So what does that mean, and what does it have to do with freedom or liberation?
Thoughts are real events which actually occur. There's no doubt that they appear, and even if the source or form can't be pinpointed, they are a phenomenon with presence. They happen, and only one at a time. There's no such thing as multitasking when it comes to thought.
Try it.
Think about picking up that object in front of you while simultaneously thinking about the object itself. While a switching back and forth may happen quickly, the thoughts are never simultaneous. There's a distinct switch between the two, and EXPERIENTIALLY, there's a whole lot of difference in each of those types.
The first thought involves a mechanical action on the part of the brain and body. It's a functional thought in that it can directly lead to a "how to", to performing an immediate physical action. The second thought is a reflection or mental commentary wholly unnecessary to the action itself. It's useless except for entertainment value, and what's more, the commentary likely includes judgments as to whether you "like" the object, or "dislike" it.
How much of the process of sustaining physical life is related to commentary?
None.
But what percentage of "your" thought fits into that second category?
The first thing you should know about what you're about to read is that it's not Truth. And this is good, because it relieves you of having to try to parse the message, or follow any advice. If you'd like to take something away from this post, and I advise you not to, just jump to the last line now. It's the only sentence possibly worth taking a good long look at. A pointer to freedom is there if you're willing to do the work.
If you're still determined to read through to the end, however, let's get started. We'll take it from the top:
The Teachings
What concepts do the most prevalent teachings about enlightenment share?
1. There's No You.
2. There's nothing but nothing. It's sometimes called The Void.
3. It's all one thing.
Not too long ago those seeking the secrets to enlightenment, or maybe just an end to suffering, could join Ruthless Truth, a forum where we'd verbally beat the tar out of the You until with a single look, the reality of your existence was seen for what it is. You Are No Thing. Nothing. And you're not even that, because there is an utter absence where you thought yourself to be. Seeing that one thing brought a lot of people, including me, an amazing new paradigm from which to exist. The success of our group was staggering, and there have been spin-offs with even more exposure and success.
Thanks to Ciaran Healy's direction, People Got Free.
But what happens to the individual after that initial shattering realization has often been a source of hot debate in the online spiritual community. It's caused the splintering of groups, made a few self-described "lost souls", and caused a bit of general mayhem. Reading through the various enlightenment Facebook groups which pop in and out of existence would leave you with the conclusion that this No Self shit is not worth the trouble. From the outside looking in, it seemed to do more harm than good.
It wasn't all bad, though. Some... Many of us moved on to continue to deepen realizations or are actively working on developing a framework from which life is lived to its fullest. A lot of us were able to find refuge in The Void, the big, black nothing of peace. Oneness became a byproduct of seeing that there was no separation, ever.
It still wasn't quite enough to end suffering. There's no living in the Void, and for many, the peace couldn't be sustained. As a matter of fact, our original Ruthless Truth group absolutely imploded after the very public suffering of its founder.
"I'm Extremely happy to announce that our book Gateless Gatecrashers is finally finished and is available to download for free from LU website and http://gatelessgatecrashers.comYou can click on the tab above "Book" and you will get there.
It is made up of 21 conversations that Elena and I had during summer months, they are all on our blogs and perhaps you read them. We are hoping that this book will find everyone, who is struggling with search and will help to see through the illusion of separation. " - Ilona Ciunaite
If you're still seeking, stop. Read it now. You won't find pointing more direct than this.
My husband's just recently had a double organ transplant and as I write this I'm sitting here in his hospital room. This is a return admission. He was discharged at the end of December then developed very high fevers a week ago. After several days of testing, the doctors still don't know what it is.
That's the story.
Here's the reality of it: The "wringing of hands" that usually accompanies the watch over a sick spouse or loved one seems to be absent. It's because of a realization brought on by discussions with StepVhen who writes a powerful blog post over at BurningTrue, Honesty and Comfort.
Reading it, I realized that all of the years "I've" suffered for my husband's illnesses was due to selfishness, a thought pattern which allowed the perception of an identity as a "good wife" suffering for a "good cause".
It was all about the creation and sustaining of a ME.
In truth, there is no such thing as suffering for another. It's not even possible! How exactly would that work? Would the person feel your suffering and get better? Would their feeling your angst or worry help their situation?
There's no suffering for the homeless, the starving, the sick. Honest compassion which comes from realizing the lack of a self, opens wide the world. It leaves nothing but life, happening, and allows an unselfish caring for another. Rather than using that cause or person to prop an idea, a notion of a good and kind, compassionate self, action can be taken to comfort or assist without selfish motivation impeding the process. Does that mean that sadness, anxiety, or worry doesn't arise? Yes. It does continue. But take a look at why it comes and whether there is a "who" that it serves. If it points back to a sense of self, complete with attached emotional payload, it's the very defintion of self serving.
True compassion isn't owned or claimed by anyone, and no suffering should ever impede the process of aiding another.
Liberation is going mainstream. As a whole, we may just be waking up.
This isn't about the spiritual community or gurus helping to enlighten the world, it's about the world, life, wakingitself up. And the mechanism seems to be working through our incessant "Me-ing", the narcissism we're witnessing through new technologies..... our favorite self-centered mediums:
YouTube
Facebook
and blogs like this one
Kansas State University professor, Michael Wesch, in addressing the topic of YouTube and the The Politics of Authenticity, has unwittingly laid out a path to a possible increase in the number of people taking a natural course to liberation from the self. It seems an unlikely description of a route to realization, but this video appears to offer an unintended message, one very much in line with every sage's admonitions.
Why is this a message about liberation?
Because the void, the No Thing everything springs from, is inherently balanced. There is nothing to tip any scales. As a matter of fact, there are no scales. The world, as it appears, is based on this balanced principle....light doesn't exist without darkness, wrong without right, here without there.
So what's this got to do with the world waking up, despite itself?
Through social media and reality television, we are intently examining our selves. At this point in human evolution, things seem to be moving in the direction of extreme and exaggerated Selfing. Millions of people are now sharing very personal stories with the masses, exposing their ideas of self to both praise and criticism. Selves are publicly created, propped, and torn down at a rapidly increasing rate.
There are two ways this new trend could contribute to the world waking itself up:
The first way is in life's tendency to behave like a pendulum swing. As a society, we tend to tear down whatever it is we layer with a false esteem. Media stars are born and die at a rapidly increasing rate, and with the proliferation of social media and reality tv, everyone has the opportunity attempt stardom, to have at least 15 minutes of fame. This focus on the creation and maintenance of a well-considered and groomed sense of Self is destined to fall as fast and hard as it's risen. It's simply about balance.
The second way is in the fact that we are now reflecting upon or focusing on the Selves with an intensity never seen before. We are becoming aware, in ways both subtle and overt, that the face we present to the world is wholly fabricated. The creation of a Facebook, YouTube, or blog site is an exercise in rapid self construction, self tweaking, and self reflection.
Following the void's rules of balance, eventually, this selfing will implode.
This video above is 33 minutes long. The speaker has no ties to No Self, talks nothing about spirituality, awakening, or enlightenment. But he's got a lot to say about liberation, right up to the end where he shows us scores of people send a message into the void (webcam). Individually, behind cameras all over the world, they point to the same thing. Wake up.
How many of these things were initially paradigm-shattering discoveries, knowledge reserved for a select few? How long was each regarded as Special before spreading wide enough to reach the Tipping Point:
Building huts instead of living in caves
Purposeful cultivation of crops
Understanding that the Earth's seas are continuous (the Earth is round)
Travel by flying through the skies
Each of these signaled a turning point in humankind's development, one from which there was no turning back. And each bit of knowledge necessary to make those achievements commonplace had to pass the 100th Monkey mark, the point where the number of people holding that knowledge went from a select few, to the masses.
But what about the basic Mystery of Enlightenment, the clear seeing that there is no You, No Self, anywhere to be found?
There's no need to see No Self as an entitlement held by special "enlightened ones". It's a fact simpler to discover than any of those now commonplace life-altering Paradigm Shifts listed above. Why? Because it is already the case, and has always been the case. There's nothing to develop or learn, no skill to acquire.
So the thoughts about "reaching enlightenment", "practicing to reach enlightenment", or "earning enlightenment" are all just plain false. All of that is bullshit. No guru, practice, time, or method is necessary.
Go Ahead. Before googling your next guru, stop and do a simple check right now. Point to the self, the thing that's credited with reading and digesting this message. Was it here while reading the start of this post, or did it appear just now, after reading that last sentence?
Unless you're in love with seeking, don't dismiss the obvious.
This is a trip, going nowhere, and without any markers. No one's navigating. There's no crew. The map's been burned, there's nowhere to dock, no terrain. Yesterday's midpoint might as well be today's starting line. Or near finish. Hard to tell, and it doesn't matter. It's not a race anyway and You can't win.
Forget getting your bearings. They don't work here. They don't work "there" either, which ends up being the same frigging difference. Where "you" are in seeing This is fine, until it isn't, and then the next seeing through may appear to happen. Or not. Of course, that's the state things appear to be in now, anyway.
Think about picking up that object in front of you while simultaneously thinking about the object itself. While a switching back and forth may happen quickly, the thoughts are never simultaneous. There's a distinct switch between the two, and EXPERIENTIALLY, there's a whole lot of difference in each of those types.
