WHAT IS THE ABSOLUTE…THE “THAT”? Part Four

F.: [Continued from yesterday] What happened in the case of the vacuum cleaner is that certain elements happened to end up in a certain form or space; then it was programmed to function in a certain way; next, energy manifested in it. After that, whatever happened with it happened. Eventually, its internal workings stopped functioning as a result of extended use or because of a lack of proper maintenance and care. Ultimately, the energy could no longer move through it. The elements which came together in a particular fashion returned to the universal pool of elements, and the energy was also released and joined the universal pool of energy. That released energy might be recycled someday, or not. The cycling, re-cycling, or absence of cycling is completely random. [Please note: such “cycling or not” is comparable to what happens or not with rain that falls into the ocean. Some of those same H2O particles might be drawn upward, might help form clouds, and might recycle via rain that falls into the ocean again later. Or, some of that original rainfall might remain “at rest” in the ocean. So it is with energy that recycles…or not.]

The elements which once had the appearance of “a vacuum cleaner” will not regroup in another world and will never re-form into the same vacuum, either. Further, no energy will ever manifest again in that same vacuum. The elements return to the universal pool of elements, the air that once moved through the vacuum returns to the universal pool of air, and the energy returns to the universal pool of energy (which is the one basic thing that everything is). That Which Is Real is beyond any beingness and even beyond any non-beingness. To paraphrase Krishna, “All who realize that point are sane and aware. All others are fools.”

Nothing was created and nothing was destroyed in the entire “conception,” “existence,” and “finalization” of that vacuum cleaner. So it is with all on earth that has ever appeared to be a particular "person, place, or thing.” In truth, nothing involving the vacuum cleaner was created and nothing was destroyed, just as with all humans or birds or animals or plants. The elements remain, the air remains, and the energy remains...just as with all humans or birds or animals or plants that have ceased, now cease, or shall cease to maintain any perceived form or shape or space. All supposed "persons or things" that have ever seemed to exist in any particular form actually involved nothing more than movements from various pools (of elements, air, and energy). Those "persons or things" were only the temporary manifestation of energy-with-the-potential-to-be-conscious-of, if manifested. All other perceptions about them are illusions. That Which Is can cycle, but nothing—not one, single thing—has ever cycled again as the same “self” or form or space. Energy cycles or not randomly, air cycles or not randomly, and elements cycle or not randomly. Furthermore, no single, specific thing have ever continued to cycle. No body has ever re-formed; no "soul" has ever survived any cycling because it is nothing more than a concept added to the equation of what really cycles: elements, air, and energy. No "mind" has ever survive the decomposition of the elements that once formed a "human body," the "mind" being nothing more than an accumulation of imaginings and dreams and lies and distortions and misperceptions to begin with. [If you have lived with a spouse or partner or person for any length of time and now believe that person to be insane and obviously driven by the most distorted perceptions imaginable, you are correct. That is exactly the way all persons--all of the non-Realized--are.]

Only the "content" of those three pools of energy, air, and elements cycles. Everything that has ever seemed to exist on earth or was seemingly "created" and "lived" and "died" involved the same set of finite elements that have always been on earth and that have not been "added to" or "subtracted from." The same finite elements on the planet and the same finite air on the planet have been able to cycle and recycle and recycle, ad infinitum, because of the introduction of manifestations of the infinite energy-with-the-potential-to-be-conscious-of from outside the planet via the sun. The Original Understanding is that everything is merely THAT. The obstacle to seeing the lies and then realizing the truth is this: once THAT manifests in a "human space," it (a) can become aware of itself and its Self but (b) can also be contaminated so that it is no longer able to be aware of its self (or false selves) or itSelf, much less able to be aware of truth or the manner in which the totality functions. To grasp the Original Understanding, focus more on the "advaita" and less on the "veda" or "vedanta" or any other writings or concepts dreamed up by men and thought to be "holy." The Realization can only come from within; it can never come from without. Please enter the silence of contemplation in order to become aware of all of humankind's lies that are without and thereby be able to realize the truth that can only be realized via the inner resource or the inner guru within. [To be continued]

WHAT IS THE ABSOLUTE…THE “THAT”? Part Three

F.: The comparison of persons (the non-Realized) to a vacuum cleaner nearing its “end” continues now. After all of the elements have returned to the universal pool of elements, the space that was mistaken by persons to be “a vacuum cleaner” will be in that form no more, but the air that circulated through the vacuum still exists, the elements still exist, and the energy that had allowed the internal workings to function still exists.

At the point when the vacuum is no longer functioning and is deteriorated, the sane merely throw away the vacuum. They will have no formal ceremony to note how honorable the vacuum was during "its days on earth." They will have no delusional belief that the vacuum existed somewhere before it "came to earth," nor will they believe that it will exist somewhere after it "leaves the earth." The sane will not ignore all the times that the vacuum did not work properly while professing at the same time in a public ceremony that the vacuum was “one of the best that ever existed.” They will not make the claim that burning the vacuum cleaner on a trash heap would be a sacrilege and that the “right” thing to do would be to honor the "remains" of the vacuum with a multi-thousand dollar ceremony and then bury it in a multi-thousand dollar hole marked with a multi-thousand dollar stone.

The sane will not speak of the “quality” of the energy that had once moved through the vacuum. They will not label that energy the “soul of the vacuum” and claim that the soul of the vacuum will last forever (when in fact only the energy that had once manifested via the vacuum is what will last forever, along with the air and the elements).

Nor will the sane claim that the soul will really be a reconstitution of the same vacuum that was manifested from earthly elements but will survive its decay and will exist forever in another realm. They will not be deluded into thinking that since the vacuum was so very good—just as they are so very good—that they will someday be reunited with their beloved vacuum in some mansion in the sky. The sane will not ennoble the vacuum and try to elevate it to some position of eminence by claiming it served “an honorable purpose” and had “true meaning” while here on earth. They will not claim that it “helped so many people” to become purer and cleaner than they would otherwise have been without it. Conversely, they will not predict—since the vacuum did not perform as its manufacturer claimed it should—that it shall be cast into some remote region, shall be set on fire, and shall be forced to burn and suffer eternally.

Are you clinging to some mythical beliefs about your “self” or about “humans” or about “an afterlife” that are as insane as the type of beliefs about vacuums (and persons) as alluded to above, or do you understand the functioning of the totality and the Absolute? Have “holy” people or “holy” texts convinced you that you will experience some kind of “beingness” after the consciousness is no longer manifested, or do you understand the non-beingness? Do you also understand the Absolute, which is beyond both beingness and non-beingness? Maharaj said that science would one day substantiate the Original Understanding that can come via certain Advaita teachings (but never via the warped versions of the Advaita teachings). Do you understand the simple, scientific facts which support the teachings? If that understanding comes, all is seen to be simple and all is seen in a perfectly clear fashion. For those who choose to continue to think supernaturally and magically, all will remain very complex and very unclear. Please enter the silence of contemplation. [To be continued]

WHAT IS THE ABSOLUTE…THE “THAT”? Part Two

F.: Continuing with the vacuum cleaner analogy from yesterday’s post might help some persons understand the nature of the Absolute and the cyclings and thereby free them from anxiety and frustration and rigidity and fear and false hopes. (By the way, all non-Realized persons are dissociated, so they will claim that they have no anxiety and frustration and rigidity and fear and false hopes.) Just as with humans, once energy is manifested in a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum seems to be “doing” something, but in fact the vacuum has no choice and is merely being moved along by other forces or influences. Some vacuums can even be programmed to move about a room all alone. It would appear that a pre-programmed vacuum is making decisions and choices, but it is not. It is programmed, and as long as the energy is manifested in it, it will move about and do what it is programmed to do. So it is with persons. Again, there is only an appearance that vacuums or persons are doing something on their own when in truth they are being moved about [a] as a result of energy being manifested in a space and [b] as a result of having been programmed.

Whatever happens with a programmed vacuum is beyond its control, and whatever happens with a programmed person is exactly the same (all “good intentions” and all appearances aside). Eventually, the internal workings of the vacuum will wear out and the energy that was manifested in the space will no longer be manifested there, the same as with persons. Then, the elements that had combined to “make” the vacuum will deteriorate and return to dust, the same as with persons. For the informed who understand molecular structure, it is realized that a vacuum clearner is not at all what it appears to be, the same as with humans and with their personas. The vacuum was merely a conglomeration of elements that happened to take a temporary “shape” or form or space, just as with persons. The same elements could have as easily taken the form of a blender, an air conditioner, or the computer on which these words are being typed. The same elements could have as easily taken the form of a dog, a frog, or a heron. The “existence” of that vacuum is the same type “existence” of all persons, and the “fate” of that vacuum is the same “fate” of all persons.

Now certain persons have asked such questions as, “Surely you are not suggesting that vaccum cleaners or blenders, or frogs or herons, can be compared to humans which have the ability to love and to help others and to perform acts of kindness and to elevate themselves to noble status?” To those, the response is, “That question reveals that you are no nearer to understanding non-duality than you were on the day you first accepted a persona as a real identity.” Please enter the silence of contemplation. [To be continued]

WHAT IS THE ABSOLUTE…THE “THAT”? Part One

F.: The Absolute is what there is, prior to manifestation and consciousness and beingness, during manifestation and consciousness and beingness, and after manifestation and consciousness and beingness. The Absolute is even beyond the non-beingness, so aberrations of the Original Understanding that result in some now speaking of a “Supreme Being” or of a state of “everlasting supreme beingness” are distortions. (What I AM and What You Are is far beyond any non-beingness, much less any beingness). All labels, in fact, are merely smokescreens that block the understanding of the Absolute, which is That Which Is...even prior to consciousness. It Is also That Which Is post-consciousness. It is the no-consciousness (but potentially-conscious) pool of energy from which all consciousness manifests. It is the most basic “common denominator” of all that is. It is that Absolute, unadulterated state that is “pure” but that becomes impure when manifested in programmed humans who take their personas to define who they are. It is the infinite “pool” or “ocean” of vibrational energy with the potential for awareness if manifested; otherwise, it is what some call “awareness, at-rest,” though “rest” is not truly accurate since energy is always in motion. The word “rest” in reference to conscious-energy, as far as discussion with humans is concerned, merely points toward the state in which conscious-energy is not manifested in any particular space.

For comparison, consider the energy at an electrical wall outlet. It might be thought to be “at rest” and “waiting” but it is not. Most humans might consider the energy to begin movement when the line from an appliance such as a vacuum cleaner is plugged into the outlet and activated, but even before traveling through the line and to the motor, the energy is still active…though supposedly “resting” at the plug. The energy moves from the outlet and into the space of the vacuum’s motor and then the energy does what it does—automatically. Then, the vacuum does what it does. Such is also the case in regards to the cyclings which persons are so preoccupied with and which persons fail completely to understand.

Imagine how many persons in the last five thousand years have been plagued with anxiety and frustration and rigidity and fear (and false hopes). That all began when the first gullible person bought into the dogma of the first self-proclaimed medicine man or priest. And what was the message from that medicine man or priest? He claimed to be able to hear an entity in “another world” speaking to him while he was in “this world.” He also reported that the superpowerful entity had given him certain rules that were to be passed on and to be followed by all persons within the sound of his voice. Such anxiety and frustration and rigidity and fear (and false hopes) have marked the “lifestyle” of persons as they no longer follow nature but follow the dictates of their learned behavior (also known as “religious or spiritual knowledge” or otherwise known as “learned ignorance”). What of your relative existence? Is it happening in a natural fashion, or in a supernatural, magical fashion? Are choices being made, or are all of your actions a result of programming that dominates every aspect of your relative existence? Have your "spiritual disciplines" and your accumulation of more and more "knowledge" turned your life into an arduous job, or are you merely sailing along and witnessing this relative existence without attachment or emotional intoxication, as does the eagle in the vision? Please enter the silence of contemplation. [To be continued]