KNOWING THE MIND

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Knowing the mind is the basis for the advanced spiritual practices such as Dzogchen and Mahamudra, whose purpose is to lead you towards seeing the nakedness of the mind as it actually is. For if we can directly look at the pure reality of mind then profound realization occurs. This ‘looking’ or glimpsing of pure mind reveals it to be a neutral, timeless no-state, which is completely different to the time bound habitual mind. Instead of arising from thought and effort, it is infinitely present awareness.

When we try to describe this mind essence from the depths of meditation, contemplation or samadhi, it is realized to have no defined identity, no shape, no color, no consistency, no known location and yet it is undeniably there and seemingly real.

What we can say is that it lacks inherent individuality, for its properties are seen to be the non-personal three ness’s - pureness, emptiness and wholeness. It is considered empty because it is void of apparent concepts, ideas and thoughts. It is said to be pure because it is unobstructed by individual ego or karma and described as whole because it appears complete, with nothing further to seek or attain.

Additionally there are attributes of being revealed when awakened to these three ness’s – these are peace of mind and intelligent love. Peace of mind is the unburdened stillness at the heart of being. Intelligent love is a combination of the infinite knowingness of Universal consciousness and the unbridled compassion for all forms of life.

Pure mind cannot be said to be individual because its qualities and attributes may be similarly realized by anyone who opens their mind to Universal consciousness. Of course they become expressed through various shades of character, but the nature of the mind is ONE. That is why I describe the seeing through pure mind as THIS, because it is whole and indivisible, non-personal and present. The sharing of the reality of our primordial nature is the key to its expansion and propagation.

Through knowing your mind, you will find your true nature.

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THE PARADOX OF THIS

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THIS is home and you could never be anywhere else.

Identity as a seperate self dissolves into the awareness of THIS.

There is nothing missing in THIS for it is all there is.

Without seeking Identity, THIS is.

The wholeness of THIS is overlooked by the habitual mind of separation.

If you know yourself as I, you deny THIS.

If you know yourself to be THIS, there is no I for you to assume it to be otherwise.

And yet all separate I's are part of the complete THIS.

No I is whole, whereas THIS is wholeness itself.

Leave your Identity to enter THIS.

All understandings of reality emanate from and through THIS.

Nothing exists beyond THIS.

The age of I is always passing away, the eternity of THIS is.

THIS never leaves you, but you could also not find it.

If you do not see THIS, you are mistakenly separated by an incorrectly assumed identity.

THIS is not only who you are, but also what everything else is.

THIS is the pure energy consciousness which realised the Cosmos.

A raw, natural intelligence way beyond the capabilities of the individual mind.

Nothing is missing, for you are whole and complete in THIS.

The seeker cannot find him or herself in THIS, even though they are present within it.

When you are aware of THIS, nothing, including the self remains and yet all is here.

You cannot physically see THIS but you undoubtedly know it to be reality.

Although you belong to THIS, it does not belong to you but to ALL.

There is only THIS.

Just THIS.

THIS.

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WHOLENESS - nonduality AND duality (2)

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If nonduality is distinguishable as the sole reality and duality considered to be the opposing unreality, then seeing both is required in order to perceive wholeness.

For wholeness can only be the all that IS, which by it’s very nature is all-inclusive of all parts pertaining to the whole. So for nonduality to be whole it must include duality. They cannot be separate.

This fundamental truth often becomes overlooked, with nonduality being perceived as something quite separate to duality, which immediately creates a new method of segregation.

Another common misunderstanding is the “pointing to” syndrome. If someone is pointing to something, then they must be separate from it. For the very act of pointing either physically or conceptually requires division between that which is doing the pointing and that which is being pointed to, therefore suggesting duality.

There is a tendency to get caught up in traditional ‘pointers’ such as 'I AM' and 'I AM THAT', because the presence of ‘I’ when misunderstood, is a tempting bait returning many to the idea of a separate self.

So what can indicate the essential nature of reality to be non-conceptual, unlabelled, present and limitless without separation while restraining the automatic grasping for individual identity?

Answer: THIS.

For THIS is the clearest description of awareness of the true nature of reality. It is what it is. ALL thoughts, words or actions take place within and through THIS and yet if you do absolutely nothing, there is still THIS.

It is from THIS that everything arises and to which everything returns. Tracing yourself back as far as possible, you see that you are not 'me', 'I', 'we' or even 'that', but you are THIS. At this deep level, you are aware that you are not simply a body and a mind, but awareness itself.

THIS is the experiencing of the true nature of reality that you are.

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WHOLENESS - nonduality AND duality (1)

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So what is wholeness?

Wholeness arises through the detachment of your identity to any concept or label including non-duality itself. For reality may only be truly whole if it is understood to be undivided, so by it's very nature the oneness of nonduality must include duality, and yet we need to remain detached from both labels. For there is no separation between nonduality and duality, the only thing which separates them is the mind.

For example, knowing my essence to be nondual pure energy consciousness, let's say I accidentally walk into the small coffee table in front of me. There will be pain. This is because even though I consciously know myself to be the all inclusive infinite THIS, the body doesn't recognise the fact because it is a dense form, naturally attuned to a world of duality. Therefore as a spiritual being with a body I am both dual and non-dual. My body is dual, my essence is non-dual. To see myself as one or the other is to divide the truth of being.

Wholeness is knowing yourself to be the one formless nondual essence of spirit living in the form of a body in a world of duality.

The bridge between these two is the mind. The habitual mind of concepts and labels sees itself as separate and the pure mind realises the nature of your essential reality. Consciously recognising we are both of these is wholeness.

Likewise living in a raised state of consciousness is not the way to realise wholeness, for being a state that is arrived at, it is consequently something which will also be left behind. If it is truth, then it was, it is and will always be present as the infinite THIS.

Nonduality awoken or glimpsed purely through intellect alone fails to establish wholeness, as much as living in the separate world of duality by itself constitutes division from your true nature. So to awaken to the wholeness of being we all are, we must recognise there is a natural reason for all the parts which make us whole. For living in either detached from the reality of the other will only create further division, thus repeating the failures and mistakes so commonly found throughout history.

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THE WHOLENESS OF THIS.

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When all mystical experiences come to an end, when everything you believed to constitute reality has faded into insignificance, when all ideas and concepts are seen to be what they truly are, you will be left with the pure awareness and clarity of THIS.

Now all things which proliferate the idea of difference and separation are recognised to be obstructions to nature itself.

THIS is the seeing of reality, the truth of being, the conscious experiencing of your real nature, not just your nature but nature itself. For you cannot be wholeness, but you can consciously be aware that you are within it, for THIS is undeniable.

You recognise yourself in the present moment to be quintessence.

Now you, I, we and all that IS are known to be one.

There is no longer any need to seek an experience for the seeker and the sought are one. The seeker gives in to the unified presence of THIS.

You are a clear channel of being free to be.

Now you know that you know nothing, for there is nothing to be known.

THIS is whole and complete, pure untainted consciousness in the mind of man.

As if you have clung for years with some difficulty to a helium filled balloon, you have finally let go of the balloon only to find that you are the balloon itself and not the body you once presumed yourself to be.

Now you are free to follow the nature of the universe.

You are free, you are awareness, you are THIS.

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BE STILL AND KNOW YOURSELF

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This small phrase contains the secret to awakening. For when we stop the mental processes of thought, memory, concepts and the like - we may then experience the underlying true nature of what it means to be a human being. This is what I call NAKED BEING. It is at the heart of what we all are.

Naked being is the silent underlying proto consciousness which expresses the nature of the Universe, for it is the backdrop to reality, the screen on which all life comes into being. It is both within you and outside of you. Like the stars in the cosmos it may manifest or appear in millions of different ways, but it's essence remains essentially the same and cannot be altered, only becoming camouflaged by the twittering of the individual mind.

Shockingly, you experience naked being by not thinking. More specifically by not thinking about or reacting to the information relayed through your physical senses, but realising and resting in what is known as peace of mind. Peace of mind then reveals the clarity and heart of naked being, which is compassionate, caring, interconnected, loving and open. For by shutting down the interfering vibrations of the exterior world we get to directly experience the reality of naked being - the same being that is ever present within all people and all existence.

Over time, experiencing naked being becomes a more regular and constant event, until we arrive at a point where the inside and the outside perceived realities are unified. Then there is no longer an event or any distinction between states of consciousness, for they merge to be revealed as one. This is the experience of self-realisation, oneness or non-duality and when realised permanently can be described as enlightened being.

So the phrase "Be still and know yourself" is a powerful reminder of an ancient truth. Indeed it is the seed of truth itself.... naked being.

J.M.H

STOP YOUR THOUGHTS !

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When you experience your true nature, you will have experienced stillness of mind. That stillness of mind is brought about by the cessation of thought. Essentially, this means stopping the ego from controlling your mental flow.

Now you may be concerned that by stopping your thoughts you somehow lose something that you are. But rest assured that you lose nothing, in fact you will gain increasing clarity. You are becoming mindful by focussing on the present moment - the now. In this way you apply your fullest presence to the task in hand whatever it is, so that even looking out of the window at the blue sky becomes an absolute joy, a powerful connection with the Universe.

When you deny the ego-self control of your mind, you allow the intelligent universe to flow through you unperturbed - and reveal that this in fact is your natural way of being. You are an individual representation of a connected whole - one atom in the body of God. You are everything and nothing, empty and whole - body and spirit.

All labels and identities become irrelevant, for what you are remains unchangeable and true. You are a spiritual being capable of many things, but most importantly you have the gift to recognise and share the sacred heart of your being.

So stop thinking. Stop your thoughts and experience the peace which passes all understanding- for that is what you are - that is where you came from - and that is where you are going.

Stopping your mental flow does not stop you from being, but allows you to experience being.

SO STOP YOUR THOUGHTS and experience the truth.

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