Speaking from Stillness is a fun series transcribing unscripted thoughts while on morning dog walks in my jungle valley. I walk in stillness, then allow whatever arises to get recorded and transcribed. I try to keep them short. The transcript is lightly edited for clarity.
The Non-Dual Path, or the Awakening Path, is
So full of Paradox and contradiction,
It’s almost impossible to speak about.
It’s almost impossible to share information.
But at the same time, Awareness itself,
Which is the core of which we are all made…
Once having a realization of Truth…of Awakening,
All this body wants to do is (to) share, (this) Truth and this topic.
The Two Realities, the
Absolute Reality…which is the
Un-manifest energy, the Field, the Infinite Field, of which
Everything arises from, everything is made, and where everything occurs.
That Emptiness, Infinite…is obviously vast,
But at some level…Empty…No-thing.
The manifest field, the Relative Reality, where there appears to be
Matter and time and space and objects interacting with each other,
Each of the objects believing itself to be the Subject of its own story,
The individual separate-self,
All of that arises from the Nothing, the No-thing,
Nothing…that is Everything.
It is remarkable.
Once the Awakening process begins...
Or (when) Truth is known…
Silence is actually the appropriate way to Be.
Appropriate in the sense that our words and limited vocabulary and our limited senses
Can’t really explain the Infinite.
But as one Zen Monk said, or some Sage, at some point.
Now I can’t remember it…
‘If I speak, I’m a fool.
But if I choose not to speak, I’m a coward.’
That captures something.
Ramana Maharishi had his realization, went and lived in a cave,
Did not want to speak, chose not to speak for 16 years.
And his preferred method of sharing his wisdom of
His transition, his Connection, was to be…Quiet.
People would come to visit him in the Ashram that his followers built up around him,
And his preference was to be…Quiet.
But he soon realized that he wasn’t helping any of these people
Who were on the path, who were still uncovering Truth.
And so he began teaching Self-Inquiry, or the Direct Path,
Which is one of the most important ways of deepening the
Understanding of the Awakening path.
But his original instinct was right,
Silence is actually the understanding that us
Finite beings can’t explain the Infinite anyway, so
Speaking just distracts. But that comes to…
Why do we do this?
Why do we think of a path?
And why do we try (to) follow it?
And why do we try and learn as much as we can,
And uncover Truth in order to arrive at some destination?
The Truth is…all of that is Action being done on behalf of a separate-self.
And the deep realization is that there is…No actual separate-self,
But in order to learn this information, you have to act as a separate-self!
Picture yourself walking on a path and learning these things,
Talking about these things, Seeking knowledge, Seeking Truth and…
I think that’s part of the process, and
I think that’s an essential part of the process for most people along this path.
What does this mean?
Why does this happen? And
What are the ramifications (of) ‘How do I live my life?’
If I’m not Ramana Maharishi, if I’m not a Monk,
If I’m not living in a cave in the Himalayas or Nepal or Peru, or
Not living in a Monastery or an Ashram and having people feed me.
But if I have to interact and have a job, and have a family and have kids,
How do I do this?
Well, that becomes wonderful teachings and sharings of…
How to live in the Paradox.
And once Truth is known, you begin to understand that
There’s never a destination to arrive at.
It’s just at some point, it’s the realization of…
Oh…This Moment is all there Is!
I Am One with all of these creatures around me.
I Am One with the un-manifest Void.
And yet, this wonderful manifest world, for those listening here,
This earth that we live on, and the people around, and
The creatures around that we interact with,
That is about Experiencing.
That is Awareness, God, Tao, Higher Power
Experiencing…out of Love.
And our role is to understand that we are just parts of this play.
And, once we understand that, we don’t need to control anything anymore.
We start to realize there is actually nothing to learn, except to
Live in this present moment, without attachment.
And, when that occurs…life happens…without suffering.
Because we don’t want or care about anything that happens.
We just watch it all happen, and participate in our way,
Knowing that if words are spoken, they are the appropriate words to speak.
Rarru, says Mariposa.
So the great understanding, the Great Truth is to
Be Here Now, as Everything and No-thing,
To live the Paradox…and then
Stop trying to control it,
Stop trying to understand it…and
Just experience it,
Without the suffering of trying to achieve something.
It’s…It’s Awesome!
I’m very lucky to be living here in the forest with a bunch of dogs,
Who allow me to investigate these things.
But it is True, the
Awareness and the Understanding does want to be shared,
And I look forward to continu(ing) doing that,
As the unique non-separate-self that I Am!
