FROM A SITE VISITOR: The way you laid out the advaitan pointers 1-7 was helpful. How about doing the same for those of us new to A.V.? I mean sort of a simple, straight forward
F.: [Continued from yesterday]
R. Realize this: I am not my mind, because what I call “my mind” is just a collection of ideas, emotions, and beliefs that were given to me by others. I didn’t even choose my name, much less all the beliefs I have. I’ve been programmed with faulty values and beliefs.
S. Realize this: I have allowed myself to be swept along through life by the emotions of desire and fear that generate reactions that stem from beliefs that I never chose.
T. Therefore, I need to rid myself of the influence of ideas, emotions and beliefs.
U. Realize this: There is no such thing as peace of mind. The “mind” (which is just a collection of wrong ideas, sweeping emotions, and programmed beliefs) is the source of all chaos I seemingly experience.
V. Realize this: There is no “second” or “higher” self to search for. There is only one Real Me. To find it, I need but see the illusions that aren’t real but that I’m nevertheless using to define who I think I am.
W. Realize this: There is no “path” to travel to find what I seek. The Real Me is here and now. The “journey” is to nowhere but right here and now. Only now is Real. The “past” and “future” are illusions.
X. Realize this: Effort is not required, though it certainly characterizes “the searching and seeking” that many engage in. Non-effort is required. Living in the drama caused by believing I’m my body-mind is effort. Seeing Reality—my Real Self—takes no effort except to watch for the false states as they arise and then ask, “What false ego-state is causing my discontentment,” and then turn back to acknowledging my Real Self. Later, I will just flow through life.
Y. Realize this: At first, I must be the observer in the audience, watching all the drama being played out by my false selves and the false selves of others. I must guard against believing the play is real. It’s not. Everyone is play-acting out the images they have of themselves. They are not showing me their Real Self because they think they are their images. Images are illusions. The dramas we act out are not Real. They have nothing to do with the Real Me. Why react to things not Real?
Z. Realize the simplicity: all I have to do is be awake to see that anger and discontentment are the alarms showing that I’ve entered an illusory ego-state and feel threatened; then see that the Real Me is forever and I cannot be attacked; and then turn away from the illusion.
So there you are, Thomas. Maybe the above will met your request until you have no requests, until you know that You Are the Pure Witnessing Consciousness for as long as You Are temporarily manifested.
Afterwards, You might witness that which is beyond even this manifestation and, knowing that You Are That, abide as That for the remainder of the manifestation after understanding Your original nature and abiding there as.
[Tomorrow, you’ll be offered a few pointers about shifting from the doingness to the beingness.] Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
