely message. He also began to notice that neighbours and colleagues, in somnambulistic reverie, were eager to instruct him in action that he should take…if he were wise. “They’re asleep,” Frank now realilzed, “as was i.”

When Frank examined what he had assumed to be his life, he discovered that the grooves of his own behaviour were very deep, indeed. He realized (from the perspective of witness), that he always stirred the milk into his coffee with three clockwise turns–not two, followed by a tapping clink of the spoon against his favourite mug. He realized that he prefaced many sentences with the word actually, for no apparent reason. After showering, he realized that if it were not for awareness, his right arm would always reach to dry his left shoulder first. From his new vantage point, Frank intentionally severed as many patterns as possible; and subsequently felt more alive than he had felt in years.

On that day that Frank became aware, he made a promise to himself, which he has kept. The promise is that he would always favour the Still Small Voice within, instead of the cacophony of the multitude. Much later, Frank discovered that the Voice that guides his actions is referred to in Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Frank also wisely follows another action. When persons ask him for his opinion, it is to “That”–their own Still Small Voice–that he politely suggests they turn.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

I’ll Be With You

Most of us are familiar with the saying, “I’ll be with you in a moment.” We’ ‘ve probably heard it or even used it ourselves. It’s often stated in polite conversation, to indicate that there will be a short delay before an intended interaction will occur. In the majority of cases, it’s uttered perfunctorily; in much the same way that an empty glass is handed to someone who is thirsty for water. If we care about the depth of our communication (and I hope that we do), we would be wise to contemplate the deeper meaning of the expression.

In the deepest sense of the saying, it’s actually impossible to “be” with someone in a moment. By the most literal interpretation, Being only occurs in the eternal and timeless Now. To accept anything less means that we’re dealing with the concept of time and, thus, interacting with conceptual selves. It means that the thought of “me” is dealing your thought of “you.” While this may seem to be of trifling consequence, I assure you it’s not.

To the degree that the interpretation of the expression differs, the communication between persons is highly vulnerable to conflict or misinterpretation. Why? Because the definition of a “moment” is subject to various opinions. To one person, a moment is literally one second–one little blip of a digital time piece. To another person, a moment, used offhandedly, might signify a lapse of five or ten minutes. Of course, we’re well aware that all of our words are not interpretted literally; it’s up to us to determine when we are speaking literally or figuratively. A personal best habit, however, would be to choose our words wisely.

The most important point of this article (of truly being present) can be understood more easily through the following: Have you ever shared the company of someone and asked, or been asked, “Where are you?” If so, you understand that the two persons, although physically close, were dimensions apart. One might have been quite present, awaiting a reply. The other, for whatever reason, may have drifted mentally and, thus, not been present. To truly “be” with someone we must meet them at the level of the heart. In this placeless place of sympathetic resonance, words and actions are not required.

If we desire to truly share openly and honestly with other dear souls who are taking this apparent journey called “life,” we owe it to ourselves and them to be “here” with them Now. To do so requires that we get out of our busy mind and be present: Such is the price of admission to real, meaningful communication. In time, everyone is being defrauded in varying degree. When we, as Presence, are there for “others,” we also benefit; for this means that we’re not functioning on behalf of the “voice in the head” that claims to be our real identity. With regard to issues that really matter, to settle for anything less than heart-based communication is to offer an empty glass.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Almighty Fearlessness

Have you experienced fear that robs you of the joy of each moment? Have you, as the person, been afraid of the so-called future? Have you, in the dark of night, tossed in a bed of worries about the coming day? If such is the case, there’s a solution of which you may be unaware. We lead into it through the following passage from Teachings of Ramakrishna:

Q: What is the nature of absolute reliance?

A: “It is like that happy state of comfort and satisfaction which is felt by a weary man when, reclining on a pillow, he smokes at leisure after a hard day’s toil: it is the ceasing from all anxiety and fear.”

The peace that’s described in the passage is not achieved by actions taken by the person. In fact, to attempt any actions from that perspective will almost certainly fuel our anxiety; or at best allow a brief reprieve. To discover the peace that passes all understanding, we must recognize our essential nature beyond name and form.

To understand this clearly, we must realize that persistent anxiety and fear belong to the perspective of the false self, also referred to as the person. Our body-mind is imbued with natural protective instincts that are intended to keep it safe; these usually function perfectly and should be heeded. However, prolonged anxiety and stress is generated by the fictional “i,” which believes it’s separate from All That Is. Fear of any nature doesn’t belong to true Self, because there’s literally nothing to oppose It.

How do we adopt this point of view? From the human perspective, we don’t attempt to do anything; for by repressing our fears, we would only add another layer to the belief in the false self. To arrive at true fearlessness, we must go within and knowingly recognize That which we actually are. When we become still (meditate)and know that I am God; we realize that we never were the person. We are Consciousness, in which the perspective of our body-mind appears. It was only our human conditioning that has made us interpret experience in such a fearful manner.

When we recognize that our higher Self is actually in charge of our life, we realize that we are free to live fearlessly. We learn to trust and have faith during circumstances that seem very uncertain. And the more that we trust That, which is our true nature, the more easily we flow with life. The verse from John 14 offers more inspiration: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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

Notes From Beyond

In the spring of 2019, I was intuitively inspired to purchase I Am That, which is considered a spiritual classic. At the time, I was consciously unaware that its content would play such a pivotal role in liberating “me” from “my” life. The book relates the wisdom that Sri Nisargatta Maharaj shared with seekers of Truth. After I finished it, 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

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

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“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

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“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

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“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

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

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

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“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 doesn’t 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 apparently 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

The Story of Gain and Loss

The paradigm of reality which I relate in this article is radically different from the one that we’ve been conditioned to believe. Almost everyone, particularly in western-type cultures, has been programmed to blindly accept that they are a separate self (the little “i”) who either gains, and is, therefore, labelled a success; or losses, and is, therefore, labelled a failure. Due to this, we naturally judge the value of our life and that of the people around us by this criterion. Such could be described as a competitive way of living, at best; a treadmill of despair, at worst.

For many, this societal system based upon comparative ranking is the cause of many sleepless nights and an underlying stress to perform. “Yes,” says the little i-voice within us, “if i perform well enough, i will then receive what i need.” That need is usually the desire to be loved. The trouble is that this little i-voice toggles between success and failure on a regular basis. It’s a fickle phantom, inclined to whimsically praise or criticize. Success that’s achieved is eventually replaced by so-called failure. It is this erroneous belief that leads to false pride and boastfulness in so-called winners; and their opposites in the so-called losers. We might contemplate the situation of a star athlete who is happy as long as his/her career is going along well. What happens in retirement, after the glory days are over? What then?

The compass related to the “personal” story of gain and loss points only outward or inward. In the outward direction, persons continue to believe that if they work harder, perhaps in a different arena, they will achieve the success for which they yearn. In the inward direction, the failure-related suffering can be so great that Grace appears and points us to a deeper dimension of Self, which transcends the world of the person. The majority of persons may be unaware that success based soley on outer circumstance must ultimately fall to its opposite. How could it be otherwise in an ever-changing world?

What I’m suggesting is that the quality of everyone’s worldly experience improves dramatically when we catch the thief—the egoic “i”—before it steals more of our innate joy. Being is easy. Attempting to be a “successful person,” however, is riddled with pitfalls and problems. Buddha called such Dukkha, which loosely translated means “stress” or “suffering.” When we investigate the nature of the little “i” that has been blindly chasing gains and shunning losses, we may discover that the “i” that we’ve been attempting to appease doesn’t truly exist.

In the paradigm of reality that I refer to as Truth, every person flows from One Fountain of Divinity. As droplets of The Divine, each of us possesses unique talents that are intended to be expressed. We might imagine this as dipping our ladle into the Ocean of Universal Consciousness prior to incarnating. The droplet of consciousness labelled as John Brown, might later express a talent for carpentry or the practice of medicine; while the droplet of consciousness labelled as Jane Smith might later express a talent for writing or the practice of law.

Upon recognition of the truth of our Being, we naturally transition from the competitive mindset and embrace our collective talents and abilities. Everyone is viewed as being essentially equal. No one is above or below “another;” for ultimately we realize that there is no “other.” In recognizing our Oneness, we appreciate All. When this occurs on a grand scale, everyone experiences a more peaceful and beautiful way to live. The phantom storyteller of gain or loss is nowhere to be found.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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.

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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

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”

Trusting The Heart

Because a person’s focus is habitually turned outward, the majority of us attempt to make our life “right” by controlling external circumstances. We do this for the sake of happiness. For a time, this superficial strategy may seem to work; meaning, we get the perfect relationship, the incredible promotion, and the shiny objects that attracted our attention. On the occasions when the strategy doesn’t work, our natural instinct is to push harder, stressing all the way. “Damn it,” we cry, “I’m going to win or die trying.” Most people inevitably reach a point at which all of their strategies fail miserably. It’s at that point that the real work of living rises to the surface. If we’re courageous, we face it; if not, we often turn to distractions for solace. Such is the human condtion. It is rife with suffering.

In our brokenness, when we’ve been unable to achieve the goals that we erroneously believed would make us happy, we may find ourselves turning inward, to the real solution to our suffering. There, in the depth of our Being, so long overshadowed by ego, it’s possible to discover that our essential nature “is” happiness, itself. We knowingly realize that we are the broad, deep ocean of Consciousness, not the apparent wave. As Consciousness is everything, It needs nothing to enjoy the glorious moment-to-moment experience of life. Only the needful ego cries, “I need this or that,” to be happy.

When we see with clear discernment, we realize that it’s not our unfulfilled desires which are the source of our misery. It’s the assumption that their achievement could make us happy. Through an erroneous belief, we attribute the source of our happiness to apparent objects and circumstances. When we awaken to our essential nature, we realize that no such mechanism is required. Thus, we’re free to enjoy our apparent human experience. Here (breathe) and Now (breathe), we may trust the heart and live as peace and joy. I Am is prior to the human tales that attempt to define us.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Love

The Better Way

“Job, Well Done”

The Still Small Voice

I’ll Be With You

Almighty Fearlessness

Birthday Assumptions

Notes From Beyond

The Story of Gain and Loss

Visits From “Art”

Trusting The Heart

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