MasterPok's blog

Science is like a magician

who has pulled a rabbit out of a hat,

but whose audience then wants to know

what the magician can pull out of the rabbit.

 

So science reaches into the rabbit

and pulls out some cells.

 

But then, still not satisfied with the show,

the audience wants to know

what science can pull out of the cells,

and so science reaches into the cells

and pulls out some molecules,

followed by some atoms

and then some electrons.

 

Of course the audience then wants to know

what science can pull out of the electrons,

and so science reaches into the electrons,

and to the surprise of both

the magician and the audience

there is nothing there,

no physical object there,

where the electrons appear to be,

only mind-like forms

that have the potential

to become the physical objects

we refer to as electrons.

 

The magician knows not

what he has found,

but if he were to see

what was actually happening

what he would see

is that he has reached so far

into the hat

that he went completely through it,

and without knowing it

has come back around

and is now trying to grasp

what he does not recognize

as his own mind.

 

And at a deeper level

it could also be said

that what we are trying to grasp

where mental form dissolves

into formless potentiality

is our own formless Consciousness

that we do not recognize

as our Self. 

 

As we dig down

from the level of physical forms,

from the physical stratum,

into the next level of reality,

we enter the mind stratum,

where we encounter

non-physical forms,

mental forms,

thoughts and ideas,

that have the potential

to become physical forms.

 

And as we dig still deeper,

from the level of mental forms,

from the mental stratum,

into the next level of reality,

we encounter That which,

although it has no form Itself,

does have the potential,

through Self-relation,

to become a mental form,

to become an idea,

which idea is then apprehended

by the still formless Self.

 

The physical forms

are apprehended by

the still formless Self

that thinks it is a body,

and the mental forms

are apprehended by

the still formless Self

that thinks it is a mind.

 

But neither body nor mind

is what the Self ultimately is.

 

Body and mind

are just vehicles,

just forms of the Self

the formless Self uses

to apprehend other forms of Itself

that arise like swirls

within the formless Ocean

of its ever formless Self. 

 

And so it is that That

which tries to apprehend

what seems to be there

is eventually found to be

not different from

or other than

what actually is there,

once what seems to be there

as physical and mental form

has been completely untangled

into the Formless Potentiality

that is actually there.

 

We are like a Thread

that looks outward into space

and inward into mind

and sees many objects,

many forms,

that appear to be different

and other than

what we are.

 

And we want to know

what these forms are made of,

and so we begin to break them apart

to unravel them.

 

And as we break them apart,

as we unravel them,

we eventually find

that all they are

is a single Thread

that has become tangled

upon Itself.

 

And so what was once

seen as other

is now seen as Self,

because the single Thread that appears

when the forms are untangled

cannot be separated from

the Thread that looks outward

and inward

and sees many forms

that no longer appear

to be different

or other

than what It Is.

 

A single Thread,

a single Being,

a single Presence,

tangled upon Itself

in so many ways,

and so appearing

as this and that,

and so appearing

as many forms,

and so appearing

as other.

 

This Thread goes by many names,

none of which are It directly,

because the names are always forms

whereas the Thread Itself is always formless.

 

One name It goes by is Consciousness,

another is Presence,

and still another name

we could use to point toward It

is the field of Formless Potential.

 

And so That which sees the objects,

That which knows the forms,

That which apprehends the forms,

is not different from

or other than

what we find

when the objects and forms

are untangled to the point

where they cease to be objects,

cease to be forms,

and become only the potential

to appear as an object,

to appear as a form.

 

And so That which knows the objects,

That which apprehends the forms,

is not different from

or other than

the field of Formless Potential

out of which

all objects and forms

arise.

 

And so ultimately,

the field of Formless Potential

is not different from

or other than

the field of Consciousness

that knows, sees, and apprehends

the objects and forms

that arise within Itself,

and are ultimately composed of Itself,

as It has become entangled within Itself

as a result of Flowing

in relation to Itself.

 

The One appearing as many,

the One apprehending Itself as many

but always remaining

a single formless Thread,

whole and unbroken,

indivisible from Itself.

That which apprehends form

and That which flows in relation to Itself

and so appears as form

are One.

 

No matter how turbulent the ocean becomes,

no matter how many forms arise upon its surface,

waves coming and going,

the ocean remains one.

 

And no matter how turbulent the surface,

at its depths

the ocean remains still.

 

Observed from the depths,

where there is stillness

the turbulence of the surface

is not disturbing.

 

Observed from the surface,

where there is turbulence,

there is only disturbance.

 

No matter how the ocean appears

it is still composed of water,

the same substance

flowing in stillness and turbulence.

 

That is why the ocean is one

regardless of how it appears,

because of the singular and unchanging nature

of what it is composed.

 

And no matter how the world appears,

it is still composed of Consciousness,

the same Substance,

the same Beingness.

flowing in stillness and turbulence.

 

That is why the Universe is one

regardless of how it appears,

because of the singular and unchanging Nature

of what it is composed.

 

As the ocean is composed only of water,

regardless of how many waves arise from it,

the Universe is composed only of Consciousness,

regardless of how many forms arise within it.

 

And so,

if That

of which the Universe is composed

is One,

and not two,

then That

which apprehends the forms

that arise within the Universe

cannot be different from

or other than

That

of which the forms

that arise within the Universe

are themselves composed.

 

The idea that That

which apprehends the forms

and That

of which the forms are composed

are different,

and separate,

only occurs

if one takes the forms alone

for all that is there

where they appear to be,

thereby obscuring

the Ocean of formless Consciousness

within which they arise.

 

If one sees only the waves

and not the water,

sees only the forms

and not that of which

the forms are composed,

then the ocean becomes obscured.

 

And once the ocean is obscured,

that which connects all the waves

and reveals their oneness

is also obscured,

leaving only the appearance

of separate waves

thrashing about.

 

Likewise,

when the Ocean of Consciousness is obscured

that which connects all the forms

and reveals their Oneness

is also obscured,

leaving only the appearance

of separate forms

thrashing about.

 

How do you rediscover the Ocean

once it has been lost,

once it has been obscured?

 

Look within yourself little Wave

and you will find It,

not as a form,

but as That which apprehends form.

 

And once you are able to do that,

Apprehend That which apprehends,

Know That which knows,

the Ocean of Oneness

that was always there

beneath the waves,

beneath the forms,

will reappear.

 

Then the seeming divisions

between the waves,

between the forms,

that once seemed so real,

while their common Source was obscured,

will simply vanish.

 

The waves will still be there

the forms will still be there

but they will no longer be known,

and so no longer be treated,

as something separable from

or other than

what you Are.

 

 

Why does the Ocean appear only within

and not without

until it is rediscovered

by looking within?

 

Without is the direction

in which you are going.

Within is the direction

from which you are coming.

 

When a wave looks to the sky

having forgotten the ocean,

having forgotten its nature,

it sees the clouds,

but cannot recognize them

as composed of the same substance

of which it is composed,

and so it sees only more forms,

more things that seem

other than itself.

 

But when a wave looks the other way

still having forgotten the ocean,

still having forgotten its nature,

it cannot help but run into itself

on its way

to becoming a wave.

 

And then when it looks back to the sky

no longer having forgotten the ocean,

no longer having forgotten its nature,

it once again sees the clouds,

but now recognizes them

as composed of the same substance

of which it is itself composed,

and so what was once seen as other,

is now seen as self.

 

That is why one must first look within,

and find the truth of what lies there,

before one can look without,

and see the truth of what lies there as well.

 

For what lies within and without

are not really two separate things,

but are the same Non-thing,

the same Formlessness,

looked at in opposite ways

by the Formlessness,

and so appearing

as the two seemingly different things

we call space and mind,

neither of which

is separable from

or other than

the formless Consciousness

that apprehends both,

which formless Consciousness is,

in the final analysis,

not other than

what you Are.

We are Formlessness

living in the service of a form

that we ourselves are creating.

 

And with each service we perform

in service of the form

that we ourselves are creating,

the form seems to become more real

and we seem to become less real.

 

And as the form seems to become more real

and we seem to become less real

it seems more and more important

that we serve the form

that we ourselves are creating

through service to the form.

 

We serve the form

that we ourselves are creating

by defending it from that which appears

to cause its diminishment.

 

And we also serve the form

that we ourselves are creating

by clinging to that which appears

to cause its enhancement.

 

And what is it that appears

to cause the diminishment of the form

to which we are enthralled?

 

Only that which seems to threaten

that to which we cling

in our effort to enhance the form

that we are ourselves creating.

 

And what is it that appears

to cause the enhancement of the form

to which we are chained?

 

Only that which seems to protect

the form that is our master,

the form that we ourselves are creating,

from that which would seem to cause its diminishment.

 

We build up the form-master

to protect it from threats,

and we protect the form-master from threats

to preserve that which we have built up.

 

A self-perpetuating cycle

that goes nowhere

and accomplishes nothing

other than to keep hidden

our formless Self

and so perpetuate the illusion

of form-identity

that keeps the cycle going.

 

The height of futility.

The human condition.

 

But I have misspoke.

The cycle of self-ignorance

does accomplish something other than

its own perpetuation.

 

What else does it accomplish?

It creates suffering.

 

And the suffering it creates

places a limit upon

how lost to our Self

we can become.

 

If you are so completely insane

that you try to suffocate yourself

with your own hands,

you will pass out

before the deed is done

and will once again

be able to breath.

 

Likewise, while in the insane state

that is called normal,

we can oppose and so stifle

our own Flow

with our Flow

as we serve the form-master,

so much so that our suffering becomes so great,

as our Flow becomes so diminished,

that we must either Awaken

or commit suicide

before we are able to completely cut off

our own Flow.

 

Either way, Self-opposition ceases,

or is greatly diminished,

and so either way we Awaken,

to some degree,

from the dream of form-identity

to what we truly Are.

 

Suffering is sort of like Slugworth

who only pretends to be

in competition with Wonka,

to help Wonka identify

those who are ready

to run his factory.

 

That is, suffering only appears to be

in competition with Awakening,

while all the while

actually working for Awakening.

 

And if one can realize this

while in the midst of the suffering

that is caused by the Self-opposition

that arises when one serves the form-master,

then the reflexive resistance to suffering decreases,

allowing another way to appear

that does not require increasing suffering

in order to Awaken.

 

One path may not be

better than the other,

since both lead

to the same destination,

but one is certainly

more enjoyable than the other.

Better than to try and improve yourself

is to just enjoy yourself.

 

The Great Mother

did not create this Universe of Forms

out of Herself

to improve Herself.

 

The Great Mother

created this Universe of Forms

out of Herself

to enjoy Herself.

 

To envelope Herself

in her own Joy

in her own Being.

 

To Wrap Herself around Herself

and then Flow through Herself

while still Wrapped around Herself.

 

The Great Mother does not Flow Herself

through these Forms made of Herself,

as She is wrapped about Herself,

in order to become better,

in order to become more,

for that is not possible.

 

She is perfect as She Is.

There is no room for improvement.

There is however,

room for enjoyment.

 

But with the possibility of enjoyment

must also arise the possibility

of the opposite of enjoyment.

 

All this Wrapping around

and Flowing through

in order to create enjoyment,

in order to create joy,

requires the Great Mother

to Be in relation to Herself.

 

And where one relation is possible

that creates one sort of feeling,

the opposite relation must also be possible

that creates the opposite feeling.

 

The Great Mother is One,

everything else

comes in pairs of opposites,

because everything else is created

as the Great Mother Flows

in relation to Herself.

 

And so in constructing the door

that leads to

Her enjoying Herself,

She also constructs a door

that makes it possible

for Her to do the opposite

of enjoying Herself.

 

One who does not understand this

thinks that suffering

should not be.

 

But one who does understand this knows that

without the possibility of suffering

there can be no possibility of its opposite,

no possibility of enjoyment.

 

Enjoyment arises

when the Great Mother

Flows through Herself

unopposed by Herself.

 

Suffering arises

when the Great Mother

Flows through Herself

opposed by Herself.

 

When the Great Mother Knows Herself,

She naturally Flows through Herself

without opposition,

and so feels enjoyment.

 

But when the Great Mother forgets Herself,

She just as naturally Flows through Herself

opposing Herself,

and so feels suffering.

 

And so there is something

that we can improve,

but it is not what we Are,

for That is already perfect.

 

What we can improve

is what we know our self to be,

for in this regard

we are always mistaken,

but to greater and lesser degrees.

 

The more our idea of our self

is in conflict with our true Nature,

the more in conflict with that Nature

our Flow will Be.

 

And the more our idea of our self

is in harmony with our true Nature,

the more in harmony with that Nature

our Flow will Be.

 

Now no idea

is exactly what we Are,

for ideas are forms

and we Are not.

 

So as long as an idea comes

between us and our Nature

there will be some conflict

between us and our Nature.

 

But as a clean mirror

has greater utility

than one that is caked with mud,

a clear idea of one's Nature

has greater utility

than an idea that muddies one's Nature.

 

The idea that you can improve yourself,

and that you can improve the world,

are ideas that arise

from a muddy image

of what you Are.

 

The idea that you can enjoy yourself

and that you can enjoy the world

are ideas that arise

from a clear image

of what you Are.

 

It may be true

that the ultimate Knowledge comes

when all thought is set aside,

when all masks are dispensed with.

 

But until then

why not enjoy yourself

as best you can.

 

It is what the Great Mother would do.

It is what the Great Mother is doing.

 

And when you do as the Great Mother does

you Flow as the Great Mother Flows,

and the more you Flow 

as the Great Mother Flows

the more transparent and unreal

all the masks become,

until all that remains

is That which,

to the extent that It is revealed,

gives to every mask its Beauty,

and so causes the world

and one's Self

to appear as beautiful

and perfect as they are,

and to the extent that It is hidden

makes every mask appear less than beautiful,

and so causes the world

and one's Self

to appear as less than beautiful

and imperfect as they are,

and so in need of some repair,

in need of some improvement.

 

So many words,

so little actually happening.

The Great Mother Being and Flowing

in aligned or opposed relation to Herself,

and so enjoying Herself

or suffocating Herself.

That is all.

The time arrives.

A costume must be chosen.

And so we are born

into Form.

 

And as we live

we Flow into

and through

Form.

 

The wedding of the Infinite

and the Finite

 

But the Finite is just the Infinite

Flowing in relation to Itself

and so taking on a Form,

as swirling water takes on

the form of a whirlpool.

 

And as we Flow through Form,

Flow through our Self as Form,

lesser forms arise

where Form meets Form,

like a line that arises

where the tips of two fingers meet.

 

These lesser forms

are what we call

experience.

 

These lesser forms

are what we call

reality.

 

So many forms,

so many experiences,

so much reality.

 

And then we who only Flow,

we who are only Movement,

ourselves having no form,

mistake ourselves

for these lesser forms,

after which these lesser forms

are all that appears to be.

 

That is Unconsciousness.

 

Consciousness

not conscious of Itself

as Consciousness,

not conscious of Itself

as Formlessness,

not conscious of Itself

as Movement,

but conscious of itself instead

as a lesser form,

conscious of itself instead

as a boundary that is only created

by the Movement

of the Formlessness

that is conscious of all lesser forms.

 

In this way

there is Consciousness

in Unconsciousness,

it is just hidden

by the lesser forms

that Consciousness

mistakes for itself.

 

It is as if one draped themself

in a sheet for Halloween

and then thought themself

to actually be a ghost.

 

One is still there under the sheet

no matter how much one believes

that they are now a ghost.

 

In the same way,

Consciousness is still there

beneath the lesser forms

that It has mistaken

for itself.

 

And Consciousness is also still there

beyond the lesser forms

that It has mistaken

for itself.

 

As long as Consciousness

mistakes itself for these lesser forms

it remains hidden from Itself,

both inside and outside the forms

it mistakenly knows itself to be.

 

Hidden from Itself,

inside and out,

the costume becomes a cage.

 

But Consciousness that has caged Itself

within the lesser forms

it has Itself created,

still Flows,

still Moves.

 

But now it Flows and Moves

to serve a master

that is only a shadow of Itself,

to serve a master

that its own Flow,

its own Movement,

its own relation to Itself,

has created.

 

That is unconscious Movement.

 

It is the way of unconscious Consciousness,

the way of Consciousness that knows itself as form

to oppose some forms

and to cling to others

and in so doing

to create suffering.

 

But when unconscious Consciousness

realizes that form is not what it is,

then the form that was,

only a moment ago,

a cage, a wall, an impassable barrier,

becomes transparent, becomes beautiful,

as the Consciousness both beneath and beyond the form

reappears to Consciousness

as Itself.

 

That is the Unconscious becoming Conscious.

 

Consciousness waking from the dream

of form-identification.

Formlessness becoming conscious of Itself

as it Is,

as Formlessness,

after having been conscious of Itself

as form.

 

No longer serving the shadow-master of form,

the unconscious and reactive Movements

of attachment and aversion,

pushing away unwanted forms,

clinging to wanted forms,

have no basis and so cease

of their own accord,

without effort.

 

It is not the way of conscious Consciousness

to oppose or cling

to the lesser forms

that arise as experience

within Itself.

 

It is the way of conscious Consciousness

to simply be aware of Itself

and of the lesser forms

that arise within Itself

and to allow both to be

as they are,

Flowing and Moving then

according to that.

 

That is conscious Movement.

That is wu wei.

 

Action without action,

doing without doing.

 

Movement and Flow,

not for the sake of opposing or acquiring

some lesser form,

but Movement for the sake of Movement,

Flow for the sake of Flow.

 

That is why

when one tries to actively get rid of one's form-identity

it only becomes stronger,

because that is not conscious Movement,

that is not wu wei.

 

And if it is not conscious Movement,

then it is unconscious Movement.

And if it is unconscious Movement

then it is Movement that is grounded in,

and so reinforcing of,

the form-identity.

 

Let the ego be

and it will fade of its own accord,

like a costume that was once worn

to all the parties

when form was king,

but now has little use

now that it has been revealed

that the king was wearing

a false crown.

When it is thought

that thinking

is the height of intelligence

then true intelligence is lost.

 

When it is thought

that the mind

is the source of intelligence

then the true source of intelligence

becomes obscured.

 

What is true intelligence?

No one can really say,

because true intelligence

is non-conceptual,

and so beyond words.

 

What is the true source of intelligence?

That too

cannot really be spoken,

because the true source of intelligence

is also non-conceptual,

and so also beyond words.

 

And so true intelligence

and the true source of intelligence

are not two different things

but are one thing

that is not a thing.

 

And what is this one thing

that is not a thing

that is both true intelligence

and the true source of intelligence?

 

What sees when the sun rises,

and hears when the bird sings?

What feels love when the heart is open,

or hate when the heart is closed?

What knows when the mind thinks?

 

That alone is both true intelligence

and the true source of intelligence.

 

And that alone

is what you truly Are.

 

What you truly Are

cannot be known

through the intermediary of form.

But what you truly Are

can be Known directly,

as That by which

all form is known.

 

What is seen when the sun rises,

or heard when the bird sings,

or felt when the heart is open or closed,

or thought when the mind thinks,

are all forms.

 

What you truly Are

is not that,

is not a form.

 

What you truly are

is the formless Consciousness

that knows all those forms,

and on occasion,

mistakes Itself

for the forms it knows.

 

What you truly are

is not the word Consciousness,

for that too is but a concept,

and so is also a form,

and so is not what you truly Are.

 

What you truly are

is the formless Isness

that is pointed toward

through the use of the word

Consciousness,

and through the use of the words

formless Isness.

 

The formless Isness

that sees the sun rise,

that hears the bird sing,

that feels love or hate,

and knows what the mind thinks,

even when It does not Know Itself,

even when It has obscured Itself,

as a result of knowing itself to be

a form,

as a result of knowing itself to be

what is seen,

and heard,

and felt,

and thought.

The form is not important,

it is the Flow of Being

that creates the form

that is important.

 

That Flow of Being

is the Dance of Shiva.

 

The goal is not important,

it is the Flow of Being

as it moves toward the goal

that is important.

 

That Flow of Being

is the Movement of the Tao.

 

The result is not important,

it is the Flow of Being

as it produces the result

that is important.

 

That Flow of Being

is the River of eternal Life.

 

The Flow of Being

is important

because the Flow of Being

is what we truly Are.

 

We are not the forms

that only arise

where Being Flows

in relation to Itself,

like a line that arises

where the tips of two fingers meet.

 

But when we think we are a form,

when we identify with form,

we lose sight of what we truly Are,

lose sight of the Flow of Being,

and then form is all that seems to remain.

 

And then form, the goal, the result

becomes all that matters,

not because they really do

but only because

there seems to be nothing else

once our True Nature

has been obscured

through misidentification with form.

 

But even our misidentification with form

is part of the Dance.

 

The misidentification with form

is just the part of this Dance

where the Dancer closes their eyes

but still keeps Dancing,

still keeps Flowing,

and so continuously trips over,

continuously comes into conflict with,

what They no longer recognize

as Themself.

 

But now it is time to Awaken

and open our eyes

to our formless Nature

so that as we Dance

we will no longer trip over Ourself,

no longer create suffering for Ourself,

but will instead

dance in harmony with Ourself

and once again

just enjoy the Dance,

unconcerned with form,

unconcerned with goals and results,

unconcerned with what are really

only byproducts of the Dance,

byproducts of What Is Really Important,

byproducts of What Really Matters.

 

Our Awareness,

our Consciousness,

no longer preoccupied with form,

no longer obsessed with goals and results,

no longer mistaking Itself

for the forms It has created,

no longer seeking Itself

in the forms It creates,

rooted in the Now.

rooted in the Formless.

rooted in Itself. 

At One with all Life.

No longer just a concept,

But the direct Realization

Of my essential Nature.

 

The direct Realization

Of the essential Nature

Of all Beings,

Of all that cloaks Itself in form,

And of all that still remains formless.

 

The Realization that it is Formlessness

That apprehends form,

And that out of that same Formlessness

All forms arise,

Like swirls in a river,

As Formlessness flows in relation to Itself.

 

And because the I that apprehends form

Is formless

I am devoid of form.

 

And because That out of which form arises

And within which form exists

Is formless

It too is devoid of form

 

And because I am formless,

And because It is formless,

There is nothing to separate

Me from It,

No boundary to divide

What I Am

From what It Is.

 

Thus, what I Am,

As the Formlessness that apprehends form,

Is not separable from,

Or other than,

The Formlessness out of which all forms arise.

 

At One with all Life.

No longer just a concept,

But the direct Realization

Of the indivisible Formlessness

That just Is

Do not look to form for certainty.

Do not look to the Formless for definition.

 

The Formless can give you certainty.

Form can give you definition.

 

Do not look for in one

What can only be given

By the other.

 

The certainty that the Formless gives

Is its own Presence.

 

The definition that form gives

is its very existence.

 

The definition that form gives

Is knowledge.

 

The certainty that the Formless gives

Is Knowledge.

 

So it is that

The Formless cannot be defined,

Cannot be known,

As an object,

As a form,

But can be Known,

Directly,

As That which Is

In the absence of form,

And as That which still Is

In the presence of form.

 

The Knowledge that the Formless gives

Is the Consciousness of Itself.

 

Formlessness apprehending Formlessness.

 

The knowledge that form gives

Is the Consciousness of an object,

The Consciousness of a form.

 

Formlessness apprehending form.

 

Thus, both Knowledge and knowledge

Are apprehended by the same Formlessness.

 

It may seem that the Formless

That knows itself as an object,

As a form,

Is different or other than

The Formless that Knows Itself

As It Is,

As the Formless.

 

And so we venerate the Latter,

While denigrating the Former.

Seeing one as higher

And the other as lower.

 

But this is an illusion,

As the Formless Is One.

Non-dual.

Neither higher nor lower.

 

Only when viewed through the lens of duality,

The lens of form,

Does the Formless appear to Itself

As something other than One.

 

When viewed through the lens of form,

The duality inherent in form

Becomes superimposed upon That

Which Is forever Non-dual,

Eternally One.

 

A river may diverge for a short span

Before it meets up with itself again,

With one branch flowing smoothly

While the other may contain much turbulence.

 

If only the branches are seen,

There seem to be two different rivers.

 

But from a broader perspective

There is seen to be only one river

With two ways of flowing.

 

Those who Know

Only venerate,

Because they see only the One.

 

Those who only know

Both venerate and denigrate

Because they see the one and the other.

 

Those who Know

Are not better than

Or other than

Those who only know.

 

Those who only know

Just know something

That those who Know

Do not.

 

Those who only know

Are filled with the forms that arise

Where the Flow of the River Is turbulent.

 

Those who Know

Are filled with the Formlessness That Is

Where the Flow of the River

Is smooth or turbulent.

 

Sometimes I Know,

While at other times

I only know.

 

When I Know

I Know that whether I Know or only know

Does not really matter.

 

For when I Know,

I Know that when I only know

That I am not something other than

What I Am

When I Know.

 

But when I only know

That Knowledge is obscured,

And it then seems

That when I only know,

That I am something less

Than what I was

When I Knew

What I no longer Know.

 

And so when I only know

I try to add to myself,

To find myself,

And in so doing

Just create more turbulence.

 

And when the Flow becomes rough enough

I wake up again

And Know.

 

Such a game.

Such a ride.

We can easily say yes to the wanted, but tend to say no to the unwanted. Yet the unwanted is just as much our creation as is the wanted. To reflexively allow the wanted while reflexively resisting and rejecting the unwanted is the reactive and unconscious state in which most humans spend their lives.

 

In this state there is only the illusion of freedom, as we are really then the slave of external circumstances; feeling good when the wanted arises and we reflexively allow it and feeling bad when the unwanted arises and we reflexively resist it. This leads to chasing after the wanted so that we can, in reflexively allowing it, feel good, while fearing the unwanted, since in our reflexive resistance to it, we will feel bad.

 

In all of this we do not realize that the good and bad feelings, the wanted and unwanted emotions, do not inhere in the external circumstances that seem to produce them, but instead are produced by the internal relation of Self-allowing or Self-resistance in which What We Actually Are becomes involved with Itself as we reflexively allow or say yes to the wanted and reflexively resist or say no to the unwanted.   

 

How can we know there is this internal relation occurring when we do not know What We Actually Are? We cannot and so we do not. This is why the emotions, good and bad, wanted and unwanted, seem to come from or inhere in the external circumstances with which they are associated.

 

Some external unwantedness arises and we reflexively say no to it, internally push against it, internally resist it, and this creates an internal relation within our own Being that produces an unwanted emotion, which is just a created form that arises within, and so is apprehended by, our Being. Or some external wantedness arises and we reflexively say yes to it, internally allow it, internally do not resist it, and this creates an internal relation within our own Being that produces a wanted emotion, which is also just a created form that arises within, and so is apprehended by, our Being.

 

But when we are blind to What We Actually Are, when What We Actually Are has been obscured, as is the case when there is only the awareness of the form-identity, when there is only identification with form, then there can also be no awareness of this internal relation of Self-allowing or Self-resistance, Self-alignment or Self-opposition, that is actually producing the emotional form, and so the created emotion, the created form, whether wanted or unwanted, good or bad, must then seem to inhere in or emanate from the external circumstance that we are either reflexively allowing or resisting. 

 

And so something arises that we do not want, some circumstance, perhaps one's partner or spouse is doing something that is unwanted, and so we reflexively resist that external unwantedness and so become unknowingly involved in an internal relation of Self-opposition, which then creates an unwanted emotion that we then associate with the unwanted circumstance or behavior we say, "you have made me mad " or "you have made me feel bad," not knowing that it is only our own unconscious and conditioned reaction to the circumstance or behavior, which creates an internal relation within our own Being, that is actually producing the emotional unwantedness, the emotional form, that truly seems from the unconscious or conditioned perspective to be caused by the circumstance or person.

 

And the same is true of emotional wantedness. That is, something arises that we want, some circumstance, perhaps one's partner or spouse is doing something that is wanted, and so we reflexively allow that external wantedness and so become unknowingly involved in an internal relation of Self-alignment, which then creates a wanted emotion that we then associate with the wanted circumstance or behavior we say, "you have made me happy" or "you have made me feel good," again not knowing that it is only our own unconscious and conditioned reaction to the circumstance or behavior, which creates an internal relation within our own Being, that is actually producing the emotional wantedness, the emotional form, that again truly seems from the unconscious or conditioned perspective to be caused by the circumstance or person.

 

Conversely, when one becomes aware of themselves as the Creator of form, then it becomes possible to understand how the different relations of the Creator to Itself create what the Creator apprehends as different forms, and especially as the different emotional forms, in which case it then becomes possible to see beyond the illusion that makes the characteristics of emotional wantedness or unwantedness seem to inhere in the form one is either allowing or resisting, respectively, which in turn helps to lessen one's attachment and aversion to form, i.e., one's desire of and fear of form, either seeking form as the source of good or running from form as the source of bad.

 

We are the Creators of form.  We are not created by form, nor are we form. We are the Formlessness in which form arises and by which form is apprehended. And what causes form to arise so that we can apprehend it? Always some relation of Formlessness to Itself. And there are really only two fundamental relations of Formlessness to Itself: Self-alignment or Self-opposition. With Self-alignment comes Self-knowledge, knowledge of one's true Nature, as well as the absence of suffering, whereas with Self-opposition comes Self-ignorance, the obscuring of one's true Nature, as well as the presence of suffering.

 

So it is that, as Eckhart Tolle often states in one way or another, the opening or doorway to What We Actually Are lies in becoming friendly with the present moment, with the Now, and so lies in ceasing to oppose what is, whatever form it takes.

 

This is becasue the conscious decision to cease to oppose what is, to cease to oppose whatever forms are arising in this moment, in this Now, within your Awareness, is simultaneously a conscious decision to internally align your Being with What Is, to internally align your Being with Itself. 

 

There are only these two relations, Self-alignment and Self-opposition, and if you are not actively involving your Being in one, then you are actively involving your Being in the other, because What Is, What You Are, by virtue of the fact that It Is and so cannot help but Be, must Be in some relation to Itself: either Flowing in alignment with Itself or Flowing in opposition to Itself, and so must in each moment, in what is always the Now, be creating either Self-knowledge and the absence of suffering or Self-ignorance and the presence of suffering, respectively.

 

Suffering is the diminishment of the Flow of What We Are to What We Are that comes with the internal relation of Self-opposition, whereas the absence of suffering, or the Fullness of Life, is the full or undiminished Flow of What We Are to What We Are that comes with the internal relation of Self-allowing.

 

Saying that What Is must be involved in either a relation of Self-alignment or Self-opposition is not saying that What Is is dual, or not One. What Is is singular, or non-dual. It is the relations of the non-dual What Is to Itself that create the forms that are themselves always dual, always this or that, wave or particle, good or bad, wanted or unwanted, yin or yang, which created forms then create the appearance of duality, or the appearance that reality is ultimately dual. But beyond that apparent duality lies the one Being, the one Consciousness that is, through relation to its non-dual Self, creating and apprehending the duality of form.

 

 

It seems that Consciousness has no choice but to be involved in some relation with Itself, but that it is able to choose which relation with Itself in which it is involved; aligned or opposed. However, it may be that it only seems like there is a choice from the perspective of unconsciousness, whereas from the perspective of enlightenment there is perhaps really no choice at all.

 

Would you like a nice massage or a poke in the eye with a sharp stick? There is certainly the appearance of a choice but only a madman would choose the latter over the former. Would you like the Fullness of Life or suffering. Here too there also appears to be a choice, but only Consciousness that seems to have lost sight of Itself seems to choose the latter over the former.

 

Consciousness seems never to be intentionally creating suffering, but only does so when unconscious. It always seems to be the intention of Consciousness to feel better, to create wantedness for Itself. It's just that once Consciousness loses sight of Itself the mistaken idea arises that the way to get to what it wants, whatever that might be, is through some sort of opposition to what is, which opposition to what is then perpetuates the Self-ignorance that makes opposition to what is seem like a good idea, i.e., like a way to get to the good, or even back to God, back to Itself. 

 

And so Consciousness is always really making the same choice, to move toward a greater wantedness, toward the ultimate good, which is, whether It knows it or not, always Itself. The difference then is not in the choice that is being made, for that is always the same; rather, the difference lies only in the two different contexts in which that singular choice is being made, i.e., the context of Self-knowledge or the context of Self-ignorance.

 

That singular choice, made or exercised from within the context of Self-knowledge, produces that which is not-suffering. That same choice, made or exercised from within the context of Self-ignorance, produces suffering. The difference then lies neither in That which is making the choice, nor in the choice that is being made, for both are singular in Nature. Consciousness that is in a state of Self-knowledge is not separable from or other than Consciousness that is in a state of Self-ignorance, which is why both, as it were, always make the same choice. The difference then can only lie in the apparent difference in the nature of the forms that are produced and apprehended by singular Consciousness operating within these two different contexts, within what appear to be these two different states of its own singular Being.

 

The forms are different, some are wanted and some are unwanted. some are this, some are that, but they are not Real, they are only real, they are not What Is, they are only what exists, only what comes out of or out from the Is-ness. However, what gives rise to or creates the different forms, the different experiential realities, the always dual forms, is not Itself ever actually different, is neither wanted nor unwanted, but is rather the singular inseparable non-dual formless Is-ness that can never Itself be a form, and so can never Itself actually be spoken, can never itself actually be a concept, can never itself actually be a word, but can only be pointed toward using the forms that both arise within and are apprehended by It.