Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Snowflake

We take ourselves to be an entity, a person who did not exist, who came into existence, and is heading for the end of existence again. That person is contained within this body, with a little radio transmitter called thought, chattering all the time, interacting with other unfortunate bodies, all together in this one large and doomed existence. We're all trying our best to make the most of it, trying to push to the back burner, the fact that our ultimate end is certain.

We're like the snowflake, which comes into existence with brilliance, floats gracefully down and then perishes. And while the snowflake is here, it's unique, and beautiful.

But the snowflake is only a manifestation - an appearance. It is formed from water - water is in liquid form, it is evaporated and becomes moisture in the air. That moisture freezes and becomes ice. That little formation takes shape in unique ways, comes down large and small. Once again it melts back into water.

The essence of that manifestation, that appearance, is only water. Water is never lost - it only changes form. It appears as a snowflake, a raindrop, a mist of fog, a pond or the ocean.

Yet the very essence never changes.

You take yourself to be the snowflake but miss your true essence as water. You take yourself to be the individual person, born only to later die. In fact you are the very essence, the one intelligence, the Being of beings, the very nature of existence itself.

What you are, in essence, was never born and cannot die. What you are, in essence, is all "things" - the very form and function of the body, mind, and world, which seem to come into existence, hang around a while, and pass on. Their existence is dependent on you.

You are the source.  You appear in infinite, unique and wonderful ways.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Randall

Water can also be separated into individual molecules that do not have any of the visible properties of water such as flowing, surface tension, buoyancy, etc. These properties emerged as a result of the coming together of billions and billions of molecules. Matter has the ability to come up with novel and unforeseen properties. Matter can also self-organize into more complex systems; hasn't life arisen from dead matter?

Is it too much to assume that awareness or this sense of I AM-NESS is an emergent property of the coming together of billions and billions of neurons and that it will come to an end when the neurons eventually die?
What evidence do we have to the contrary?

Love & Regards
Mulla

Randall Friend said...

Mulla,

Yes, of course. And what is the essence of matter? Can you separate out an individual molecule? Of course. And then again divide it? Yes. How far can you continue to divide it? Each division is given another name, atoms, protons, electrons, quarks, strings... Eventually a quark will be divided by another name.

Where will it end? Will science eventually come to the root of it? Will it come to a point where it can divide no more?

The point is that any "thing" is infinitely divisible - yet we can never pin down the essence or true existence of any thing.

Whatever that essence is, you are that. The individual is merely a way of thinking, another conceptual division which has no more reality than molecule or a quark. It's only a mental division.

Reality is THIS, right here and now. THIS is not divided, except by the mind.

The mind can come up with a million billion ways to argue the point, and they will always be irrelevant. But that is the way of the mind.

Ironically, truly seeing that this is what the mind does, is not far from truly realizing what you are. Mind IS duality. Mind IS the prism by which immediacy is conceptually split, in stubborn insistence on "thingness".

Continuing to argue the reality of separation is one way the mind saves itself from annihilation.


love
randall

No Plane Zen said...

Neurons and bodies that are born and then die are just stories that are observed in awareness. Are you aware right now? Can you see a beginning or an end to your awareness? If you see a person stop breathing and die and you measure his nervous system and observe that it stops registering activity, what does that mean? Do you know anything about what may have been that person's experience? It's a mystery that can't be known. Even if he came back to life and told you, it would just be a story appearing in your awareness. All there is is your awareness of what is appearing to happen. You can imagine your body being created and then dying, but what is that? Another story. All there is is this present awareness. Nothing exists beyond that. Can you find anything beyond awareness?

No One In Particular said...

Paradoxically, when death is not so feared, life seems sweeter; when meaning is not so coveted, significance abounds. All that happens is a parable for a greater possibility; duality is the gift of manifestation, the very fact of anything existing its own reward. What freedom, to see that every bit of it is "you".

Mulla said...

Hello No Plane Zen

There are stories and stories. For example there are stories that are of good practical value such as the story that the earth is round or the atom is made up of a positive nucleus and a cloud like negative electrons surrounding the nucleus. The first story led to the discovery of America while the second led and still leads to many things. Consider as an example the design of new materials with many useful properties.
And there are stories that are either useless or even destructive. For example consider the story which said that the earth was flat. It led to fear and miscalculations. Or consider the story of the Alchemy. Much effort, time and money was wasted in trying to transform cheap metals to silver and gold.
The concept of self and the word 'I' are a useful story for communication in a society. But it would be a mistake to take the concept of a separate self seriously. Just like the concept of the centre of mass of a body. It is a useful story for solving mechanical problems but in reality there is no such centre.
So, let us not dismiss or devalue ideas by just labeling them as stories.
The way I see it now is that there are two stories. One that says that there is a process that we call awareness that exists irrespective of whether there is a brain to incubate it or not. And the other says that there is a process that we call awareness (that could very well be unknowable or beyond any description) that manifests only because there is a brain.
You see, I (or this brain here) have been trained in physics and for me the first story is not substantiated by any evidence. But the second one is supported by evidence and hence we have cognitive science and neuroscience.
These sciences do not in any way undermine non duality. On the contrary, I see them as very supporting to it. They show the brain as a self-organized system that does all sorts of intelligent things without the need for a separate entity that decides, does, thinks or feels.
Love & Regards
Mulla

No Plane Zen said...

Hi Mulla.

When and where do these stories exist? Even the story of awareness? What is ultimately verifiable beyond the stories is the awareness (give it any 'story name') in which they present themselves. The stories always change and in fact don't exist at all; where is the past? present? future? Are you aware now? What is this now? Does it exist in "time"? Or is awareness, or being, the only time there is with all the stories appearing and disappearing within it?

Awesome day ;-)

Anonymous said...

i too am trained in physics. Have you read Erwin Schroedinger's treatise on the nature of consciousness - he says the same thing Randall is saying. Look up Scroedinger's paper "what is life" published in 1944. Its available as a pdf on the internet. It was glossed over by the establishment because of the fact that it was so revolutionary to the concept of 'science'. Physics and all so called sciences are mere modelling tools.

S

Mulla said...

Hello S
Thanks for drawing my attention to Schroedinger's paper. But as you can see his last views are drawn from the same advita source and not from physics. He himself says that they are his subjective views.

I too say the same thing Randall is saying apart from the point that consciouness is not a function of the brain.
Or may be I have misunderstood what Randall is saying. I may need to look into that more.

Mulla

No One In Particular said...

What is the brain made of? The actual grey matter? What are the absolute atomic properties of all matter? The closer physicists look, the less they see.

No Plane Zen said...

Can a brain ever apprehend the wondrous intelligence of being?

Anonymous said...

Hi Mulla,

EVERYTHING is subjective. What is real? If i say "look at that amazing pink elephant" and you see air - is it real? You'll call me a nut. But if a thousand other people all see it, you will assume there's something wrong with your eyes.

There is no objective reality. If we experience something - a sunset, a rose - or a pink elephant - we validate the 'reality' of the experience by using 'others" as a reference point, thus proving 'objectivity' - forgetting that the 'others' are also known through the same senses whose authenticity we are trying to prove.

S

No One In Particular said...

Hey S. That objective reality thingy - great, fantastic, wonderful point of logic!

I had a dream once where I was talking to Helena Bonham Carter; it was a lucid dream, we were on sofas and commenting on how even though it was a dream, the sofas were solid and fuzzy and rough, just like "real life." Suddenly she got annoyed, stood up, announced "There IS no objective reality!" and stomped out of the room, presumably to the arms of dream-Tim Burton. How rude, I thought. But she was right!

Anonymous said...

hi NIOP!

thats cool! I had a crazy dream once too - it is clear from the dream that i have a science background...;)

so I was in the presence of this "Being of Light" like a master sort, no identity/name but HE was definitely the enlightened being or whatever. I had a furious conversation (in the dream) and insisted I wanted to be at the state he was.

So from nowhere, he pulled out a mirror and held it at an angle between us and told me "look at me in this mirror". I did, and somewhow when I did that, I realised (in the dream me) that there was no "master" there and I was looking at my own self - I was alone!

S

Anonymous said...

hi NIOP!

thats cool! I had a crazy dream once too - it is clear from the dream that i have a science background...;)

so I was in the presence of this "Being of Light" like a master sort, no identity/name but HE was definitely the enlightened being or whatever. I had a furious conversation (in the dream) and insisted I wanted to be at the state he was.

So from nowhere, he pulled out a mirror and held it at an angle between us and told me "look at me in this mirror". I did, and somewhow when I did that, I realised (in the dream me) that there was no "master" there and I was looking at my own self - I was alone!

S

Anonymous said...

When the self is realized what is the perspective on change?
I mean i expect you will say the self doesnt really change. But the deaths of all humans who u like is change right? and isnt simply awful?
Thankyou

Anonymous said...

We live then die anything else is re-organising the deck chairs on the Titanic by a desperate organism wanting to survive.Where is pointing to oneness or conscious awareness coming from only the mind/thought.If you didn't wake up this morning would you know.Its a crock, no one knows anything. Steve

Anonymous said...

...but of course you know that 'no-one knows anything". funny.

Anonymous said...

Here's my 2 pence on the discussion: We are all frightened children, wandering around in an enormous dark room with blindfolds over our eyes. Occasionally we exchange bits of information, sometimes we just bump into one another and go on our ways.

Yes, we all have unique, subjective perspectives - and yes, there exists somewhere out there a "real" objective reality. But really, who gives a carp?

The self, the "I" is the only perspective worth paying attention to. It is a part of a whole, but, in my opinion, each unique viewpoint is extremely important to the info-gathering process of Consciousness. Our species wouldn't be having this discussion otherwise.

I might be rambling. I've been drinking.

Viv said...

If what we are is life living as a person, if that's what's happening; what the experience is - being identified as, and living from the viewpoint of, a person with particular thoughts and a body, then no amount of WANTING to know that you're not just that will change it. There's no control over what the experience is and whether there's awareness of anything. It seems to me that the only relief is to let it all pass over: the good, the bad and the indifferent. And the final relief is knowing that the body WILL die - that the feeling and experience of being separate and alone WILL end. Because if you can't control how life is lived; (whether that be as identification as a person or knowing that you're the 'awareness'), then no amount of WANTING will make any difference. You can't decide not to think that you're you. There's no control over what happens, what's thought, what's felt. It's pointless, meaningless and uncontrolled. The only certainty is that the body WILL die - anything else is conjecture.

Viv

Anonymous said...

The blind leading the blind very funny.

Anonymous said...

Thats correct "no one knows anything" except for the evidence that is ... we all die. Trying to ignore that fact and explain it away......... now thats funny. Searching is driven by fear, get over it, eternal sleep thats all that awaits. Steve

Anonymous said...

Great!.

Randall Friend said...

Steve,

Since the "beliefs" or assumptions you're expressing are common sense to the mind, your motivation must be to make others wrong. It says a lot that you're going to "advaita" blogs to try to get all the "misguided" seekers straightened out.

Isn't the mind hilarious!

What you say is absolutely true, from the perspective of the individual being, born into a body which is ultimately going to die.

Yet when that idea of a separate individual is questioned, it's found to be absolutely false. So who dies? Only the individual.

What you are, ultimately, is not the individual, although that is seemingly the perspective through which you know yourself.

This blog isn't about arguing - that is an endless and pointless exercise. If what is written resonates, that is great. If it does not, that is also great.

You will find no argument here - your perspective is perfect as it is, and doesn't require changing. If, however, there arises a desire to truly know what you are, to fill that hole, then seriously look at how you know yourself. What is it that makes you certain that you exist?

That is the only question that needs asking.

love to you
randall

Anonymous said...

Sorry you seem to think I'm arguing Randall when I'm not its only my opinion on what is or seems to be true. Yes I've done the seeking had all the big insights, witnessed the void and the disappearance of the witness until nothing was leftonly the very hole you mention. Very much like sleep when we do not know we exist, had all the resonance etc. read the books and blogs and have lately found that it amounts to Nil. Would have thought it ok to express that here I guess not. What is it that makes me certain I exist.... the evidence of the body and mind/thought without which there is nil.

" It says a lot that you're going to "advaita" blogs to try to get all the "misguided" seekers straightened out."
No I'm just joining in this discussion and expressing what I've noticed, when no body/mind is witnessed there is nothing, so dead must be the same. Where are all the dead gurus and teachers??However if you can staighten this "misguided seeker" out thats fine with me, but what evidence is there besides "advaita" ideas and my experience?.
Oh! I don't fear my own death its welcome and that fact swallowed up the manifestation entirely, but I've seen enough death of loved ones to last this life time. No disrespect intended Randall.

Randall Friend said...

Steve,

You're welcome to express as you wish, my friend. It is the stubbornness of belief, any belief, which obscures direct reality. And if advaita or any other form of nonduality is made into more beliefs, it's just as much bullshit.

As you said - what evidence is there besides advaita ideas and my experience... There isn't any. All you have is your direct experience. But that's not what you're saying.

To posit the idea of death requires the equal idea of an individual who dies. The individual is a false assumption, due to ignoring direct evidence.

Where, in direct experience, is the individual? Where, outside of learned beliefs, is the individual? Can it be found? Is the body evidence of an individual? Is thought evidence of an individual?

When we walk outside, look up at the trees, the birds, the sky - Life is looking at itself. The idea of an individual separate from Life is merely an habitual way of thinking, a learned limitation placed upon the limitless.

Life is aware of itself - in your case the perspective is called "steve" - there isn't anything wrong with it - nothing needs to change - in fact nothing CAN change because it's simply Life living itself.

There IS no hole to fill. You are the totality already. Give up the idea of the individual who is marching towards death, and it may become clear that, as you say, death is nothing more than sleep, nothing more than a passing of Consciousness.

Sleep is certainty that Consciousness will reappear. Death is certainty that it will not. As Consciousness is merely an appearance, merely an expression of your own Self, it matters not.


love to you
randall

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the reply Randall,I can agree with what you wrote especially,
"The idea of an individual separate from Life is merely an habitual way of thinking, a learned limitation placed upon the limitless"

Its a hard habit to break. Steve

Randall Friend said...

Steve,

Of course it is. But once seriously questioned, once it's genuinely inquired into with honesty, the "person" is known to be created with no evidence.

Many of the concepts are seemingly justified, such as the body. The only way we actually know of "body" is because there is a bundle of perceptions and sensations, a passing pattern, coming and going. This bundle is quickly conceptualized into "body" and then "my body". Thoughts are the same.

So we can talk about the body or thoughts, from one perspective. Body is a concept, but it's an obvious one. Thoughts aren't actually what they are conceptualized as, but we can talk about thoughts, because they are present in appearance.

The "person" has none of these attributes. The "person" or "individual self" has no accompanied perception or sensation. The "person" has no appearance. The "person" cannot be said to be obvious.

So where is it? It's absolutely imagination. It's absolutely a creation of imagination, which is tied up with that "appearance" of body and thoughts. It's an attempt at placing "thingness" upon that body-mind.

So we're talking about the Self - your Self. Your Self is NOT the individual "person", inhabiting the body-mind. Your Self is that always-here-ness, that presence of "being" or background of knowing, that activity of cognizing which is going on right now, which is intimately familiar. THAT is not a concept, not a belief. It's always here. YOU are always here.

That always-here-ness is taken to be an individual self, obviousness mixed up with imagination, which is all identification is.

So this habitual thinking, this false limitation, is appearing WITHIN this already-always-here-ness. If it's going on, it's going on within YOU. Within what you actually ARE. Therefore it doesn't matter if the habit is going on. It doesn't need to change. Nothing needs to change, because that is placing a condition on experience, which is exactly what the mind loves to do.

You already ARE what you seek. There is nowhere to go to GET it, nothing to do to GET it. Only the mechanism of mind is seen for what it is and what it does.

Aren't you always here? Even in deep sleep, do you cease to exist? Do you know that always-here-ness? Stay with that always-here-ness - watch as this habitual process goes on. See how this idea of "ME" is placed upon that always-here-ness or "I AM"-ness.


love
randall

Anonymous said...

Randall wrote,

"That always-here-ness is taken to be an individual self, obviousness mixed up with imagination, which is all identification is."

Put like this it is so obvious, sensed even.Thanks again for your clear pointing and understanding, much appreciated. Steve

Matty Boy said...

Randall,

Thanks for your blog ! I really don't understand why there are so many books in the market on non-duality or enlightenment when it can pointed in few lines like your blog.

Couple of questions which comes from a individual prespective

1. What would be purpose of one appearing as many ?

2. Knowing that there is no duality, mind body or duality still appears. Hence, whats the point of knowing the truth ?

3. Any reasons for so called male - female attraction in this world ?

Thanks, M

Randall Friend said...

Matty,

Hello my friend.

Purpose is something the mind needs, in it's duty of conceptualizing, categorizing, translating. The mind continually asks "why?" - one answer might be "why not?" Another answer, which may please the mind, is that without this duality you would not know yourself. When Consciousness or Mind comes upon YOU, then the capacity to know yourself comes. Before Consciousness there is only pure Being which doesn't know that it IS.

There is no point of knowing the truth. It has no rewards - the bliss and peace spoken of is already your true nature and isn't brought in anew. It's simply revealed as already the case. So in one way, nothing changes.

Male-female attraction is no different from the bee and the flower, the tree dropping the acorn, the suns exploding and bits of matter spreading out to form celestial bodies, or even a thought coming, a decision being reached, and an action following. This is creation going on, the very nature of the Universe is creation and destruction, one cannot be without the other. There is an obvious Intelligence going on, the very form and function of this so-called Universe. Nothing is outside of it.

The very essence of that body and thoughts, which you take to be you-as-a-separate-self IS that Intelligence functioning. You, the true YOU, IS that Intelligence.


love
randall

Matty Boy said...

Thanks Randall ! That was very convincing for the mind :)

Love

Matty