Saturday, August 16, 2008

Oneness is looking at itself

We talk about many things... the spiritual search, finding God, looking for Oneness, becoming One with the Universe, seeing Spirit...

These ideas are at the core of the illusion, the core of duality, that there is "someone" who could or needs to search, find, look for, become One with, or see something spiritual...

We must start from the only obvious reality we have - the fact of our own Being, the fact that we ARE.

And from there? "Searching" itself indicates the problem - WHO is searching? "Finding" is the same, "looking", "becoming", "seeing"....

We cannot search for it because we ARE it. We cannot FIND it because it's what is doing the looking... We cannot become One with it because we already ARE it, we already ARE Oneness, looking at itself.

Like the fish looking for water, we are swimming in Oneness, immersed in Life fully each moment. And IN this appearance of Life in it's totality, thoughts arise of a "separate ME" who needs to find Life, needs to become One with Oneness.

Can you see the search itself is what seemingly creates the "need"? the "lack"? The very IDEA that there is a separate "self" needing to find Oneness?

Without using thoughts, where is there any separation? Look!

You ARE Oneness, Oneness seeing itself... you are Seeing-Oneness... Life looking at itself... any feeling, any thought, any idea, any belief, any relative label (good/bad, up/down, here/there, black/white...), any form, any "part" of the appearance is THAT, is Oneness.

Duality is the appearance, the relative perspective - Nonduality is the reality, the Absolute perspective which CONTAINS all possible relative perspectives... The appearance and the knowing of the appearance are not separate. Simply look!

And in this looking, this Oneness seeing itself, is there even the concept of "seeing"?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

No in this oneness there is no concept at all and as soon as there is a concept then one has moved out of the oneness.
Walking through the nature reserve today there were two streams happening. One moment there was awareness, only awareness and then would come thoughts, discussion, whatever and then awareness would return.

I can't thank you enough for the constant pointers.

Anonymous said...

Are awareness and thoughts no-two?
Does Awareness fluctuate?
2 streams happening; How did you know that?
Is the question the answer?
:-)

Anonymous said...

how can one move out of oneness? Wouldn't that imply two? Is this one who can move out of oneness real or is it just a thought arising in oneness. Look and see......

Anonymous said...

i have no idea what is probable to happen or not.
all i know is walking in the nature reserve at times there is complete awareness and nothing else but the feet on the stones, and the glint of the crystals, and the dust at the tip of the shoe, no story, no commentary, just awareness.

a short while later it is noticed that i have stopped seeing the stones and wild flowers and am instead engaging in mental conversation.

as soon as this is seen, there is a return to awareness.
for a short while.

i too what have thought that once abiding in awareness one would never leave there, but for whatever the reason that is not what is happening here.

maybe awareness is too big a word, there is just complete seeing, with no mental distraction.

And then there is not....
Until there is .........

Randall Friend said...

Yes...

Just the feet on the stones, the glint of light, the soft breeze, the birdsong...

THAT is it! These "things" happen in awareness - that awareness knows the birdsong or the thought equally, even if thought seems to run away for a moment.

That SEEING is knowing the thought as it runs!

THIS is the miracle... the very ordinary sensation of the clothes on the body, the fingers pressing keys, the pang of hunger, the smell of tea...

THIS - IN WHICH these "things" come and go... THIS KNOWING - which cannot be separated from the "things" which are known...

See through the mental distinction and rest AS THAT. That is all.

Very simple, very ordinary, nothing special at all...

love
randall

Anonymous said...

thanking you again dearest one.

Anonymous said...

I stand upon this Holy ground
Rejoicing in the moment found

To touch, to taste, to feel, to see
the Source of my Divinity

This light, the only certainty
and love, the lens through which I see

Assured am I of Victory's song
to rest in This, where I belong

With eyes turned in, I see no wrong
and the find the truth for which I've longed

This "Truth", to simple to convey
lies in each breath I take today

And as I Am this awesome power
I become it's source this very hour