The Absolute :   Knowing our True Nature as Infinite Being

Inquiry into the mental

Once approached from the stillness of the mind, life takes care of what one has to do. However, whatever this may be, it is of secondary importance. Everyone is here to accomplish a certain task. The essential thing to understand is the purification of one´s mind. Without this, regardless of what one may do with his or her life, one will remain a prisoner of the same circle of suffering and ignorance and will need, once again, to be purified from the field of consciousness. Getting out of this cycle is mainly about freeing the mind from unconscious patterns of behavior, which stop the mind from accessing a higher state of vibration. This higher state would allow it to move on with the cosmic evolution of spirit.

Without identification with the body and thoughts, the spirit would have no reason to incarnate within a body on this material plane. It is because so much importance is given to material thoughts and feelings that the ego has been created.

The very nature of the ego is to create antagonism and separation with the main purpose of existing within the realm of worldly phenomena. The more solid the spirit becomes, the more chance there is to create a situation for the mind to confront its own destruction.

There is a purpose to life other than freeing the mind from the ego, one that concerns the universe at large. For what happens with an individual also impacts the cosmos as a whole, and what happens in the cosmos affects the life of the individual. A good part of the reason why an individual comes into existence has to do with what needs to happen within the cosmos itself. Thus, the more the mind frees itself from the ego´s bondage, the more it has the chance to allow the cosmic forces to work through it and organize one´s life for the well-being of the whole.

We seem to be so concerned about what to do with our lives that we totally ignore the main goal, which is to serve the great cause. Whether we are aware of it or not, our existence serves the main purpose of creation. But the more we try to consolidate an egotistical existence, the further we are from helping the great cause. The only thing that will result from such behavior is contrary to what we are aiming for, which is happiness and well-being. So when the mind is working in stillness towards its purification, life itself has the chance to work through it. This is when opportunities emerge in one´s life. When the mind realizes the importance of stillness, then nothing else really matters, because in stillness, the mind has accomplished its purpose anyway.

In the permanent realization of the Self, far from being in a state of inactivity, the mind is in fact at its most active, since it has access to an infinite field of energy that is a component of cosmic expansion.

To be silent does not mean to be stagnant; it simply means that energy is not dispersed into a world the mind believes to be real. When the mind merges with totality, it becomes this totality. Its influence becomes universal and the mind ceases to be a prisoner of the ego and its illusions. Even its sensory perceptions become sharper since the mind is free to receive all the impressions there are. But because it is free, no impression registers in its unconscious, since there is no longer any identification with the body or objects of thought. In contrast, the mind is much less receptive when it identifies with the objects of thought and the body. The perceptive organs become less active when the mind is under the activity of the ego with its habits and inherent tendencies. However, when the mind is free from the past and future, more power is given to it, since its faculties are totally open to everything in the universe. It becomes like a sun, receiving the forces of the cosmos and releasing them back to the cosmos. Thus, all continues to function in perfect order.

In such state of "I am presence", there is no longer any center from which the faculties are governed. If there is no center, such as the ego, the faculties of the mind and the body have infinite potential. However, as long as the mind identifies with objects of thought, it will seek to develop its faculties and enlarge its field of knowledge, since it realizes its limitations. But when there is no longer any such identification, there is no limit to the mind´s receptivity towards all that the universe has to give.

All faculties function much more efficiently when they are not limited by the ego and its illusions. This is simple. The thoughts start functioning when necessary, but with a swift efficiency, and when they are not needed, they remain silent, allowing the mind to reside within the peace of its stillness while allowing the gathering of the vital energy.

In reality, all faculties are already entirely developed in the absolute consciousness. Because the nature of the absolute is that it is one with existence, all faculties function in perfect harmony with the universe. In the absolute, complete peace and a power that is at the origin of all activity can be found. Since it is emanating from the totality, all is perfectly organized and directed by this absolute power.

In fact, whether the mind be realized or not, this power is at the origin of all activities within the universe. The difference for a realized being is that this infinite power moves freely through it, allowing it to act in the best way possible at the right moment. It is the creative act expressing itself in the most natural way. However, under the influence of the ego, this infinite power is limited by the movement of cause and effect that traps the mind. In this way, the mind´s destiny becomes linked to its actions and thoughts, may they be good or bad. For the realized being, the totality of time and space is contained within one reality, which is the One consciousness – free of division, beginning or ending.

Destiny and free will have no significance at this level, for the creative act of the Supreme expresses itself freely through the mind. The mind sees the objects of the world not in terms of independent and separated phenomena, but as simple appearances of the same reality, the one of absolute consciousness.

To perceive the differences and admit to the separations within existence is one thing, but actually to see the differences as part of the unity of life is something else. For the realized mind, amidst the differences within all phenomena, only the unity of the absolute remains real. This mind perceives the differences like anybody else but remains conscious of the unity behind all appearances. In contrast, the ego presents an independent reality that is separate from the rest of creation and itself. For the realized mind, this separation is not a tangible reality because in the absence of an observer, there is no longer an object. Only the senses that remain under illusion perceive the objects as external to the body. The realized mind no longer has any preferences.

Whatever may happen and regardless of what the mind may think, it is the unique reality of the absolute that dominates. The realized spirit possesses nothing that is not reality itself. Two realized spirits certainly have different qualities, but there is only one being. At this level, there are no differences; all consciousness is that of the absolute.

Only at the level of the observer and outward appearances does separation exist. But in essence, there is only the one consciousness and this is what the realized mind perceives. Within the absolute, there is no distinction between the ignorant, the unconscious or the realized mind, except that the realized mind cannot be identified with form or the absence of it. Its essence is something similar to nothingness, which implies that a realized mind is not unlike a ghost. Far from being a stagnant form, such a mind expresses the fullness of its own individuality much better than any other egoistic existence attached to forms.

Individuality reaches its full development not through the efforts of the ego, but rather when the mind is totally penetrated by the absolute consciousness. Is it not from the absolute that the whole of creation takes its origin? Thus, manifestation is brought to completion by the absolute.

Only the realized mind can benefit from a completion of being. Since it no longer identifies with any subject of thought or with its own body, its essence remains similar to that of the absolute. Such a mind doesn´t invite this consciousness; rather, consciousness establishes itself in the mind and moves through it, taking in hand its whole existence. The mind becomes a mirror in which the totality of life is reflected in its fullness.

From the eye of an outsider, a realized being looks no different than any other human being. He or she may be doing the same things as anyone else in this world. The only difference is that the realized mind no longer identifies with whatever is happening. Since the realized mind has reached the state at which karmic laws no longer exist, the mind is no longer under their influence. The action of manifestation follows its course in whichever way, but the mind is no longer attached to the idea of doing. The mind is conscious of the processes of cause and effect and acts according to its knowledge of their origin and purpose. The actions of a realized mind support the very goal of creation and yet, whatever is going on happens spontaneously, leaving the mind free.

Since the nature of a realized mind is freedom, whatever its actions, they leave no tracks in its consciousness, which brings to an end the necessity of a future. Even if in appearance the realized mind lives in a body that is subject to pain, sickness and death like any other living being, that doesn´t mean that for itself there is any sense of pain, sickness or death. If there is no longer a subject, the mind remains detached from what may happen to the body. Any sensation, thought or feeling may occur, in one way or another, but they leave no imprint on the consciousness. Any event appears only on the surface and soon vanishes.

For the realized mind, it matters not whether the individual goes through one experience or another since only the absolute is real and permanent, transcending all phenomenal existence. Thus, all that appears or disappears is without significance. In complete realization, the mind holds on to no concept at all and nothing is held as personal, for the personal identity has melted into the absolute.

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Into Vastness :   The Purpose of Existence

Receptivity

Teachings on the nature of reality and existence cannot be absorbed by the mind unless it is in a state of complete receptivity. That comes before anything. But the ego obstructs our path to the higher vibrational levels where we would have access to abundant energy. We need to access that energy to raise our level of consciousness, but as long as the mind is submitted to the governance of ego it will remain dormant.

Our spirits have assumed form as flesh so that an advanced consciousness may find the occasion to materialize on earth. But when we fall into the illusion of material and intellectual comfort, we reach a dead end. There is no longer any possibility of opening up to something higher... and so suffering is brought in as the catalyst for awakening. When conditions are set in accordance with the higher destiny, awareness accumulates to precipitate a total transformation.

There is no reason to bemoan our fate as earthbound, ego bound, suffering souls, as we are the means to spirit´s ends. What at first might have seemed like a fall from the Garden of Eden was in fact a mandate of the intelligent principle. The mind was not necessarily closer to the highest when moving around freely in the infinite space of creation.

The mind that resides within oneself is aware of the goals of creation and tries by whatever means to get closer to its perfection. But, because of its ignorance, these choices will often place it on paths that lead to suffering. If we are encountering difficult situations in life, this should be seen as a demonstration of the spirit´s knack for acquiring and developing tools for a greater knowledge of itself. And we should be grateful for the tribulations that inspire us to ponder on the meaning of our existence, for this is how we become acquainted with the inner secret will that propels us through the obstacles and difficulties of life.

The mind had to be drawn to earth to assume a personalized consciousness, that was, by its identification with form, prone to desire, and thereby encumbered with its shadow, suffering. From joy to sorrow, the mind was brought to consider the existence of good and evil, which have no meaning beyond the realm of personalized consciousness.

The spirit operates beyond the scope of relative paradigms. Good and evil exist because of the very nature of matter and its development and cosmic evolution. They express themselves through polarity so that the individualized consciousness may establish some guidelines and points of reference within the structure of its material orientation. It is the consciousness that sleeps and bounces around between objects of desire, and so it finds suffering and loss. After in effect crystallizing its own delusional existence by consciously or unconsciously assessing its own behavior, the mind proceeds to judge the rest of humanity, if not the rest of all creation. And so, for the mind, the notion of good and evil becomes a great terrestrial preoccupation. However, the more the mind awakens to itself, the more it incorporates superior energies to assess the field of its existence from a wider perspective. This brings about an expanded awareness and also leads to a more objective outlook, and it is here that the seeds of awakening are planted.

Self-awakening brings us closer to our divine essence and at the same time, attracts to us a higher vibrational energy. The purpose of all this is very simple: it is the harmonization of the elements of terrestrial and celestial existence, elements of a higher consciousness are drawn to a lower plane out of the necessity to achieve the absolute union of total consciousness. Only the phenomenon of descent and ascent of spirit could allow that.

In order for our superior spirit to take up residence in the flesh, there was a need for a fictive intermediary entity to conceal from us our own divine origin, and this was ego´s function. And so our immaculate essence was set aside to accommodate the circumstances of earthly incarnation, so that someday the eyes would to opened up on the very goal of existence, but within flesh. We had to believe in an egoistic existence so that the idea of the Supreme would ultimately solidify. God entered the flesh and creation was blessed!

As we are composed of three bodies, so is the universe. There is the manifestation or materialization, the spirit that unifies, and there is the absolute intelligence that encompasses the beginning and the end of all things.

The meeting of the general with the particular represents the absolute principle behind all aspects of creation, from the organization of the material world to the phenomenon of spiritual awakening, where the individual mind merges with the Supreme – where the universal trilogies are incorporated in the individualized trilogy of the manifested consciousness.

In the supra or divine mental consciousness, the modes of expression cannot be understood in terms of the usual, common use of language, which is connected directly with the mind´s identification with its thought process.

What happens to the mind and its faculty for expression when it is not caught up in the normal thought process? The answer is that the mind has the capacity to perceive something directly, without the distortion of intellect, so that the so-called observed object is revealed as it is. When applied directly to our daily living, out of a complete opening and stillness of mind, one may come to perceive something in its relation with the whole, and that experience of true perception becomes, in and of itself, an act of liberation.

Extrasensory perception involves the surfacing of pure knowledge to reflect the essence of the whole. This is the language of the Supreme, where the vision, the word and the materialization become one and the same.

The Supreme bestows the gift of clairvoyance, which is the capacity to directly perceive, in a flash, one thing in relation to the whole. Clairvoyance transcends the habitual mental process, and confounds our preconceived notions of what is real, so it has become, for us modern civilized humans, a largely neglected faculty. The fact that our sixth sense has fallen to atrophy accounts for our blindness to the invisible world that plays host to our superior mind.

We are all blessed with this inner life, without which, we would have no life at all. However, most of us are unconscious of its presence, confused, as we are, by our mental and emotional exercises. It is as if we are sleeping, not realizing that our minds seek to reestablish some kind of order. And it can be said that the spirit is dreaming this state we call reality.

In order to heal itself, the spiritual being has created this world of manifestation that is nothing more than a dream, a dream reflecting a playground where the mind is going through a learning and healing process.

We all participate in the drama that is the will of the Supreme. This is the culmination of time in the sense that creation has arrived at its goal. This has always existed in the vast timeless space where worlds are created and recreated infinitely. The Creator is awakening through the awakening of its creatures.

How to imagine a universe that is governed by luminous entities, masters of their own lives? The doors are not closed, but widely opened to the mind truly committed and capable of sacrifice of its ego. The mind alone must decide. We must be able to help ourselves and it is only in this way that we will be assisted by superior forces. The light comes into being in the awakening of the mind.

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The Destiny of Spirit :   A Return to the Reality of Being

The meaning of "I-thought"

In the early stages of self-inquiry, the mind expands its awareness by small increments as it comes to terms with the "I-thought", the dominant feature of a limited consciousness.

As long as it remains stuck in the dualistic mode of consciousness, the mind is identified with what it is thinking, connected to objects of attachment that make it feel that it is something tangible. At this stage, the mind is not sensitive to other subtle realities. However, as time goes by, through successive provocations of all sorts, the mind is brought to question the foundations upon which it has built its world, as they seem to be systematically undermined.

A state of confusion follows the mind everywhere, and this compels it to deeply examine its notions of identification. What does it belong to after all? This is the most important question and the beginning of genuine self-inquiry. It soon becomes a prisoner of its own questioning as thoughts are mistaken for reality, including the "I-thought", which may be somewhat altered under analysis, yet still retains its solidity.

At some point the mind may come to ask: How can one make the final step of total transcendence? How can one abandon the world of the known and dive into the world of the unknown, the domain of real knowledge and truth? To effect this radical transition, the mind must first come to understand something very basic about real knowledge.

Real knowledge has no relation to the type of knowledge we are accustomed to, the knowledge that triggers a process of acquisition that incorporates memory. Real knowledge involves a non-verbal, non-conceptual perception where the memory does not play any role. The more the mind seeks to understand through reasoning alone – and thus operates through a process of acquisition, acquisition in the form of memory – the less it has access to true knowledge.

Even among the most dedicated and sincere spiritual seekers, strong traces of egoism can be found underlying the motivations for self-inquiry. Impure, or selfish motivation is naturally intrinsic to the process of purification, and this is something that should never be denied, but thoroughly examined.

Egoist motivation can be clearly identified through the examination of the thoughts that present themselves when self-observation is put into practice. On the path to self-knowledge, we all make the same mistake; we all commit the same crime. We want to possess true knowledge. And we want to possess awareness. In our attempts to bring true knowledge into ego´s domain, we carry our spirits away from the truth. This is what happens when the reasoning mind is working at the instigation of self-interest. The mind seeks, but all it finds is more complication, and it is ultimately suffocated by intellectual knowledge.

There can be no compromise on the true path. If the mind is not willing to drop the past, it becomes deluded; it holds on to the belief that it is making progress, when in fact it is trapped in stagnant intellectual exercise.

The mind will not progress in its evolution as long as it persists in asking how it may proceed. This line of inquiry, the very question and concept of HOW, anticipates a rational step-by-step formula for transcendence, when what is really required is a very conscious and deliberate leap into the unknown. With this leap, the "I-thought" drops from consciousness, and what remains is a pure state of perception. Past and future have left the picture, for in the realm of true understanding, the mind is free from time.

So why hold on to any knowledge whatsoever, when the mind has the privilege of realizing that it is part of all things? When can it open up to the fact that it has never been born and will never die?

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