What is this?
Who am I?
The Many Faces of the One: article 25 - the unpublished esoteric writings of an aging yogi.
Daily Spiritual Affirmation:
"I allow the beauty and plenitude of 'Spirit' to support and bless me. I allow 'Spirit' to help and guide in every need and situation. I fully embrace the beauty and plenitude of 'Spirit'. The beauty and plenitude of 'Spirit' fully blesses and fulfils me. I always connect deeply with the beauty and plenitude of 'Spirit'. With 'Spirit' I always live my life in the full appreciation and gratitude of all that is and all that will be. I am always open and receptive to the beauty and plenitude of 'Spirit'. I know that there is a divine intelligence that delivers and supports a world of beauty and plenitude, I am one with 'Spirit'. I radiate pure 'Spirit' at all times, in all places and in all my thoughts and actions. I am always deeply connected and at one with pure 'Spirit'. OM, shanti, shanti, shanti. 'I am', peace, peace peace."
Post-article 2023 note: daily spiritual affirmations are presented here on this blog as a way to help focus the mind in the task of freeing the mind from the grip and distractions of mental perceptions and sensory feelings. As with all spiritual vessels and tools on this unfolding path of Self-Realization they can all be discarded once the destination is reached. They are only different tools for different minds and yet all with the same destination and end result - Self-awakening from the mode of ignorance.
THE DEATHLESS SELF ALONE IS
We can have this idea or belief of what spiritual awakening should look like or feel like; this too is simply an idea or belief and this is an idea or belief that can become and be another obstacle to Self-Realization. The true Deathless Self naturally shines as the false self falls away. It isn't a state of becoming and being to be acquired, created, conditioned or found. It is a natural and unhindered state of being that which is free of all that is false, transitory and unreal, and yet it is always one with all things. It is the spiritual recognition and knowing that all experience and the knowing of experience is the transcendental on-going playing out and dance of the Deathless Self - 'I-am'.
In the esoteric act and aim of Self-inquiry into the true nature of reality, experience and identity we are asked to turn our attention within, away from the distractions external mental objects and the demands, expectations and desires they place on us; we retract the worldly senses from the pull of sensory impressions and let go of the self-importance and neediness that we place on the objective sensory world of things and phenomena. We directly, intimately and closely examine and investigate where the mind and all objects of mind have their origin and source. Knowing is not necessarily awareness. We seek that which is unaffected, unchanged and unthreatened by all that is. When the mind is turned outwards it results in thoughts and objects of knowing. With the mind turned inwards it is absorbed into the silence and stillness of the deathless Self, and so too the phenomenal world. It is stated that the 'I' thought is the first and foremost of all thoughts that arise in the the knowing faculty of the mind - mind-consciousness. It is only after the appearance of the 'I' thought that all other thoughts arise. Since every other thought can only occur after the appearance of the 'I' thought and since the mind is nothing but a bundle or thoughts and mental impressions, it is only with the Self-inquiry into 'who am I?', that the mind is allowed to subside. Otherwise its attention will remain distracted by the ever-changing phenomenal world of sensory objects, dramas and things. It is constantly distracted by and caught up with the stuff of conceptual and conventional life.
SELF-INQUIRY
Self-inquiry into 'who am I?' is the readiness to directly examine and investigate the source from which the mind arises. I can assure you if we were simply the mind then we would all be in trouble, and yet we know this not to be true because there is that that has the knowing of mind, and all its objects of knowing. So, who is this 'I' that can feel limited and fearful of what is?' If I am not this body and these bundle of thoughts and objects of knowing, who am I? The Self-inquiry into 'who am I? really directs us to finding the true source of the 'I' thought; that which gives the sense of individuality and separateness. If the body is not the 'I', and the mind is not the 'I', and the 'I' thought is not the 'I', then who am I?
In this spiritual Self-inquiry into the source, origin and essence of the 'I' thought we begin to reveal and recognize our true identity with that of the Absolute. This is the supreme 'I'; the one true formless and enduring 'I' that includes all things, dramas and phenomena. We simply follow everything back to its true original source, origin and essence and this includes the thought and knowing of 'I'. We could say that I am that which recognizes and knows the having of a mind and all its mental impressions, constructs, projections and thoughts. We could say that I am that which recognizes and knows the having of a body with all its worldly senses and sense objects. But does this recognition and knowing confirm to us that I am the body and mind?
Clearly I am potentially that which is aware of having a body and a mind, and that is also aware of being aware? Continuously in the stillness and silence of 'I-am' we are asked to seek and reveal to ourselves the source and nature of that we are truly are. It is not a matter of becoming and being, and Pure Being without the cognition of mind. Realizing the Self is only being the Self that we already are that is the true source and essence of the 'I' thought and all other thoughts of who we are. We examine and investigate the source and essence of the 'I' thought until all identity with the mind/body experience is eradicated and destroy as being real, and our true identity with the Absolute is known as the identity of all and all that is. It is fully beyond having and not-having; beyond being and non-being,; beyond ignorance and liberation. It is beyond bondage and liberation. The body will perish. The mind will cease. The breath will end. The sensory world of sense objects will disappear, therefore who am I?
THE WISDOM OF KNOWING
"Form is no different to emptiness and emptiness is on different to form. That which is form is emptiness, and that which is emptiness is form. Form is not separate from emptiness and emptiness is not separate from form. Form is emptiness and emptiness is form." This is what I mean when I say that the Deathless Self alone is, or that 'Only God is Real'.
"Sensations, perceptions, mental formations and impressions, and mind-consciousness are also like this. All things and phenomena are marked and shaped by emptiness. It is neither appearing or disappearing, neither purifies or impurifies, and neither increases or decreases." This is why I say it is unmoved, untouched, unthreatened and unchanged by all that is, and all that will ever be.
"Emptiness is not limited by form; not by feelings, perceptions, mental formations and impressions, and discernment. It is free of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind; it is free of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and all objects of mind; it is also free of all sensory realms including mind-consciousness; it is free of ignorance and the end of ignorance; it is free of old age, decay and death, and it is free of the end of old age, decay and death. It is completely free of suffering and the end of suffering. It is free of liberation and attainment."
This is what I mean when I say that there is nothing that threatens pure 'Spirit'. Even if all the worlds should end pure 'Spirit' will remain. There is nothing outside of 'Spirit' and nothing separate from 'Spirit'. 'Spirit' is the source and substance of all that is and all things reside in it and with it; never separate from it. From the esoteric knowing of reality and identity it does not matter what happens or doesn't happen, or what changes or doesn't change. Everything can happen and everything can change, and yet pure 'Spirit' remains untouched, unaltered, and unmoved. Nothing is taken from it and nothing is added to it. It doesn't go anywhere or do anything; the world of change belongs to the world of the senses and their sense objects and these do not affect, lessen or alter what pure 'Spirit' is. It is free of all things and yet all things have there existence because of it. Nothing exists independent of it.
When we use the mind to examine and investigate its origin we loose the mind to the Self. Our identity transcends the importance that is placed on the mind/body experience. All that is asked of us in Self-inquiry into the true nature and source of the reality, experience and identity, is to fully relinquish the mistaken identity with the mind/body experience and the phenomenal world and with that done, the Deathless Self will be seen to be the one reality and identity of all. Kalu Rinpoche states, "You live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a Reality. You are that Reality. But you do not know it. If you wake up to that Reality, you will know that you are no-thing, and being no-thing, you are everything. That is all."
It is the 'I-am' of I am.
This is something we have to come to know directly and intimately for ourselves as the knowing of knowing without knowing. It simply is. What Kalu Rinpoche speaks of is traditionally known as Sahaja Samadhi, the highest state of Pure Being, which is a permanent state of realization even whilst seen to be ordinarily and plainly active in the world. Nothing is an hindrance or obstacle to this unsurpassable state of complete realization. Despite the continual playing out of all the mental and physical faculties of the mind/body experience including intellect, one is permanently identified with the Absolute. This natural state of Pure Being is recognizes as never being hindered or broken or destroyed or limited. The mind-body identity has been fully extinguished and given up. Nothing that the body and mind does takes away or adds to this perfect realization. All is abiding as the Deathless Self, and all alone is this. It shines without effort and no-thing can hinder or destroy it. The Self alone is the Real. This renunciation of all that is false and unreal is the sole abidance of reality with the Deathless Self. With this nothing need no longer be attained. There is no goal that needs to be reached. And no one to attain or reach anything. There is no one who will find it necessary to state, 'I am enlightened'. To assume 'I am enlightened' is itself an hindrance and obstacle to this highest and purest state of Self-Realization. There is no one who is enlightened and no real 'I' who needed to be enlightened. We have not become anything. We simply are as we have always been free of confusion and ignorance.
Emptiness as form, and form as emptiness. Emptiness not separate from form, and form not separate form emptiness. That which is form is emptiness and that which is emptiness is form." The Deathless Self alone is, and this is why I called these writings , 'The Many Faces of the One'. You are the world and the world is you, and yet you remain forever as you are.
I am the 'I-am' of I am.
This is the essential and core message of Atman-Yoga. The Deathless Self, alone is as 'I-am'.
Atman-Yoga Daily Mantra: "I am. Life is. 'I am' is one with all life and all life is one with 'I-am'. Oneness in body. Oneness in mind. Oneness in all things."
Song of the Deathless Yogi:
I am 'emptiness'. All is 'emptiness'. 'Emptiness' is all.
Form is 'emptiness'. Only 'emptiness'. 'Emptiness' is form'.
This esoteric blog is dedicated to my earthly mother 'Rita' who transitioned on the 12th December 2021. A truly selfless, kind, beautiful and loving embodied soul, friend and mother.
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