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The end of all seeking is the realisation that there are no answers! That's such a relief! No more needing answers or reasons for things like people's actions or behaviour or your own actions or behaviour. Since there truly are no answers and that IS the Truth, you can just give up looking for them. It's great!
Last night I went to see a brilliant movie by the Coen Brothers called: 'The Serious Man'. They have got Nonduality sewn up beautifully. And just like in a Satsang/Nonduality meetings, people's minds can fight with the truth of 'No Answers'. They can get angry, desparate or even walk out. This is how many people have felt about this movie - they either love it and truly get it, or they are bored or angry at having wasted their time and money on it.
So what's to get?
Well at the risk of spoiling it for many people who haven't seen it yet, I will just say that the movie throws up lots of strange and seemingly irrational behaviour, actions and situations. The film-makers have deliberately created a film that poses loads of questions and then doesn't supply any answers.
The main character's life is falling apart so he consults three rabbis. But they do not answer his questions, instead they offer him stories and anecdotes.
As the viewer, you are dying to know what happens in the end. Or why someone did what they did. But you never find out! Over and over things occur and huge questions arise in your head and you are bursting to know some answers and have some understanding, yet you are totally denied this relief. Even the end of the film seems to happen so suddenly that it's almost shocking! (Typical Coen Brothers!)
So what's the point of the movie?
To me it beautifully demonstrated that there are no real answers to anything. No reasons for things. Things just happen and that's all! There are absolutely no answers - no reasons why.
This is all that needs to be seen. You can stop getting frustrated right now, because the end of all seeking is simply the realisation that there are no answers! From then on, seeking really does start to dissipate and life is lived with considerably more ease.
So from now on, every time a question pops up in your mind, immediately recognize that it is un-answerable - that you'll never know what, how or why, and maybe you'll begin to find that the fiery intensity of seeking starts to lessen and lessen, till all there is, is space and expansion where all the seeking use to be; because the end of all seeking is seeing that there are no answers. And I reccommend you all to see 'A Serious Man'! Love Mandi
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Friday, 22 January 2010
'Does there need to be a 'trigger?'
Today I am responding to the question that I am so often asked, which is along the lines of: 'does there need to be a 'trigger' or a precipitous event in order for me to 'see' who I truly AM? Or to become enlightened or Liberated or whatever?
The only answer to this is that it is completely the wrong question.
The reason that everything ever spoken or written about Nonduality is so frustrating to the human mind, is that it is unique, in that there are no answers.
We are talking about the ultimate mystery here: the Source - Divine Mind - God - perfect, pure Being. And because it is not 'within us' but it is us`- who we are and of what we are comprised, then to try and find it by active looking or philosophising is always going to be like a dog chasing it's tail. How can a dog find it's own 'dogginess' if it is already a dog?
The very nature of One's self is Selfhood or 'Being'. The key to seeing it is just the simple realisation that you can't find yourself because you already are yourself.That's all the realisation is, and then the seeking for life to be any different from that which it is presently, just comes to an end. It can simply happen in an instant. It doesn't have to take years of struggle, although for some people it might seem to do.For instance, if you are a person who believes that you don't get anywhere without a struggle, then that might be the way you dream it up. There doesn't have to be a 'trigger' or a definite moment - or there could be - yet it certainly isn't neccessary.
In my book 'The Joy of No Self' and also in my interview on Conscious.tv, I have referred to a time when I had a crash on my motorbike followed by a rising upwards and suddenly seeing through people, solid objects and everything - seeing beyond the dream,if you like.
However, although that gave me a glimpse of the Truth, and I lost all fear of death, it was all largely irrelevant. It was years later that Truth began to dawn and darkness gave way to Light and gradually there was less and less of 'me' (and if you saw me, that's no mean feat! lol!) Then one morning I woke up and 'Being' had totally taken over and all sense of personal identity - of myself as a separate person dissolved. Now that doesn't mean the human experience disappears - of course not. Life goes on the same but the stories of 'me' and 'my life' are just seen beyond and no longer believed in, that's all. But there is no state of 'constant bliss' for Mandi or for ANYONE no matter how good a story of enlightenment they tell! Because there is no 'constant'. And this is where we get to the core of all seeking:
Fairy stories of enlightened beings that wear fancy-dress, have fancy names and live in a constant blissed-out stste - are in the realms of Myth and magic - like the idea of a 'happy ever afer' in fairytales. How can there be an 'after' or a 'before' when there is only ever this present moment? If this present moment is filled with back-ache, front-ache or head-ache, then that's all that's going on right now. Yet if this moment is filled with a delicious curry - then this moment is nothing but stimulating, delicous flavours! It's all the same moment that's why there can be no 'path' or 'progression' - or di-gression,for that matter.
So then what is a 'trigger?' - the very word 'trigger' sounds like something is expected to happen next! But how can there be a 'next' when there is only a NOW?????
So the answer to the question of 'does there have to be a trigger?' or 'how do I get enlightened?'or whatever, is STOP ASKING THE QUESTION - you probably won't be able to, but at least realise that you will never get an answer! And If you do, BEWARE!!!!
The only answer to this is that it is completely the wrong question.
The reason that everything ever spoken or written about Nonduality is so frustrating to the human mind, is that it is unique, in that there are no answers.
We are talking about the ultimate mystery here: the Source - Divine Mind - God - perfect, pure Being. And because it is not 'within us' but it is us`- who we are and of what we are comprised, then to try and find it by active looking or philosophising is always going to be like a dog chasing it's tail. How can a dog find it's own 'dogginess' if it is already a dog?
The very nature of One's self is Selfhood or 'Being'. The key to seeing it is just the simple realisation that you can't find yourself because you already are yourself.That's all the realisation is, and then the seeking for life to be any different from that which it is presently, just comes to an end. It can simply happen in an instant. It doesn't have to take years of struggle, although for some people it might seem to do.For instance, if you are a person who believes that you don't get anywhere without a struggle, then that might be the way you dream it up. There doesn't have to be a 'trigger' or a definite moment - or there could be - yet it certainly isn't neccessary.
In my book 'The Joy of No Self' and also in my interview on Conscious.tv, I have referred to a time when I had a crash on my motorbike followed by a rising upwards and suddenly seeing through people, solid objects and everything - seeing beyond the dream,if you like.
However, although that gave me a glimpse of the Truth, and I lost all fear of death, it was all largely irrelevant. It was years later that Truth began to dawn and darkness gave way to Light and gradually there was less and less of 'me' (and if you saw me, that's no mean feat! lol!) Then one morning I woke up and 'Being' had totally taken over and all sense of personal identity - of myself as a separate person dissolved. Now that doesn't mean the human experience disappears - of course not. Life goes on the same but the stories of 'me' and 'my life' are just seen beyond and no longer believed in, that's all. But there is no state of 'constant bliss' for Mandi or for ANYONE no matter how good a story of enlightenment they tell! Because there is no 'constant'. And this is where we get to the core of all seeking:
Fairy stories of enlightened beings that wear fancy-dress, have fancy names and live in a constant blissed-out stste - are in the realms of Myth and magic - like the idea of a 'happy ever afer' in fairytales. How can there be an 'after' or a 'before' when there is only ever this present moment? If this present moment is filled with back-ache, front-ache or head-ache, then that's all that's going on right now. Yet if this moment is filled with a delicious curry - then this moment is nothing but stimulating, delicous flavours! It's all the same moment that's why there can be no 'path' or 'progression' - or di-gression,for that matter.
So then what is a 'trigger?' - the very word 'trigger' sounds like something is expected to happen next! But how can there be a 'next' when there is only a NOW?????
So the answer to the question of 'does there have to be a trigger?' or 'how do I get enlightened?'or whatever, is STOP ASKING THE QUESTION - you probably won't be able to, but at least realise that you will never get an answer! And If you do, BEWARE!!!!
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
'Identification with the 'me' '
Hello everyone and thank you so much for reading me! I will be writing things about Nonduality, and you are joyfully welcomed to contribute!
Today I have had quite a few emails and questions about how difficult it is to get rid of the self. Well you don't need to get rid of the self ,even if you could, which you can't!
What we call the 'self' are simply thoughts arising which you think are being generated by a 'you' and which you identify with as 'you' or your thoughts. But 'you' are not generating anything because there is no you. 'Thoughts arising' - is LIFE vibrating ! In Quantum Physics thoughts are explained as: 'fluctuating frequencies of energy'. You cannot stop thoughts and nor do you need to, and they are not yours to stop. Thoughts are part of Being, but Being is no part of thought, because Being is beyond thought.
Being is seen in the absolute Presence of the present.
People can get very angry about 'Nonduality' as though it's a separate entity which either works for one or doesn't, but the term Nonduality is simply a word that describes how everything IS - Alli-in-All, Oneness. It's not something that can be debated or argued with - how can the 'I' argue with itself - with it's own nature?!
All thoughts and feelings, such as depression, anger, fear etc. are connected with the belief in a personal identity and that belief will continue until the Truth begins to dawn and saturate one's experience, until the 'one' dissolves back into the 'One' as a drop of water rejoins the ocean. So how does this happen?
Well there's really no answer to this, but there can be an expansion into Oneness and I have observed this happening to people increasingly through merely being open to the possibility and sharing and interest in Being - an intimacy with Presence. But there is no necessity to sit quietly; meditate; do breathing exercises, etc. etc. unless you simply like doing those things. The seeing of Being is decerned in the present moment of whatever is happening right NOW! Swimming - eating pizza - reading something on a computer. Being is missed when we are looking backwards or forwards That doesn't mean you have to turn it in to a practice - just eat your pizza! If depression is there instead of a pizza - just observe it for a moment then go and make a cup of tea and decide to come back and see if it's still there in an hour. If it is - the intensity of it will be lessened - and just make a cup of tea again.
This is not a glib response: the immensity of Love/God is above and beyond thought and is right there unmissably in the minitue of living, and whatever that entails for you right at this very moment, which of course is the only moment.
Today I have had quite a few emails and questions about how difficult it is to get rid of the self. Well you don't need to get rid of the self ,even if you could, which you can't!
What we call the 'self' are simply thoughts arising which you think are being generated by a 'you' and which you identify with as 'you' or your thoughts. But 'you' are not generating anything because there is no you. 'Thoughts arising' - is LIFE vibrating ! In Quantum Physics thoughts are explained as: 'fluctuating frequencies of energy'. You cannot stop thoughts and nor do you need to, and they are not yours to stop. Thoughts are part of Being, but Being is no part of thought, because Being is beyond thought.
Being is seen in the absolute Presence of the present.
People can get very angry about 'Nonduality' as though it's a separate entity which either works for one or doesn't, but the term Nonduality is simply a word that describes how everything IS - Alli-in-All, Oneness. It's not something that can be debated or argued with - how can the 'I' argue with itself - with it's own nature?!
All thoughts and feelings, such as depression, anger, fear etc. are connected with the belief in a personal identity and that belief will continue until the Truth begins to dawn and saturate one's experience, until the 'one' dissolves back into the 'One' as a drop of water rejoins the ocean. So how does this happen?
Well there's really no answer to this, but there can be an expansion into Oneness and I have observed this happening to people increasingly through merely being open to the possibility and sharing and interest in Being - an intimacy with Presence. But there is no necessity to sit quietly; meditate; do breathing exercises, etc. etc. unless you simply like doing those things. The seeing of Being is decerned in the present moment of whatever is happening right NOW! Swimming - eating pizza - reading something on a computer. Being is missed when we are looking backwards or forwards That doesn't mean you have to turn it in to a practice - just eat your pizza! If depression is there instead of a pizza - just observe it for a moment then go and make a cup of tea and decide to come back and see if it's still there in an hour. If it is - the intensity of it will be lessened - and just make a cup of tea again.
This is not a glib response: the immensity of Love/God is above and beyond thought and is right there unmissably in the minitue of living, and whatever that entails for you right at this very moment, which of course is the only moment.
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