Thought is God's ultimate game of hide and seek

As Ramana pointed out in the post below, when thought is absent, there is no concept of a "world". There is only raw perception which hasn't been conceptually split into seer and seen. It is, at heart, a nameless and boundless experience. Identification with thought is God's way of forgetting itself. It seems to become completely immersed in the game of consciousness, this is only an appearance though - in reality, the being/consciousness/bliss of Brahman is always present.

With the arisal of mistaking ideas for reality comes what we call the "universe" of objects and every conceptual division that can be imagined. This pseudo reality is superimposed over the infinite, undivided being of Brahman. One interesting thing to note, though, is that this very idea of separation is only another movement of the God energy. God is playing hide and seek with itself and it always wins. Every false mask is stripped away. Every cherished belief is put aside, revealing everywhere and in all things the face of God - the infinite.

The story of the monsters

When the ego (false self idea) appears to grab ahold of this notion of Advaita, it usually expresses itself as "I am God and you are not." leading to guru-worship, authoritarianism and abuse of power. It's funny that many claim to speak from this realization but claim that there is such a thing as a "higher" and "lower" understanding - another obvious duality.

In the manifestation, there can appear to be a guru and disciple, a teacher and a student but, in the reality that we are, all such dualistic ideas are meaningless and one is left with "I am what you are" - the conscious presence that is the only source and reality of everything.

If anyone approaches you and suggests that they are enlightened, I would take such a claim with a gigantic grain of salt. "Who", exactly, is enlightened? When did this supposed event happen? How long has it been so? Only a self-image (ego) could seem to become enlightened, before which it was in darkness. The light that we are is without beginning or end. The shining of awareness is all that allowed this life to appear. It was never absent. The light is not in need of enlightenment.

On the joy of being no body and having no mind.

What is your self image? How do you conceive of yourself? I think it's safe to say that, for most of us, there is the idea that we are a "solid" body that has a brain inside of it that is the center of thinking. Outside of this "solid" body, there is a whole universe of other bodies and things. This is what we have been taught. Is it true?

This concept of being a body brings with it a great feeling of gravity and seriousness. It is a corruptable, fragile object that must be protected at all costs. When we invest so much of our sense of self in it, our happiness and sadness seem to hinge on whether it is doing well or ill, whether it has good or bad fortune.

Is a body what we are?

Without thinking, describe yourself. Can you? In the absence of thought, there is obviously no description. What is left? Conscious presence. In this pure awareness, there is no identification with the body or thoughts (mind). There really IS no body or mind besides the sensations and thoughts that arise in the registering emptiness. This non-material sentience is what we really are - it is the permanent by which the ever-changing is known. The body image and thoughts change from moment to moment but the presence is constant. When we say "I", this is what we are really talking about. When we say "my body" or "my mind", this is the "me" that "owns" those things.

To hang one's happiness on the world is foolishness. To hang it on the Self (awareness) is wisdom.

The world (everything that appears, including the body/mind) is always in flux. To be dependent on anything there is to be in a perpetual state of insecurity. The Self (conscious presence) cannot leave you because it is what you are and it is unwavering and steadfast. It is complete in itself and needs nothing to fulfill it. It is the source of all experience, but, ultimately beyond and untouched by it. When you build a house, you look for a strong, solid foundation - such is the Self. Trying to build a house on air (fickle appearance) is foolhardy at best.

From "The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi"

"There is no ignorance apart from the mind. It is the cause of the bondage of birth and death. With the emergence of the mind, everything arises and with it's subsidence, everything ceases."

"It is only the mind that conjures up before the Self subtle and gross objects and all the variations of body, caste, and station in life, qualities and actions, causes and effects. So doing, it tempts and deludes the Self, which is really unattached pure intelligence, binding it by the qualities of body, senses, and life and deluding it with the idea of "I" and "mine" in the fruits of action that it creates. By means of this false representation, the mind creates the myth of samsara (bondage) for the spirit."

If I may, I would also like to add that there is no mind, only Self, of which thought is one of the "surface ripples". Mind (thought) is not apart from Brahman, only an expression of it as form. There never was a separate self (ego) who was deluded or in bondage, belief in arising thoughts as absolute reality only made it appear so.

Another quote:

"The phenomenal world... is nothing but thought. When the world recedes from view - that is when one is free from thought - the mind enjoys the Bliss of the Self. Conversely, when the world appears - that is when thought occurs - the mind experiences pain and anguish."

Hello and welcome to my blog!

Concepts are the source of confusion and suffering. The idea that I am separate from life and the universe (uni = one), so prevalent in our materialistic culture, is the sole cause of the feeling of alienation. Are we really apart from anything? Is it possible to be isolated?

If we look at the image below, the top graphic is an illustration of the standard way that modern human beings view the world. There is the idea that they, as a body/mind organism are viewing a world outside of themselves. This feeling of being apart from the world also gives rise to desire and fear - fear that "things" in the world will hurt them and the desire that "things" will bring a feeling of completion. It seems to be worthwhile to look directly and see if this model is correct.

In our direct (non-conceptual) experience, is anything apart from anything else? Looking at what we call "the world", are objects in their own separate boxes or does one thing connect and touch everything else? Could we even notice different objects if things were truly separate? Isn't it the contrast between things IN CONTACT that lets us see anything? Is the awareness that percieves objects apart from them? Does anything appear outside of consciousness (such as in deep sleep)? So, what is being pointed to is that awareness and objects of perception, are not separate but one, indivisible whole. It is only from mistaking arising concepts for reality that we believe otherwise.

All objects, including the sensations and thoughts that we call the body and mind are dependent on awareness, without which they couldn't be percieved. This simple sentience is what gives birth to the appearance of the universe and, at heart, is what we truly are, what every "thing" is. There is nothing but this infinite, eternal being.