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 apparent life and that of 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 lives a life that toggles between success and failure on a regular basis. It is a fickle phantom, inclined to whimsically praise or criticize. Any success that is 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 (and, thereby, love) for which they yearn. In the inward direction, the failure-related suffering can be so great that Grace (our higher Self) 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—sometimes quite suddenly—that the “i” that we’ve been attempting to appease truly doesn’t exist.

In the paradigm of reality that I refer to as Truth, every person and everything 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

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”

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”

Eric VonBlissville’s Notes

One day, several years ago, Eric VonBlissville (honestly, who could make up these names?!) awakened. This is not to say that he opened his eyes after a good night’s sleep, yawned, and then went to the bathroom to empty his bladder. He awakened to the very Truth of his Being. To say that such felt odd is, indeed, an understatement.

For the next two years, Eric gradually stabilized in his new reality. Every situation and experience seemed bright and new. His conditioned ways of processing the world from the body-mind perspective were no longer appropriate; for he realized that such was founded upon falsity. In time, Eric adjusted. People, who sensed the change in his behaviour, were naturally drawn to him and asked questions about spirituality. Soon he began to hold satsang (spiritual discourse or sacred gathering) with seekers who were earnest to recognize Truth.

At the end of one such gathering, a woman named Sally stayed late and asked Eric a few questions in private. As she was about to leave, Eric handed her a short pamphlet in which he had expressed more of his insights. She expressed sincere gratitude and took it home to read before heading to bed. Here, is the content of the pamphlet:

***

During the nighttime dream state, various perspectives are experienced. In one dream, we might be the pilot of an airplane that is flying through a lightning storm. In another dream, we might be a camel herder, traversing a vast desert. In yet another, we might be a business tycoon, directing a worldwide conglomerate. In dreams, we are enabled to experience a variety of circumstances and situations. We walk, talk, travel, and interact with other persons. Our dream character eats food and drinks beverages. The dreams feel absolutely real–until we awaken and realize that all was but a dream. At this point, we accept that mind had rendered all of the experiences.

When we awaken from the dream state, we naturally assume that we “are” the character that arises. We have been conditioned to believe this without question. It feels so incredibly real to walk, talk, eat breakfast, and prepare for school or work. We are absolutely certain that we are the doer of our actions and, likewise, the thinker of our thoughts. Without proof, we assume that the world (Earth) is real as matter, and, we (the person) as flesh and bones. The sun appears to rise in the east, and its heat feels very hot, indeed. When it rains, we get wet. To only a relative few does the thought occur to question what sages have known for millennia.

What the sages have known is this: The mind is the creator of everything, including this, our apparent world, here and now. The following four quotes affirm this knowledge. The first is from The One in The Mirror, by Ramesh S. Balsekar: “The fact of the matter is that our waking reality is as much a creation in our mind as our dreams.” The second is from The Abundance Book, by John Randolph Price: “Know that this entire experience is but an illusion, an outpouring of your beliefs, an effect of your consciousness.” The third is from Illusion vs Reality, by Shri Ranjit Maharaj: “Whatever happens in illusion, is only illusion, and in fact nothing ever happens. So many things happen in this world, birth and death, but it is only a dream.” The fourth is from The Heart of Suffism, by Hazrat Inayat Khan: “Every experience on the physical or astral plane is just a dream before the soul. It is ignorance when it takes this experience to be real.”

When we meditate, as advised in the Bible (Psalm 46:10: Be still and know that I Am God), we realize that we are the witness of our sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts); that we are, indeed, apart from them. To realize this is to recognize that our true nature is Consciousness (aka God). The reality is that we are the Christ incarnate. If such seems blasphemous, please consider whether it is not more blasphemous to deny our inherent divinity and believe that (humankind) can exist independent of God? As God (Consciousness) is the only reality, of what else could we be created?

To experience a human life, Consciousness temporarily forfeits knowledge of Itself and becomes the apparent character (the “person”). In other words, “That” which we are dreams the dream of being a person. All of our experiences are only possible within a dream. Knowing this helps us understand the true meaning of Acts 17:28: “For in Him we live and move and have our being.”

Persons who have not yet awakened to their essential nature (to be precise, Consciousness awakens from the delusional belief of being the “person”) may claim that we have lost our sanity. Such only reveals that they are still unconsciousness to the Truth of their Being. Science has known the truth about the “material” world for many years. Atoms, which were once believed to be the building blocks of the apparent world, are actually 99.999% empty space. They are more accurately termed whirling clouds of energy. The apparent world is actually made of energy; as is your body-mind and mine. Thus, all of our experiences only “exist” within a dream.

Much love, Eric

***

So there you have it, dear readers. Are you, like Sally, curious about your essential nature, beyond name and form? To knowingly recognize what you truly are is one of life’s greatest gifts.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Gratitude 2.0

The wisest of the wise know the importance and value of gratitude. They often relate its power to transform the quality of our life. Through sincere gratitude (which is thought, felt, and spoken), we raise our life and the lives of those around us. Platitudes and trite clichés are not permitted; for they are barren soil, incapable of growing the quality of life we desire to experience. Nothing less than heartfelt sincerity will suffice.

With regard to the subject of appreciation, many persons may be unaware that it is divided into two major classifications. Gratitude 1.0 is when we give thanks that we can do be, do, and have in our life. We are grateful that we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Likewise, we are grateful that we can walk, talk, and perform. We appreciate that we have a family, home, job/career, and food to place upon our table. We give thanks that we can lead a good life.

Gratitude 2.0 is of a more profound nature, one more closely related to the facts of deep appreciation. What, you might ask, is the difference? In Gratitude 2.0, we realize that we, as the body-mind (person) can do nothing. It is, and always has been, God (aka Consciousness) all the way. Although it appears that humans are the doers, we are not. We have been carried, and continue to be, for the duration of our apparent lives. In Gratitude 2.0, we realize the truth of Acts 17:28:

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

If we contemplate this even briefly, we may arrive at a deeper realization, one in which Gratitude 2.0 may literally take us to our knees in the most humbling appreciation. Do ‘i” really know how to heal a cut—or does the healing of a cut occur? Do “i” maintain my breathing while my body-mind sleeps—or does respiration occur? Likewise, do “i” digest my food, coordinate muscles, and maintain cellular functions? No, “i” do not, at least in if I consider myself only the body-mind.

In Gratitude 2.0., we acknowledge that humans do not perform the miracles associated with daily living. We may give thanks, however, that God does. And when we arrive at the ultimate understanding, we realize that the following quote from the great Persian mystic, Rumi, expresses truth: “I searched for God and found only myself. I searched for myself and found only God.” Yes, it’s true, the Father and I are One. Of this, we give sincere thanks.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Of Leprechauns and Gold

Caution: Before reading this article, please know that part of its content may feel unsettling. On the plus side, it also contains a pointer to great joy. Both are related to the following questions: Do you remember the story of a leprechaun who was chasing a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Do you believe the leprechaun ever found that gold in the so-called future?

That devious leprechaun, which lies within everyone, can be so tempting. It attempts to convince us to follow it forever. With feigned wisdom and a sprightly dance, it exclaims, “Come follow me to great riches at the end of the rainbow!” To live in the manner it espouses, binds our apparent happiness to our senses and external circumstance; thus, we alternately experience great highs and lows. Only foolishness would have us believe the leprechaun’s advice. When we do, we trade eternal joy for the promise of an empty tomorrow; for, as we realize, tomorrow never comes. To live a rich life, we must realize the truth of the following:

The gold of our Being is shining brightly, here and now

Nowhere beyond the eternal now may we mine our precious gold. The reason is simple: Nowhere else exists! Delusions of the mind would have us chase rainbows the world over–seeking happiness in fame, fortune, and perfect partners. Truly, think now, can another mountain climbed, published book, or degree attained be the reason for our happiness? Can a real gift can be found in an imaginal future? Tell, me if you will, has anyone actually found happiness that they do not–first–possess within?

Now, dear friends, let’s approach this subject from Truth: I Am, I Am, I Am (Consciousness)—this is our silent, eternal song! I Am is the chorus, verse, and bridge! Our joy is not dependent on the leprechaun and the world; the leprechaun (body-mind) and the world are dependent on us! In Being (anchored firmly in the here and how), we realize that I Am is the rainbow, the pot of gold, and the gift!

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Invitation To Play

My intention in writing this article is neither to inform nor entertain. To do so would betray the real purpose, which is to remind. Please join me, if you will, on a journey of remembering the feeling of days when our spirit sang with freedom; when we lived happily unaware of mind chores that claim they must be done; when the words yesterday and tomorrow were foreign to our vocabulary. “This” is still vibrantly alive within us.

During the next few hours, you’re invited to:

Withdraw from all media news; in spite of being fearful of being struck ignorant or uncaring.
Write a list of 12.279 things that must be absolutely right before you will enjoy life. Prove the list wrong by literally or figuratively burning it.
Drop the seeming importance of your medals, trophies, formal education, resumé, and achievements. Ask, “Are they?” Realize the same of your so-called failures.
Imagine how a child feels upon meeting a new friend.
Listen carefully to children playing. As you overhear them rant and complain, make a list of their mentioned woes.
Glance at your “To-Do” list of chores demanding attention; then just as quickly turn away.
Drop all of your mind stories related to “I did this” and “He/she did that.”
Close your eyes and follow your breath into an inner world of wonder. Return as awareness, carrying the sense of wonder with you.
Remove the stain related to “life will be better when” by asking if “when” ever arrives.
Take off your ego’s muddy galoshes, and run bare foot.
Acknowledge the Divine Power that is beating your heart. Bow your head and whisper “Thank you.”
Pack a picnic (however meager) and dine at a new location, in the fullness of Now.
Look upon everyone (the young and the seeming old) as a child of the Creator. They are.
For sixty seconds, feel your heart’s warm unity of Oneness with All. Repeat.
Count your “haves,” instead of your “wants.”
Be with your hands as they slowly open and close. Can you feel the miracle?
Through awareness, Be peace, here and now. Silently say “hush” if the mind attempts to intrude.
Give.
Love.
Be grateful.

Through awareness, we may reignite so much joy that we once felt as children. This world–Life, Itself–need not seem like such a bothersome chore; we need not manage it, change it, or define it with our borrowed cares. Wonder, amusement, and excitement are waiting to be born into experience through Presence.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Shoot-Out at Self Inquiry Square

To set the scene for this article, please whistle a few bars of the theme music to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Alternately, a Clint Eastwood sneer might also be helpful.

***

Recently, my ego, “Gus,” and I hadn’t been gittin’ along so well; so it was decided that we would have a shoot-out. Huhhh, yep, that’s right–the old fashioned kind; pistols at midday, one hundred paces apart. It was time to put an end to the apparent suffering. Plus, I was getting tired of Gus’s cussing–cussed a lot, that varmint did.

At high noon, Gus and I stepped into Self Inquiry Square. It was uncomfortably hot, with occasional swirls of dust. A buzzard circled directly overhead. In the middle of the square, we positioned ourselves back to back, and then set off walking in opposite directions. With our spurs jangling, we counted off fifty paces and turned toward each other. Gus looked cocky, as usual, chawing tobaccy. For a few moments, we stared at each other, I to ‘i.” Suddenly, without batting an eye, Gus drew his gun and pulled the trigger. But lo and behold, the only sound was a click. Stunned, he angrily aimed his gun at me and repeatedly pulled the trigger; again, the only sounds were clicks.

Armed in the strength of I Am, I began marching toward him. As I closed the distance, I emptied both of my six-shooters, throwing down the following books, rapid fire:

“I Am That“

“The Power of Now“

“The Nature of Consciousness“

“Who Am I?“

“The Ultimate Understanding“

“Illusion vs Reality“

“Wake Up And Roar, Satsang With Papaji“

“Open Secret“

“I, Reality and Subjectivity“

“The Untethered Soul“

“A Parenthesis in Eternity“

“This Taste of Flesh and Bones“

With each book tossed, I could see Gus’s level of fear increase. He was beyond scared, quaking so much that his spurs were jangling non stop. He knew that his perspective of ignorance would soon be dead. Less than ten feet from him, I sat down in the dusty street, crossed my legs, and finished him off with a few minutes of meditation.

When I opened my eyes (and saw clearly), Gus was nowhere in sight. By some accounts, the moment I closed my eyes, he turned tail and ran, lickety-split. Later, I searched town high and low; but I couldn’t find hide nor hair of him. It was as though he had never really existed. What about your “Gus,” you know, the guy/gal that goes by your name and claims to be who you really are? Is that little “i” still trying to run your life, or is I Am in charge?

***

For those who are interested, here is the above list of books, with their respective authors: (I Am That, Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj),translated by Maurice Frydman; (The Power of Now), by Eckhart Tolle; (The Nature of Consciousness), by Rupert Spira; (Who Am I?), Sri Ramana Maharshi; (The Ultimate Understanding), by Ramesh S. Balsekar; (The Ultimate Understanding), by Shri Ranjit Maharaj; (Wake Up And Roar, Satsang With Papaji), by Eli Jaxon-Bear; (Open Secret), by Wei Wu Wei; (I, Reality and Subjectivity), by David R. Hawkins; (The Untethered Soul), by Michael A. Singer; (A Parenthesis in Eternity), by Joel S. Goldsmith; (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), by R. Arthur Russell

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”

I Am ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )

With regard to the rather strange title of this article, I’m going to pose an odd question: “Do you dare?” That’s it, at least in part. Now here’s the question in full: “Do you dare fill in the blanks with the desire–most dear and important–that you hold in your heart?” At one time, I (as is the case with many others) was too afraid to claim what I most desired. As a result, it could not manifest. That was then. This is Now.

One of the teachers that can help us learn how to manifest our deepest desires was a man named Neville Goddard. Born in the Barbados, Goddard later moved to the United States. There, he met a mystic named Abdulah, who taught him many of the mysteries of the Kabbalah. In following years, Neville wrote several books and held lectures about spirituality and the law of attraction. The following quote is borrowed from one of his books entitled Feeling is The Secret:

“The dominant of two feelings is the one expressed. I am healthy is a stronger feeling than I will be healthy. To feel I will be is to confess I am not; I am is stronger than I am not.“

To understand this more deeply, it will help if we briefly examine the subject of time. Please become still with me NOW, and ask yourself the following question: “When but now, could you experience any event?” Last night’s dinner was eaten now. Tomorrow’s breakfast will be eaten now. When you get married, or graduate, or move into your new house, you will do so now. How can this be? Because any other time either past of future, is conceptual. This is why we must absolutely claim what we desire NOW. By gently and repeatedly claiming our desire as though achieved (through affirmations and visualizations imbued with feeling), we impress a clear paradigm (mould or example) upon the subconscious mind. Let’s go deeper via a quote from Proverbs 23:7:

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

The heart is the real YOU, beyond the “person” of name and form that you usually assume yourself to be. To manifest our dreams, we must claim–here and now–what we desire. To believe that our desire can be achieved in a conceptual future that doesn’t exist, is to doom our dream to remain unfulfilled.

So, I dare you (out of love): Please fill in the blanks (written in a few concise words) with the desire–already achieved–that you hold most dear in your heart. In private, quietly affirm it to yourself repeatedly, in a calm and relaxed manner. Write your goal on a card and place it in your wallet, pocket, or purse, and refer to it often. In your mind’s eye, see your desire fulfilled in every detail, from a personal point of view. Engage as many of your senses in the imaginal scene as possible. As doors swing open that lead to the achievement of your desire, step fearlessly forward. YOU, here and now, deserve this!

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Think2wice.me

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Invitation To Play

Shoot-Out at Self Inquiry Square

Deliberate Creation 5:5

Insights From Ashtavakra

I Am ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )

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