What's the Big Deal?

The teaching of non-duality states that only thoughts in the Mind of God are Real. In more common language, the only Reality is Absolute Truth.

And this does NOT correspond in any way with our experience as human beings seeming to live in a temporal world of relative truth.

So why is this teaching helpful? Why should I even care?

Here's why:  Knowing (or even suspecting) that this worldly experience is not your true reality opens your mind to other choices you can make.

This cosmic feeling of unease, of not really belonging here, is actually a good thing! Of course, you may label it something else. Boredom? Monotony? Illness? Loneliness? Depression? Anger? Fear? Ego is VERY good at coming up with multitudes of labels to distract us from one simple, central concept: that this world is not our home.


And yet, you woke up this morning and now here you are reading this blog, just like I woke up this morning, and here I am writing in this blog. We still believe (want to believe!) that this is real, or at least partly real. Why? Because that means that our individual self is real. We desperately want to believe that we exist, separate and apart from Oneness.

So, here's another good practical application for these ideas. This one is great for all those times when I feel afraid, depressed, tired, lonely. . . and best of all, for those times when I feel like I'm just playing mind games and getting lost in intellect.

It is simply this: If Reality only exists in Oneness, but I'm perceiving something other than that, then what I'm perceiving isn't meaningful. At no time is there ANYTHING MEANINGFUL going on in the world. So my practice is to not make such a big deal about everything. I pull back some of my emotional investment in all the external events and circumstances.

Because none of it matters.

Not really.

Think how things that really seemed so important to you as a child shifted when you became a teen. And then think about the things you valued as a teen. . . see what I mean? The passage of time seems to connect to our changing perceptions.

So what I'm getting at is that we don't have to wait for time to pass. We can state something like the following:    "I seem to be very invested in ____________. But that's not Oneness. I know I will feel differently about it in the future, and it won't be so important to me. So why should I make such a big deal about it now? Is there another way to see this situation?"

Yes, it still comes down to ASKing. Always does. This universe came about because of us asking an insane question and taking the answer too seriously. The universe will be undone by our ASKing a sane question and accepting the Answer of Truth.

What about sensory organs?

We all know that our five senses can be deceived. For this reason, the scientific method relies on not just the observations of one or two people, but on the ability to duplicate experiment results over and over by several (or many) people. The idea behind science is that the more people who can observe the same experiment results, the more valid those results are.

Non-dualism asks us to consider another possibility:  what if our senses always present us with deception?

Everything that pertains to the physical body was intentionally (and insanely) designed to attest to the reality of the body itself. Why do we think our bodies to be real? Because we can see them. WITH an organ of the body! The reasoning is quite circular when you think of it on an individual level. Science recognizes this problem and attempts to address it by requiring consensus. As I've written before, science will ultimately be a valid path for many people because the goal of science is truth; any human endeavor that is dedicated to truth will succeed, because (according to non-dualistic thought) truth is all that exists, and is eternal.

So, we find ourselves (as always) back with the question of time. If scientific thought appeals to you and helps you to feel more peaceful, by all means pursue it. But many of us suspect that there are paths that lead us out of illusion in a more time-efficient manner than even science can.

By consciously aligning our thoughts with Truth, Changelessness, Oneness, Innocence, and Perfection we can hasten the end of time itself. Dare I say that non-dualism is the most time-efficient spiritual path that exists? Well, I do dare to proclaim that it is the most optimal path that I have found. All other paths that I have explored seem to orient participants back to the world and the human bodies that seem to be so real here. I have found a few other paths that do recognize the illusory nature of the world, but still make the mistake of thinking the world serves a divine purpose. So far, in my life, this is the only path I've found that admits that the world is not only illusion, but USELESS illusion.

Why would a perfect creation from a perfect Creator need an earth experience?

What's up with the capital letters?

I've had a few readers wondering about the strange use of capital letters on this blog.  So will attempt to explain.

There are three words that I have posted on my classroom wall, and I call them the "Key Words." They are:  TRY, ASK, NOW.  At school, I use these words as guidelines for having success in school. But I'm always hoping that my students will realize that they are excellent guidelines for a successful life and, even more importantly, an avenue into conscious spiritual pursuits.

TRY. When we honestly TRY our very best, we discover two very important lessons: First, we discover that we are able to accomplish far more than we thought we could. Second, we learn that even our best efforts don't bring us deep, lasting satisfaction.

ASK. After we have tried our very best, we ASK for help. We ASK other people first, but Spirit receives any request for help. The words or the way we formulate the problem do not matter; what matters is that we have finally ASKed.

NOW. The only time that truly exists. The closest approximation to Eternity that our human brains can experience.

Those three words are so important, that I attempt to capitalize all three letters each time I use them.

Other words begin with capital letters. Some of them (God, Christ, Jesus) are proper nouns. But other times, I capitalize words that have some connection or correlation with Reality. Remember that in non-dualistic thought, this world and universe can't be Real because they change. God is That Which Never Changes, and thus can only create the Changeless. So, I'm attempting to differentiate between the ego's offerings of separation, differentiation, and individuation and the Realm of God, which is Oneness.

What's your problem?

Human life is all about problem-solving. From the moment we emerge from the womb, we begin to work on a seemingly endless list of problems. Every action and every word is an attempt to effect some kind of change in the present situation. Most of our thoughts also have to do with solving problems. Every breath we take, every swallow or cough, even each blink of our eyes is an attempt to improve a situation deemed unsatisfactory.

We humans are determined to change the world. Maybe not the entire planet, but certainly the world that seems to be in the immediate vicinity of our body.

We see an interesting dynamic in the relationships between young people and older people. Something seems to be an obstacle because of age or lack of experience. An older, wiser person looks at the same situation and proclaims, "No problem!" and then instructs the younger one how to go about solving it. Some people even begin to redefine problems as opportunities for growth and learning. These are all steps forward.

Those who believe in prayer, bring their problems to their prayers. When we voice our problems, we get a clearer view of how our current view affects our awareness of peace. We think we know what each problem is and how to solve it. So we pray for specific help with a specific problem. As we progress, though, we begin to see that we really have no idea what our problem is. All we know is that we are not at peace. If we keep ASKING and don't get deceived by specifics, this is when Spirit can help us.

The view of non-dualism as Reality totally removes this definition of problem solving, and brings into focus a very different problem:  our problem is that we believe in problems. Our problem is that we believe problems are possible. 

If there is no separation, there can be no problems. If only Perfect Oneness is Real, then the problems that we see are simply incorrect definitions. Everything defined by a human as a 'problem' has a foundational belief in separation. Once separation is called into question, the view of what a problem is shifts, also. 

WIIFM?

What's in it for me? This is the great motivator for all ego pursuits. (And, keep in mind, all human pursuits ARE ego pursuits until we release them to be reinterpreted.) Ego is our 'default setting.' It's not that we have egos because we are human; rather, humanity is a projection of ego. In other words, once mind believed in ego (separation) it projected an entire universe of separation. Then ego gets us to believe that it resides in the body and/or the brain.

The basic concept of 'me' is the foundation of ego. Separation and limitation are built right into this concept. The traits that make ME who and what I am are those that contrast with the traits of others. Even those rare instances of identical traits (such as twins or common interests) still support belief in separation because of the seemingly mutual exclusiveness of time and space. (You and I may both groove on camping, for example. But we can't camp in the same place at the same time. And we can't experience the event in exactly the same way. So the concept of ME is preserved.)

To the ego, ME (self) is top priority. Our five senses and appetites are all 'getting devices' designed to allow us to acquire things and experiences that add to and enhance our sense of self. We don't talk about it too often, but our human activities have WIIFM as a powerful motivation. When we get together with other people, what do we talk about? You guessed it! The things we have done, said, and thought. And when we share those doings with others, our sense of self gets further enhanced and reinforced.

So, when we begin to be aware of the emptiness and unsatisfactory nature of ego pursuits, we begin to ASK if there is some other way to perceive. This is our invitation to Spirit. Spirit is not coercive, and must wait until we ASK. So, how does Spirit respond? We have requested help, but we are also still clinging to our ego identity. Spirit does what It always does: it takes our ego perceptions and reinterprets them in a way that helps us. This reinterpretation is as unique as our ego self.

The reinterpretation offered by Spirit has all the traits of God (since it comes from God). It will be unlike anything you've experienced before. It will be permanent. It will remind you of Oneness, Perfection, and Innocence. It will bring Eternity closer to your awareness. And, the miracle of this, is that Spirit will do this in a way that is perfect for who you are and where you are in your journey.

This experience of ASKing for vision and the step forward that occurs after you ASK, is a miracle. When we ask ego what's in it for me, ego gives us lies based on lies. But when we ASK Spirit, Spirit answers for the Real Me. This Self has no needs because it is already complete and perfect. And this begins a process of increasing awareness that this Perfect Self is our True Self. It's the Self we all share: the Perfect Creation of God.

What about self-esteem?

There are several terms that are used as synonyms by most people. To discuss self-esteem, I'm going to first clarify some of these terms. Then, I will answer the question in terms of non-dualism.

Self-esteem: To esteem means to place value. Thus, this term denotes the degree to which you value your self. Self-esteem is natural; everyone is born with self-esteem. However, we can lose sight of it by believing lies about what makes us valuable. For example, if you believe that you are only valuable if you are good at sports, you will lose sight of your value, and your self-esteem will seem to diminish.

Self-confidence: This trait is NOT inborn. We are not born with confidence, because confidence means optimism connected with action. In other words, you feel relatively certain that you can carry out an activity with a good chance of success. Already, you can see why clarifying the terms is important. In the example above, a child is taught that value comes from sport ability, not just from being born. Thus, self-confidence is mistaken for self-esteem, and BOTH suffer. Self-esteem is something you're born with; self-confidence is something you must develop. They are related; but not synonymous.

Self-image: An image is how you see something. Thus, your self-image is what you think your 'self' is and how you believe this self fits into everything else. (Interesting that the word 'image' is used. . . meaning a visual representation of something real, but not reality in and of itself!)

Self-concept:  A concept is an idea. This term means the idea of what you think your self is, and why you think it exists, and what you think its abilities are.

Now, to non-dualism. The entire 'original sin' or 'fall from grace' or whatever you want to call it, was actually caused by refusing to accept our Self as It was created. Our True Self is an extension of the Eternal. It is a Creation of God, if you will. It is included in the Oneness, Perfection, Innocence, Eternalness, and Power of God.

But, there is one (meaningless) difference: God is That Which Has Always Been. We, on the other hand, were created. We had a beginning. We began with God. This difference doesn't matter, but once we believed it DID matter, we made judgment, separation, sin, guilt, fear. . . all the things that form the foundation of this universe.

This also made God seem like an enemy.

Since we were refusing to accept our Self, we made an 'image' of a self. A separate, self-contained, little particle in the universe. All alone. Drawing near to others, but never quite uniting. Keeping fear at bay, but never quite overcoming it. Learning to do some things, but not existing long enough to gain all abilities.

No wonder we have so much conflict centered around self! Non-dualism's answer? Begin to consider that your concept of self may be mistaken. Perhaps you have been wrongly taught. Perhaps you don't truly know what you are, who you are, why you are, where you are, etc. This can be unsettling. But admitting that you don't know something is the first step of the process of learning.

The next step?

ASK!

ASK what you are. Who you are. Why you are. Where you are. How you are.

As you ASK, don't try to supply the answers yourself. Just try to open your mind to the answers as they come. And they will come, I assure you. They will come in a way that is just perfect for your current level of understanding, and your current view of self.

As you gain more answers, you will be able to revise and clarify your self-concept. And as your self-concept comes back into focus, your self-esteem will be back in your awareness, too. You will begin to release your grip on self-image (and ALL images!) as you realize that an image can never take the place of the Real Deal! And even your self-confidence will improve as you take your place in the process of the Return to Reality.

This process is beyond the grasp of psychology, or any other system of thought invented by the human race.

TRY it!

ASK.

NOW.

Who am I to judge?

Judgment. We all do it. It's not what people think it is. It's what keeps the world going. And it's totally illusion.

Judgment begins with the assumption that separation and time are real. You can only judge another person if you first believe that they ARE 'another' person. And you can only judge yourself in the past or future.

Judgment is observation coupled with evaluation. Merely observing something is not judgment; there must be a following value assigned. If I observe you wearing a red shirt, this is not judgment. But if I tell myself that people who wear red shirts are aggressive and pushy, I've now made a judgment.

When we judge, we perpetuate the perception of separate bodies, lives, times, and thought systems. In other words, we contribute to the attack on Oneness. Non-dualism claims that Oneness is Reality. If this is true, judgment literally is an attack on Reality. Attempting to attack reality is a great definition of insanity.

Judging others is a process that allows us to believe that the thought system we have chosen is superior or inferior. Many people think that if they have equal respect for diverse viewpoints and lifestyles, they are not judging. This is not true; simply choosing one thought system over another is judgment.

It's impossible to live a human life without judgment, because human life is based on the idea of separation. However, as our mind (outside space and time) gives up judgment, we will also give up human life and return to Reality. In Reality, judgment is impossible because there are no 'others' to judge. It's difficult to conceptualize this teaching during earth life. Jesus tried to tell us that when we judge others we are judging ourselves, but most people misunderstand that teaching. It's not that we SHOULD not judge, but rather that we CANNOT judge.