Question of the Week: 12/10 - 12/16
“You have said that there is nothing to search for, but isn’t all of this questioning a search as well?”
Yes and no.
As Takuin goes about his day, there are no questions asked, apart from “technical” questions, i.e., I wonder what time the next train arrives? OR Should I put this thing in the laundry? It is not as if there are absolutely no questions, but who will answer them?
Let me re-phrase the above: As Takuin goes about his day, questions come and go, but there is no one here to ask or answer anything.
No self is asking anything, nor is it answering. If a question comes up, it simply comes up. No one is searching and no one is hoping for an answer. There may be genuine curiosity, if it falls within one’s interests, but there is no hope or desire to own the answer.
Looking for the Answer
If the self asks a question with the aim of finding enlightenment, what is going to provide the answer? The knowledge that one already possesses? Can any answer provided by the self have any meaning in this situation?
Many people go into the world of Zen and read the koans with the intention of finding an answer. But what will interpret the question in order to find the answer? Can the question arise without the need to ask it in the first place? Does the question need the questioner?
If the self asks, it can only answer with what it already knows. And what it knows always comes before the question, so all of the questions of the self arise from the answers that are already present. Can there ever be a new question?
Who is Asking?
If “I” ask the question, it only happens out of a need to reach the result. It is something that the self feels is needed to progress to another stage of development. But are there other stages? Is there anything inwardly that needs to be developed? The self cannot search without separation.
The questions I ask, although seemingly logical, are not meant to be answered with what you know. And since the questions come from what we already know, is it possible to answer them?
Who is Answering?
If I ask a question, and you answer with, “Yes it is,” or “No it isn’t,” how exactly do you come to either conclusion? For example, if I asked you, “Is it possible to be free of all belief?” how do you answer? If you answer YES, then what gave you that answer? And what if you answered NO?
If you answered yes, you might say that your own experience has shown this to be true. But are you there? Are you free from all belief in order to find out? No? Then how can you possibly know the answer is yes? If you are not there and you answer yes, then it is just a theory; just a fantasy that you think MAY be true.
And if you answered no, you might say that people in the world are not doing it, and therefore, it isn’t possible. So, you know everyone in this world? You have seen the entirety of their lives and absolutely know the conclusion? No? Then again, it is just a story you wish to believe.
Why Question at All?
Certain questions may have the effect of bypassing the self, so to speak. And if that happens, then there would seem to be great value.
If you are able to see through all of the stories that you believe, all the illusions of your life, then what might happen? There is the possibility that as one sees through the illusion, it is destroyed entirely. But I am not saying that it will.
In the end, questioning is just a means of pointing in a particular direction. But if it points at any-thing, that thing cannot be known.
10 Comments
Hey Takuin, so refreshing to have such an authentic insight into this elusive state, devoid of any sense of bias towards setting up a teacher/ student dialogue.
It seems to me, that simply talking and commenting from your own experience, or non experience, and sharing with those who are interested is a really powerful way of expressing the nature of this state you have stumbled upon, and the multitude of pitfalls in attempting to attain this for oneself. The sheer impossibility of ever coming to this place through the only means we know how is truely mind bending. And although i am painfully aware that my every attempt is beyond futile, i know it will be impossible to drop it until i die or until the seeking burns itself out, even the smallest of glimpses has been enough to undermine the logic which tells me it is impossible to force..
And anyway, it has become so clear that all the things that people do in the world of the mind are just subconscious attempts to search for this. As a result seeking anything else just seems empty and ridiculous…there is obviously no permanent peace in that world.
Regarding your comments on belief i have recently become aware of the pre emptive nature of any attempt at self-inquiry, my very reason for inquiry is the search, which is the problem, and it seems impossible to ever attack this sense of self in a genuinely innocent way without wanting or expecting a particular answer….so as you have commented the answer definetly is the source of the question!
I wonder if there is a part of the real identity or none identity of the individual that is driving this search, when i look within i can see the beliefs, desires and concepts i hold are obviously encouraging me to pursue this but do you think there is some deeper intuition or sense of knowing that acts as a kind of foundation for these desires and concepts, or is it all just more mind bullshit?? Also i would be really interested to understand how the sexual impulse works within this place, surely if there is no self then there can be no self to feel arousal or is it that the self is available when you need it???
Thanks again for sharing your experiences
warm regards Kris
Hi Kris. Thanks for your words, and thanks for your long comment. It is always nice to see one taking these things seriously.
And it is obvious to see that there is no peace in the outer world, either. All of the things we hope and wish to attain inwardly, keep us from being whole. It is the nature, or possibly the purpose, of the self to search. But what is there to find? Peace? Love? Compassion? How can any of those things be given or found?
It is at the cessation of the search, that all things become one. It is not as if “I” see it as whole, and so I am satisfied. It is whole whether it is seen or not. It is just that the self has to struggle against what it believes should be.
If there is no self to struggle with anything, what is left over?
For Takuin, a question was reached, but there was absolutely no where to go. There was no direction, and no answer. There was the realization that there was no where to go, nothing to do, nothing to find, and nothing to be free from. Freedom cannot be given or taken away. Thought can only interfere with reality and tell you one way or the other. But one way or the other, it is still an illusion.
When the mind, the thinking part of the mind, finally says, “I do not know,” then it is all over. If it doesn’t know, where can it move? If you say, “I don’t know, but I will find out so I will know,” then it is the same old trick. Time interrupts the flow, and the search goes on and on.
Can the mind give up the need to find out?
The self drives the search because the self is not whole. More than anything else, it is a search for wholeness. It goes from place to place, thing to thing, system to system, in order to feel whole again, but it inevitably fails. Why? Because the self searches for something it can never have.
The self is a shard, a piece, a fragment, and it searches for wholeness from this position of fragmentation. (Even though the self may be dominant, it is still a fragment.) There are several questions that come to mind here: Can wholeness be found through fragmentation? Can wholeness be sought? Can wholeness be found?
The search is always from that position of fragmentation. If the mind is not fragmented, what is there to seek?
Without fragmentation, there is wholeness, or whatever you want to call it.
But don’t take it the wrong way. It is not to say that you are not whole because you are fragmented. Rather, your fragmentation does not allow the present wholeness to be seen.
You are already whole and complete. It is only your thought that tells you differently.
You are right on the money when you call it an impulse. Sex is not merely something that one desires, but it is a physiological impulse. Part of the human need to procreate. That is not to say that everyone will want to have kids. But people put too much emphasis on sex, making it into something much bigger than what it actually is.
The important question is, what does it do to you? Do you only know about sex through what others have taught you; it is bad, or good, a waste of energy, dangerous, etc.? What would sex be if you had no ideas, or prejudices about it?
What kind of importance do you give to sex? What would happen if you used that energy used for sex itself, and instead channeled it toward understanding how the sexual impulse works? (I do not necessarily mean YOU in this conversation.)
Is the self needed to feel arousal? If sex is a physiological impulse, is the self needed at all?
Thanks for your time, Kris.
Hi takuin, thanks for your response…some really useful info directly related to where im at in this moment.
As regards this issue of a fragmented mind, i am really aware of this fragmentation in myself…it seems there is this core feeling of self, a person, Kris, whatever you want to call it, and when i look within and try to get a handle on this, it seems to be an image of my body, mostly my face and then just the repititive thought of me,me,me. I can see this in meditation when i pretty much ignore other thoughts and focus on this primary anchor of self, now this seems pretty solid although the feeling of who this me is changes as the thoughts circulating it fluctuate wildly from sexual fantasies to plans for the day, how can i improve my situation, blah blah etc etc
Although its not actually me that changes its more like the flavour of me changes. Id like to be able to say truthfully that i know this not to be me, but i dont, i just believe it, when i look at this innocently its like a wall of self and thats all iam aware of.
Iam currently doing meditation with binaural beats which is pretty effective at taking you into certain meditative states, so i know from memory that when this self dissipates a vista of clarity and sight opens where only seeing exists without a seer, however the minute this happens that little imp of a mind just jumps all over it, gets excited and its gone.
So back to the point, please excuse, i tend to go off on tangents when i talk about these things….so much to say!!! The fragmentation you talk of is obviously related to this self looking for an identity or some kind of solid base on which to anchor itself in all of this crap, why?? why does it need something else to feel complete?? and this is not directed at you, more asking myself while i type…..it seems clear that it is not content and i feel that it needs something else because it is so small and insubstantial, lacking any real solidity.( and there seems to be some visceral terror in that…this cant be all of me???)
Really ironic that in my case this little bastard searches for that feeling of joy that will relieve it of itself….my fragmentation manifests itself pretty clearly, over the years i have searched for some avenue in life that will give me peace, i am currently undergoing a second degree, this time in psychology, with the hope it will bring me closer to what i seek, but i know this to be an illusion as well. As the high of a new venture, where the self loses itself comes to an end, i look for another thing which will again relieve me of the burden of having this thing called self, so in actual fact all along the self has been looking to extinguish its very existence!!! This fatalistic streak is obviously reflected in the world around us, this grand movement of humanity trying to destroy itself but all along being totally unaware of the reasons for this all consuming urge to selfdestruct!
Very interesting that you say the sexual impulse is purely physiological and is not dependant on thought. Although i have been taught this is a biological function, if i am honest i notice the urge when i see a beautiful woman, like a movement of energy somewhere in my stomach but in order for me to act on it i feel it is necessary to conjure up sexual fantasies with my mind. And this, undeniably, pollutes the purity of the feeling with all sorts of insecurities, projections and desires of how the sexual act should be. Ahh to be free!!
Thanks again for your time takuin, i deeply appreciate it.
Kris
@Kris
If you know that it isn’t you, how do you know it? How can you tell what you are not? It is hard to see, but any need to be away from, or to be different from, what you are, perpetuates the search.
Look at what is there, and see that all of it is you. The sexual thoughts, greed, selfishness, or whatever happens to be there. See it as it is. If there is a need to be different, or a need to escape from what is there, you will always be encircling what you wish to be free from. That is all the self can do, anyway; try to be free of itself. But it cannot see that it is an impossibility.
Can one know the dissolution of the self through memory? If I remember freedom, is it in any way real? I am not saying it is right or wrong, but just look at it for yourself. Memory is what we already know, and can never be new. It is thought, experience, knowledge; the building blocks of the self. If I have a memory of freedom, it only serves to hide true liberation. It is the old covering the new, keeping it hidden from view.
If there is any truth to liberation, it is that one must not care at all about whether it is here or not. Once you wish to capture it as an experience, as something to be had, it is dead.
But just saying this might lead one to try to not try to care. It is not really worth the frustration.
The ones that can “be liberated” are the ones that take it all the way to the end. One must be ready to lose everything and gain nothing. It is probably best that most people forget about it. Just live a good life and give all you can to others. Don’t throw trash on the ground. Clean up after yourself. Be nice to children. That sort of thing.
The anchor is the source of this trouble. The anchor IS the identity. It is the self.
There is wholeness. It is always here, even if we do not believe it is so. But for whatever reason, and probably beyond real conscious control, in the need for security, the self sets up shop in order to find what it thinks is order. But once the self arises, so does separation.
Then the craziness begins. On some level, the organism can feel the loss of wholeness. Or perhaps it is the self feeling that it is fragmented, but was not always. So the search begins. The self believes that it can regain this wholeness through various means, but nothing works. It tries sex, drugs, religion, hate, political systems, or whatever else helps to give the self a sense that it is real. But none of these things really satisfy, because the self is not real.
The wholeness that is natural to the organism can never be reached by any search.
At some point, one hears of enlightenment or freedom or whatever, and then it goes on. But enlightenment feels closer to the truth, probably because the self is beginning to understand the need to start where you are. But even so, the search continues.
It just goes on and on.
Question the urge. Not that it is right or wrong. If it is there, it is there. Never think that it shouldn’t be there. But find out what it is. Do you feel that urge with every woman that you see? Only certain body shapes or personalities? Is it merely a preference that you have for certain types of people?
Question these things within, and never have the thought that it should be different from what it is. Just see it as it is and start from there.
Takuin
‘If there is any truth to liberation, it is that one must not care at all about whether it is here or not. Once you wish to capture it as an experience, as something to be had, it is dead.’
I completely understand this intellectually but you must be aware that this is beyond impossible once one starts on this road…i am reminded of the feeling of despair i had after reading UG Krishnamurti
‘The ones that can “be liberated” are the ones that take it all the way to the end. One must be ready to lose everything and gain nothing. It is probably best that most people forget about it. Just live a good life and give all you can to others. Don’t throw trash on the ground. Clean up after yourself. Be nice to children. That sort of thing.’
My mind just roars, no fucking way, i will not settle for this…..there is no anger directed at you Takuin just expressing the resistance of this mind to accept such a life, knowing there to be more but giving up so meekly!!
I wonder, surely if this state exists you have to strive for it, and why does it exist at all??? whats the point of coming to such a wonderful place where your life is full of love and joy?? The whole world should live like this…., the universe puts out these tantalising little clues, a few isolated people here and there experiencing the grandest and most beautiful expression of life….goading the rest of us to wish and hope with all our hearts and ultimately just notching up the pain just one more bit, just to really rub it in!!!!
Anyway that feels a little better! lol
Hope everything is cool in Japan
Kris
PS Was wondering how you perceive the ultimate nature of this state, do you see it similar to UG when he says it is purely biological without any spiritual fluff relating to unity consciousness, reincarnation, immortality etc etc
There seems to be so many conflicting opinions on what the hell is actually going on? UG stated he was just a meat body with no allusions to spirituality of any kind but others say it is a state of pure spirit????
thanks again
I am not aware of that. How can one be aware of impossibility? We can only think in terms of what is possible. You might say, “Well, I am aware that I cannot fly.” Sure, but you are aware of that only because of what you know.
What does this mean? You can only think in terms of what is possible through knowledge. It is all based on what you already know. And this “result” we are talking about has nothing to do with knowledge.
As knowledge increases, our ideas of impossibility increase. That is not good or bad, it is just the way it is. Have impossibility if you want, but leave it for matters of knowledge. “Enlightenment” is beyond knowledge.
You have to be careful about the language that you use. Once you say something is impossible, then that is it. It is impossible. Every single thing you say is important.
If impossibility is based on knowledge, on memory, than that impossibility only exists in your mind. It is not a fact in reality. I guess you could say that impossibility is an illusion.
Then don’t settle for it. Start where you are and take it all the way to the finish. Put all of your energy into finding out what is there. Spend time alone, take a pen and paper, write down whatever comes to you, and stay with it. Find out if there is more to be had.
But never once think that this state is somehow different from what you consider “real life” to be. There is only life as it is.
There is no effort here. Is there a need to strive for anything? If you want food, go and get it. If you want more money, then find a way to make it. But if you want silence, how will you get it?
You want silence but you can only scream. So how do you find the silence? STOP SCREAMING. It is already there.
People assume that they have to go somewhere to get inner peace. But everything one does to get it is violent. They want to force their way into that state. But they never realize there is only one state, and that is the state that you are in. Start from where you are. There is no good and bad in you; there is only what is.
Start with what is there; not with what you think should be there.
But what the world should do is not what the world does. And what the world does is the only reality.
Besides, what difference does it make what the world does, if you yourself do the same as the world?
Transform the organism and you transform the world.
Haha. Well, I am glad you could get that out of your system.
What others think as a grand and beautiful expression is not any different from their own. But they cannot see it because of what they think; because of who they are.
There is no best life. Only life. It doesn’t matter if it is the executive in the highest suite, or the bum in the lowest gutter; life is equally giving.
There is only what is. And it IS truly magnificent. But that same magnificence already surrounds and penetrates you. You are it already.
It is not enough just to understand reality. It must be such a a part of you that every movement you make, down to each cell in your body, has exploded in realization. And that cannot come through a mere understanding of knowledge.
Many people watch UG’s videos and think he was an asshole, or that he was too abrasive and rude. I think he was hilarious.
Sometimes it seemed that he said things just to mess with people, but he wasn’t the type of person that would lie about any of it. It just didn’t matter at all to him, so why lie about it?
Of course, people couldn’t accept it because they already had their own ideas of what enlightenment should be. So when they had used up UG, they moved on the the next guru.
It really is a shame too, because if they could have seen beyond what they already believed to be true, it might have helped them.
There is a video circulating out there of UG’s final talk, just before he died. I mean literally, he was dying in front of them. It was so disgusting because they just treated it as a game. Just something to do. It didn’t really mean anything to them, even though they might say otherwise.
If freedom meant anything to any of them, they would have really listened, with all of their heart, to find out why this violence lives within. They would have asked themselves if there really is anything to search for; if there is really anything else other than what they are.
But they have gone on to other so-called gurus, I suppose. They will never feel safe until they meet that guru that tells them something close to what they already believe to be true. Then there is that feeling of comfort. It seems to touch them in a special way, but it is a feeling based on what they already have. Why go anywhere if you already have it?
I am not saying they are right or wrong. It is just something that happens. It went on thousands of centuries before them, and will continue long after they are dust.
If one is able to live this thing, whatever it is, then unity consciousness, reincarnation, immortality, all of that is thrown out. But it is not thrown out by choice. It just goes. I am talking about the belief in these things being something to possess or look forward to.
Consciousness, on the other hand, is quite real; real in the sense of what it is composed of. It is not a fluffy, mystical, or magical thing that relies on superstition. It is the container of all we have experienced and known. It is the container, AND the contained. It is the pool that thought draws from.
I have not written anything directly about consciousness yet. But it is part of the A to Z of Being, which will start at the end of this month, or beginning of next year.
If thought steps aside, then all that is left over IS the body and its functioning. Thought can certainly have an effect on the body, for better or worse, but that isn’t what we are talking about anyway.
There is the functioning organism. Anything else is a belief. I am not saying it is right or wrong.
None of this impedes one’s ability to laugh or have a good time, though.
Hey Takuin,
Totally get what your saying about having beliefs, and how they will determine the language you use and hence the very substance of your reality.
As it happens, just finished writing an essay about the subject of identity and how it fluctuates from one moment to the next depending on who you are talking to, what social environment you are in etc etc and also its dependance on language as a key element in its construction.
I was very aware from a young age of the limitations of language, and remember having many arguements with my brother and friends about the fact that an object has been labeled with a collection of letters, means absolutely jack about the reality of the object and i couldn’t understand how they couldn’t grasp this. Later on, as i became more aware of the ways of the world, and particularly the commonly accepted scientific stance in explaining reality, i understood that the majority of people never question what they are taught.
You can ask..what is this?, pointing to an atom, and people will reply its an atom ‘ what are you on about?’ , then you ask, yeah, but what actually is this?, not what is this called, and then you just hit a brick wall, there seems to be an absolute inability to see past language and cultural conditioning or engage in any abstract thought!
As such it is very hard (nearly said impossible, ha ha), to talk about reality in any other way when you are coming from the world of mind identification, in order to say anything about anything, you must search your mind which is composed of memory and belief, and nothing else. My ego would love you to accept the language i use, try to see the underlying meaning, and stop answering with riddles and more questions, but i also know, think, believe or whatever, that the language Takuin uses, and the way you structure your responses are the only way you can….as such im beginning to understand that talk is useless and no amount of me seeking answers from you in order to reinforce what i already believe is going to help me to come to a place where i can do nothing but stop….it was interesting, last night i was in a place after reading your reply and various other related info, where i kind of felt like being between a rock and a hard place. Usually whenever i get in to such away of thinking i will do an extra hour of meditation, read something etc etc just to give me that feeling that there is a step by step progression and slowly im getting there….i’ ve got one more vital ingredient, i’ ve done an extra hour of meditation, and that usually eases the desperate feeling, but i realised it is exactly the avoidance of this feeling which perpetuates the struggle and i really felt like there was nowhere to go……….and then i watched TV…arghh!! Now obviously, if i had really grasped this i would not be typing this response right now, but iam aware that this is the place that may reveal the most valuable insights.
I totally get why you advocate the benefit of being alone in nature, i live in the country and before i had certain experiences with psychedelics i frequently felt an awe or mystery in nature that would just come upon me while doing something mundane, and the urge to hold this feeling is what drives the search….i notice that my mind is like a measuring device, it HAS TO KNOW whats there, it is not content just to luxuriate in the mystery and leave it at that. It needs to break everything down, find out its constituent parts, how it works, whats behind the mystery and i think psychedelics tempt you with the promise that you can know, it almost feels like your right there, just one more insight, your so close you can even taste it, but you learn very quickly that this is a dead end and thats probably where most people either give up or hear about ‘enlightenment’.
I am a keen painter and photographer but even this is an attempt to solidify or capture the mystery and it always fails, although sometimes you can capture something…a play of light , interlocking forms, other worldly colour, something that REMINDS us of the beauty of being in nature. I would love to do more, but im currently in the depth of a bloody cold, Irish winter, although im heading to Africa with my girlfriend for New Years, so i will at least experience some nice weather soon. However, i think there is something about the cold that makes you feel alive, you cant avoid the sensations that scream your alive and on spaceship Earth….
As regards UG i remember the first time i stumbled across him, and the intuitive feeling, first of all, that this guy was for real, and then being totally aware of my mind wanting to reject what he was saying in favour of the more digestable ramblings of the likes of Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass and other such new age fantasists……i think at that stage it was all just a need to believe that i was more than flesh and bones, and in some ways it still is, but this has been completely over ridden by the utter need to know, no matter what the reality, good or bad!!
I remember watching a clip of UG, telling this poor, desperate man that there was no heart, no spirit within and the reaction was almost unbearable to watch….he was so installed in the comfort that even if there was no peace to be found in this life there was always more, the next life, the after-life or whatever and this idea was just ripped out of him in floods of desperate tears so i can see why alot of people cant stomach his message but i also intuited that if there was truth to be had then it was closer to this.
One more thing, how do you see this awareness that is independant of self? Am i correct in saying that you are not your body or your mind? if so then awareness must be independant of both or do you think this is just the natural perception of the human brain devoid of ego, which seems to be a necessary by-product of human evolution? Im sure your going to tell me that these questions never arise within your organism……a thought just occured that this state seems to be the perfect marriage between science and religion, both are right and wrong in their own ways….the message seems to be saying that there is a place of complete surrender that consists of only love and joy where you experience the totality of being the universe but also that it is purely biological and completely ordinary and natural……
Its funny, after re reading my reply i just noticed that instead of engaging your questions i have just resorted to the usual cop out of looking for favourable answers and telling ‘my story’…there seems to be a real refusal to consider what you are pointing to, the mind really doesn’t want to examine the foundation of its construction! It would rather tell a story about itself and this ‘great search’.
Just after writing previous reply, it dawned on my how much anything i write cannot touch what your pointing to, and in the end its all just more playing with concepts and ideas of who i am, and who i want to be, reinforcing my belief that iam going somewhere, and even now, there is the thought….oh you’ve noticed this, your going somewhere. The mind is so insidious in its ability to sneak in when you think you have caught it in the act, it constantly disguises itself as being a more genuine aspect of who you are…..there is truly no way round this!!
There is a feeling of great inauthenticity in anything the mind can say, and although you have been directing me to myself i have been deflecting your questions with more me stuff…of course when i read your response i do consider what you write very carefully but there is such alot of resistance to actually, really delve into self-inquiry.
The mind IS a measuring device, in a manner of speaking, but it does not need to know anything. It records what comes, recalls what is already there, and responds to the challenges of daily living. Just like the ears; they hear but do not listen. Just like the eyes; they see but do not interpret. The only thing that HAS TO KNOW is you. If it is important to know, it is because the self sees it as such. That does not make it good or bad, or anything.
The mind can only know what it already knows. It can never know any more, or any less. There is no inherent desire to know anything, as that comes from somewhere else. The self interprets events according to its own survival, then decides what should be known or learned.
Let’s say there is something you absolutely have to know (whatever it happens to be). Why do you need to know it? Again, this is not about right or wrong, but why do you absolutely need to know it? Does it come from anywhere other than the desires of the self?
If you need to meet your significant other in a new location, then maybe you need to know how to get there. But that is not the same thing as what we are talking about. It isn’t a need; just information. Can we reduce all needs to mere information? If we are stuck in the field of thought, we only deal with what we know; what is dead. Is there a need beyond thought? (I am not saying there is or there isn’t.)
Extreme cold, or extreme heat, can trigger natural mechanisms in the organism. I find it all extremely interesting, and it is probably a good chance to see what goes on in your own mind. If it is extremely cold, you might shiver, or naturally move in such a way as to provide additional heat. Those things are natural. What I find interesting are the thoughts we put on top of that.
It seems hilarious to me that when it is cold, some people actually believe that it shouldn’t be cold. Or they repeatedly tell themselves (and others) that it is cold. Really? I am standing next to you in below freezing weather, and you are telling me it is cold. Why? Is it just conversation? If it is just conversation, then why do you not talk about the cold during the summer? Because then, you talk about the heat.
And it goes on and on, Haha.
It is not that I see the awareness; there is just awareness. If there is no duality, there is no longer the “I” and the “something else.” There is only whatever is there.
So many people still think of it as something to have. I need to have peace and not this suffering. Well, what is the reality? The peace, or the suffering? Start where you are with what you have, because that is all that can ever be.
Kris,
Everything is there in you already. But I am not quite able to express it in way that will finish it for you.
I can tell you not to accept of reject anything. But if you do that, are you accepting to accept or not accept? Or can what is there, clearly be seen as it is?
If I say, “Yes, it is this way, and this way alone,” what meaning does it have? You will either accept it or reject it, because that is all the self can do. But what if the self isn’t there? What would happen to the question?
Thanks for all of your participation, by the way.
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