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Table of Contents

A celebration of freedom 3What is the world anyway? 3How to find the right meditation technique 5Can you die before you die? 7The secret of returning to the source 8Navigating the ups and downs of the world 10Are you pushed by suffering or pulled by Bliss? 11Dealing With Obstacles In Your Practice 13Freeing yourself from tension and stress 15The Secret of the Virgin Birth 17Easter, A Celebration of what’s Inside 19The secret of the miracle of the eternal light 21Are we really awake when we are asleep 22The difference between thinking about Awareness and standing there 24How did we get here, a different view of time? 26What is the Universe Made Of? 29A Brighter Future for the World Economy 31Are You Sure Of Your Knowledge 33The Wisdom and Love of Brigit 35

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A celebration of freedomSome times we can get so lost in the nitty-gritty of our practice that we lose sight of where we hope to end up. So today I thought we could talk about the joy of looking within. After all where else can you hope to find unbridled joy without the possibility of coming down?

Yes you will be surprised by how free you really are. That’s because this freedom is not depen-dent on what you think, what you do, or what you have. It comes from what you are. This is where I and joy merge into one unified being. It is deeper than anything that you could possibly express.

Although the world with its ups and downs is like the waves in the ocean, you are the depths, unaffected by these changes. Look for this freedom in your practice. The fruit is ripe and just waiting for you to pluck it from the tree of wisdom. Don’t assume that this freedom is far away. It is as close as your own identity. This freedom does not come from what you see. It is inher-ently bound to the seer herself.

If you want to discover how free you really are, find this joy when things are not going your way. When times are tough, you mind is tired, and your body is sick. Even now you can find the free-dom that was never born and will never pass away. This is freedom that comes from what you are. It is always there to support you. Find this and be at peace.

What is the world anyway?What exactly is the world anyway? If you would like to have the experience of oneness or a harmony that is unaffected by the apparent ups and downs of the world, and of your life, then its time for a different view of the world.

From here you will see that it is not just the rare mystic who can find oneness and peace. Any-one who is willing to investigate his or her direct experience can find the oneness that will bring things back into balance.

Now I know that nowadays many people are worried about war, global warming, and the greed that they see splashed across the headlines everyday. Moreover people see the threats to their life, to their health and to their means of livelihood. So with all of this going on where can a person find peace, let alone lasting peace.

To know this peace, stand as peaceThe answer is that a person has to stand as the source of peace; from here you will see exactly what the world is. That’s because the essence of the world is not different from your own es-sence.

To see this you have to take an unbiased view of the world. To get a sense of what this means I want to use a quote of Joe Morgan, a member of the baseball Hall of Fame and an announcer.

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“You can see the ball without really seeing it.” It seems that the secret to becoming a good hitter in baseball is in how you see the ball.

The same is true of human liberation. You can see the world without really seeing it. But when you take off the filters that line your mind, you get to see the world for what it really is. Then a surprising thing happens. The world that you thought was outside of you comes right inside.

Here’s a quote from Saint Paul,

“Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face.”

Perhaps one of the meanings of this statement is that the world that you thought was out there is really in here. Now I hope that I raised your curiosity. You must be thinking, “How can I experi-ence the world as being on the inside?” Well let me show you.

How to experience the world anewFirst don’t change a thing. You want to discover your direct experience even now. Rather look at the world like a new born child. For a moment, don’t assume that you know what the world really is. Now I have a few questions for you. “When you look out the window and see a tree or the house next door where do you actually see it?”

Do you see it over there or do you see it here? The answer is obvious: you see it here. Since you are over here, if the tree or the house was really over there you wouldn’t see it. Yet the tree and the house appear to be over there.

The same is true of the sounds that you hear. When you hear the sounds of the orchestra or band you hear them over here where you are, not over there. And yet they appear to be coming from over there. I hope that you are having trouble capturing this with your mind. That’s because your actual experience is much richer than the limited thought process can record.

The world is not a foreign substanceIf you feel that the world is boring or overwhelming, just start experiencing the world like this and things will change in a hurry. All of the sudden when you experience the world in this new light, things will become very interesting and very close. That’s because the world is not made up of a foreign substance. It is actually made of your own mind and being.

When you see this you will find an underlying harmony that cannot be disturbed no matter what circumstances you may face. Seeing this you will find the peace that passes all understanding.

This peace is not in some far away land accessible to a rare mystic. If only we could see what’s right before our eyes, we would know the underlying peace that supports the whole universe. It is right at the very center of our being, the essence of our mind. It is here that we get to experience the real substance of the universe. It is beyond what words can say. But we can know it by our direct experience.

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How to find the right meditation techniqueRecently I’ve received many emails asking, “How can I start a meditation practice?” I hope that the information below will help you to sort out the possibilities that are in store for you in your meditation practice. Also I hope that you will get a sense of how to evaluate a meditation practice and then get to the place that you want.

The most important tip for starting a meditation practice is to decide where you want to end up. Then you can look into what techniques to use, and what teachers will help you to find an answer to your questions.

I am always surprised when people just randomly pick a meditation technique or a teacher and start practicing. That’s because there are thousands of meditation systems and they can take you to millions of different places. The realm of meditation experience is even greater than the realm of physical experience.

However, in one lifetime, you can only practice a tiny fraction of the techniques in any of these systems. So it’s important that before you just start practicing a meditation technique that you get a broad sense of what you hope to accomplish through your meditation.

The three categories of meditation practicesRoughly, there are three categories of meditation practices: First, those that affect the mind such as for quieting it, relaxing, concentrating the mind or improving the memory. At its heights you can develop blank states of mind where time and space disappear, like in Samadhi.

Secondly you can develop subtle energy for curing physical illnesses, or for obtaining states of Kundalini or chi. If you hope to levitate or accomplish physical actions like bending spoons with your mind, this is the energy you will need to develop. There are also energy states like the rais-ing of Kundalini that can barely be described by words. Although you may not be able to see a person's Kundalini rise, this experience is very real to the person meditating on it.

And thirdly at its heights, meditation can help you to find liberation and put an end to suffering for good. This is the path that I would recommend and I’ll talk more about this path in the second half of this article.

Obtaining Energy StatesAs an example, if you want to obtain one of the subtle energy states that I described above, here’s what you must do. You must find a subtle yogi or Kundalini master as your teacher. The trick, when choosing a teacher is to make sure he or she has obtained the state that you desire. After all it is easy for someone to think about these subtle states. It is much more difficult to be in the place from which subtle powers emanate.

I have heard of many teachers who claim to have these subtle powers. Yet, I have seen very little of it. If you hope to obtain physical states like levitation and moving objects with your mind you can just watch a teacher to make sure that he or she can do these things. If you want a more subtle state like an out of the body experience I’m afraid that you will have to guess if your pro-

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spective teacher has actually obtained that state. In the teacher’s presence, try to feel if he or she has what you want. Use your intuition.

Once you find your teacher then you have to follow his or her teachings to the letter. This could be a full time job. You may have to control your breath, remain celibate, and watch the amount and types of food that you eat. You may have to do this for many years.

Even then there is no guarantee that you will obtain the state that you want. The one person who I think probably had subtle powers was the founder of Aikido, Morihei Uyeshiba. He had many students who are still alive, and although I heard about teachers who reportedly have his powers, I have not met one who could demonstrate the powers that Uyeshiba was reputed to have.

There is one more drawback to attempting to obtain subtle powers. Since it is you, a limited person, attempting to get these powers, at some point as they began, they will end. This might be at the death of the physical body, or at the death of a subtle body that could last for millions of years. But at the time that your powers pass away it will seem like they did not last long enough.

So, of course you can still go after these subtle powers. But at least now your eyes will be wide open, and you will see the obstacles that you may face.

The Path of Liberation is DifferentThere is one state that is so close to everyone that they just overlook it. It is the very source of Consciousness and Bliss that never comes to an end, “The peace that passes all understanding.” You did not create this state and it will not pass away. You merely have to discover who you are even now, and what you have always been. This is the path of liberation, sometimes called Self-Discovery.

In your path of Self-Discovery it is also helpful to find a competent teacher. You can use the information here to help you find this teacher. For instance, if your aim is self-discovery you won’t go to a teacher who teaches you how to reach subtle energy states. If the teacher empha-sizes breathing techniques, mind control, or posture you should know that this is not the path to Self-Discovery.

Of course you must also put energy into the process of Self- Discovery. But it is a different kind of energy. It is the kind of energy that questions; that doesn’t take anything for granted. It’s the kind of energy that catches thoughts like, “Because I think it, it must be true,” or, “I know how things are,” and then allows you to look afresh like a newborn baby. There is no room for dull-ness on the path of Self-Discovery. You want to reexamine your experience to determine if your direct experience is actually the way you think it’s supposed to be.

The difference is that the energy for Self-Discovery is not based on you controlling the breath or the mind. It is rather based on throwing off assumed limitations, so that you can become the Awareness and Bliss that you really are.

If you can see the value of meditation, why not make an attempt to discover Wisdom and Joy that is so deep that it even transcends death; yet it is just who you are. Why not embark on the path of Self-Discovery that will take you to ultimate liberation? On www.Light-Up-Your-Life.com you will find some resources to help you embark on this journey.

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Can you die before you die?Here is a question posted on Jerry Katz’s Nonduality Salon (sender is anonymous) . It is beg-ging for an answer:

I am having difficulty with something that Nisargadatta Maharaj is quoted as saying:

“Once you know that the body alone dies and not the continuity of memory and the sense of I am reflected in it, you are afraid no longer.”

Surely when the body dies there can be no memory as there is no instrument to cognize with. The brain holds the memory which is made up of mindstuff, and when that dies surely there can be no persistence of memory?

Maybe the quote is a translation mistake?

I know that we are the one beingness and always will be that, but in my experience it is a state of no thing, and no knowing.

Are you able to enlighten me on this point?

I think the questioner is right. Because this is a translation, we can never quite be sure what Ma-haraj was trying to say. But we can be sure what he meant. That’s by dying ourselves so that we can see what it’s like by our own direct experience.

It may seem strange to think that you can die before you die. Although it is hard to explain be-cause it is a nonlinear process that doesn’t fit easily into words and thoughts, once you die you will see exactly what death is.

Given the limitation of words, this is the best explanation I can give. The very sense of I drops out. This is the place that you thought you stood. It feels like everything drops out from this side: the side that you did not expect.

The one who thought that he or she was in control, the one who thought that he could rationalize his thoughts and feelings, that’s the first one to disappear. Then you are left face to face the real frameworks that you identified with. These are the little definitions that ran your life and were the basis of your thoughts and actions.

Death shows you how to wake upIf this death happens as a product of your meditation it is grace. It will show you in no uncer-tain terms how to practice and which type of practice just won’t work. For instance any thought based meditation, no matter how beautiful the thoughts are won’t work.

Even if you meditate, “I am the Self,” in the end these thoughts will disappear too. Furthermore,

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a blank mind is no substitute for knowing yourself. Even that will disappear. Also any intellec-tual musings on the subject of nonduality will not hold water when you face death. (Nonduality means that there is not two things. Only the one reality that pervades the whole universe.)

Reaching across the border of life and deathThe only meditation that reaches across the border of life and death is to stand as you really are. To do this you have to recognize and stand beyond the limiting definitions that you took to be you. That’s why nonduality and self-knowledge are inextricably connected. Where there is a sense of limitation there are two.

The reality that you thought belonged to the world, the body, the mind, and your memories, actu-ally comes from you and not from what you see. That’s why when you know yourself, whatever state you find yourself in, the sense of reality remains the same. Whether it’s Alzheimer’s disease or death, by your direct experience nothing changes – reality remains as it always is. You are that reality.

You can see this in your everyday experience. Although the scenery in your dream is completely different than the scenery in the waking state, your sense of reality doesn’t change. That’s why from within it, your dream seems real. When everything disappears in the deep sleep state it doesn’t feel like reality went away for a little bit. Reality does not depend on objects. It knows itself by its own light and remains steady as life continues to change and then disappears.

This is the continuity that Maharaj was probably referring to. I hope this helps.

The secret of returning to the sourceRam has the following comments and questions:

Hi Michael,

Great articles and sharings, Michael. Thank you. However I have one question:

What is the entry code/meditation technique to remove the veil of the Source that seems hid-den by a disk of golden light? So that there is complete experiential awareness of union with the Source to see all beings and all things living in complete harmony in unison and to realize: Yes we can international/universal and Be one with the One that is always Infinite in every way.

Would appreciate your sharing your experiential awareness with.regards to the merger with the Source after the ever-present witness sees all the universe (including all galaxies ..etc) in the infinite bigger consciousness.

By ‘Source’ I mean that One Who gives substance to the universe, from whom all things pro-ceed and to whom all things return.

Look forward to hearing from you with great interest.

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In appreciation and amazement......Ram

Hi Ram,

Thank you for your comments and questions. The secret to returning to the source is to know yourself. It is the shift of identity from limitation to the limitless Consciousness. You should know that you are the seer of limitation, not the one who is caught in it. This means that you are the seer of obstacles that you seem to face, not the one stuck in them. Whether these obstacles seem to be physical like those presented by the world, body, and mind or subtle like the disk of golden light, you should know that you are already on the right side of these obstacles.

Where people have problems with this meditation on identity is that you can’t see yourself. After all who could stand separate to see the Seer? But you can still know yourself by standing as yourself, and not as the limitation that you see. Like the sun shines by its own light, you shine in your own glory as Consciousness and Bliss.

It isn’t you who gets stuckWhen you think, “I’m stuck,” it is really not you who is stuck. That ‘I’ is just another thought in your mind. You are aware of both the subject of your sentence called ‘I’ and the object ‘stuck.’ This Awareness is whom you really are. As Awareness you are always free. Moreover, you will find, it is Awareness that lends reality to the thoughts; that’s why they seem so real.

The vast universe is actually on the insideNow you asked about the Awareness that sees the planets and the galaxies; “that One Who gives substance to the universe, from whom all things proceed and to whom all things return.” When your identity shifts out of the body, mind, and ‘I’ thought, those boundaries no longer apply to you. The universe that you thought was outside of you comes inside. In all its vast glory the universe is you. That means that everything you see is actually you and not separate in any way. When you see this you will find a harmony that can never be disturbed.

Furthermore, when your state changes from waking to dreaming the whole universe that you see completely changes. Yet the sense of reality remains the same. That’s because no matter what form it takes, reality comes from you and not from the world. Finally in death when the world disappears it is reality in the form of Consciousness that remains. If you see that you are Con-sciousness and nothing else, when the body dies nothing will change. Reality will remain as it always is, eternally.

Please let me know if this answers your questions or if it raises more questions. You will be amazed how the smallest shift in identity will answer your questions in a way that you could never have imagined.

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Navigating the ups and downs of the world In response to my Easter mailing Scott had some excellent comments and questions:

Thank you for the heart-felt message! It really resonates with me, right now. The question comes from “Are you a thought?” I would have to say no, but it is more com-plex than a thought. There are other components involved. But for some reason, intellect-reason seems to be “in charge.” The first place my mind goes when there is discussion about “who we really are” it hits me “what about my bills, and retirement and schedule and if I ‘go there’ I will neglect the important stuff, and...and...” How can I let this die and have it last? I am attempting to paint a picture (so to speak) of my current model of limitation. I would love to experience the death of this limitation and Celebrate new possibilities this Easter.

Wishing you and Bridgit Love and Happiness!

Thank You!

Scott

Hi Scott,

Your question is excellent. It is easy to muse about spirituality when you are young, healthy, and the money is rolling in.

But by its very nature the world is like a wave. It is in constant motion with both ups and downs. If you get a paycheck it may seem like things are constant. But when you have your own busi-ness it’s a constant battle to make sure your income is greater than your expenses.

You work on a big job and have no time to sell. Then you have no jobs and the wave is about to crash. If you find your mind and emotions going up and down with your income it is time to take another look.

The energy to find freedomThis may feel uncomfortable, but its a perfect opportunity to find the kind of freedom that will last, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. In fact you probably feel a certain des-peration to get out of this cycle in your mind. And that desperation is just the energy level that you need.

Ramana Maharshi said to practice with the energy of a man whose head is being held underwa-ter and has to come up for air. It is just through dullness that we repeat the same suffering again

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and again. This is the energy that gets us out of dullness.

The doorway to freedomAt the same time, because of your interest in Self-Knowledge, you know there is an answer waiting for you, if you can just find a way to look within. The doorway is to trace either love or Awareness back to its source. In the end you find that your identity is Awareness and not that of a limited person.

Standing here you are as free from the character called Scott, as you are from the person in last night’s dream. And yet you see that you are the light of Consciousness that lights up the world and makes it seem so real. What remains constant as the world continues to change is your own Being in the form of Awareness. Finally when you retire completely from this world, it is the world that disappears and not you.

So do what you can to grow your business and get the kind of income that you want. But you should know that there are factors involved here that are beyond your control, like the state of the economy and the state of your health. That’s why you have to find your sense of peace and joy in a deeper place than in the condition of your business, and of your finances.

When you take this meditation through, you will see that you are not a thought in the mind, and that this is not a mere intellectual pursuit for an afternoon’s cup of tea. You will find the reality that will completely change your life, from the inside out. Please let me know if this answers your question or if you need some more clarification.

Are you pushed by suffering or pulled by Bliss?Scott had a reply to my last answer with some more comments and questions:

Good Morning Michael,

Thank you so much for your reply!

I took your book out last night and began to re-read. “May the light that lights the universe be our light...”I only got a few pages into it and was present to an upwelling of excitement and joy.

Recently, I have been seeing a young woman. It is certainly a blissful time for both of us. I asked her, “Where do you experience Happiness?” She smiled and did not answer. The next day, she put her hand on my chest/heart and said “I feel Happiness here.” This is a bliss I wish I could bottle and keep forever!

With that, I was reminded of the teachings in your book and our numerous conversations. Per-haps there is something here worth noting; perhaps this is our Easter gift this spring.

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I got the quote you submitted “Ramana Maharshi said to practice with the energy of a man whose head is being held underwater and has to come up for air.” have experienced a great deal of suffering and wish to not go there again. That desire is like a desperate man whose head is being held underwater....

Something struck me a few months ago in this realm. It was that, instead of motivation from desperation and fear, what if it was possible to be motivated by Inspiration, encouragement and love? (A pull from heaven, rather than a push from hell, so to speak). This direction was from the pointer “Where do you experience Happiness?” This is what I have been meditating on, contem-plating, exploring.

I have this funny feeling that you are right. That this is very close. Even in our correspondence here, I took a moment to experience. Something just happened.

Blessings, Smiles and Bliss to you!

~Scott

Hi Scott,

I am glad to hear that you are back in the high life again. When you begin to look within, every-day becomes a good day. That’s because you begin to recognize that your happiness and peace do not depend on outer circumstances. Here there is no reason to ever suffer.

In my book I started with where is happiness because I noticed that many people seem to get a taste for looking within and meditation when they notice where they actually experience happiness.

But you can trace Consciousness to its source and end up in the same place. That’s because here Consciousness and Bliss are really not two different things. They are just pointers to what you are.

The real secret here is that the happiness that I talk about is even deeper than the feeling of bliss that radiates from your heart. This is a beautiful expression of the happiness found on the inside, but as an experience it also comes and goes. That’s why, like in my case, it is sometimes easier to trace Consciousness to its source.

As your experiences come and go it is the seer that remains the constant factor. It is your light that gives the feeling of reality to experience, and it is your light that remains when the experi-ence is over. Just stand as the light of Awareness and not as a thought in your mind.

Then you will not have the need to bottle any experience. You can enjoy the experience while it lasts, and at the end, when it disappears you can remain as you really are right at the source.

On friendship and loveAs you go deeper in your meditation you will begin to attract deeper friends. I see that’s what’s already happening to you. Congratulations on your relationship. Now that you know the secret

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you will not expect to get something from her which she just can’t provide. That’s the happiness that you already have.

Then you can relax and revel in a oneness and peace that most people can’t even imagine. It comes when you see how close she really is. There is no need to put up borders and boundaries. These are not real anyway. They are just thoughts in your mind.

Your intuition that truth is really close is good. Where there is no distance there is no obstacles.

Dealing With Obstacles In Your PracticeJoe has the following comments and questions:

Hi Michael,

It was great to talk with you. Why is there a tendency to want to identify with the mind and body even when one has had some good experiences with ones own true nature?

Is there a belief of something that opposes the Truth? There seems to be something that always tries to stop everyone from making spiritual progress. Call it what you like the devil, Satan etc. but it seems to have some intelligence purpose to destroy the Son of God. Jesus had this experi-ence when he called the devil a lie and the father of all lies. Buddha and had his experience that tried to stop him from his Self Realization

It has been my experience too and I know that it is the same for everyone that I have known on the spiritual path. I know that you have talked about this before in answering questions from others and myself. It is most likely a lot easier than how it seems to be according to how I see it. I appreciate it if you comment on this when you have a chance on your web site or e-mail.

Thank you,

Joe

Hi Joe,

Thank you for your reply. What goes on when you appear to struggle, and how can you step out of your struggles and into the truth of your own Self-Nature? This is a good question.

And by your question I can see that you already have lots of wisdom. First you have had experi-ences of truth and second, you have the intuition that stepping out of your struggles is a lot easier than it might at first appear.

Is it the devil or is it your ego?Sometimes we frame this struggle in different ways. In ancient times it used to be God struggling with the devil. God represented good and the devil represented all that is evil or suffering. But

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nowadays we are more sophisticated and thus we struggle with our ego. Every time we seem to make progress the ego comes along and throws us off our course.

Every time we experience bliss and peace and a deep sense of oneness with everything in the universe, the devil, or the ego or whatever it’s called, comes along and sends us crashing back into limitation and suffering.

So what can we possibly do? It seems like the ego is much more powerful than God. No matter how high and clear we get in our meditations, we always seem to end up back in suffering again.

Self JudgmentNow back in limitation self judgment takes over. “This shows how bad I really am. I could never be free.” Then you start thinking: “If I could only walk on water or raise the dead, then I could be free.” By the time you’re done with all of this thinking it feels like your freedom is lifetimes away.

The doorway back to freedomBut fortunately there is a way out of this mess, and back into your natural state of peace and joy. That’s because you were so busy struggling with your mind that you forgot one thing and that thing is the doorway that will take you back. It is the fact that you are aware of this whole mess. You are aware of the suffering, you are aware of the self judgment, you are aware of the thought, “I can’t,” and you are aware of the little imposture call ‘I’.

This Awareness was actually your identity, not the good and bad thoughts that you were strug-gling with; you were not even the ego or I thought, which is the rack that these thoughts seem to hang on. The principle here is that whatever you see you are not.

So when you feel suffering, take some time to notice that you are Aware of this suffering. You are Awareness and not your suffering. In fact the feeling of reality that the thoughts seem to have, comes from Awareness and not from the thoughts.

What happens to your thoughts?You are not your thoughts; return your identity to its rightful place and watch what happens to these thoughts? Whether they seem to disappear or to remain will not concern you. The sense that thoughts are real will be gone, and with that their sting will disappear.

Notice that you are free of both the good and the bad thoughts. This is called stepping out of du-ality. So you are not hoping that God will somehow defeat the devil. You are seeing that by your identity, you are intrinsically free of the struggle of good and evil.

The last step and your freedom will lastThere is one more step for freeing yourself from this struggle. Once you are standing comfort-ably in your own self-nature ask yourself, “What was I taking to be true that put me back into limitation and struggle again?”

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The principle here is that you will always come back to what you take to be true. You may take a vacation from it for a while and have some high experiences, but in the end, when you are not looking you will come right back down into your struggles.

For instance if you conceive of the world as intrinsically evil, as a place that you have to struggle against, you will come down to your fights with the world. If you feel that your mind is intrinsi-cally bad, you will come down to fights with your mind.

But when you see that your assumptions of limitation were just assumptions, and not reality, you will cut the string that seems to pull you back into limitation. Then you will have no choice but to stand as Awareness. That’s because the assumptions that pull you back into limitation will be gone.

I hope that this begins to answer your question so that you can find the everlasting freedom that’s right inside. If this raises more question in your mind please feel free to ask.

Freeing yourself from tension and stress Sabir has the following comments and questions:

Hello Michael,

How are you? It has been a long time. But you are always with me in my meditations and prayers. I pray for your long life and better health. The problem is that I don’t stick with my meditations. This lack of consistency really creates obstacles in my journey.

Once you told me that whether I like it or not, do your meditations without a break. I know the importance and I try my best, but I don’t know how to bring such power that helps me to con-stantly stick with my meditations.

I really love you. You are my true guru and mentor. I always admire your sincerity and pas-sion regarding spreading the knowledge and wisdom you have achieved through your hard work to your pupils.

I don’t know whether other people discuss this with you or not, but in this materialistic world people worry too much about their daily problems and their minds, and are too involved in solv-ing those problems. How can they have success in separating their inner self (which is the basic teaching of your wisdom book) from their surroundings and just see all that happens in life with-out worries or sorrows? (Seeing that the reality of the movie in the cinema house is the screen as Ramana Maharshi said).

In reality, Michael, I get too involved in my surroundings and that affects my mind, body and my inner self. I recall several times in your teaching to separate yourself (core) from the daily

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problems that you encounter in your mind and body. But I find it difficult to remain calm and cool and without any tension or stress. Can you tell me how I can get rid of these stresses and tensions?

Sorry for taking your time, but believe me there is nobody else in this whole universe that I can talk to about my life and such sensitive matters, except you.

Regards

Sabir

Hi Sabir,

It is good hearing from you again. When you ask a question about the materialistic world and how people are distracted and worried about their daily problems and their mind, it shows that you have a good sense of where happiness comes from.

This is the Self calling you back to the source. What people achieve in the world will only last for a short period of time. Not only that, their achievements don’t guarantee hap-piness. That’s because achievement cannot provide you with what it doesn’t have. Hap-piness comes from the inside, the place where you actually experience it, not from what you achieve.

Freedom From StressStress comes when you are afraid of failing. Now you can’t always control if you succeed or fail, but you can always abide in the peace and happiness that’s at your core. So when you feel happy and at peace meditate on where you actually experience happiness. Does it come from the world and what you see, or does it come from what you are?

And when you feel tense and stressed out know that peace is not far away. You can find this peace faster than you can change your mind. That’s because peace is not a state of mind. You are not trying to get your mind just right. That’s an endless task. Awareness is the source of this peace. The very fact that you are Aware of the stress means that you are already free from it, not caught in its grip.

So meditate like this: When you are happy and at peace, note where you actually experi-ence this happiness and peace. And when you are stressed out, notice that you are Aware-ness and not a state of mind. Stand here and see if stress can really bother you.

Your real identity is unaffected by the changes in your body and mind. Finding this place you will find a freedom that lasts forever, right in this lifetime.

Spend Some Time With Your BeingThe nice thing about this meditation is that you can do it all of the time, whether sitting, standing, walking or lying down. It does not require any particular posture. Still spend some time sitting and meditating on what’s really important.

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Remember, it is not important if you feel like meditating or not; feelings can change in an in-stant. Get in the habit of meditating at a certain time and place and you will naturally take the time to meditate.

Life is short and death comes sooner than you think. So find the state that is unaffected by the changes in your body and mind. This is your real identity. Finding this place you will find a free-dom that lasts forever, right in this lifetime.

If you find that there is a specific set of thoughts or events that seem to trigger your stress tell me. Perhaps I can help you to untangle yourself from that too.

The Secret of the Virgin BirthI republished this blog for Christmas. I think you will see that the birth of Jesus was the symbol of your birth into freedom. And the death was the death of assumed limitations that were never really yours.

The secret meaning of the virgin birth is, “Throw off your limitations like worn out clothes and stand in your innate freedom.” With this I wish everyone a very happy holiday season. Your gift is the discovery of the mystery that is right at the center of spirituality. Here you will find the peace that was there before there was anything to disturb it. Even now that peace is yours.

Here is a quote from the Gospel of Philip:

Some said, "Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit." They are in error. They do not know what they are saying. When did just a virgin ever conceive a man?

The Nag Hammadi Library, In English © E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands

Since this is the Christmas season, it’s a good time to mention the Nag Hammadi library. The Nag Hammadi Library is the gospels that were edited out of the New Testament as we know it today. The Library includes The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Philip, and The Gospel of Mary plus many more works. These books are part of the a group of texts found in Egypt in the last century.

Although these texts are not included in the New Testament today, they give a great sense of what Jesus was really teaching. If you are curious, and would like to read more, here is a link to the Gospel of Thomas: http://www.geocities.com/mwgrondin/5thGospl.htm

Even at the time when Philip was alive, rumors were starting to spread that the mother of Je-sus was a virgin. I could imagine Jesus and his disciples sitting around a table laughing at such rumors.

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The only thing that may have made them sad is that people actually believed these rumors. Jesus may have thought, “Here they have the opportunity to find the source of Consciousness and Bliss, to awaken to the very essence of the universe, and what to they do, they throw barriers in their own way. Barriers such as believing you have to be the product of a virgin birth to wake up.”

Anyway, here’s the good news, like Jesus we all come from a virgin birth. That’s because we were not born. And because we were not born we will never die.

Now we mix ourselves up with the things that we see like a body and mind. Because they are born and die, we think that we are born and die. But what we don’t notice is that we are aware of all of the changes that occur in our body and our mind. Where do we stand so that we can see these changes?

The secret here is that these changes are not changes to us. They are changes to things that we see. We are not the objects that we see like a mind, body or thought of ‘I’. We are the ultimate subject, the Awareness.

This Awareness is changeless and still. Here’s the proof. You notice that your body changes as you grow older, right? You notice when your mind is sharp and when it is dull; when you know something and when you are ignorant, right?

If you were changing, as well as the mind and body, how would you know about these changes. The place that you stand is still, and from this stillness you notice the change. And then you throw your identity out into the change and take yourself to be that.

Now you cannot stand and look at Awareness as though it were a separate object. You know Awareness because you are that. So die to your limitations. Return your identity to its source. Then you will know the secret of the virgin birth. Not as some theory but as your direct and im-mediate experience.

Let’s end this blog by letting Philip explain this.

It is not possible for anyone to see anything of the things that actually exist, unless he becomes like them. This is not the way with man in the world: he sees the sun without being a sun; and he sees the heaven and the earth and all other things, but he is not these things. This is quite in keeping with the truth.

But you saw so many thing of that place and you became those things. You saw the Spirit, you became spirit. You saw Christ, you became Christ. You saw the Father, you shall become Father.

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So in this place you see everything and do not see yourself, but in that place you do see yourself and what you see you shall become.

The Nag Hammadi Library, In English © E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands

That place is the place where you abide now. Find it and you will be free.

We wish everyone a happy holiday season and we hope that you wake up to the real present, which is right in your own heart.

Easter, A Celebratation of what’s InsideI thought I would start this blog in celebration of Easter with Jesus introducing himself as he re-ally is. He is not pointing to something that you can comprehend with your mind. You know the truth of these words in a more direct way. You understand these words because this is a descrip-tion of what you are. Notice that Jesus is describing himself in the third person. Now from the Nag Hammadi Library:

Matthew said to him, “Lord no one can find the truth except through you. Therefore teach us the truth.” The Savior said, “The one who is ... is ineffable. No sovereignty knew him, no authority, no subjection, nor did any creature, from the foundation of the world, except himself.

For he is immortal. He is eternal having no birth; for everyone who has birth will perish. He is unbegotten, having no beginning; for everyone who has a beginning has an end. No one rules over him, since he has no name; for whoever has a name is a creation of another. He is unnam-able. He has no human form; for whoever has a human form is the creation of another. He has his own semblance-- not like the semblance that we have received or seen, but a strange sem-blance that surpasses all things and is better than the totalities.

It looks to every side and sees itself from itself. He is without end; he is incomprehensible. He is ever imperishable, and has no likeness. He is unchanging good. He is faultless. He is everlasting. He is blessed. He is unknowable, while he nonetheless knows himself. He is immeasurable. He is untraceable. He is perfect, having no defect. He is imperishably blessed. He is the “Father of the Universe. From: Eugnostos the Blessed Translated by Douglas M. Parrott The Nag Hammadi Library In English Copyright © 1977 by E. J. Brill Leiden The Netherlands

The Nag Hammadi Library was discovered in Nag Hammadi Egypt in 1945. The texts were res-cued just before they were about to get burned up for firewood. They were obviously edited out of the New Testament but contain the highest wisdom.

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Death and Birth into your own NatureNow, in celebration of Easter it is time to talk about dying and being reborn. Not in the physical sense because if Easter was about what happened to a man who lived 2,000 years ago it wouldn’t have much relevance for us today.

But if dying and being reborn is a description of the potential for each and every human be-ing then it is relevant to us even today. So what is the nature of the death that Jesus was talking about? This death was dying to limitation. That’s when he discovered the truth that was before the universe, behind the universe, and the remainder when the universe perishes. As Jesus said: “He is without end; he is incomprehensible. He is ever imperishable, and has no likeness. He is unchanging good.”

Dying to limitationBy the end of this article you will see how it is possible to die to limitation. And when you die to limitation, you are automatically born to eternal life. Now you will understand why Easter is a celebration. That’s because even now you are unlimited. It is only an assumption that you are limited by the things that you see. Death is destroying this assumption and returning to what you really are so beautifully described by Jesus above.

The reason we seem to be limited is that we overlook our essential nature and take our identity to be limited to the objects that we see. That’s because all of our senses are directed outward to-wards the world; there is no sense that can look back and see our real nature.

You are the light that shines on limitationSo we have to know our self in a different way. This is by direct experiential knowledge. You know yourself because you are your self. In fact it is because you are Consciousness that you even know about limitation.

If I told you to go outside with a flashlight and look for the sun you would think that I was crazy. That’s because the sun is light. You do not need a separate light to see the sun. In the same way you are Consciousness; you do not need a separate consciousness or mind to know yourself. You can know yourself directly.

But you see your body and you see your mind, and you see your roles in the world and you take these objects to be yourself. But by their nature bodies are limited by birth and death, and health and sickness. Your mind is also limited by its condition and its ability to know. But fortunately these objects are just that, objects in your Awareness. They are not you and they do not define you.

Are you just a thought?The most subtle object that you see is the thought “I”. Just because you think a thought with “I” in the subject, doesn’t mean that the “I” is you. Here “I” is just another object that you see. This “I” is sometimes called the ego. The ego is also the little connection that attaches to limitation and make it seem as if it is really you. When your ego dies there is no place left for limitation to rest. As for you, you can rest in your true home. Is this the inner meaning of the crucifixion?

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The secret of the miracle of the eternal lightI just realized that in one way I am remiss. As I have said this teaching on Self-Knowledge is not a separate religion. It is at the core of many religions. In this blog and in my book, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive I have given examples from Hinduism, Buddhism, Sufism , Taoism, and Christianity.

But I just realized that I left out Judaism. Now that it is Hanukkah, I want to take the time to rem-edy that. The short version of the story of Hanukkah goes like this. In the Jewish temple there is an eternal light that shines over the book of knowledge, Torah. You are never supposed to let this light go out.

After a war however, it was discovered that there was just enough oil for one day. But miracu-lously, that oil burned for eight days (the time it took to have new oil pressed and made ready).

Here is the secret meaning of this storyThis symbol of the eternal light is actual meant to point to your own Consciousness. Even now your true identity is Consciousness. It is by this light that you know your mind, body, and the world. You know that the mind is in constant motion, and that sometimes your thoughts disap-pear completely like in the state of deep sleep. You also know that day by day your body is getting older as it inexorably marches on towards death. The world too is in constant motion and sometimes like when you sleep it disappears completely.

But for all of these changes, at some level you feel that you do not change. If you want to dis-cover your changeless identity you have to consider this: Where do you stand so you know about these changes. That changeless place that sees the motion of the universe as it rises, stays for a few seconds in cosmic time, and then disappears, that is the real you.

It is however easy to overlook your essential nature and latch your identity on to the objects that you see. That’s because you can’t know the Self as an object. None of your senses can reach there. But you can know the eternal light of Consciousness directly, because that is your true home. Here the boarders and limitations that you thought were you disappear. You become every-thing and nothing both at the same time. Abiding here you get to experience the freedom that you longed for. And you discover the miracle of the eternal light.

Returning to your homeWhen by your deepest and most direct experience, you die to the limitation that you thought was you, you wake to your real identity which is the space like Consciousness that was never born and will never pass away. Here you get to abide as the source of wisdom and joy.

Now you see why we celebrate Good Friday with joy and not with the sadness of a funeral dirge. It is a celebration dying to our assumed limitations and then Easter celebrates waking up to our innate freedom where we can rest in peace eternally.

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The way to this truth is thought Self-Knowledge. No action can take you to that which you already are. After all, what can you do to get to the place where you live already? That is the meaning of the symbol of the book of knowledge. So the next time you see the eternal light shin-ing over the book of knowledge, remember what you really are. Abide there and be free.

Are we really awake when we are asleepHere are some questions from Sushil that get right to the heart of our own Self-Nature:

I would like to ask two questions:

If we are awareness, how come we become aware-less while sleeping. It appears that the part that is sleeping, that becomes aware-less, is us. Sushil

Dear Sushil,

Thank you for your questions. If our nature is Awareness, how come in deep sleep we seem to lack awareness? These are very important questions because they help us to discover that which is outside limitation.

What are we reallyIn our attempt to find our identity we oftentimes look right past the Awareness that we are, and identify with a few of the many objects that we see. “I’m a wife to my husband, a daughter to my mother, a mother to my children, a doctor, lawyer, or teacher.” We can also identify as the body, a thought, a state of mind or as the mind. On the most subtle level we identify as the thought ‘I’ as in ‘I’ am a mother etc.

Although our identity seems to shift and change, at the core we feel like one and not like many. The key to discovering the nature of this oneness is to return to the Awareness that we really are. Looking from here the nature of this one ever-present Awareness becomes clear.

However, you do not see this Awareness as a separate object; you know Awareness because you are Awareness. In fact it is impossible for you to stand separate from this awareness. That’s like the sun attempting to stand separate from light. It’s impossible because the sun is light. The sun knows light as its identity, not as a separate thing.

Now as for us, we hear that we are not an object, but the ultimate subject, Awareness. So we naturally try to find this Awareness. We ask, “What is Awareness anyway?” But unknowingly we identify with the mind and attempt to see Awareness as if it were an object, separate from us. The result is that we mistake a state of mind or a thought for Awareness.

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Now to deep sleepIdentified as a state of mind, in the deep sleep state it seems like you disappear into an aware-less state. But to begin with, you are not a state of mind; the mind is just an object that you are aware of. In fact, if the aim of your meditation is to obtain a desirable state of mind, you will be in for much struggle and disappointment. That’s because the one thing constant about a state of mind, no matter how good, is that it always changes and is in motion.

But have you considered the place where you stand so you know about these changes? That’s the changeless Awareness that I am pointing to. Your thoughts are changing, your moods are chang-ing, and sometimes the waking world is replaced by a dream world. And of course sometimes everything disappears in the deep sleep state. But you never change. You are the still reference point that lights up all of these changes and makes them seem so real. So even now, if you ex-amine your experience afresh, you will see that you have already stepped out of the mind com-pletely.

In fact did you know that the feeling of reality does not come from your mind or from the world? Reality comes from the seer and not from objects that you see. That’s why when you are in the dream state, the dream world seems real and the waking state seems as if it is gone.

But what about the deep dreamless sleep state: I am sure that you expect me to say that when you discover this Awareness then you will know what I mean. But I’m going to surprise you. I’m going to ask you to examine your experience even now when you are supposed to be unenlight-ened. When you are at rest in the deep sleep state, does it seem like anything really disappeared? Do you panic and hope that you will get back to the waking state again? Of course not! In the deep sleep state the world is so gone, that it’s as if it never came into being and you don’t even miss it.

But are you aware-lessWhen asleep does it seem like you are aware-less or is unawareness just a rumor that you picked up in the waking state? So the principle here is that to understand any state you have to examine it from within that state, not by pretending to stand separate. Then by your direct experience you will know what it is.

So you should know that you do not have to wait to know the meaning of these words. I am actually describing the state that you are in even now. But as your identity begins to shift from thoughts to Awareness, you will appreciate even more the profound fullness that now seems to be nothing. But even now you are Aware if you slept well last night or not, aren’t you? More-over, if you slept well you feel at peace and recharged. This recognition and experience comes from the Awareness that was there, even when there was no object.

So standing as the mind it seems as though you disappear in the deep sleep state. But, standing as Awareness you find that your sense of reality doesn’t change, no matter what state you are in. In reality deep sleep is not an absence; it is an unadulterated presence and that presence is you.I hope that this reply points you in a direction that will answer your questions and help you to see how profound you really are even now.

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The differnce between thinking about Awareness and standing thereHere are a few more questions from Sushil:

Dear Michael,

I am grateful for your replies. I have some questions to understand it better.

a) When you say, feel the origin of happiness inside us and not at objects, the same point is the origin of other emotional states like sadness, hatred, jealously etc. And these emotional states are felt through mind and not through Awareness. Awareness is everywhere, but we feel happiness because we have minds. Sometimes, I feel we are minds operating with the support of Awareness. After all, we understand all this through mind.

b) You suggested Awareness is the source of happiness. What are other qualities of Aware-ness?

With grateful regards

Sushil

Hi Sushil,

Thank you for your questions. It is important to distinguish what comes from Awareness, which is at our core, and what is just a product of our thinking.

I have to admit, there is a danger in using the word happiness. That’s because most people conceive of happiness as being the opposite of sadness. But I am using happiness in a different way. I am using it to refer to your own Self-Nature. Because the mind is too limited to get a full view of your Self-Nature, the only way you really understand this use of the word happiness is by standing as the Self.

The mind is like a photographTo get a sense of difference between standing as the self and thinking about the self, it is like the difference between visiting your country and seeing photographs of it. If I told you, “I didn’t have to visit your country because I saw pictures of it in a book,” you would know how much I was actually missing. For starters a picture book is only two dimensional. There is no depth to a picture.

Secondly there are no sounds, tastes, smells, and nothing to touch in a photograph. Thirdly you would not get to meet the people and see their unique qualities. And forth in a photograph there is no sense of the culture of the country that you can experience by being there.

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Like a photograph, the mind is a limited instrument. It can only see a thing in terms of its oppo-site. The mind knows love by hate, jealously by tolerance, short by long, etc. But you are aware of these opposites, not caught in them. The very fact that you are aware of the mind shows that you are the subject, Awareness, and the mind is a mere object that you see at times when it is present.

But since there is no sense like an eye or an ear, that can look back at Awareness, we look right past it and take our identity to be inexorably linked to the mind.

This knowledge is meant to be a mirror pointing to your true identity. Now when you read these words, you use your mind as an instrument to understand them. But as a photograph cannot capture your country, words cannot adequately capture your own Self-Nature. At the most, these words can merely point to your real identity.

But the only way you can really understand them fully is by standing as yourself. From here you will see that the mind does not really capture your experience. All the mind can do is stand there in awe.

So don’t get caught up in the words. Rather abide in the place where they point; that’s the place where you really stand anyway. So remain as the peace that passes all understanding. When I say meditate on these words, this is what I mean.

What do I mean by happinessThen what do I mean when I talk about happiness? The best I can describe it is that you are ev-erything and nothing, both at the same time. You literally stand free from opposites. Everything you thought was opposed to you, becomes you. That’s because you see that you are never really limited by anything that you see.

The Self is like space. By its identity space is everywhere. It is not limited to an object like a room or pot. When space gives up its limitations, it returns to its natural state, a state in which it is everywhere and limited by nothing.

Another way of saying this is that you are aware of a limitation, not caught in its grip. You are on this side of the mind where you are free. Standing here in your boundless glory, you will see the meaning of happiness.

Meditate on this and you will know for sure that your experience of happiness is much grater than your thoughts can capture. Standing as limitless Awareness where there are no opposites, you will find the happiness that I am referring to. This happiness is waiting for you.

Then what are negative emotionsThen what are jealously, sadness, hatred, and all the rest of the negative emotions? Overlooking the place where they actually experience happiness, people blame the objects that they see for their happiness. These objects could be a partner that they hope to have a relationship with, a car, a house, a new place, a better job etc.

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This drive to find happiness is very strong; it is the drive to return to your original nature. So when you see what you think are obstacles to obtaining the objects that you want, your reaction is very strong. That’s because you feel that your ability to find happiness is being blocked. This is why negative emotions seem so strong. Also that’s why when a whole nation sees obstacles to their happiness, wars can break out and people get killed. So it turns out that all emotions except one are in your mind. The happiness that springs from the freedom of your Self-Nature is not in the mind.

We may not be empowered to do away with wars. But the good news is that we have the power to stand as our real identity, the source of happiness. We can stop chasing happiness in a place where it just doesn’t exist. Abiding as the Self we will have an influence on people’s lives. They may not notice it on the surface, but they will feel it in the deepest recesses of their heart, the place where words fall short.

How did we get here, a different view of time?

The Theory of EvolutionAs most of you know Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a theory of how we become human beings. According to this theory life stared as simple cells that gradually changed and became more complex, until these cells became entirely different species such as monkeys and apes. From there, as these species evolved, human beings were born.

The theory supposes that random mutations occurred in the genetic code of on organism. The beneficial mutations were preserved because they aided in survival. Other organisms died out. This is a process known as natural selection or survival of the fittest.

Are we limited to two choices?Unfortunately these days the theory of evolution has evolved from a theory that scientists are trying to verify, to a religious belief. For instance, now we frame the discussion on evolution like this: you either believe in evolution, or you believe that God created the world in seven days as it says in the bible. For this reason any discussion on this subject seems to throw you into the mist of a huge controversy, or a lot of nonsensical babble.

Do our bodies really determine what we are?I am curious however, and wonder if these are only these two possibilities. Since we know that we are much greater than physical beings anyway, that our being really springs from Conscious-ness and Bliss, can’t we take a more objective look as to how these bodies got here?

After all, if it turns out that these human bodies came from apes it wouldn’t say a thing about us. That’s because these bodies are just a spec in our Consciousness. Like bubbles in the ocean, bod-ies last for a few seconds in cosmic time and then disappear.

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Our real value comes from the still Awareness that sees these changes, and not from the changing objects, including the body and mind, that we see. The implications of this are enormous. Re-turning to our real center, Consciousness, we see that the life of the body is not our life, and its death is not our death. This is really the good news.

Holes in the theory of evolutionNow we can get back to the theory of evolution. The way scientists try to verify this theory is by looking at fossils and other records left behind from creatures that lived on the earth in the past. They then attempt to date these creatures using scientific methods that are accurate plus or minus several thousand years.

Using this data, scientist attempt to determine which creatures lived on the earth at what time. The problem is that scientists haven’t found all the links where one creature supposedly changed into another. And so we have the famous missing links. Moreover, scientists have trouble getting their timelines correct. For instance, they are finding civilizations going back way farther in time than they are supposed to.

With all of these problems I think you can see that the theory of evolution has yet to be verified. Now if we look at our experience have you ever seen one species change into another? On any level that you know has there really been this type of change? Now multiply that by all of the changes that a simple cell would have to go through to become this complex mechanism called a human being, and you can get a sense of how improbable the theory of evolution really is. That’s why I think that the theory of evolution has evolved into a religious belief instead of a scientific theory.

But can we still get a sense of how we got here?So given the holes in this scientific theory, can we still get a sense of how we got here through our meditations and direct experience? The key is to look at the nature of time. Not the objective nature of time as determined by the movement of a clock. But rather our subjective view of time which is a lot more flexible than you may at first imagine.

In fact when you look at your own experience you find that time is so flexible that you can easily see why scientist have so much trouble determining an objective timeline for how we supposedly got here. That’s because time is inexorably connected to our mind. That means that as our mind changes so does time.

You may wonder how it is possible that time is flexible and not a fixed objective phenomena. Just look at your own experience. When your mind is absorbed in your work and you are hav-ing a good time, hours seem to fly by as if they were just seconds. On the other hand, if you are in the middle of a boring class that you are forced to attend, time seems to drag by and minutes seem to take forever.

Now what happens to time if our mind changes even more and we begin to dream? Remember in Self-Knowledge we go by our direct experience and not by some theory. So from within the dream state, the dream is real and the waking state does not exist.

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If this is hard to understand here is an example: if you were talking to a group of people in last night’s dream and told them, “This is just a dream,” they would reply, “What do you mean! This is the waking state!” That’s because from within the dream the dream seems real. It is only when we wake up and look from the waking state that the dream state seems unreal.

But here’s the point that I am trying to make: The characters in the dream don’t think that they just arrived two minutes ago. They feel that they were always here. They can tell you about their husband, wife, children, grandparents, and ancestors. Then you wake up with a startle and ask, “How long was I asleep?” So you glance at the clock and see that it was a half hour. Imagine, in a half of hour an eternity went by.

Then with this view of time, how did we get here?Because of the flexibility of time, in may be imposable to come up with an objective timeline for how these bodies got here. But you can still know how you got here by examining your actual experience. That’s because the presence that makes the world seem solid and real does not come from within the world, it comes from your Being, which is Consciousness and Bliss.

Here is the proof: You are the seer of change and not the one caught in its grasp. When you rec-ognize this you find that the sense you may have that you were not born and will not die, actually comes from a valid place. In summery by your nature you stand as the witness of everything that changes; you are therefore free from change. This means that by your nature you are outside of time.

For this reason it is not that you got here by changing into human beings. You were always here. But your Being is so close that you just overlooked it, and took your self to be an object in the world, like a human being with a body and mind. This is like seeing objects and overlooking the eye that sees them.

Letting go of the objects and returning to the ever-present source, which in reality you always were, you get to see by your own direct experience, how you got here. As the sun does not need another light to see itself, you do not need a separate mind to see your Consciousness. You know Consciousness directly, because you are Consciousness.

Standing at the source you will know what the world is and how you got here. But the beauty of your direct experience is that it is much too rich for these limited words to describe. So if you want to know how you really got here, you will have to perform the experiment of abiding in your own Self-Nature for yourself. Abiding in your own Being, you will know that which words cannot say. But you will see that this knowledge is self evident.

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What is the Universe Made Of?It might seem surprising but you can prove or disprove some of the most complicated scientific theories by simply looking at your direct experience. As an example, today I thought I would start out with the string theory.

The String TheorySo I had better start out with a layman’s description of this theory, which is extremely popular in physics these days. It is a theory that attempts to unify everything in the universe. Don’t worry I am not a physics or a math major, so I won’t bore you with a bunch of mathematical details.

But it is interesting to see what scientists are trying to accomplish, and how they are attempting to approach this problem. Then using your own direct experience, you can take a look. Through meditation on the Self you can ferret out your actually experience from what you think you experience. Indeed by the end of this blog you will get a sense of how, by standing in your own self-nature, you will be able to see what the universe is made of, without the help of any com-plex theory. Then you will be a position to see directly if the string theory may fall short or not.

String theory is an attempt to find one unified understanding of all the forces that physicists find in the universe. This includes gravity, electricity, magnetism, and molecular forces.

It proposes that the basic structure of the universe is particles smaller that molecules and atoms that act like strings. These strings vibrate like musical instruments, and these vibrations are the fundamental structure of the universe.

Now the sense I get from hearing about the string theory is that it is based on some very eloquent mathematical equations that seem to be able to describe this fundamental structure of the uni-verse. They are now attempting to verify these equations to see if what they describe is actually true.

The string theory describes a universe with some very unusual qualities that sound a little like science fiction. An example is that the universe is made up of eleven dimensions. We can only perceive four of these dimensions including time. For this reason there could be whole universes that are just millimeters away from us that we are unable to perceive.

Now if you want to travel through space at warp speed that is faster than the speed of light, you could perhaps travel in a different dimension. In that dimension, what to us seems like billions of light years away could be merely a few seconds away. There might even be places in space called wormholes that are entryways into these other dimensions.

But before I sound too much like a science fiction writer I had better describe how scientists are attempting to verify the string theory. One way is by accelerating particles in a very long tunnel to speeds where they break apart into very fundamental elements. These are elements that last for a very short time.

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Then the scientists want to watch and see if some of these elements disappear. If they do, at this very tiny level these elements may be passing into other dimensions.

Finally in all fairness I should mention that there are many variations to this string theory. It is not just one theory. Also some scientists think that the string theory is really just a part of an even more fundamental theory of the universe.

Limitation to this theory Ok, now I hope I have given a fair description of this string theory. So here’s what I think the limitations of the string theory will be. In their theory scientists forgot the most important ele-ment of them all: that’s the nature of their Mind. Now you may be wondering how Mind could describe the unity of the universe.

It is easier to get a sense of this if we reverse the question and ask what is it that seems to divide the universe. It would surely have to be the objects that we see like time, space, bodies, thoughts, colors, tastes, smells, touch and sounds. If there was a unifying substance that underlies the universe, it would have to underlie and be the true substance of every object that we perceive wouldn’t it? It would also have to be the underlying substance of us too.

So here’s what I would propose. If there is one substance that underlies the universe it could not be different from us. Therefore if we knew our self we would know the nature of the universe is too.

See that’s the problem with the scientist. When he or she looks for unity of all things the scien-tist forgets the most important thing of them all: the very nature of the observer or the scientist herself. Without including that there is something very important missing in the unity that they discover.

So if we hope to find unity it is a matter of looking to the subject and seeing what we are really made of. Let’s frame the question this way: are we the objects that seem to divide us or are we the knower of these objects. Then we can look and see if the objects have an existence that is independent of the knower. If the substance of the objects that we perceive is not different from us, then we have found the unifying factor in the universe.

Now in these blogs and in my book “Making Your Wisdom Come Alive” I have shown how we are not the objects that we see and consequently how the objects that we see do not really divide things up. This is similar to how rooms, walls and pots do not really divide up space. Room space is just a name with no real substance. If you want to find out more it is worth taking the time to read through the archives of this blog or for a more concise form, read, “Making Your Wisdom Come Alive.”

When you perceive an object, where exactly do you see it?But here I want you to try a different experiment which is more how the Buddha would see things. By the way, in self-knowledge you might call these experiments meditations. When you perceive an object, where exactly do you see it?

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As an example, when I look out the window of my office and see the foothills across the valley; where am I actually seeing them? I am not seeing them over there, am I? I am seeing them here. And yet for some mysterious reason the hills appear to be over there.

If this seems confusing it is only because perception does not fit into a concept in your mind. It is only afterwards that your thinking comes in and tries to define what you perceive. This is like mistaking a photograph of the hills for the actual experience of the hills. The photograph is only a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional experience. Moreover, in a photograph there is no sense of hearing, touch or smell. At the most a photograph can only be a reminder of what you experienced and not the experience itself.

But where exactly do I see the hills, anyway? Light reflects off the hills and like a camera enters my eyes. Then what happens? The light is transmitted from my eyes to the optic nerve. From the nerve it enters my brain and from my brain it enters my mind. And then what happens? I see my mind. So am I really seeing hills out there are am I seeing my own mind?

Experiences like this do not easily fit into the words on a page. But I think if you attempt to dis-cover where you actually experience the world you will find that the place is different than you think. You might also find that your mind is much bigger than you ever could have imagined. In fact a small part of your mind contains the whole universe.

So the next time you are watching a beautiful sunset or hiking in the woods or anytime as you go through life and feel like it, look afresh and see where you actually experience. Be ready for a surprise.

You may discover what the scientists are overlooking: the nature of the mind. That the beauty, the substance, and the harmony of everything you see comes from the nature of your mind. When you discover this you will not be one who knows the Buddha’s teachings. You will be the Bud-dha. You will have become what you really are.

A Brighter Future for the World EconomyThe common theory in the United States is that if you want to improve the economy you con-sume more, which means that you have to manufacture more things, and that means that you em-ploy more people. Then with more employment more people can buy more things and that causes steady economic growth.

Problems with this theory of economic growthIn the short run this seems like a good theory, but in the long run there are some problems with it. First, some people won’t be satisfied with slow steady growth. They will want as much as pos-sible now and will do anything to get what they want. This is because they take happiness to be connected with the things that they get.

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And second, when more people have more things eventually we will run out of the materials necessary to make these things as well as suffering pollution and other environmental problems that come as side effects of all this manufacturing. And third, people who are poorer will find themselves marginalized and taken advantage of.

How do you actually get your desires fulfilled?If we want to really develop a sustainable economy that will serve our children well, I think that we are going to have to examine some of the basic assumptions behind this economic theory. The most important assumption is where do you actually find happiness? Without finding the place where your desires get fulfilled in the deepest sense, people will find themselves getting strung out. As they attempt to get more and more things they will find themselves getting less and less happiness. This is just the opposite of the result that they hope for. They will feel like a donkey chasing a carrot attached to a stick in front of his nose. No matter how hard he tries he never quite gets what he wants.

The reason for this is that happiness does not come from material things. The proof of this is that when you experience happiness you do not experience it in a thing; you experience happiness right in your heart, and that’s the place where it comes from. When you look into it deeply, you find that this happiness was uncaused. It is the thing you were born with and it will be there for you even after you die. It comes from your innate being and that’s why it feels just right. Can you see how profound the discovery of this happiness really is?

Knowing the source of happiness puts objects in proper perspectiveWith this understanding people will see material things as an aid to help them while they are here on earth, not the end all and be all of life. They will see that the purpose of life is much more profound and beautiful than just obtaining material things. They will then be able to shape the economy as an aid to help them as they search for their original state of happiness. The economy will no longer be seen as just a way of making more profits and getting more things.

Right now in our economy the value of a person is based on what he or she has; but then it will be based on what a person is. Then for instance, people will have equal access to healthcare. Access will not be based on how much money a person has and healthcare will not be there as a means of making a profit. Rather it will be there to help everyone live a better life, so that they can obtain their real potential.

As for employment, because of their understanding of where happiness lies, people will need less and will therefore have to work fewer hours. They will then have more time to fulfill their dreams and find the real purpose of their life.

Informing people about the real place of happinessIf this vision for an economy seems like a far off dream, it still starts with the first step: inform-ing people about the real place of happiness. Without this knowledge, whatever system we devise will have the same limitations. These limitations are based on greed and the desire for power. But the root of these problems comes from a simple misunderstanding as to where happi-ness really lies.

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The reason the desire for happiness drives us with such energy is because it is the desire to return to our boundless Self-Nature. No regulation or commission is strong enough to prevent us from going towards the place where we think happiness lies. Like a river we will find a way to flow around regulatory obstacles until we get what we want. We will continue to desire one object af-ter another until we finally discover the secret to where happiness actually resides. Then we can rest in peace. The drive for happiness is so strong that in the long run it cannot be restrained.

The real purpose of an economyHowever, when we finally understand that the happiness we are looking for actually comes from us and not from what we see, our economy will change in ways that we cannot even imagine now. And most important, people will be happier and have a much greater sense of fulfillment. This is the real purpose of an economy, isn’t it?

Are You Sure Of Your KnowledgeSelf-knowledge is a unique and wonderful study. For instance if you study birds, you do not become the birds. If you study nuclear physics you do not become nuclear energy. But here you become the Self that you always are.

Here knowledge and bliss pull you inward, while intolerance for limitation and suffering push you towards the source.

Once you know that you can be free beyond your wildest dreams, and that suffering is not your normal state, I recommend that you challenge even the smallest amount of suffering and limita-tion that you face. Why wait till later to gain your natural state of freedom?

Some forms of suffering like those connected with the emotions can seem to hit you over the head. Other forms may seem to be subtler like golden chains instead of iron chains.

I recommend that you look into even subtler forms of limitation like attachment to the intellect. That’s because even attachment to the intellect is a limitation compared to what you are. Re-member you see your intellect. It is just an object in your Awareness and not you, because you are not an object.

The intellect is the more definite part of your mind. It is the part that knows. It is the knowledge of mathematics, science, medicine, printing, and all of the other reserves of knowledge that dwell in your mind. When it comes to making decisions your emotions might hem and haw. But your intellect knows; it is decisive. With your intellect you are able to perceive a situation, sum up its parts, and decide the best path of action.

For instance if you were president of the United States, you would listen to your advisors and your own preferences, weigh them, and make your decisions. This is the function of the intellect.

If you are proud of your intellectual knowledge, you should know some of its limitations. First, it is possible to make the wrong decision. This alone can get you in lots of trouble. Just ask a recent president if you can.

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Secondly, relative knowledge is never complete. As people discover more information in your field, you constantly have to keep up with your learning so you don’t fall behind. This is a never-ending chore.

And thirdly your mind can change. I know a brilliant scientist who holds many patents. But now he has Alzheimer’s disease. Now, it is as if all his knowledge is gone. Here’s a side note though; his love is still there.

Now I love to read and learn new things. As long as I can in my life I will keep exploring and learning. The more I learn the more amazing I find this universe to be.

But the fact that I know my knowledge as well as my ignorance, and that I see the changes that occur to my mind is even more fascinating. That’s because this indicates that I stand beyond the limitations of my intellect as the seer.

So next we will talk about memory. Is it memory that provides the continuity that we experience in our life? Just continue to follow what I am saying as we trace Awareness back to its source where it is free of limitations.

When we are done with this series of blogs, I hope that you will be standing at the summit of wisdom. That’s because you are that Awareness and not the limitations that you see. So please stay tuned. If you find this series of blogs helpful don’t forget to tell your friends.

And of course, if you find yourself suffering or feeling limited in any way, just ask questions. Then when I talk about the mind, I can talk about the things that bother you, and about how you can be free. And of course your comments are always welcome. This blog is yours too. For more information go to www.light-up-your-life.com.

Best Wishes For a Happy and Healthy New Years,

Michael

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The Wisdom and Love of BrigitToday I am excited because I agreed to meet Brigit Ananya, a fellow sage, at Starbucks coffee house in Los Gatos, to ask her about the experience of enlightenment. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, Brigit is my wife. But today I am meeting her as a sage so that I can interview her. Today maybe we can find out about her experience and the secret of her enlightenment so that we can wake up too.

What is enlightenment? Enlightenment is just seeing the simple Truth. It is seeing the Truth that who we are is not what we thought we were, because that would just be a concept. Who we are is not a concept, a label. Concepts are very flimsy, they change all the time. Who we are is solid. It has been the same all the time. Who we are cannot be described in words or thoughts. However, I always like to describe it as the “Source of Love”. That’s who we are, and everyone knows that Love cannot be described in words or thoughts.

What happened to you? Nothing really happened to me except the seeing that the “me” I thought I was does not exist. When you look at the core of who we are, we are one. You are the same as I am, the “Source of Love”.

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How did you change? Well, even though nothing really happened to me, there was a change. I am at peace with whatever happens, and I enjoy sharing love with people, because I know that everyone always understands love, since that’s who they are. I just enjoy saying nice stuff to people, like they did something nice or they look nice, although I do not really mean those specific things, all I mean is the sharing of love. By the way, when you say something nice to people, they always agree, because they intuitively feel that who they really are, is nice.

What would you recommend to the readers who have their heart set on finding enlightenment? Before I recommend anything, I would just like to mention that if you have your heart set like this, you can be sure that you will find enlightenment. Everything else in life depends on circumstances. But your ability to find yourself is definitely there, it is your very nature. You can trust that.

The funny thing is that since you are finding what already is, your true nature, you do not really have to do anything, you rather have to undo everything. Undo your old concepts about yourself, about life, and about the world. Be like a child and look at things afresh.

If you have your heart set to finding the Truth, actually everything comes to your help, because if you see things the wrong way, it does not feel good. Be very sensitive to that. Whenever something does not feel good, inquire! Find out what wrong views you have and let them go. The Truth is very shy. If you pretend something else, you cannot see the Truth. But if you let go, the Truth will dawn on you, and you might wonder why you did not see it sooner. But you will be very happy. I am wishing you the best, and I would like to hear the good news of you seeing the Truth. So please share it, I have no greater joy than seeing people wake up!

By the way, Brigit, what does your last name, Ananya, mean? Ananya is a Sanskrit word, “An” means not and “anya” means separate entity, so the name means not being a separate entity, which is just a concept anyway. It means being one with everyone and everything, as we all are when you look at the core. If you know that, it is very easy for you to relate to people, because you are relating to yourself, there is no separation between you and others.

Thank you, Brigit, for your inspiring words.

Best Wishes,

Brigit & Michael