Service…With a Smile

Guilty–as charged! Yes, the title of this article is cliché, but there’s good news: the content isn’t. As you may have guessed, the content relates to service–the real kind; not the smarmy “have-a-nice-day” (insert roll of the eyes) kind. On a deeper level, service can be interpreted as Purpose, with a capital P. Through wisdom, we learn that Being, Life, and Purpose are all so interdependently woven that one thread cannot be withdrawn without tugging on the others.

It’s been shared in the past, but the message is so important that it’s worth repeating again: “We’re not here to ‘get a life’ but to express the life that ‘is’ us.” The majority of persons may find this a perplexing statement; because from the perspective of the little “i” that presumes to be running our daily lives, it can certainly seem as though we live for the sake of our “self.” The “me-kind” of purpose, which most of us may have demonstrated at one time or another, is ultimately empty and meaningless; for such means that our sole reason for living is to keep the egoic self fed, watered, and physically and mentally satisfied. Such is a brochure to a destination, and a way of living, that most individuals wouldn’t want to visit.

There’s a spiritual saying that can is paraphrased as follows: “Before you can move into the big house, you must first move out of the little house.” It means that before we can recognize our true Self (the Big House), we have to move out of the little house (the ‘i”); and we do so by investigating its nature. The question “Who Am I?” is a good place to begin. One of the glorious realizations during my transition of houses occurred when I read, and understood, the following quote. Its measure of truth–a 10/10–is deserving of center stage:

The tree does not eat of its own fruit.”

What a powerful quote–so vibrantly ripe with meaning! The words resonate with the core of our Being. They barge right past the little guy or gal who’s been pretending to be “me” and shout: “Why do I live? What’s my purpose? How may I help, contribute, and serve? When we find the answer, we discover the gold that’s to be shared with everyone! Does this describe a life of self-sacrifice? Yes, most definitely! But here’s a related point that’s referred to in the first paragraph: The self that’s surrendered isn’t real. We only sacrifice the thief that’s been robbing our life of true joy.

A secondary, yet important, point is worth making: When we knowingly discover our true Self, our lingering energies of the little house may tempt us to remark about the purpose that others express. It could be tempting to judge. Resist; better yet–don’t. Would such behaviour express our highest ideal? No. Everyone one of us is at a different stage in our journey; due to this, all of us–at heart–are doing the best that we can, given our vantage point. A note of profound meaning is worth remembering:

With love as our benchmark, we can’t go wrong.

A perfect world (balanced in Harmony, Truth, and Love) demonstrates that the real reason we live is for one another. That means that the good that I do serves you; and that the good that you do serves me or one or more of our worldwide brothers and sisters. Everyone is included; for the All That Is has no room for exclusion. The phrase that describes such a way of living is Peace on Earth.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

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 Echo of “I Am”

In wisdom teachings about our essential nature, which is identical in quality and nature to God’s, an analogy is sometimes used of the sun shining as a reflection in water-filled pails. The sun, which is self-luminous and requires nothing else by which to shine, refers to Consciousness; and the water and the pails refer to us, the body-minds or persons. In the analogy, the unaware person assumes that there’s an individual sun in each pail. We, of course, realize that this isn’t the case. The analogy is intended to help us understand that each of us (water-filled pails) is not a source of consciousness unto our self. We shine (or know) by the light of the one-and-only true Sun, Consciousness.

Another analogy came to me this morning. Imagine the following, if you will: In the beginning: Consciousness, All That Is. Eternally and silently, It thinks, hums, and knows “I AM.” Through its creative faculties, It creates all that apparently is, including us. In our mind, we hear the echo ofI Am“–The Creator that logically would have to be within each and every one of Its creations. The confusion arises when we assume that the echo is generated by, and belongs to, our little “i” that walks this Earth. Consciousness is not personal; It is Universal. In John 10:30, Jesus is attributed with stating the same message: “I and my Father are one.” Through innocent ignorance, the majority of humans believe they’re limited to the body-mind that will surely die. This erroneous belief leads to tremendous suffering.

In case this seems like a whole lot of mumbo jumbo, it may help to know that scientists have been unable to identify the biological processes which they assume give rise to a supposedly personal sense of “i” within the human being. They never will. Why? Because the Consciousness which creates, and with which experience is known, isn’t personal. In other words, it doesn’t belong to the body-mind. The story of the little “i” that most persons believe themselves to be is known through Consciousness, the only one there is. A quote from Joel Goldsmith, who was a noted spiritual teacher, beautifully relates this Truth:

Take off your shoes in the presence of the word ‘I’ because you are speaking the holy name of God.”

There are tremendous benefits that arise through understanding the nature of our True Self; not the least of which is fearlessness regarding death. When we know that the true “I” within us, that “is” us, doesn’t die, we realize that there’s nothing to fear. With this understanding, we can live–fully–here and now. The only self that dies is the fictional “i” of name and form, which is rendered by the mind. The Real “I” is all that is…eternally.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

Dear “Death”

Dear Death,

Regarding your rather dark and threatening memo dated yesterday, “thanks, but no thanks.” I’m having no part of the mythical story you’re attempting to spread via fear mongering, subliminal messages, and outright deceit. Nice try. Aren’t you getting a little tired of spreading the same old same old? That skull-and-crossbones logo is passé, don’t you think? Perhaps you could attempt to sell the general public another type of story. You know…a certain bridge for sale; shares in a swampland development; or cures for bunyons, acne, and warts.

Perhaps you haven’t heard, but there’s a spiritual movement that’s gaining momentum, here and now. Human beings are learning that they’re not who they think they are. They’re learning to recognize the deeper dimension of their essential nature that’s beyond birth and death. They know they’re so much more than flesh and bones. They also know that the consciousness through which they live and move and have their being is impersonal and Universal, not personal. So, basically, my message to you is this: The jig is up. Your pants are down. You can run, but you can’t hide. You may now cease and desist from your scare tactics.

I hope this won’t embarrass you, but I shared your recent message with as many people as I could; and I must admit that after reading it, we all had a good chuckle and then…yawned; especially at that fire and brimstone part. We’ve seen through you. Your story’s getting very old. Perhaps you should engage some ghost writers to punch up your story line.

As for you, you little buggar, I bid you farewell. You need not ever contact me again, either in person or via threatening emails. I’m on to you, and so are a lot of other beings. Personally, I wish you a fine, long, and warm stay in Hello, watching eternal reruns of Gilligan’s Island.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2025 – R. Arthur Russell

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 Magic of Believing

In 1948, Claude M. Bristol published his little masterpiece entitled The Magic of Believing. It’s still in print to this day; which tells us something of its enduring value and. The front matter of the book includes the following verse from Mark 9:23:

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

In his book, Bristol shares the accounts of numerous persons in a variety of situations in which their belief gave rise to seemingly miraculous results. The first sentence of his book reads as follows: “Is there a something, a force, a factor, a power a science–call it what you will–which a few people understand and use to overcome their difficulties and achieve outstanding success? I firmly believe that there is…” To help us achieve the results that we desire, he also shares techniques that include the practice of impressing the subconscious mind through the repetition of positive affirmations.

This, of course, is nothing new; but the majority of persons may as yet be unaware of the power that’s within their own grasp. Faith is not a dead word; it’s vibrantly alive with the power that can move mountains. Here, I offer you ten verses that I hope will inspire you to keep your faith in your vision:

  • Hebrews 11:3: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.”
  • Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”
  • Luke 12:32: “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
  • Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
  • Matthew 9:29: “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
  • Mark 11:24: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
  • Job 22:28: “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”
  • Matthew 17:20: “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
  • John 21:6: “And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were unable to draw it for the multitude of fishes.”
  • Romans 4:17: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

Knowledge about the power of the mind to produce wonderous effects has been known for centuries. Today, this power is referred to as The Placebo Effect; and it’s equally powerful in producing both favourable and unfavourable results, depending on our habitual beliefs. Such is easier to understand when you realize that mind and matter are not opposite; they’re one.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

Consciousness Creates

The content of this article may seem challenging to understand or outright ludicrous for the majority of “persons” who are still clutching the materialist (matter based) paradigm of reality. It’s highly likely that artists and other creative souls who are attuned to the Source will more easily realize its truth. As the title suggests, the purpose of this article is to cogently relate that CONSCIOUSNESS Creates–not humankind. If you’re open to transformational knowledge, please continue reading.

I agree that it appears as though Humankind creates; but that’s only due to ignorance of our essential nature and sleight-of-hand tricks that are being played by our perception, which is only modulations of thought. Having been conditioned to believe that we’re the false self (the person) since infancy, we, therefore, believe that we see, hear, taste, touch, smell, and act as discrete autonomous persons. The fact is that our body-minds are products of Infinite Living Mind. The true Creator, CONSIOUSNESS, cannot be sensed via the senses because it’s beyond the mind. The same can be stated of our true nature; we are formless, limitless, aspects of Awareness. The fabric of this universe is not matter, as is commonly believed. All apparent circumstances, and objects–including our body-minds–are rendered by Consciousness. Doubt this can be true?

If you attempt to relate evidence of an event that wasn’t experienced via consciousness, in consciousness, you will always come up empty handed. Can you? It is impossible to directly know a supposedly material world beyond our perception–namely, seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling. Any event that apparently occurs is only known by CONSCIOUSNESS. Of the supposedly material world beyond Consciousness, (which quantum physicists are still attempting to prove exists), we know nothing. How could we? Matter is only a belief that’s rendered by the mind; the truth of this is supported by the most rigorous science. In 1909 at Manchester University, Ernest Rutherford discovered that atoms, which were once believed to be physical building blocks of the universe, are predominately (99.999%) empty space. They are more appropriately described as whirling clouds of energy.

Due to the erroneous belief that Consciousness is personal (it isn’t), the vast majority of humans believe that they arise in the morning to “reality” and begin their day. Such persons erroneously mistake the waking state (a clearer and more sharply defined dream state) as the foundation of reality. They ‘re confused but unaware they are confused. To the enlightened, such Beings are asleep to their essential nature. Just for the record, it’s never been proved that biological processes within the brain give rise to Consciousness…because it doesn’t! The brain, our body-minds, all objects, and the world itself arise within Consciousness–not the other way around. Through innocent ignorance and the lack of clear discernment, humankind has identified with the creation (the body-mind) and remains unaware of their True Self, which is beyond name and form. We are an aspect of THAT (Consciousness, God) which gives rise to all name and form.

We can directly discover the deeper dimension that is our True Self through the practice of meditation, which is actually a non-doing activity. If we set aside a few minutes each day to still our body and mind, we will soon realize that we, indeed, are the Awareness in which our thoughts, images, feelings, sensations, and perceptions arise; they are not us. All of these appear to our True Self. This explains why the Bible advises us to be still and know that I am God.

One of the easiest ways to understand the creative process is through an analogy that Mike Dooley (noted Law of Attraction author and speaker) shared in one of his recent Notes from the Universe. To read it in full, press here. The information he shared is a fundamental principle of life. We pitch our ideas (via our feeling-imbued habitual thoughts and visualizations) and God hits them out of the park. Contrary to popular belief, “you“–Jane or John–are not the doer. There is One Doer, Consciousness, aka God. A note of caution: Consciousness hits all of our habitual mental pitches out of the park, whether we label them good or bad, favourable or unfavourable. It’s no wonder that we are advised to choose our thoughts wisely. I hope this information will help you understand the following quote attributed to Henry Ford at a deeper level: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Just know that either way, it’s only going to appear that you’re the doer. All you truly do is conceive and believe.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

This Mental Universe

In this article, we’re going to depart from our inquiry into the nature of our true Self and examine The Law of Attraction in greater depth. For persons who are unfamiliar with the subject, the law is basically summed up as follows:

We bring about what we think about.”

One well-known example of the law at work is related in Job 3:25, through the account of Job: “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” That to which we give our attention, whether favorable or unfavorable, manifests in our “reality.” If you doubt this can be true, please read the following photo-quotes from various books:

Socrates (470 – 399 BC) was no slouch when it came to philosophy. He was also an idealist, which basically means that he believed that everything is a concept in mind. Think opposite of a materialist; a person who believes in a discrete world made of “matter.” Before scoffing at the idea that matter doesn’t exist in the “concrete-real” way that most persons assume, please contemplate the following question: “Do you believe that you actually come into contact with matter?” If so, please consider this: All that we experience directly are our perceptions; which basically means sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Beyond these, we’re only assuming that a correlative world made of matter actually exists. Quantum physics has yet not discovered the tiniest bits of matter; and it never will.

A few quotes may help us understand how the Law of Attraction really works, beginning with Socrates: “To be is to do.” Mahatma Gandhi pointed to the same understanding through his famous quote: “Be the change you desire to see in the world.” Bob Proctor, who studied the teachings of the Law of Attraction for almost sixty years, said: “If you can see it in the mind, you’re going to hold it in the hand.” Mike Dooley, who is a noted speaker and author about the Law of Attraction, states it this way: “Thoughts become things.” Neville Goddard, who was a Barbadian-born mystic, lecturer, and author of many books about deliberate creation, stated: “Things have no reality other than in consciousness. Therefore, get the consciousness first and the thing is compelled to appear.” Andrew Carnegie, who was once one of the wealthiest men in the world, stated the premise the following way: “Any idea that is held in the mind, that is emphasized, that is either feared or revered will begin at once to clothe itself in the most convenient and appropriate form available.”

If all of this sounds ludicrous, I hear you. At one time, I would have definitely agreed. If we engage in even a little self-inquiry, however, we can realize that we are neither the body nor the mind. In other words, you’re not the person you have assumed. Through time spent in stillness (Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God“), we can directly experience a deeper dimension of Self; one in which we recognize that we are the witness of sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. All of these arise and subside; we, however, are the eternal witness of all that appears. Persons are appearances in consciousness that are known by Awareness. Our true nature is Awareness, or Spirit. Just for the record, science has not yet determined how the body-mind gives rise to consciousness (coined The Hard Problem of Consciousness by David Chalmers), and it never will be. Why? Because the body is rendered by the mind.

We are co-creators, not persons. We create by imagining what we desire; and it manifests in our reality through our belief that it’s already ours. Our “world” is not made of matter; it’s made of mind. This explains why Nikola Tesla stated the following: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration; “and why James Jean, noted astrophysicist and author of The Mysterious Universe, stated “The stream of knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality; the Universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter… we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter.”

As much as it might seem that we are the doers and the personal knowers of the world, we are not. Those effects are produced by Maya (Sanskrit, meaning illusion). There is One Knower and One Doer (God), which is manifesting through a multiplicity and diversity of beings.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020–R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

What We’re Looking For…

Everyone is seeking happiness. Ask persons what they want, and they’ll likely respond with one of the following superficial answers: a relationship, more money, a promotion, a new car or house, or world travel. On a deeper level, however, they want some or all of these for one simple reason: They want to be happy. In our blindness, we erroneously attribute happiness to things. If so, we’re bound to suffer–bigtime. The reason? Human happiness is fleeting and always on the move. Inherent in pleasure is its polar opposite, which is pain. Doubt this can be true?

Here is a simple illustration: Johnny loves chocolate cake. It just tastes so good, especially when it has thick icing. One piece leads to two; two to three; and just about the time that three peices is leading to four, Johnny gets a stomach ache. Our folly is attributing goodness to a thing which eventually must yield its badness. If Johnny continues on his path, he’s likely to end us overweight and in declining health. In and of itself, the cake isn’t bad; it’s Johnny’s relationship to it that’s causing the problem. Think it’s any different for the person that believes that a relationship will make life just perfect? Or the workaholic who sacrifices family life and health for….?

The other examples–of relationships, more money, promotions, a new car or house, and world travel–can logically be taken to the point of turning into pain. If we lean on any of them to make us feel good, all of them will no doubt let us down when we experience the pain of that dependency. The key to transcend this trap is to discover that deeper dimension within ourselves that is already whole and, therefore, in need of nothing. That dimension is what St. Francis of Assisi was referring to when he stated: “What we’re looking for is what’s looking.”

Our essential nature is completely overlooked by the majority of persons. Why? Because we’ve become lost to our senses and been conditioned to believe that the body-mind (the person) is the sum total of our being. It is not. To make our apparent human journey, we must temporarily forget What we truly are–Spirit. Live as a human long enough, with little or no awareness of our deeper nature, and we are bound to suffer. The pain of polarity, and year after year of striving to arrive at a fictional destination, is just too much to endure. In time, we tire and grow weary. What we’re truly seeking is to rediscover that overlooked part of ourselves that will make us feel whole and complete.

Consciousness is not personal; it only appears that way. In the body-mind, it is but a reflection of the one-and-only Consciousness, which is Universal. Our true nature is unbounded, eternal, immortal. We are “That.” It doesn’t die because it was never born. Birth and death belong to the body-mind, but not to us. We are beyond time and space, which are rendered by the mind. Our true joy will only be found when we recognize our deeper dimension of Self. Then and only then can we enjoy that piece of cake without depending on it for our happiness; nor anything else, for that matter. Time spent in meditation is one of the ways to discover the doorway that leads to our essential Self. For anyone interested, press here to view a brief introduction to self-inquiry by Rupert Spira.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020–R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you believe it holds value. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

Thank You” & “Note to Publishers

Snakes and Ladders

When I was a young child, one of the games I used to enjoy playing was a board game called Snakes and Ladders. It’s actually still available to this day. It consists of a board with horizontal squares numbered 1 to 100; beginning in the bottom left corner. The objective of the game is very simple: A player wins by being the first to land his/her gamepiece at the square marked 100. Players take turns rolling a die and advance their gamepiece accordingly. If players land on a ladder, they can scoot upward; conversely, if they land on a snake they must slither downward. So, what’s the point?

What I didn’t realize until recently is that this simple game is based on an ancient board game from India called Moksha Patam. Moksha, for those who may be unfamiliar with the term, means to be liberated from the cycle of birth and death. This occurs through enlightenment; a term which refers to the recognition of True Self (which is Spirit) and, thus, the falsity of the conceptual person. The game was originally intended to help teach basic lessons regarding morality and how to better live with one another. The ladder represents our noble qualities–such as love, compassion, kindness, generosity, and empathy. The snake represents our ignoble instincts–such as lust, greed, anger, selfishness, and hatred.

On a human–grown up–level, we can still learn many valuable lessons through analogy of our life and the game of Snakes and Ladders. It reminds us to be aware, especially with regard to our thoughts, speech, and actions; for these are building our character and, thus, creating our destiny. If we allow our life to be driven by our little egoic “i,” we are certain to lose; for a self-centered cannot help anyone win. Such will be a shallow life, to say the least; one lacking the depth and richness that ultimately makes life worth living. To truly win, we are wise to apply ourselves to helping others climb their way to success. In effect we, thereby, become the ladder for their ascension and let our life stand humbly in the background. Sweet idea, isn’t it? Even better lived.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

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. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

Thank You” & “Note to Publishers

Bhagavad Gita: Song of The Lord

Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord)

The Bhagavad Gita, which is often translated to mean Song of the Lord, is a Hindu scripture that contains 700 verses and dates back to the second century BCE. It is part of the Mahabharata. It is a narrative tale that is designed to help us discern between the false self (the ego) and our essential nature which is beyond death. The following short passage describes the nature of our authetic Self: Weapons cannot cut it, nor can fire burn it; water cannot wet it, nor can wind dry it.”

The True Self that is described in that short passage is Spirit, or Consciousness. It is the very foundation of our being. The majority of the masses assume that consciousness is highly personal; for it certainly feels as though there is a personal self confined within the boundaries of our body and mind. Where, though, is that little self? Without any scientific proof to support this claim, most people believe that the brain magically gives rise to the subjective knower of their experience. They believe that this little “i” (referred to by name) somehow came into being with the arrival of the body and, thus, must end with the death of the body. This, however, is a huge assumption; one that can lead to tremendous fear–such as that which we are witnessing with regard to a certain virus.

Could it be that the masses have it backward; and that sages, saints, and rishis from time immemorial are correct? Could it be that your body (which we can only know through consciousness) is actually a product of mind (the creator of everything) and that any concern for the demise of the body-mind is actually fear related to death of an illusion. This–right now–is the illusion. It is, indeed, a dream within a dream. Consciousness (some would call it God) creates objects and worlds and persons through the power of Maya, which is loosely translated as illusion. Human forms are part and parcel of that illusion. What’s Real is the eternal Awareness through which we know our seemingly personal body-mind. There is nothing to fear. If you’d like to learn more about this subject, you might enjoy this presentation by Leo from Actualized.org.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

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. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

Thank You” & “Note to Publishers

Truth of The Game

Cube ChessboardThere’s an Italian proverb that reads as follows: “After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.” On the surface, we might be tempted to interpret the saying to mean that everyone will end up in a coffin, six feet beneathe the ground we once walked. Although it’s true that our bodies will end up somewhere, the saying points to a deeper understanding that we can know here and now.

During this chess game called “human life,” all of us have played various roles. Some of us have been CEO’s of powerful companies; some of us royalty with a supposedly blue bloodline; some of us plumbers, electricians, or paramedics; some of us lawyers, doctors, or rocket scientists; some of us mother, father, son, or daughter. Now, here’s the truth: We can never–ever–be any of those descriptors.

Why? Because all of those titles are mere labels. Try as you might (if you thought yourself a barber), you can’t cut hair with the word scissors. The word is just an arrangement of letters that won’t cut anything–a pointer for that which it represents. In this case: actual scissors made of stainless steel. This same logic holds true for our names. Despite what society tells us, we can never ban Arthur or a Susie; an Antoine, Maria, or Liam. So much for a name…

The key that unlocks the deeper understanding of the proverb lies in the last four words: “into the same box.” For those readers who may have interpreted “same box” to imply coffin, wouldn’t that make for one heck of a crowded coffin? To understand the true meaning of the proverb requires us to deeply investigate–and recognize–What we actually are That is beyond “who we think we are.” This is often explained through the following analogy:

Gold jewelry comes in various forms–such as bracelets, necklaces, and rings. That’s us, folks–bracelets, necklaces, and rings that go by a variety of names, titles, and desciptors. The jewelry, however, is all formed from one substance–gold. It is one in essence but apparently different in form. Same applies to us: Although we appear as various forms, all of us melt down into one essence which is Consciousness, aka God. That cannot die because it is beyond form; thus, Eternal. The body and the mind are known through Consciousness by Consciousness Itself; not the other way around, as the majority of persons assume.

This game of life could not be played if the One–and only One–did not assume the roles of various pieces and places upon the chessboard. Imagine, if you will, a game of chess in which all of the pieces were dressed as pawns. How would the game ever take place? Roles as such are required in this dimension, but the grievous mistakes occur only when we ignorantly confuse the “role” with our true Self. What’s truly wonderful is that we don’t have to wait for the box to recognize our essential nature! Wishing everyone a great game of chess!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

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. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

Thank You” & “Note to Publishers