Awareness, non duality or Reality is no thing and everything, it is all-inclusive and nothing can be separate or apart from this space-like awareness.  Can there be anything outside of space, this boundless space of awareness or cognizing-emptiness?  I mean what would it be in?  Is there anything outside of space, when space itself has no center or circumference?  For anything to exist it would have to be in space wouldn’t it?

So can something come from nothing or emptiness?  Obviously not!  Something cannot come from nothing or no thing, so all the so called things and objects that are spontaneously appearing are also nothing or aware emptiness – ‘your glassy essence’!

  Space is nothing at all – no thing, it doesn’t stand out, yet for anything to “appear” there has to be this sky-like space for it to appear in.  The images that appear in the mirror are nothing but reflections on the reflecting surface itself, they have no independent nature of their own, and they can’t be separate or apart from the mirror, and are nothing but the mirror itself.  There is no back to this mirror-like seeing-knowing, no sides or edgers, no top or bottom, it is infinite in height, depth, and width, there where the actual seeing is taking place.  All the things and objects that appear are nothing but reflections in this mirror-like space of knowing, and are nothing but THAT non dual Absolute.  That is why the phenomenal universe is referred to as Maya or illusion in Advaita in Hinduism, simply a reflection in this ever-present non dual knowing.  There is no permanence in the reflections, they are constantly changing, they are content, and are nothing but the mirror itself.  The contents of the seeing are always changing, but the seeing is not changing, it is always the same seeing.  The contents of the mirror, the reflections are constantly changing, but the mirror is not contaminated, not affected by any of the reflections appearing in it.  What does this tell you?  See for yourself.  Have a good LOOK at it for yourself.

Stop ignoring this Basic Space of Phenomena, This Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena, stop ignoring your “glassy essence” that Shakespeare referred to in his play “Measure for Measure”.

  Since space and I are not different,

                     wherever I go,

                that will be the place

             where I am already present.

  Wake up this very instant, this very first and only instant – timeless Omnipresence – all-knowing – now-ing!  Wake fullness or awareing-knowing is bliss.  Awareness of being is bliss.  Distraction or unawareness is darkness, psychological suffering and ignorance.  This psychological suffering doesn’t have to be there, that is all that this is about.  Suffering and the ending of suffering.  This ongoing psychological suffering does not have to be there.  It is there because of an unexamined belief in an imagined separate entity.  Suffering is because of relationship, and relationship is dualism.  Relative to – this dead image, “me”, that I have constructed around the age of 3 years when the acquired words and language were taken on board by the little innocent child.  Everything that happens after the age of 3 years is then referred back to this dead image “I” or “me” that has been acquired.  What did we say from the very beginning?  There is no duality in non duality or this natural state, nature does not have any fixed reference point whatsoever, it changes of itself naturally and spontaneously.  Nature is not in conflict with itself – movement does not fight with stillness, silence does not fight with sound – it is all One without a second – all-inclusive.  Where does this conflict that so called human beings are constantly involved in come from?  Isn’t it imperative to find out for yourself?

  The false cannot stand up to investigation.  Everything in the manifestation can be reduced and broken down into the basic elements – earth, air, fire, water etc, then reduced further down to sub-atomic particles and finally into pure energy or space – emptiness suffused with awareness – THIS awake, aware no thing – space-like awareness or knowing.  Try to take that back and see how far you get.  No one, no saint, sage or seer has ever gone beyond nothing or no thing.  If you have gone that far, which is no distance at all, then you have gone as far as any sage including Ramana Maharshi, Christ, or Buddha has ever gone.  No one has ever gone beyond nothing, this no thing that you truly and ever are.

  Quite obviously then, you are THAT non dual empty essence that is self-shining, ever-fresh presence awareness and not the imagined entity “me”, So and So that you had taken yourself to be, prior to this investigation.  The very search itself has been the main problem or obstacle to clear seeing-being.  You are already what you are seeking, and you have never been separate or apart from this naked non conceptual essence of all-knowing awareness.  What you are seeking you already are, so start from the fact that you already are THAT non dual Absolute, and then just notice whatever rubbish that comes up in the mind that tells you you are not THAT, and simply scrape it away or discard it quite effortlessly and naturally.

  Once you directly SEE something as false, you don’t need to destroy it or get rid of it.  The seeing of the false as false is all that is necessary.  When you see that the water appearing at the end of the road ahead on a hot day is a mirage, the mirage itself continues to appear but you “know” instantly and spontaneously that there is no water in it.  It is unreal even though it still appears to be there.

  The same is true of the world and everyone who appears in it.  It still looks real, but you know that it is Maya or illusion.  Nothing was ever created.  Everything is unborn, unoriginated, including these words that are being written.  Nothing ever happened.  The world was never created in the first place, it is what we call Maya(illusion) in Advaita(non duality).  Much ado about nothing!  Was the water in the mirage at the end of the road ever really there?  No, it is an optical illusion and was never actually created in the first place, exactly like the night time dream that disappears and is seen to be utterly without substance, and nothing but pure imagination on awakening.

  It is the same with the so called phenomenal world.  The world of phenomena that we ‘think’ we see everyday has never been created in the first place.  Nothing ever happened, reality has never changed at any imagined time.  Reality is THAT which does not change, and the very suchness and actuality of non duality that we are pointing to has no duality in it and never has had.  Not seeing-knowing THIS directly, is what we mean by ignorance.

  This unborn awareness-consciousness is self-existing, unoriginated and Omnipresent.  No so called God created it, it is timeless and without any beginning or ending.  This aware no thing is what you truly and ever are.  I am THAT, and I am telling you whether you know it or not, that you are THAT, and you cannot possibly be anything else, any imagined thing that is apart from this no thing that is naked non conceptual awareness.

  Once you have clearly seen something to be false, are you going to continue to believe in it?  No you are not!  Simply see the false as false and you have done everything that needs to be done.  You no longer seek the truth or reality, you simply cease to cherish opinions and mental conceptual ideas in regard to this natural state.  Everything is clear and obvious in the natural state, there is nothing hidden or obscure.  Nothing need be added to or taken away from the given, from “what is”.

  What is means unaltered, unmodified, uncorrected – as is – just THIS, nothing else.  Leave it “as it is”, and stop trying to alter, modify, and correct what is.  Stop trying to work things out in your mind, and realize that you will never find any answer in the mind, which has no independent nature of its own.  What mind is there apart from awareness or consciousness?  When you directly look for the mind, you can’t find any such thing there that you can call mind apart from the thinking process itself, which arises spontaneously from emptiness-awareness, which is no mind or no thing in essence.

  Mind is time, and time is only a mental concept.  There is no time in Omnipresence, Omnipotence, Omniscience.  The result of all of your arguments is that you have tried to grasp this timeless All-presence with a concept, with a thought, which is utterly insubstantial, and which is nothing but a vibration or movement of energy in the unlimited energy of pure consciousness; and by trying to do this you fail, and you are bound to fail.  How are you going to grasp this Omnipresent, all-knowing essence of awareness which has no qualities, no color, shape, or form, and which is empty of all content, substance, and independent nature of its own?

  This no thing that is awareness is without beginning or ending, a cognizing-emptiness as the Buddha has pointed out.  This aware emptiness is the Base, the foundation of everything.  It is a plenum void, it is empty for filling, and it is all-inclusive.  Emptiness is form, and form is emptiness.  ‘My silence sings, my emptiness is full’.  There is only THAT.  Nirvana – Samsara all-inclusive.

  This you can never grasp with a concept, so full stop, and where does that leave you?  It leaves you here and now Omnipresent – I am THAT!  THAT thou art!  I am THAT by which I ‘know’ I am.  Not just for a puny 90 years, but infinitely and eternally – I am.  This is wisdom and authentic Self-knowledge.  This unshakable conviction, I am THAT.  Make it your very own, go all out for Self-realization, nothing less than this is inherently satisfactory.  Unenlightened existence is inherently unsatisfactory.

  There is no writers block, the writing is happening by itself spontaneously, there is no entity or person who is doing it.  This is heart to heart, not head to head.  Awareness talking to itself, how else can it be as non duality.  No duality in non duality – only THAT!  Let those who have ears hear.  The ear can’t hear and the eye can’t see – the physical eye and ear are only the instruments through which the seeing and the hearing are taking place spontaneously.  All functioning is taking place spontaneously and naturally.  Seeing without eyes and hearing without ears – THIS is the true seeing and the true hearing.  Only God or ‘I am’ has seeing, hearing.  Realize and directly know, I am THAT!

This Note is from the pen of Mark West                                                   

   Stop ignoring your glassy essence of naked non conceptual awareness and be ‘as you are’ in the natural state.  Give up becoming all together, and just simply ‘be’ – I am – without any shape, form, color, or limitation.

–  End.

Self interest rules in the world of phenomena, and this is inevitable and necessary up to a point.  However if the apparent separate self or entity is not seen through and known to be false and non existent, a phantom in the final analysis, then it certainly becomes self-destructive.  This entity or ego is a parasite that drains all your energy and finally kills you in the end if it remains unexamined.  That is what a parasite does if its falseness is not seen through, and we are simply saying and pointing out that this psychological suffering does not have to be there.  It is up to you and you alone.

End.

What is being said here is not something new.  If your very own Self or pure being was something extra or new to be attained or acquired, then it would seem that there is a possibility that you may lose it again.  However this is an impossibility because your true nature or natural state of awareness-consciousness cannot be lost or found simply because it is ‘as it is’ – changeless, formless, pure consciousness, right here and now.

This non dual understanding has been seen, realized and pointed to by various saints, sages and seers right down throughout the ages, and that is this ever present fact of your own being-awareness, ever fresh and ever new.  This empty cognizance at the very core of one’s being, this ever present awake, aware no-thing that you can never grasp with any thought or mental concept, is certainly not something new to be attained or acquired,

This that is being referred to and presently pointed to is not something that anyone can give you.  Here I am not teaching, telling or giving you anything, and this should be understood clearly from the start.  The actuality of non duality, awareness-consciousness is always and ever ‘as it is’ in nature or the natural state – “One without a second” as it is pointed out in Advaita in Hinduism, and this is also pointed to in various ways in all the major religions of the world.  There is no duality(no other, not two) in THIS and that is the very simplicity of what is.

There is always the ‘appearance’ of  duality in the phenomenal manifestation – day, night – man, woman and general multiplicity etc – the dynamic display of the energy of awareness; however this awareness-emptiness never ever changes its true nature or essence.  Just as the images reflected in the mirror are in fact nothing but the mirror or reflecting surface itself.  Every apparent thing from Brahma(the so called Creator) right down to a clump of grass is nothing but THAT non dual Absolute appearing as other that itself.  The individual, the world, and the supreme Self or God are like silver in the mother of pearl – they are all concepts.  The appearances as they “appear” are nothing but that – utterly impermanent and ever changing or what we call Maya or illusion.  All and any appearances have no substance or independent nature of their own apart from this naked non conceptual awareness.

Everything that appears to happen or occur is nothing but a spontaneous emanation or happening taking place effortlessly in this changeless essence, and there is no doer ship by any apparent person or entity whatsoever.  Everything seemingly happens by itself without the input of any entity, which clearly indicates that nothing ever happens at all, it only ‘appears’ to happen, simply because Reality or non duality is THAT which never changes.  What never changes or alters in any way is this impersonal presence of awareness – THIS awareness of presence which almost everyone is actively ignoring, having taken on as real and true this “me” of memory, this imagined ego or self-center.

Having taken on and adopted the “I” thought, engendered by the parents and society around the age of three years, one then adds to that “I” thought all the events and experiences that occur from then on, and assumes that acquired name and form to be what one actually is, loosing sight of one’s true nature – this unmoved mover at the very core or heart of one’s being.

One never questions who and what one truly and ever is.  One takes for granted that he or she is that Mr or Mrs So and So that one appears to be.  Appearance and Reality are not compatible.  Appearance is Maya or illusion and Reality is THAT which never changes.  The world is real if it is seen and discriminated as the non dual, non conceptual , ever fresh presence awareness – but unreal if it is taken to be separate, discrete, independent and apart from this cognizing-emptiness that this awareness truly and ever is.

This is the so called investigation or enquiry that each must undertake for him or herself if they would re-cognize their own true nature.  THIS is not anything that anyone can give you, the cognizing – seeing, hearing etc is already taking place.  You don’t have to kick start the seeing, hearing etc, just notice that the seeing is effortlessly taking place without the input of the acquired imagined entity “me” So and So.  Recognize this fact and half the battle is over.  The content of the seeing is constantly changing, but the seeing is never ever changing.  You’re seeing, knowing right here and now as this article is seemingly being read, and ask yourself – what effort am I making for this to occur or happen?  I suggest that you are making no effort at all to be aware, and that it is happening effortlessly and spontaneously.  It is the very same seeing that is seeing now as was seeing when you were one year old, ten years old, or even one hundred years old.  The seeing has not changed at all, it is exactly the same.  The contents of the seeing have changed and are constantly changing, but the seeing itself has never changed.  See the truth of what is being pointed to yourself.  Don’t wait for some other to tell you.

Everything occurring effortlessly and spontaneously in the natural state – “I am”, without words or concepts.  This natural beingness is ever present and does not need to be acquired.  You cannot negate your own being, nor can you grasp it with any word or concept.  You use the word human being to describe yourself and you use the word Supreme being to describe God.  Take away the concept or label human, and take away the label Supreme and then try to divide your being.  Notice that it can’t be done!  You cannot divide your beingness in any actual or real way – you still are infinitely and eternally – you are THAT!  I am THAT!  there is only THAT!

See the simplicity of what is being pointed to.  There is nothing simpler than non duality – One without a second, so stop complicating THIS with words, thoughts, and mental concepts.  FULL STOP!  Pause for just an instant, and see whether you disappear or not.  You will notice that you are still aware as you always and ever are whether thoughts are occurring or not.  “Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so” as Shakespeare says, however thinking does not make anything good or bad if it is seen to be nothing but a momentary movement of energy taking place in THIS changeless cognizing-emptiness that is infinite intelligence – your glassy essence – THIS beginning less endless activity of knowing.  The ‘ing’ on the end of it indicates that it is an activity that is taking place in the immediacy – Now-ing.  It is not happening yesterday or tomorrow, it is taking place presently in the wake fullness-awareness.  Aren’t you aware, right here and now?  What more do you want?

There is no more, THIS is as good as it gets.  Realize the truth for yourself.  “Know” the truth and the truth will set you free, but it won’t make you free unless you know it and acknowledge it, realize it as your very own Self – non dual One without a second, and it is not even One, no words or concepts can ever describe it as it simply is “as it is”, self-existing, self-shining, unborn, ever-fresh, ever-new, presence-awareness, just THIS ever present, unqualified, immediacy, nothing else!  No other, no duality, now or ever.

Try and take THAT back, try and analyse THAT, and you will fail, and you are bound to fail.  You have tried to grasp THIS immediacy with a concept and it can’t be done, so realizing this simply relax and abide as you are in the natural state.  Rest in your own true nature.

“Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, for my yoke(yoga) is easy(natural) and my burden is light” – this boundless light of all knowing awareness – I am THAT I am!  I am THAT by which I know I am!  This is the whole of the so called teachings.

 Mark now available for a one on one Skype consultations

(or interviews) of one hour length, for a reasonable fee. 

Contact Mark via the comment pages.

Advaita means the end of the Vedas – the end of words – the place where words or acquired language don’t and can’t reach, and that place which is no place is – I am THAT I am, infinitely and eternally.  Don’t forget it!

What we point to presently; and there is no other reality than this Omnipresent impersonal awareness, is THAT which cannot be put into words or grasped with any thought or concept whatsoever.  Words are useful as pointers, yet in themselves are nothing but labels and constructs acquired from the age of around two and a half years onwards.  Words are nothing but sounds or noises agreed upon by the society in general for practical purposes.  When we make the noise or sound “tree” through the inherited language, which is also something made up or constructed through imagination, then, through general agreement of the meaning of this constructed language we each know what is being referred to by that word.

So by using the word “tree” we then think that we have understood what is actually being referred to.  However that word, sound, or noise “tree” is not in fact what the very livingness, beauty, or actuality of what that so called thing truly is.  The word “tree” is not the vibrant, living essence that the tree actually is.  The word is never the actual and this needs to be clearly seen and known before the truth and actuality of Advaita or non duality can be fully grasped and realized.

The word is not the thing and belief is never the actual, this is what needs to be seen, known, and taken on board so to speak.  You do not believe that you are, you ‘know’ that you are as a self-evident fact right here and now, and you cannot negate this fact of your own being under any circumstances.  When this is clearly seen then one can use the word with impunity – use the word without the word using you, which is what usually happens.  THIS boundless actuality of “what is” is real, actual, and changeless beyond all imagining, and nothing has ever touched or affected it in any way, and you ultimately are THAT Supreme Reality – non dual One without a second as it is pointed to in Advaita in Hinduism, as well as in all the other great religions of the world.

All this is not a matter of belief, but for SEEING-KNOWING directly for yourself.  It is not something anyone can give you.  No so called other can ever see this for you, each must see this for themselves.  All we can do is point to THIS over and over again until one begins to notice it instead of ignoring it as one usually does.  Ignorance or not knowing one’s Self or true nature is a grievous sin and the cause of endless sorrow and suffering, and this need not be.  This psychological suffering is not necessary when one takes the trouble to LOOK and SEE who and what it is that suffers.

This fact of one’s own being is the one and only thing that you are absolutely certain of.  You know that you are, you don’t believe that you are.  You cannot under any circumstances negate your own being.  Has this fact ever occurred to you?  THIS is the key that unlocks the storehouse of unalloyed happiness or bliss.  Use this key right here and now, don’t wait another second for some future enlightenment.

Who is it that suffers, enjoys, and is constantly exposed to ongoing doubt and uncertainty about the imagined future?  Isn’t it that made up entity “me”, Mr or Mrs So and So?  Now this fellow up here in Kings Cross is telling you directly that there is no me, and that the person (persona, mask) you have taken yourself to be is not real.  The person is not the real or the actual, but simply an appearance similar to the image or reflection in a mirror.  The reality is the reflecting surface of the mirror, and any or all images that appear in the mirror are in fact nothing but the reflecting surface itself and do not in fact have any substance or independent nature of themselves apart from the mirror.  The reflections are in fact just that – reflections without any separate or independent nature whatsoever.

The mirror analogy is a reference to your own being as THIS ever-present naked, non conceptual awareness-knowing – THIS mirror-like wisdom or self-shining intelligence – THIS awake, aware, no thing that you truly and ever are – THIS emptiness suffused with awareness or naked non conceptual knowing which through force of habit, you are constantly overlooking, taking for granted, or ignoring.  This endless capacity of all-knowing awareness or intelligence is the reflecting surface that everything is appearing in and on so to speak, and everything, literally everything is THAT non dual Absolute, and there is no duality in it now or ever.  This ignorance that is now being pointed to and exposed is the very ignorance that is causing your fear and psychological suffering.  This suffering doesn’t have to be there.

Now this fellow is telling you that there is no “me” there that could suffer, and that that “me” is unreal like the horns on a hare, like the water in a mirage, or like the child of a barren woman.  Now am I right or am I wrong?  Don’t just take my word for it, after all, I might be having you on.  Have a good look at it for yourself, don’t go off half cocked and say – Oh yes, I’ve heard all this before, and leave it at that.  Look and SEE for yourself right now.  Don’t wait or you will wait forever.

Whenever any problem, fear, or uncertainty arises, directly look and see who it is that has this fear or problem.  When you really look you will not be able to find any separate person or entity there, but rather only naked awareness-consciousness.  I am giving you the keys to the kingdom – the Kingdom of Heaven – His Majesty – the knowledge I AM THAT I AM!  not just for three score years and ten, but rather infinitely and eternally.  Use this key right now to open up your very own storehouse of unalloyed bliss – “Soham” (I am He) automatically starts functioning.  Soham is endless, limitless, measureless, and is the messenger of Truth, who is self-evident.  The message and the messenger are not separate in Him.  The messenger is himself the joy that is the enjoyment of the endless – endless joy or bliss.  Let him who has ears hear, you will then SEE without eyes and hear without ears.

This does not mean that problems will not continue to arise as long as the body lasts.  However these ever arising problems will be resolved far more easily and effortlessly than previously, when you mistakenly presumed that you as the separate person or entity were running the show.  When you think that you are separate then there is constant and ongoing resistance to “what is”.  Resistance is conflict, and conflict is dis-ease – you are not at ease when you are in conflict – duality, us and them is conflict.

Resistance is always in regard to the reference point, that assumed entity “me”, and there isn’t one.  Got it?  No me, no self, then no problem now or ever.  There is an appearance of a so called “me”, but it must be seen-known that appearance ‘is’ appearance or reflection and not REALITY – that which does not change – and THAT which does not change is THIS ever-present naked, non conceptual awareness – limitless intelligence, this ever-present actuality of all-knowing unborn awareness. Clear?

Resistance and conflict are suffering, and this suffering will dissipate and fall away by itself when you clearly and directly see who has it.  Who is this who?  I suggest that there is no who at all, there is only THAT.  I am THAT Supreme Reality and so are you.  SEE for yourself.

When the world is assumed to be real, the Self is not seen:  but when this assumption is discarded, consciousness is realized.

The seer alone is real, the object being hallucination.

The infinite consciousness alone IS.

The world is not seen in the supreme non dual consciousness.

He sees the truth who is not deluded into thinking that he is the body which is subject to illness, fear, agitation, old age and death.

I am the unborn in whom the world-appearance has vanished.

The supreme Self has no relationship with this world-appearance.