Core Being
Dzogchen
Mahamudra
The
Presence/Awareness
Gnosis/Jnana
Sat-Chit-Ananda
Eternal Situation Comedy
Sit-Com-Ananda
"Understanding is everything." --Nisargadatta
"Human beings should just hang out and be happy just to be. Works for me. PuuurrrrrpuuuRRRrrrrr..." --Furbananda
Caveat: This link contains words and concepts which express that which is inexpressible in words, inconceivable via conceptualization. It's possible to be misled, distracted by words, concepts, labels, and have a mere conceptual understanding. It's all about having a visceral understanding. Do what it takes to go beyond words and concepts about the true self and just be, i.e. just be the self. We can only be what we really are, and what we really are is the self, a.k.a. universal energy, pure awareness.
So in a very real sense it's a little silly to talk and write about the self, or about self realization. We are already the self, we can't help but be what we are, the self. That this witnessing awareness is none other than the eternal self is almost embarrassing. This is just too simple, too easy, too close to home. Yet here it is, awareness, presence, all by itself, self-sustaining, self-originating, just naturally pure beingness.
All the high-flown writing and conversation, all the heady journeys, astonishing visions, charismatic guru people, glittering revelations...all superfluous, all distractions from the simple basic fact of us being the one ubiquitous natural cosmic self.
We can try to attain cerebral flat-line and train ourself to not think, but it's a lot easier to simply be fully aware, and fully accepting, of all phenomena, be they thoughts or sensorium. Thoughts happen, but we don't have to act upon them, or identify with them, or believe them.
Pack up the incense and the crystals and the entheogens and the spiritual seek-and-find books, cancel the pricey spiritual workshops and get a refund. We've never left home, and no matter where we go we never leave home. So save money and fuel and just enjoy being at home, and be the effulgent Self, thoughts and all. Self-inquiry is all anyone needs. Self-inquiry leads to Self-realization. There is nothing better than Self-realization.
Self-inquiry and Self-realization is CHEAP, it costs ZERO, and no gasoline need be burned to get there, no ashram fees need be paid to practice it, no guru required for self-inquiry and Self-realization. However, self-inquiry is a fateful path, it is the strongest path, and will certainly result in Self-realization when practiced with total sincerity, uncompromising honesty. Who is ready to realize their true identity, the Self? Self-inquiry is not a path for the half-hearted, not a path for the comfortably self-deceived, who are terminally attached to playing a particular role, being a particular identity. With Self-realization, there is peace, freedom, eternal life; without Self-realization, there is stress, confinement, perpetual loss, the suffering of the false, nonexistent self. Self-inquiry and the resulting Self-realization is for the earnest individual who is weary of self-delusion and who is ready for the great Just-Is. Where are you coming from? Who do you think you are? These are vitally important questions that, when answered by the same Thing the questions came from, make all the difference. Life in these transient forms is, well, transient. No more beating about the bush, wasting time with toys, tickles, and conceptualized virtual reality. I don't know about you, but as for me,
I'M READY FOR RIGPA
Pure awareness. It doesn't get any better than that. It's the real deal. Everyone has it, everyone is it. It's where we all live all the time, it's what we are. Pure awareness. Ever-present, at birth, throughout life, all life. Life's awareness of life. Universal life, universal mind, universal energy, universal being. The Singularity changes in form, and ever remains the Singularity. To realize this, to be this...how wonderful. What else could we be anyway?
We can talk about what can be talked about, and not talk about what really should be directly understood, directly experienced, recognized, realized, lived, embodied, not merely thought about or talked about. We're talking about the Supreme Self, this Thing we are. Recognize, accept, the natural self as the one and only self. Awareness, existence, life is not yours or mine, it's only the natural self. There is only nature's self, one without a second. This is nature's self realizing itself, the universe realizing itself, nothing personal at all. Nothing's "mine." This body is nature's body, the universe's body, not "mine." This awareness is nature's awareness, the universe's awareness, not "mine." It's all energy, spirit...spirit as form, spirit as awareness...one spirit, many forms...and utterly without a self-concept, nameless, even though we're so quick to form self-concepts and Self-concepts and names for everything.
The most important thing is to be self-realized. Nisargadatta wrote this little book about that. Here are just the two opening paragraphs from that little book:
"Divine vision means acquaintance with, and crystalline understanding of, the universal energy. God and the devotee are one, in his very nature the devotee is identical with God. So long as one has not realized God, one does not know what justice and injustice are, but with realization the devotee comes to know the distinction between justice and injustice, the essential and the contingent, the eternal and the evanescent, and this leads to his emancipation.
The divine vision eliminates individuality; the manifest is clearly distinguished from the unmanifest. When the sense of individuality is replaced by that of impersonal consciousness the devotee knows that he is pure consciousness. Manifestation is pure consciousness manifesting itself in all the different names and forms; the spiritually enlightened take part in it sportively, knowing that it is only the play of universal consciousness."
And here is another excellent summation of Nisargadatta's teachings.
Self-inquiry is the key that unlocks Self-realization; Ramana Maharshi's life and words embody this truth. Anyone who embarks on the path of earnest self-inquiry will find self-realization. "Who am I?" "What am I?" "Who is doing this?" "Who is aware?" "What is my true self, my true identity?"
There is so much good nondual writing to be found, from the Upanishads to Ramana Maharshi's words to Sailor Bob Adamson's latest book. Not to mention the many many Web sites and Internet discussion groups and sources dedicated to nonduality. I can't help but add my voice to the very large and growing joyful chorus of nondualistas. Self realization is what I was born to enjoy and, I'm convinced, what everyone else is born to enjoy, even though no-one is ever born.
Pure awareness, nothing but, nothing else.
So, welcome then to this Web link which is dedicated to the natural self, the same old Thing, to realizing--and being--the natural self. Just resuming being That which we are is the work at hand, letting It be It, letting It do it. Quite a relief. Here's a FAQ for you. And another good FAQ here. If you haven't intuited, recognized, and stabilized in the natural self yet, I hope you will, and soon. The living truth and perfect freedom is in the present, right now, this very awareness, this very being, always. There is no need to postpone or look elsewhere. Suffering from a false life burdened by mistaken identity is transcendable. Check out Padma Sambhava's timeless classic Self-Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness and find yourself sharing the sentiments of the author: "Amazing!" This very Awareness is it, the real Me, the real Me of every me, the real Self of every self! Just plain ordinary spacious transparent tranquil all-embracing pure radiant clear Awareness.
You may be certain that these words pertain to everyone, as it is dedicated to the One, to the natural self, to nonduality. The realization of the natural self is something I wish for everyone. Getting there is half the fun, being there is as much fun as the universe can stand. Once the natural self is experienced, and understood sufficiently well, it becomes quite stable. Realizing that we are the natural, universal self is wonderful. Just being This is enough. Oh yes. This very awareness, this very being, the natural universal self. Just say I AM THAT, because that's what we are.
The point, as I see it, is to just be that eternal Thing we are, not just write about it, or just read about it. If that's not happening, eat some Salvia, or some other natural teacher-plant or teacher-fungus, and speed up the process, if you want. Or not, it's okay and the same either way.
Nondual contemplation is its own reward, and the natural-self-realization that may come is the supreme treasure. Go for it while you can. Whatever it takes, it's worth it. Find a path that's right for you, a path that feels right, a path you're ready to take, and take it, even though you’re already at, and are, the destination. Even though strong paths such as the teacher-plant entheogen paths aren't for everyone, there are many paths that lead to the same place, which is this pure awareness, here and now, being That being which we are, the energy of the universe. What we are is truly self-liberating, to say the least, to put it mildly, to wildly understate the case.
Be natural--be nature--and live in the natural self's great perfection and perfect freedom, as the Self itself. It's all there is to be, it's all there is.
Love
others
because Light is in them
not because of the person.
Otherwise
one day you'll miss them
you'll lose them.
Love
others
because Light is within them.
That's the Principle.
Then you'll never miss them
even if they die
because the Principle
is still existent.
Embodied
or disembodied
it's the Principle
which fulfills.
- Swami Amar Jyoti