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.

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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.

Any label that one applies to oneself is just that – a label, a concept, and not the actuality of “what is”.  Your very own being, this ever present fact of your own being is the only fact that you are absolutely certain of.  You cannot negate this ever present beingness, it is ineffable and inexpressible and the words and concepts can only point to and verify it, yet they can never grasp it or know it objectively.
This First Person, Present tense, Singular, is pure subjectivity without any object whatsoever.  The so-called objects are in and on it and are nothing but THIS non dual Absolute, or true subjectivity.  Subject and object imply duality – me and the other – and THIS that you truly and ever are, this very actuality of non duality has no duality in it at all.  There is no duality in non duality – not two – now or ever.  The direct seeing-knowing of THIS is the truth that sets you free.
You are always THAT non dual Absolute, so there never was a time when you were not that.  Time is only a mental concept and has no reality apart from thinking and memory.  Do you have a memory(name and form identity) if you don’t think about it?  You would have to go to memory, which is thinking-recalling, even to say that I am Mr or Mrs So and So.  So this being – pure being – not being this or that, is timeless, unborn, and Omnipresent.  Aren’t you THAT?  What more do you want?
In this presence – Omnipresence, is the fullness of life.  You will find that it always surpasses your own wishes.  The present moment holds infinite riches beyond your wildest dreams, and this is the only moment you can ever live.  You can’t live a second in the past or future, because the past is being recalled presently, and the so called future is being anticipated presently also.  So you never really leave the present, only in imagination.  Yet you, as you appear to yourself to be as that miserable, limited human being, seem to be unaware of your vast treasure, the pearl of infinite value – Self-realization, Self-knowledge, and so content yourself with other knowledge – knowledge of others, persons, places, objects, and things.  All that accumulated, conceptual learning parading as knowledge is nothing but ignorance.  Ignorance of your true nature or natural state.  Any and all acquired knowledge – historical, scientific, spiritual, and religious is nothing but ignorance.
To realize this directly is the only true knowledge – the knowledge I am – knowledge of Self – Self-realization.  There is only THAT.  All this is THAT.  This awake, aware, nothing or no thing – nothing apart from THAT now or ever.

Forgetting our true nature, we act like a king who behaves as a beggar in his dream.
When enlightenment dawns, you will realize that you were never born, nor have you carried out any worldly actions.

Neither remembrance nor forgetfulness actually exists.
There is no awakened one; there is only Self-realization.

Still a long way to go to reach this realization?  How far do you have to go to reach space?  This ever present space of knowing I am!  No distance at all I suggest.  Aren’t you aware and knowing that you are aware presently?  Do you have to make any effort to be aware?        Isn’t it choice less and effortless, this presence of awareness?  This emptiness suffused with knowing awareness, this SPACE of knowing is boundless and without any center or circumference.  Is there anything perceivable or conceivable that could be outside of this space of knowing?  What would it be in?  It would have to be in space, so you don’t have to do anything or go anywhere to reach this space-like awareness as you can never really be separate or apart from SPACE – knowing, cognizing-emptiness, or emptiness suffused with awareness.

So you are already THAT.  Seekers are not, and never will become finders as such.  So simply give up the seeking through seeing the futility if it, the futility of trying to become what you already are; and you are left here and now present and aware as you have ever been.  Drop the seeking and you are home and hosed.  Without that limited identity as a seeker you are this boundless SPACE of knowing in which everything appears and disappears.  As that space-like awareness you are everywhere and every when.  There is no place or time where you are not because every apparent thing is THAT space of intrinsic awareness-emptiness.  THIS is the home and actuality of non duality and you, whether you know it or not are THAT and you cannot possibly be separate or apart from THAT.  This alone is Self-knowledge and Self-realization, nothing less than this true and direct knowledge, I am, infinitely and eternally, not just for 80 years or so.  First person, Present tense, Singular – non dual One without a second.

I am not talking to a person as a “person”, but to pure consciousness.

I speak to you in the language that was yours before words were first introduced to you.

However, you have to understand the meaning in the language that you have learned.

Since space and I are not different, wherever I go, that will be the place where I am already present.

I give you the knowledge of my true nature; listen to it as if it is your own.

What we point to in all these discussions and apparent exchanges is the self evident fact of your own being.  This simple, obvious and yet profound fact of your very own being; this presence of awareness that you cannot under any circumstance negate, and at the very same time you cannot grasp with any thought, word, or concept, or as any apparent object.

If it is closely looked into, THIS presence of awareness or awareness of presence is not your personal presence.  It is not your presence or my presence, rather it is self-existing, self-knowing, without the need of any god there to create it.  Have you ever looked into yourself in this way?  Did you as the apparent entity, Mr or Mrs So and So, have any hand in creating the body-mind vehicle that you seem to inhabit, or did it arise spontaneously without your wanting it to?

How did all this happen without your permission or without your wanting it to happen or appear?  Have you ever looked along these lines or considered this apparent mystery?  This sense of presence, I am, that is what was born, and it wasn’t until the age of 2 or 3 years that you became aware of your existence as someone or something  seemingly separate or apart from THIS ever present awareness-consciousness.  The concept “I am”, and no one can grasp “I” as it is only a thought or concept; and so aided by the parents and society in general, one adds to that concept ‘I am’ all the events and experiences that occur from that early age onwards, and so takes on the false face or identity, I am So and So.

Because of this false identity with the body-mind vehicle which has arisen spontaneously, there comes with that the fear that I am going to die and disappear.  Now this consciousness, “I am” that has arisen spontaneously and will depart in the same way, how has it come about, and what exactly is the cause of it?  Because of what has all this come about?  This is the riddle or koan that has to be solved.  How did you come to be – I am So and So, and because of what are you?  Unless this riddle is solved and utterly resolved, you will never know peace – the peace that passes all understanding – self-realization, the genuine, authentic, knowing of who and what you truly and ever are.

No one else can do this for you, because there is on other apart from this impersonal presence of all-knowing awareness which, up until this point; you as the imaginary entity So and So have been ignoring or taking for granted, so to speak.  You could not even lift a finger or move a muscle if that animating life essence or impersonal presence of awareness was not there, yet you don’t seem to be aware of it, or to acknowledge it in any way.  Isn’t this ignorance or spiritual blindness?

You are firmly in the grip of this “I” conceit or arrogance of doer ship and yet, you have never done a single thing or action of your own accord; you are not the doer of your actions, so where exactly does the question of karma come in?  Karma for who exactly?  Have you ever considered any of this?  Isn’t it high time that you did, or is this constant psychological suffering something that you relish and enjoy?  Ask yourself these questions and see for yourself, no guru or priest is going to do this inner work for you, as in your ignorance you may have somehow hoped.

Stop ignoring this naked awareness that is ever present, Omnipresent. Stop pretending to be what you are not – a limited separate human being looking out of “two” little peep holes in a stale meat-ball like head, and instead be this boundless space-like awareness that you are truly seeing out of – this space or no face that everything is appearing in.  Isn’t the seeing taking place from “space” there where you are instead of out of two eyes?  Isn’t the very first thing that you are seeing actually space?  Can you find any center or circumference to that space of knowing where the actual seeing is taking place from?

Drop all your preconceived ideas and acquired knowledge and simply LOOK. On present evidence, without resorting to memory, words, or concepts, how many eyes are you looking out of?  I suggest that you are looking out of a single edgeless eye – the Christ eye or the Buddha eye.  Looking out of this single edgeless eye then your whole body if full of light – the self-evident light of awareness or naked knowing.  THIS is the light that lights up every man and woman who seemingly comes into the apparent world.  Know for certain, don’t think – I am the light of the world and let your light so shine before men that they will rejoice and glorify this heavenly light of naked all-knowing awareness.  Wouldn’t you then rejoice and say quite confidently – I am THAT I am, that is prior to and utterly suffuses consciousness and the manifest world?

– End.

The subject that we are discussing here is non duality – One without a second, as it is pointed out in Advaita in Hinduism. This has also been expressed in all of the major world religions as well. If as the ancients and others have stated and pointed out, that Reality, God, Truth, or “what is” is non dual, non conceptual, pure awareness-consciousness, then obviously that does not leave any room for a you or a me, or any separate personal entity whatsoever. How can there be a “me” apart from consciousness? If there is one, then that is dualism or duality and what we are saying, expressing , or pointing out is that there is no duality in this ever present non dual essence of all knowing awareness-consciousness that you always and ever are; THIS ever present natural state that is neither yours nor mine, but simply “is”.

How can there be Omnipresence and “me”, Mr or Mrs So and So? That would mean that there is something added to, outside, or apart from Omnipresence, and in actuality there is only THAT. To have something outside of Omnipresence is an impossibility, so it is clear that the entity “me” is a total fiction, an imaginary entity, a phantom, or what we call in Advaita, the child of a barren woman. Now, a barren woman has never had a child in the first place, so who in fact are you who is seemingly reading this? Ask yourself these questions and find out directly for yourself, don’t wait for something or someone outside yourself to give you THIS or you will wait forever. No one is going to give you, teach you, or tell you anything. Work out your own salvation with diligence.

There is an “appearance” of duality and there could not be any manifestation at all if it did not appear in the so called pairs of opposites – day-night, sound-silence, hot-cold, man-woman etc; however, even though it may appear like that it has never changed its true nature as non dual awareness-consciousness. The sky still appears to be blue, and there still appears to be water in the mirage, however it is clearly seen and known that the sky is not blue, nor is there ant water in the mirage appearing in the distance, although there appears to be.

If through investigation and clear seeing it is directly seen and known that there is no me here separate or apart from awareness; then that being the case, if, right here and now presently I can’t find any me or separate entity whatsoever when I directly look, then might en it dawn on you that there isn’t one? If there is no me or mine apart from this awareness-consciousness right here and now on present evidence(not taking into account thought or memory) or direct investigation, then when was there ever one? Doesn’t that lead to the conclusion that there never was any separate person or entity there at any so called time, even though it was believed that there was one? There never was any separate person or entity there with any substance or independent nature of its own at any time, was there?

Rather shocking conclusion on the one hand, and yet extremely liberating on the other. If there is no self or reference point with any substance or independent nature of its own apart from this impersonal all-knowing awareness, then who can suffer, have endless problems, grow old and die etc? The answer is no one. No self, no me, no entity, no problem – isn’t that so? And this is exactly what the Buddha discovered in his moment of enlightenment under the Bod hi tree.

He directly saw or realized that all apparent forms and things were inherently empty of any any substantial self or entity as such, and that form is nothing but emptiness, and emptiness is nothing but form. Form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. The same is true with feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. This was a genuine insight into the truth of non duality, and that is that form and emptiness are not two different things but rather one non dual essence expressing and appearing as everything – a boundless emptiness suffused with awareness – an all-knowing awareness or empty cognizance.

This cognizing-emptiness is the true nature, the natural primordial stateless state of every apparent thing. The awakening or so called enlightenment of the Buddha(Buddha means fully awake, aware) was the direct seeing-knowing that every apparent thing animate or inanimate is nothing but Buddha-nature – all knowing awareness-consciousness – cognizing emptiness. So it is emptiness itself that is doing the cognizing and not any person or entity there who can do anything. THIS is the fundamental insight that when clearly seen and known can never be lost because it is simply known that there is no person or entity present there who could gain or loose anything as all is awareness-emptiness – THIS awake nothing or no thing – THIS very wakefulness, and there is nobody, not Buddha, Christ, Ramana Maharshi, or anyone else who has ever gone beyond nothing. So get a taste of this wakefulness, this aware no thing and you have gone as far as anyone has ever gone, so to speak. In this ever present wakefulness there is no one superior or inferior to you, there is only this boundless equanimity or suchness.

This awareness-consciousness is nothing to the time-bound mind and that is why it is being ignored by the apparent entity – “me”, Mr or Mrs So and So. Therefore in emptiness(awareness) there is neither form, nor feelings, nor perception, nor mental formations, nor consciousness; no eye, or ear, or nose, or tongue, or body, or mind; no form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no object of mind; no realms of elements(from eyes to mind-consciousness); no interdependent origins and no extinction of them(from ignorance to old age and death); no suffering, no origination of suffering, no extinction of suffering, no path, no understanding, no attainment.

Because there is no attainment but only “what is”, there are no obstacles to overcome, no fear, no enlightenment, just THIS – realizing perfect Nirvana – nothing else, nothing other in non duality. All Buddhas in the past, present , and future(simply a way of talking or expressing as there is no such thing as time), thanks to this Perfect Understanding, arrive at full, right, and universal Enlightenment. Full, right, and universal Enlightenment is realizing, knowing, directly and clearly that there is no enlightenment(who or what separate entity is there that could be enlightened?), there is only THAT Supreme non dual animating life essence – not two, no other, now or ever – just THIS, nothing else! You are THAT.

End.

What is it that we need to know and acknowledge?  Isn’t it this ever present fact of our own being, right here and now presently?  Isn’t THIS impersonal presence of awareness, or awareness of presence, what I , First Person, present tense, singular, truly and ever am?  Before there can be any god, don’t I have to be there first, prior to any and every apparent thing?  Knowing THIS is the only genuine knowledge, and that is self-knowledge, self-realization.

Realizing, knowING, that I am prior to everything and the know er of it, is the timeless actuality of true wisdom.  This self evident fact of one’s very own being, right here and now – self-existing, self-shining like the sun, timeless Omnipresence, is being totally overlooked and ignored by the time-bound entity, the illusory body-mind appearance, that one usually and mistakenly, takes oneself to be.  Nisargadatta Maharaj directly pointed out to me, many so called years ago, that I was not what I had taken myself to be; and by that he meant that I was not my body or my mind of memory, made up of accumulated thoughts and concepts forming this dead image or imaginary reference point – “me” – Mr or Mrs So and So.

If I am not the body or the mind then what am I?  Find out!  Just briefly, for a moment, pause a thought.  Now in that momentary pausing or stopping of thought, what is there?  Have you ceased to exist when the thought is paused, there in that so called gap?  No, you are still present and aware.  In fact you are awareness itself – non conceptual awareness, which in Dzogchen, the most direct and clearest expression of Buddhism – Dzogchen translated means ‘the great perfection’, and the great perfection simply put, in one sentence is – non conceptual awareness.  Aren’t you THAT?  Are you unaware presently, here and now?

Can you negate your awareness or boundless being?  Can you say I am not, or at some future time I will not be?  If you can, what is letting you say this?  Isn’t it this changeless background of space-like, all knowing, awareness that is allowing you to say this?  Have a look along those lines for yourself and see if the truth of what is being said or pointed to does not dawn upon you.  One has to drop all preconceived ideas, memories, thoughts, and concepts of what others, including ones parents, and society in general has told you, and simply and directly look.

On present evidence, not what you remember or what you have been told, how many eyes are you looking out of?  Obviously the answer is not two eyes, but one edgeless single eye – the Buddha eye or the single Christ eye that allows your whole body-mind to be filled with light, there where the actual seeing is taking place – the light of knowing, seeing, being, feeling, hearing, beginninglessly and endlessly – THIS colorless, formless, light of all knowing awareness is what you truly and ever are.

This light in oneself, is the light that seemingly lights up every man and woman that comes into or appears in the world. THIS light of naked knowing, this seemingly ordinary everyday awareness is the great enlightenment that all are apparently seeking, not realizing that they are that awareness.  You can’t seek that Reality of non conceptual, impersonal, self-shining, self-existing awareness because of the ‘fact’ that you already and always are THAT Reality, or what we call Parabrahman, the non dual Absolute in Advaita Vedanta.

And this very fact that has just been stated and pointed out here, is what the Jnani or self-realized refer to as ignorance.  This Reality of your natural state or true being is being ignored by the seeker who continues to look outward into the appearance world of time-bound shapes and forms, not realizing that the shapes and forms, sentient beings, mountains, rivers, stars, and galaxies, are in point of fact, nothing but emptiness-awareness ‘appearing’ as other than itself.  There “is” no duality in non duality, there only appears or seems to be, and you, as that time-bound entity Mr or Mrs So and So are taking the appearance to be the Reality, and this can never happen.

You as that separate entity Mr or Mrs So and So are a total fiction, the child of a barren woman, so to speak.  Nothing of the kind has ever happened at all and you are nothing – no thing – not just a total vacuum, but a boundless, awake, aware, nothing or no thing – space-like awareness-emptiness.  Directly knowing-being THIS is self-realization, already realized.  A bit hard to swallow you may say, rather shocking isn’t it?  Hard to swallow for who, shocking for who?  Find out the answer to this koan and you are home and hosed, present and aware-knowing as you always and ever have been.

Stop right there!  Don’t go off into the mind looking for an answer there where it never can be found.  The mind is time and there is no time apart from thinking or thought.  Do you have a memory if you don’t think about it?  Obviously not, so the so called “me” is time, and time as such does not exist, there is no such thing as time, it is only imaginary.  Nothing can trouble you except in your own imagination – stop imagining (thinking) and what is there?  Nothing perceivable or conceivable – Nirvana, Tao, the natural state, or what we call THAT in the Maha Vakya or great Word or statement of Hinduism in Advaita – I am THAT, for want of a better word.  Realize, I am THAT I am, there never was any ‘other’, there “is” only THAT.  Do not continue on endlessly in the dream that you are a separate person with destiny and free will – nothing could be further from the truth.  It is this pride of doer ship that has kept you in the trap of this imaginary bondage.  Drop it right this instant and be free.  Bondage and liberation are both concepts and are only imaginary.  There is no liberation because there is no actual bondage, there is only THAT unborn, ever present, non conceptual awareness.

See and simply “be” THIS that you always and ever are, and give up seeking and becoming which implies time, knowing that there is no such thing as time, and that time as such, is an illusion and utterly imaginary.  This alone is self-knowledge and self-discovery, of which there is no ending or beginning.

End.