[A SIDE NOTE FROM A SITE VISITOR: I’ve been reading off and on for over a year what you write but never wrote to you before. I thought at first that the Imus comments that are currently in the news were being blown out of proportion, then I read what you wrote yesterday. I suddenly realized the message you keep trying to convey about the suffering that comes from supporting separation/duality. I now see that, like you say, one day it’s about who is right and who is wrong; the next day it’s about who is in this political party and who is in that political party; another day it’s about the people in this country versus the people in that country; and today it’s about black and white and male and female and judging versus acceptance and “I’m a good person” versus “You’re whores.” But it's not really even about that, is it? It’s about what you called the “learned ignorance” that supports duality. That term you used “being the unicity” struck some kind of cord that had not been struck before. It seems that I crossed some kind of plane or level and have entered some new phase or dimension, and I don’t want to go back. So thank you.]
F.: Thx for sharing that. Realization is meaningless post-manifestation. If it doesn’t bear upon the relative existence (in the type shift you describe, for example) why exert any energy or effort to realize? The “I AM”—though temporary—is a part of the functioning of consciousness that is recognized in the summative phrase “I AM THAT; I AM,” isn’t it? Again, thx for writing. Now, to continue with today’s subject:
FROM A SITE VISITOR: there’s all these contradictions, the part I don’t get is “there’s only consciousness” but at the same time “in the Absolute state there is no one to be consciousness of anything.” Then Maharaj talked about “even in the sleep state the consciousness still is conscious” but at the same time “even in the Absolute state there is consciousness or awareness but no one to be aware of it.” Then, “neither matter nor energy can be created nor destroyed” but “this is finite while that is infinite.” Help! Brad
F.: Hello Brad. There are no contradictions in the teachings but there are paradoxes and there are seeming contradictions because Realization happens by passing through specific stages. No teacher will tell a seeker at stage two what will be told to a seeker at stage six. That said, much confusion does exist regarding “awareness as opposed to consciousness,” regarding the nature of conscious-energy, regarding what “the Absolute” is, and regarding what “The Absolute” is not, so some clarifications will be offered to try to eliminate the confusion.
First, everything in this universe (and in all universes) is energy/matter. Consider energy and matter to be one reality, to be one in essence, with two aspects. Look at a steel beam under an electron microscope and you’ll see that the beam, considered by many to be only “matter,” is a swirling mass of energy. At the core of atoms are subatomic particles, and one of those (the electron) is really a small particle of light.
Second, recall from any basic science course that neither energy nor matter can be created nor destroyed. There was no creation. There is nothing being created now. There will never be anything created. Furthermore, there is no destruction and there will be no destruction. Energy/matter merely cycle.
Third, to the confusion you reference in regards to “in the Absolute state there is consciousness or awareness.” Understand that the Absolute is the awareness that consciousness is in, meaning that awareness exists and “makes it possible” for consciousness to happen whenever there is an object…that is, when there is something to be “conscious of.” One attribute of conscious-energy is just that: an ability to be conscious of something.
F.: Thx for sharing that. Realization is meaningless post-manifestation. If it doesn’t bear upon the relative existence (in the type shift you describe, for example) why exert any energy or effort to realize? The “I AM”—though temporary—is a part of the functioning of consciousness that is recognized in the summative phrase “I AM THAT; I AM,” isn’t it? Again, thx for writing. Now, to continue with today’s subject:
FROM A SITE VISITOR: there’s all these contradictions, the part I don’t get is “there’s only consciousness” but at the same time “in the Absolute state there is no one to be consciousness of anything.” Then Maharaj talked about “even in the sleep state the consciousness still is conscious” but at the same time “even in the Absolute state there is consciousness or awareness but no one to be aware of it.” Then, “neither matter nor energy can be created nor destroyed” but “this is finite while that is infinite.” Help! Brad
F.: Hello Brad. There are no contradictions in the teachings but there are paradoxes and there are seeming contradictions because Realization happens by passing through specific stages. No teacher will tell a seeker at stage two what will be told to a seeker at stage six. That said, much confusion does exist regarding “awareness as opposed to consciousness,” regarding the nature of conscious-energy, regarding what “the Absolute” is, and regarding what “The Absolute” is not, so some clarifications will be offered to try to eliminate the confusion.
First, everything in this universe (and in all universes) is energy/matter. Consider energy and matter to be one reality, to be one in essence, with two aspects. Look at a steel beam under an electron microscope and you’ll see that the beam, considered by many to be only “matter,” is a swirling mass of energy. At the core of atoms are subatomic particles, and one of those (the electron) is really a small particle of light.
Second, recall from any basic science course that neither energy nor matter can be created nor destroyed. There was no creation. There is nothing being created now. There will never be anything created. Furthermore, there is no destruction and there will be no destruction. Energy/matter merely cycle.
Third, to the confusion you reference in regards to “in the Absolute state there is consciousness or awareness.” Understand that the Absolute is the awareness that consciousness is in, meaning that awareness exists and “makes it possible” for consciousness to happen whenever there is an object…that is, when there is something to be “conscious of.” One attribute of conscious-energy is just that: an ability to be conscious of something.
By definition, then, consciousness at its most basic level must deal with duality since an object has to be present in order for consciousness to be conscious of. During the manifestation, it is at the second witnessing stage of Pure Witnessing that such can be transitioned as the Oneness, as the non-dual reality, is understood. So there are three pointers about consciousness, subjects-objects, and the eternal Subject that might be of interest:
[1] Manifested, (corrupted) consciousness can become aware of itself and that which it takes to be objects. [2] Unmanifested, consciousness can be conscious of objects but not conscious of itself. For example, the electron can be conscious of the nucleus around which it is swirling even as the electron is not conscious of itself; or, the consciousness that was manifested and called "brad" will remain as energy which can be conscious of surrounding energy or particles but cannot be conscious of itself after no longer being manifested. [3] Manifested and Realized, the consciousness can be conscious of the Oneness (of the unicity...of the eternal Subject) while no longer taking the illusion of objects to be real.
Next, take awareness to be the original “state,” prior to the manifestation of consciousness and its post-programming S-O witnessing. See that awareness is primary and that consciousness is secondary. See that awareness is antecedent and that consciousness is subsequent to awareness. To abide as the Absolute is to abide as awareness, freed throughout the remainder of the manifestation from the machinations of the consciousness which was bastardized by programming and conditioning and enculturation. (Thus, on December 7, 2006 it was posted on this site: “Ultimately, even identification with the Pure Consciousness fades as the Realized transcend and abide as the Absolute.”)
Abiding as the Absolute—as the awareness—You are aware of the functioning of the totality. You are not conscious of objects any longer, having understood that no "object" which can supposedly be perceived is as it appears to be. It becomes clear that nothing which can supposedly be seen by the eye is actually THAT; therefore, all subject-object witnessing is transitioned and Pure Witnessing happens via the Pure Self (the Pure Witness, the True Self) for the remainder of the manifestation. More exactly, that is the only witness that remains…that Self-awareness (which you can also take to be “unicity-awareness”).
At that point, the Realized have been “re-membered,” so to speak. You could, at that point, know THAT which You were prior to consciousness and prior to the corruption of the manifested consciousness. There never was anything other than the unicity, and upon Realization the unicity is understood and all assumptions of duality cease. Please enter the silence of contemplation. [To be continued]
Abiding as the Absolute—as the awareness—You are aware of the functioning of the totality. You are not conscious of objects any longer, having understood that no "object" which can supposedly be perceived is as it appears to be. It becomes clear that nothing which can supposedly be seen by the eye is actually THAT; therefore, all subject-object witnessing is transitioned and Pure Witnessing happens via the Pure Self (the Pure Witness, the True Self) for the remainder of the manifestation. More exactly, that is the only witness that remains…that Self-awareness (which you can also take to be “unicity-awareness”).
At that point, the Realized have been “re-membered,” so to speak. You could, at that point, know THAT which You were prior to consciousness and prior to the corruption of the manifested consciousness. There never was anything other than the unicity, and upon Realization the unicity is understood and all assumptions of duality cease. Please enter the silence of contemplation. [To be continued]
