What are you seeking?

What are you seeking? Are you looking for Enlightenment? Why? What do you want out of it?

Examine the motivation for your seeking... are you trying to make your life better, become a better person, be happy, be peaceful, have more love?

What are you doing in your seeking to get these things, to get "enlightened"? Are you meditating, are you reading books on Buddhism, Hinduism?

What is your perception of an "enlightened" person? Does he/she have to have a long beard and flowing robes? Do they have to have a congregation of followers at their feet?

Examine all these assumptions...

Then examine what you take yourself to be, right now... What exactly are you? Are you a person, in a body, with a mind? Were you born, live for a while only to die in the end? Are you trying to get out of this cycle of birth and death?

Have you ever closely examined what you are? You know that there is a body - you know thoughts... you also know of a world "out there" - that is seemingly separate from YOU.

But closely look at these "objects"... are you aware of the world "out there"? Are you aware of your body? Are you aware of the thoughts which arise and disappear?

You know these things - you see these things - seeing/knowing is happening, constantly. That background awareness is happening effortlessly and it is not affected by the "things" arising. It is still and silent - all movement and sound arise within or against this ground of awareness.

This is what you are. You are that awareness, that presence, that is the essential factor in any state or experience. This is prior to, during and after any experience that arises, including happiness, peace, anger, hate, joy, love, frustration, animosity, fear... all these arisings are known by awareness. You are that. You are not the mind encapsulated in the body, you are the awareness that the mind and body arise in.

You will never find the answer in the mind - simply because the mind arises in the awareness that you are. The mind's nature is to divide into the opposites (good/bad, ugly/beautiful, right/wrong, black/white, etc.) That labeling process is the nature of the mind, utilizing language which has the purpose of communication.

There is no problem referring to an "I" for communication - but it is because we have identified with this phantom "I" that we then attach all sorts of problems to it. "I" need a better car, "I" am depressed. Who/what is this "I"?

Look deeply into this "I" - what is it? Where is it? Can you find it in your direct experience? Is there really an independent, controlling entity in your brain or body somewhere that is the master of your body, of your life?

Are you still seeking? What are you seeking? Who is seeking? Find the seeker and all your questions will be answered.