Is it the body that says it exists, or that it exists in the now... or is it the mind? When you are sleeping you do not have any recognition of an existing body and especially not a body living in the now. It is only when awakened from the sleeping state that you may have the knowledge of an existing body. It is the same thing with the mind. When you are deep asleep and in a dreamless state, you do not recall being an 'I' living in time - but when you awaken, the sense of 'I' emerges from sleep along with the identification with the body.

The body is the first tangible thing that the mind may rely upon for self-definition and this is why the mind identifies with the body. The body may be living only in the now, but this is not how the mind conceives it - for the mind cannot possibly live in the now, it can only incorporate the now in its sense of continuity in time. In this regard, the body only serves the mind in its foolish attempts to consolidate an existence in time.

Knowledge gathered by the mind is external knowledge and therefore incomplete, because the mind can only have a limited understanding of life, perceiving everything, as it does, through the construct of time. When inquiring about who has the knowledge, the mind can only become silent, for it cannot know of its true nature or the true nature of existence. Mind's knowledge is solely composed of external projections based on hearsay, impressions, and mere recollections from the past. Nothing of what is real can be known by the mind, as the mind is limited by the relative terms on which it is based.

The true nature of existence transcends both form and formlessness, and cannot be known by the mind since the mind gets its sense of existence through identification with forms alone! The mind can only conceive of its identity as a thought-form imposed over existence and this is why its essential mechanism is to project itself into the future or to keep holding on to things of the past or to imagine things about the present.

If the mind thinks about the present at all, it is operating on a purely conceptual level; the mind cannot possibly get to know the present for the present cannot be grasped by the mind. Therefore, observations and pronouncements regarding the present can be of little relevance, for the present is timeless and transcends form. You may come to perceive the present as a passing phenomenon, which is true on some levels, for one moment leads to the next... but this perception, once again, remains circumscribed by the mind, for the mind can only perceive aspects of the present, aspects subject to endless changes. And we are only talking about aspects of the so-called present, and not about the present itself!

The contradiction of the mind is a reflection of its inherent dualistic nature. Dualistic also means contradictory. One does not go without the other, for dualism implies incompleteness, which only entails contradiction and delusion. Therefore, as long as we rely on the mind for self-definition, we will definitely live a life of contradiction. See if you can live without contradiction. Do you know anybody who has lived without contradiction? The reason is that the mind itself is contradictory due to its dualistic nature. One day you may say "I am this when another day you will say the opposite. One day you think you have understood something when the very next day it is demonstrated that you don't; or another day you say I'm going to behave like this and the next day you end up behaving in the opposite ways". The mind is only based on distorted perceptions of reality and cannot possibly lead to an understanding and an integration of one's true infinite nature. The mind, being but a mere fragment of existence, can only revolve around a place of contradiction for it is not directly connected to what's real and whole and could never possibly be.

The state of contradiction will only cease when the mind is no longer relied upon to maintain a connection with what is real. Contradiction ceases when one remains a mere witness to whatever is happening as detached observation is incorporated into a state of being. Only then can this true state of being become the center around which life as a whole may be seen. Only the wholeness of being may point to the truth.

Within timeless consciousness there is no real rivalry. The conflict only appears as consciousness is being drawn within the limitation of the 'I'.

One may or may not be inclined to seek this so-called personal gain. The extent of such personal gain does not really make a difference, as there really is no person and nothing to gain. The dualistic consciousness which manifests as a false sense of individuality arises when the mind attaches itself to projections in time in order to find a sense of well-being. This is the mind’s way of attempting to fill the void that lies within consciousness at the present moment. This practice creates an internal divisiveness - a separation from the true identity within. As long as one identifies with a possible future that is perceived as a means of compensating for the sense of incompleteness, there will always be a lack within that cannot ever be filled! No gain is everlasting. One gain leads to another gain endlessly and could not possibly replace that which is everlasting alone: the true identity. The true self is already complete and needs no further development. Only the realization of such true identity may lead to a genuine and permanent state of fulfillment. Everything else is a comedy show...

It is because we ignore the true identity that we need a future to give us a sense of completion, but since this will to become is based on the avoidance of what one is, it can only postpone that realization of completeness within the unity of true identity which is timeless. It is more important to pay attention to the mind itself than to get caught up in the actual activities in which the mind is engaged. The mind can be doing anything at all - and as long as one remains connected to what is real and complete in the moment, one is at the right place and won’t be deluded by any external activity whatsoever. Whether one is rich or poor, whether one seeks to have more or less, is not important. As long as one embraces the present moment in a state of detached observation, one can only experience the fullness of life, which is liberation from the illusion of seeking personal gain or any other means of self-expansion.

It also makes no difference to the infinite whether one is entrapped by dualistic consciousness or liberated. Only the whole is real. The thinking mind is capable of nothing other than a dualistic perspective. But when one examines the nature of dualistic consciousness, it becomes apparent that even dualistic consciousness may eventually lead to a place of balance and unification, for the nature of dualistic consciousness is to seek unification. The only problem is that it seeks unification through external means, and at some point it exhausts itself in this endeavor.

The pursuit of personal gain as a means of self-fulfillment can only lead to further vain external pursuits for the true identity, as if one were searching for the missing piece of a puzzle, a piece that will never be found. The very search for fulfillment is born out of the will to avoid what is real in this moment. But because what is real at the moment is not something of the mind, nor something that can be possessed or accumulated, it cannot be the object of any pursuit. One must be willing to entirely face the reality of oneself in the moment in order to subdue the thought patterns of avoiding what is. It is only then that one can revert to the true identity and therefore free oneself from the misery of incompleteness, the sense of separation from the totality of existence. This reversion to the true identity can only come with the surrender to what is, while being one with what is.

Any movement away from reality can only come back to reality, for all comes from reality and returns to it. This realization liberates the mind from itself. Whether one may think about the future or not, one can only return to reality. It is just a matter of nuance. Time means nothing regarding the play of consciousness. Time can only mean something in relation with the projections of the mind. All is the whole and that is the only reality.

What do we call the absolute present? Is the absolute present restricted by outward circumstances or are the circumstances merely passing by through the absolute present? We tend to think that leading a spiritual life is about renouncing this life or somehow escaping it - or at least doing things that will allow us to be closer to what is real within. We look at spirituality just as another event, one that cannot be easily integrated into the mundane circumstances of our lives. We also look at spirituality as something of the mind - a choice to make in order to effectively advance on that so-called spiritual level, or merely a means of somehow enhancing our lives. We look at spirituality as another event, another circumstance with a better, more inspiring flavor. It is precisely because we hold on to these projections that spirituality today has become such a trademark... and something that, ultimately, does not work in the long term. We end up moving around from one practice to the other, from one teacher to another - and same problems remains: how to overcome the constraints of external circumstances and the constraint of the mind itself. Can such a question be answered by the mind or is it that the mind itself is the problem? Is it not the very troublesome agent that creates all the difficulties on the level of external circumstances? Are the so-called difficulties hindering the mind or is it that the mind itself is giving substance to these difficulties so they take control over one's life?

The fact is that the mind does not want to let go of itself, it wants to hold on to its false sense of permanency and therefore everything has become a problem. Not only do the external circumstances reflect that dilemma, but anything that the mind encounters reflects its inherent sense of inadequacy. If only the mind were to quiet down, to stop struggling from one thought to another... if it were to stop resisting and simply witness the flow of events whatever that may be, it would find a space untouched, a vastness of consciousness that remains predominant whatever the circumstance. It would find that the peace it has always craved resides not outwardly but inwardly. It would come to a deep transformative awakening that this inner spiritual essence is indeed its true identity, its sanctuary of permanency. It would come to a deep shift in its perception of the world, and would always return to the genuine peace that lies within the core of its being. When the mind no longer looks outwardly, when thoughts no longer distract the mind from containing itself in the absolute present, the true spiritual life is found. It is a life of dedication to the detached observation of whatever may be going on outwardly and inwardly. This is a place that transcends any false sense of identity, transcends all identification with thought forms. It is an authentic mastery of one's mind.

When no thoughts intervene between ourselves and the external world of events, nothing may leave a trace. The mind is found to be as light as the air, as flexible as the grass in the prairies that is gently swept by the wind. The external circumstances of one's life become allies in that process of self-reflection which facilitates the transcendence of all identification with thought.

Life can only become a dance when approached from this perspective. Everything becomes a mirror into which we can gaze, regardless of our state of awareness. And this is why we are here, this why we are confronted with challenging circumstances: it is our way of learning to reflect on ourselves in order to strengthen our connection with what is genuine and everlasting within. This is true spirituality; this is the practice: to simply witness whatever is going on, in whatever form. It is the most direct and most effective of all practices, for it is the direct implementation of a higher state of consciousness within the natural flow of life.

Everything happens as it should happen. We cannot fight the flow of circumstances. The task is to embody the state of passive awareness in daily life and that alone can result in a total life transformation. The external aspect of life is always secondary; it takes care of itself. You may indeed affect the outward circumstance of your life with greater precision if you are yourself in a place of peace and clarity. But from there, from that genuine place of passive awareness, there is no longer any desire to alter anything. The world is seen for what it is - a mere play of insubstantial and transitory events. To let go of the resistance of the mind is to find oneself at home and undisturbed. This is where you find strength and peace; with this awareness you will give up any endeavour to change the world that does not exist apart from your own mind.

The obliteration of ego’s continuity is less a question of time, than a question as to whether the mind maintains the ego’s activity or not in the actuality of one’s existence. The ego’s intricacies are so vast that it would take eons to uproot them. Might as well leave it to that which has created them first.

The curious thing is that although we wonder about how to obliterate ego’s continuity, while realizing how difficult it is, we still deliberately maintain its structure. In other words, we would like to get rid of it, while taking great comfort in embellishing it. We are surprised to see it continue regardless, but at the same time we are not surprised that we still give it continuity. So we would like to see ego’s continuity end, and at the same time, we do everything not to end it. Sure enough, that can only be a difficult path.

We would like to see the obliteration of ego’s continuity, not out of a genuine desire for the realization of the truth as it is, but out of the idea of escaping our inner turmoil. The mind cannot have any understanding of a state of being that is devoid of ego-consciousness. Therefore, a state of consciousness devoid of ego is an impossibility. The mind is found to go in circles endlessly. We look at ego’s continuity as an object, something independent of one’s mind. Therefore the very root of ego remains alive an continues to grow into different forms, giving the illusion that one is alive and abides within the walls of ego’s dominion.

We must first ask the question, “Who is there to obliterate ego’s continuity”? We find it easy to ask questions on how to obliterate ego’s continuity in time, but we have a hard time asking a single question as to who is actually asking the question. Obviously, any question coming out of ego can only be circumscribed by the walls of ego-consciousness, and cannot be answered outside these very walls. Therefore, the answer as to how to obliterate ego’s continuity lies beyond ego’s consciousness. In other words, in order to find a true answer, the mind can only come up with a question that comes from a true place, independent of ego’s consciousness.

How is the mind to step out of ego’s consciousness, so to ask the right question? To see the false as the false and the truth as the truth is liberation. And this is not a question of time. It is direct perception of the actuality of one’s being, whichever way that being may express itself, whatever form, shape, or color it may take. At that moment of direct perception, one is no longer concerned about manifestation, which allows that obliteration of ego’s continuity. This is an act of passive awareness which only happens in the actuality of the present.

Liberation is an actuality; it is not something of the past or the future: it is not a liberation from one manifestation or another. It is not even a liberation from the so-called ego’s continuity. Liberation is of the nature of reality. It can neither be found nor lost.