An email was received sharing the following:
TWO WOLVES this pretty much sums up life!
This is the best I have ever heard it explained!
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Two Wolves:
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two “wolves” inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
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Shortly thereafter, this image appeared within consciousness:
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In what appears to be another way of seeing nothing, the following is shared:
While a cute and heart warming story of choosing between opposites, it remains to be seen that from this dualistic viewpoint, the inevitable swing of the pendulum of duality will return. Feeding one side of a coin does not remove the other side of that coin. One cannot exist without the other. The solution to duality is singularity, the realization that both sides of the same coin are equally inexistent and unreal. What remains in light of this is the inconceivable truth, choicelessness of which no words can convey.
It follows, however, that while one seems trapped in the dream of life, the duality of split-mind, one can only seem to choose between opposites. There is nothing right or wrong about this for invariably it appears there is a choice in the face of duality, and so it is. The teachings of ACIM bear this out, advising one to choose Love instead, yet its highest teachings clearly ask the question, who chooses and between what? Since only Love is real, all there is, is Love; split-mind is incapable of Love for Love cannot possibly be the opposite of anything.
Is this Life explained, or simply duality exposed as the dream of life? Ultimately, it matters not, for what could possibly alter the fundamental fact of singular Reality? Can Christ be other than Love Itself? As stated in the introduction of ACIM, “Nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists, herein lies the Peace of God”. Thus if what appears as Love seems threatened it is not and never could be Love. Could any thing be a threat to Love? Could Love Itself be threatened?
If one attempts to explain Life, one has missed the point of Life. Life is unexplainable if it is Life at all. Concepts of Life are not Life and what Life is cannot be known apart from Life Itself. Thinking can only lead one to the brink but cannot continue beyond to the unthinkable, unknowable, inconceivable truth of Life. All one can do is stop all attempts to understand or explain Life and simply be Life as Life, for You Are Life and Life Is You. I Am.
It is apparent that what ever could be needed is simply Love itself. Intellectualism is not Love, concepts are not Love, and there is a difference between knowing the Path and walking the Path. One must allow the “head” to drop into the Heart so one can Live from the Heart. Nothing else will work and short of alienating oneself from oneself, nothing is accomplished. Be the example of Love, teaching only Love for that is what you Are. The suffering that seems to be apparent is self induced by what appears to be a mind unwilling to let go of grievances and fear, harboring unforgiving thoughts, attempting to resolve them through conceptualization and justifications. Surrender to the Heart. Simply be in full appreciation, of what appears to be those who Love You for they are You Loving You, or You hating You. Could it be anything else but a reflection of the mind playing out the thoughts held within? One is never where one is for no reason, even though the only reason, which is no reason, is just this moment in the realization that Love stands before us. Is it seen? Awaken to the Love that You Are by gently and lovingly accepting what appears to be others in whatever form is expressing. This is everything, just this moment of expression and all that is asked is that it be allowed, and free of judgment. Concern oneself not with what “others” appear to be acting out, for it is only acting, a pretense, to awaken you to your Heart of Hearts, the Christ within which Loves all and every apparent appearance as Itself. This alone is asked of you, to abide in Love with Love as Love and not another word but to say I Am Love and I Love You. All else is folly.
A birdie whispered that its feathers had been ruffled. The wind just didn’t seem to care that birdie had other plans. A tree announces, “The wind is the wind and who can say from whence it comes, nay how it moves or why, only that it is”. Yes, birdie feels one with the wind upon which he travels. While appearing unique, the two are one forever.
If anything ever said, unsaid, written or read appears to invoke uneasiness in oneself, accept it as an invitation to recognize judgment and release it, freeing the messenger and the message, grateful for the opportunity to see unforgiveness within ourselves. It is only our own ideas that we judge against, not our brother, for He is innocent, as are we. He is, as are You, the living Christ.
Expression is expressed as it expresses. Is it not merely a confession of faith? Know that what is and apparently will continue to be expressed comes into awareness with the sole purpose of healing through forgiveness. We heal together and your part is needed to expose the false. Thank you for being wonderfully You!
You Are as I Am, Love
A brother recently asked the question, “why must one go to light if Light is all there is?” Another asks, “why do brothers insist that there be jumping and swooshing when it feels appropriate to just simply sit quietly and abide in the Light that one is?” Clearly, the questions are based in the presumption of other, yet it is obvious that in whatever manner one would abide in Light is appropriate for that one, and so it is. Bringing it back to the questioners, from whence do questions arise? The false self, the self-concept that does not know what it is, let alone what You Are.
If you are the Light, who then, goes to Light? Look closely at this. Is it not simply that you continue to take yourself to be that which you are not? Does Christ go to Light? Does Christ require anything? Christ is the Light and according to A Course in Miracles, are you not the Christ, the Light? Or is it possible that what is taught is misunderstood? Possibly a demonstration of ones unwillingness to be what one Is? Go to Light if that pleases you, but who is pleased? Who could need Light but the false self that you have taken yourself to be. And is this not a denial of Christ Itself now, as what you Are?
The teaching of A Course in Miracles is not a system of belief to be held as ones foundation, rather, a tool; the “thought” system offered is a replacement for ones current thought and belief system, that of a split and conflicted mind, to make available the clarity or help that one asks for. Yet the clarity that arrives is rejected as it confounds the mind. And what mind is confounded if all there is, is Whole Mind? Is this not simply doubt, arising from the “ego” or thinking mind, “your mind”, the self-concept that insists on itself as real and denies Reality Itself.
Going to Light, if anything other than a “phrase” pointing to a Celebration of ones true nature as Light Itself, and in whatever fashion resonates with each one, is a false teaching that merely divides the mind yet again into Light and non-Light. Is such a thing possible? We have been down this road before and yet continue to split the mind in two and for what purpose? To perpetuate the concept of personhood bent on misperceptions, which only reinforce and teach the falsehood of duality as ones singular Reality. The Course teaches that to awaken rests only in the release of all judgment; call it forgiveness, the refusal to continue in partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, to use a biblical phrase, the concept of duality. Stand firm in the center of the poles of duality, free from judgment, that serene state of forgiveness and rest in the clarity of what you Are.
I Am Light. Light is all there is. What need have you but to awaken to Light as your only true Reality as Light Itself. I Am.
Recently an email was received with an invitation to the “Advent of a Great Awakening”. What in the world is that? Is someone going to awaken? And awaken from what or to what? And who is this that is awakening? An individual, a group of individuals? And as implied by the subject itself, when? Tomorrow, next week, next year, a year from next year? How can this be? How can it be? It cannot!
An “Advent” according to our common language dictionary implies the “coming” or “arriving” of something, thus expressed in future tense. In light of the fact that what is, is here and now, of what good is something that is in the future. One wants happiness now, one needs salvation now, not in the future. Therefore, an advent of any definition is a futuristic concept that keeps this present moment incomplete and inadequate. Ha!
See the contradiction in the mind. See how it merely tells a story to lure the silent witness into the realm of futuristic anticipation. The mind is addicted to anticipation so it happily holds out the possibility of something always arriving, something always to attain, some thing, some object of attention, some hope for the person, and some incentive for the individual to hold on to. This, Dear One, is insanity at its best.
For those with ears to hear…
It will have to do to use crude and inadequate language, yet sense into this.
That which arises is the Son. That from which the Son arises is the Father. The Father and the Son are One, for that which arises is Identical in Essence to that from which it arose. To know the Son is to know the Father, Sameness Itself. Equally, the Creator is the Created, in that the Created is of the Essence of the Creator, the Creation identical to that which Created, thus One and the Same. The Wave, which moves upon the Ocean, arises from the Ocean, thus the Wave and the Ocean are One and the Same, Identical in Essence, Wetness Itself.
Conceptually expressed, yet simply pointing to the fundamental fact that, What You Are IS That which gives rise to You, Beingness being You. Life is Beingness Being everything, appearing as many, arising as aliveness. The idea of you, aliveness arising, the named self, is but a mere perceptual projection, an assembly of memories and experiences which manifest a character, better, a seeming individual possessing a personality, inexistent yet quite simply an aspect of Beingness being Life, arising and expressing within Beingness, this Son, this Created, this Wave; not you, yet Absolutely You. Perfectly appropriate, a living and Divine expression, in and as This.
What is, is, and This Is. This is you and you are This. This flows, expressing in this instant of This, ultimately absolute in potential and spontaneity. Harmonious, yet unordered, perfectly appropriate, indiscriminately active, pouring out, overflowing in every possible dimensional direction, fully whole, completely empty, wondrously mysterious, untouchable, ineffable, unnamable, inconceivable, clearly no thing yet every thing, Thou Art This. Whew! Oh, to describe the indescribable. What folly.
Clearly, in light of this, one need do nothing, for there is only doing happening as Life expresses, arising whatever appearances are appropriate in the instant of this. Clearly, This is arising appropriately and seen that there is no further need to seek what is not lost. Clearly, one can simply be, abiding in Beingness Itself, I Am, for whatever ones self perception/deception appears to be, the fundamental Fact of You, in and as This, remains unaffected, invulnerable, unassailable. This, Life Itself, Love Itself, Beingness Being, Light, Life, Love, Everything and Nothing, All You, You Are. I Am. This!
Q: Is enlightenment the negation of personality, thoughts and emotions?
Or is enlightenment the Illumination of personality, thoughts and emotions?
Does enlightenment deny and reject relationships?
Or does enlightenment accept and embrace relationships?
Obviously, there are two schools … schools of negation and schools of inclusion.
A: The idea of two schools is merely conceptualization, an appearance. There is no enlightenment as such. Enlightenment is but a word, a concept used by the mind to keep one seeking for what one already is. One could say that negation and inclusion are merely two sides of the same coin, neither exist at all, only ideas within mind as objects of attention. In what appears to be a process of one leaving behind concepts is the appearance of negation/inclusion, the breath or rhythm of mind, settling into itself, ultimately resting in the still and quiet reflection of Wholeness Itself. Relationships could be said to be expressions of mental projection, the presumption of other, thus perceived. All merely reflect the predominance of an I (body/mind ‘ego’ identity). By way of Revelatory Vision, that is, the transparency of which reveals the gross and subtle aspects of appearance, or form, one “sees” but ones “Self” before thee, in and as All.
In an unordered and spontaneous universe of which expression seems to appear but to disappear, what and how could such a thing as purpose be? And who would have purpose? And what would be the purpose? It can be said that purpose can be whatever mind has decided it, and where could that occur but within the dream. This projecting mind, which shows the subject, that is, the idea of you, objects of attention, the direct result of wishes fulfilled, movement within consciousness, ripples upon the surface of the ocean, purpose, can be said to be the idea of action through intention, yet within a dream driven by the illusion of perfecting the perfect by an inexistent doer. It is obvious that while one is under this subtle spell of self-contraction, or specialness, one would conceive of purpose as an activity with none other than a goal of self-fulfillment, bringing completion to that sense of something missing, thus attempting to provide fullness for an emptiness that is not empty.
A clear delay maneuver, in this unordered and spontaneous yet dream universe, it would be impossible to have a purpose, or to find order. While this is not to say that one cannot “experience” an ordered, or at least, less disorderly experience within the dream, it is nevertheless outside the control of the dreamer, arising spontaneously. Thus, letting go of the attachment to purpose, reveals the foundation of expression, from, within and of which, all is arising.
Purpose keeps mind occupied with the objects of its projection and attention, subtly obscuring the one and only possibility, the inevitable realization of ones true nature of which every mind seeks. Yet what is sought cannot be found, for it is never lost. Ha! So until mind is disengaged, so to speak, removed from duty, as it were, allowing the clear glimpse of ones true nature as “It” reflects upon consciousness, it remains conceptual. Just as using attention to invoke the dream perpetuates it, so to, can applying that same attention to “Self”, or within, that sense of You Are, noticing all and every sense of it, lessen the lure and pull of the dream, its transparency undeniable, and thus one senses, or relaxes into, that from which one is arising. This glimpse offers everything in that instant, yet cannot be recalled or known to have occurred, only sensed, as mind and memory lack the capacity to conceptualize it and thus cannot comprehend it. Again, “It” being the unspeakable, unknowable, inconceivable truth of You. I Am.
Wonderful words, yet the trap is “thinking” there is any reason to be encouraged. Clearly, this entails the end of your tenacious grip on the idea of yourself as you have taken yourself to be, a mere idea, an inexistence. There is nothing more fearful to the idea of you than its disappearance, and yet this is the dream of death. And like all appearances, they rise and fall, come and go, live and die, unreal, projections of mind, toys; pure illusion. So what could be purpose in light of this? The light of this is purpose. You are the light and the purpose, no, beyond, yes, that from which the light and purpose arise. Not knowing what that is or looks like is perfectly appropriate for it cannot be known. It just is. As You are. I Am.
One can only abide in this perfect peace as perfect peace. Sense into this peace by simply noticing you are. Staying with it, removing all attention from all other objects. Focused upon the I Am, the sense that You Are, notice as all objects, both gross and subtle, that is, physical and mental, lose their allure, merely appearing as meaningless objects within consciousness. Now with attention on the sense of You Are, the subtle I-subject necessarily becomes object, and since no object exists at all, the subtle I-subject equally inexistent, is seen as unreal. What remains cannot be spoken or written. This is the fundamental fact of You. Ineffable, immutable, inconceivable. Christ, this One Love Ananda, Love itself. Can you sense into this? Clearly all paths end here. All searching ends here. All interpretations, methods and techniques end here, yet all point to this.
Therefore, Love can be said to be allowing and embracing the flow of all that is presently appearing within consciousness, Beingness simply arises, aliveness merely appears as happening, Witnessing Is as You Are, Pure Awareness. I Am. Simply Be as You Are. This is purpose.
In the absence of thoughts, ideas, sensations, associations, meanings, feelings, etc, what remains? Whole-mind is thoughtless, still, quiet and deep, a clear glass, a clean and unblemished mirror. Divided mind, or split-mind, often called the thinking mind, or ego, is filled with thoughts, ideas, sensations, associations, meanings, feelings, etc, ripples and disturbances that distort the reflective power of mind. The mind can be likened to a lake. Whole-mind, like a calm, still and peaceful body of water has a reflective quality, which gives a glimpse into that which is reflected. Divided mind is like that same lake, which has been disturbed by a wind or breeze or in the case of mind, ideas, thoughts, memories, etc. In the reflection of the moon as it is seen appearing upon the surface of the lake, in Whole-mind, that is, the still and calm lake, the moon is reflected with such clarity that it is almost mistaken for the moon. However, as a disturbance arises within the lake causing ripples and movement upon the surface of the water, like split-mind disruptions of thoughts, ideas, and memories, the reflection of the moon is distorted and unclear.
The Masters all point to the necessity of a quiet mind, clear and still, like a peaceful lake. Meditation or mindfulness is suggested as a helpful tool to that quietude. Used in conjunction with “neti, neti”, that is, “not this, not that”, one can seem to step back into that quietude, eliminating any “ideas” and “thoughts” through the witnessing that merely watches those ideas and thoughts as uninteresting and merely passing across the backdrop of consciousness. In the removal of attention from these objects of attention, they diminish in power and frequency, falling away little by little until they are no more. It is here that one notices the still and quiet thoughtless state that is often referred to as a clear glass or unblemished mirror, Whole-mind. As one cleans the lens of perception, that is, the witnessing awareness that is aware, this pristine lens or mirror is now free to reflect the moon in its entirety, offering a clear glimpse into Reality Itself.
This is the enlightenment you have been searching for and yet, what you were looking for is, and has always been, with you, it is You. Even amidst the Masters admonishing us to look within, we just did not realize that this is exactly what they meant. They could not have been any clearer on this and we could not have been any more dense in our understanding of it. Yet here it is the Holy Grail, the last straw, the philosopher’s stone, and any other name you want to give to the ultimate search. All along, it was right under ones nose. How laughable. How wonderful.
When you are ready, it finds you. Do not concern yourself with it for you, as you have taken yourself to be, can do nothing with it. It is beyond the you that you have settled for. But desire it above all else and it is available in this very instant. Heaven waits only on welcome. Where Love is wanted, it already is. How simple is that? So simple that it is overlooked and equally denied. Yet here it is. Dare you step into your true nature? What will become of you? Ha! Until this is realized, through the direct revelation that arrives by way of that clear and perfect mirror, reflecting the very truth of you, it is merely conceptual and theoretical. Upon contact with this ineffable and inconceivable truth of You, it becomes clearly evident that it can not be taught nor spoken of. It merely is. You and you alone must open up to this by merely releasing your death grip on the idea of you to the ultimate realization of this unspeakable, unknowable, and literally inconceivable You.
As a reminder, do nothing and simply be. Believe nothing, assume nothing, doubt everything, investigate everything, know that what is perceivable or conceivable is not you, “not this, not that, not any thing whatsoever”. Whether seen in mind, in body, or in the world, it is not you. Thoughts are things and not you. Feelings are things and not you. No thing is you, ever, no exceptions. Just watch, notice and simply be. You Are!
This article is an invitation to question everything you ever thought you knew, every idea, thought, feeling, belief, sensation, experience, everything, leaving out nothing. All your life you have lived on assumptions and acquired knowledge, which is not knowledge at all, merely hearsay and stories told by mind. Seek not outside yourself. Turn within and Know Thy Self. Abide in the sense that You Are and notice that all is because “You Are”. Is it not time to investigate you? Is it not time to end the suffering of ignorance and step into the Light that You Are.
What seems feared the most is to question ones beliefs. I invite you to question them. In our innocence we often believe what we read or think because it sounds resonate with what we take ourselves to be. And yet the clouds of ignorance remain to obscure our vision. What you Are cannot be described but can be revealed to you by way of your own self-inquiry, self-reflection. In the doubting of everything and willing acceptance, that in no way do you know what anything is or means, invites Vision to reveal that all that ever obscured It was your ideas of It. Take the clouds in the sky. As one ponders them, one in openness must confess that the name “cloud” is given what is seen, yet unknown. One is taught that this is a cloud, that clouds are in the sky, and there are several types of clouds, but honestly, upon investigation and in childlike wonder, one does not know what a cloud is, nor how it is that it exists at all. One can argue that science quite nicely explains it yet science merely tells the story of a dream and attempts to prove that it is real.
Upon the arrival of Revelation, that is, the apparent realization of ones true nature, it is seen that nothing of your so-called life seems to change much. The life that you thought you were living, yet not, continues; the only seeming difference is that it is now clearly seen that you never were living a life, that life was and is living you, that life simply is. The idea of you that seems to be alive is not alive at all, merely memories and experiences esteemed as meaningful and of value to the mind and you have identified with them, thus defining yourself. Who could know this? How is this seen? It becomes clearly evident in the transparency of this that what is termed life is simply the opposite of that which is called death. Life and death are but two sides of the same coin, entirely illusory and inexistent, yet a certainty within the dream of changes. As mere appearances arising within consciousness, this so called life is nothing more than an instant of expression arising from the void, or rather, the screen which reflects the projections of the mind. Nothing more, nothing less; pure illusion. And not dissimilar than that of a motion picture, can there be anything in the movie that you would believe? Would you take the story as being real, requiring any action on your part other than as observer or witness, in the evident appearance of activity upon it? By no means is it logical to assume that it would, and by no means is it reasonable to believe any of it. Yet you believe the dream in which you seem to find yourself, as it portrays the existence of appearances and you have merely taken yourself to be one. On the contrary and in light of this, you are clearly not in the world, rather, the world is in You.
If you question what is false it will reveal itself as false, however, if it is never questioned, it is as real as you would have it be. Moreover, as this merely points to the fact that you are dreaming, it is equally clear that nothing needs to be done about it. You are merely witnessing. Ultimately, it seems that your only dilemma is your identification with objects and the only way to de-identify with objects is to question their reality and come to know that what is perceived is not you. As one contemplates the objects within consciousness, asserting that their appearance does not require identification with them, merely to observe them as passing, movements in consciousness, one can then begin to see that what remains is merely witnessing. Pure subjectivity itself. As one releases identification with objects, again as pointed out, thoughts, ideas, and any thing perceivable or conceivable, it is clear that what remains is ones true nature, the backdrop or void, or no-thingness, out of which all is arising, thus your very own Self. Then, in an instant, even that is seen as object and released, revealing the ineffable and inconceivable fact of You. Do not believe me. Do not even accept this as being true for it is not until it is realized; It is seen as It Is. Mere words are not it, mere definitions are not it, this article merely points to it, but that is not it. You and you alone must venture into the mystery of your Self, that sense of I Am, and only by knowing your Self as no-Self, can you come to “know” the truth of You as you Are, as That which makes possible any and every thing, including Self. Before the world was, I Am.
No amount of talking or dialog will bring you to this. Concepts miss the mark and all efforts are in vain. All one can say is simply be. Be still in the deep silence of yourself and notice. You are no doubt familiar with the biblical scripture, “Be still and know that I Am God”. Reworked in the knowledge of I Am, the verse can now be seen as, “Be still and know That I Am, God”, that is, the I Am that Is God, which is that sense of I Am, that fundamental sense that You Are, the Presence of Love itself, You, as That. And instantly you are aware that all along you have been in the Presence of God, the Presence of Love, and that you never were not in that Presence, as that Presence, for You Are that Presence Itself. You Are Love! I Am Love! I Am.
