Autumn Panorama

Resolving the Story

If you are waiting for the contents of the story to resolve in such a way that you will have ever lasting peace, you are going to be deeply disappointed. The thought stories are ever changing; sometimes there is happiness, sometimes sadness or joy and then fear. The story is on autopilot; no-one is driving your life. Its a part of the unfolding spectacle of what is. If you are looking for the story to get fixed in such a way that you will have permanent anything, you are setting out on a hopeless journey. The story has no ending. Its just happening, like the seasons or rotation of the planets.

Peace, however, is in this primary experience of being right here - these sounds, these feelings, and this body right here. Find out for yourself what is more real - imagination or what is happening right now? Relax into the actual, this primary Realness you feel right now. This sense of being – this primary Realness, or presence is more real than stories. It has a sense of quiet and peace to it – explore that feeling and you will notice it is the ever present background of all experiencing.

Entering the dream door of thought stories is secondary experiencing; a simulation. Even that is happening in primary Realness, or Reality. But we can talk about it as secondary experiencing for the sake of analogy, to point to that illusory sense of separation from Reality.

Relax into this effortless primary awareness of actuality; this room, this seeing right here. Let the stories arise unobstructed, while you rest in what is Real. There is no way of controlling or changing anything in the story. This does not mean you can’t have peace, what you are in reality is outside any story, peacefully watching. The peace we are talking about is so basic it does not need the story to be certain way, for it to be. It is, everything else comes and goes. It is this living Reality right here – you are looking at it now, feeling it now, seeing it now.

This is Reality. Rest in the Real let the imaginary play of its own as you watch, indestructible, from the diamond seat. Once you realise it is simply this obviously available actuality you are always occupying, confidence and ease effortlessly arises. - Chad Barber

A Fine Fall Day

Autumny

Sunstar

The light is all

From within or from behind, a light shines through us upon things
and makes us aware that we are nothing -— but the light is all. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Colorful Creek

Autumn Dogwoods

Autumn Reflections

What are Self-Realization, Awakening, Liberation, and Enlightenment?

It’s helpful to realize that enlightenment and awakening are just concepts and do not exist as states that can be attained. Believing in the ideas of awakening or enlightenment keeps you on the path of seeking and suffering. Waiting for an "a-ha" experience or an experience of "I get it now," will also keep you on the path of seeking and suffering. All there is, is this. Right here, right now. This is it. There’s truly nothing to gain.

If you’re frustrated and experiencing psychological suffering, there’s an underlying belief that there’s something other than what is here and now, and there’s a belief that you exist as a separate, controlling entity or ego who can exercise his will to attain something better or different than what is here and now. There is no way to avoid what is here and now—happiness, sadness, anger, joy, peace or frustration. There is no way to grasp onto the pleasant experiences or avoid the unpleasant. You do not exist as a separate, controlling entity who can exercise control over your experience. - Stephen Wingate

Haw River in Fall

Your identity as awareness

The basic truth is your identity as awareness or consciousness itself. In the last analysis, all that appears is non-different from this consciousness presence. Thus, non-duality. This is the main aspect, but there is more to it than just this. There is what I call the "mechanism" of suffering. It is the notion of the presence of a limited sense of self or "I". Once this notion kicked in, we went looking to define that "I" in the images and identifications created in the mind. The problem is that you are not in the mind. In fact, there is no "I" at all. It is a false assumption. However, as long as it is operative, the energy of belief propels us back into the mind, searching for reality, identity and happiness — for the assumed separate self. - John Wheeler

See what you are. . .

Self-centered thought makes an reference to a assumed self that stands apart from awareness. This notion is the ego or "I" thought. But is this concept true? Examine it and you will find it is a false notion. There is no "I" standing apart from awareness. So everything the mind refers to about a false self (the one who needs to progress, etc.) is false. The purpose of spirituality is to see what you are, and also to drop or release the belief in the assumed separate person or ego. How to dissolve the ego? Look for it. Since it is not present, this looking will dissolve the belief in its reality. You remain as you are and always have been, pure presence-awareness itself. You are that here and now. Just confirm this basic fact. - John Wheeler

Fall Colors

Autumn Gum and Fence

Subtly Separate

Many people interested in spirituality, even in non-dual circles, are actually still suffering and seeking, because the source of suffering is not understood. In other words, they have not deeply questioned the reality of the "I". The notion of the person is still intact. That is why they keep seeking enlightenment, reading, studying, going to retreats, speaking of awakened beings or whatever. They still subtly view themselves as separate beings. Once that is questioned, then — full stop. There is no one left to do any of that. It is all over. - John Wheeler

No "Realized Persons"

There are no realized persons, since the whole point is to see that you have never been a person at all. So in seeing this, who is left with any characteristics to speak of? You are pure non-conceptual awareness itself, which is not a body, mind, person or any other concept, idea or thing. You are "no thing". So what attributes does "no thing" have or need? No-thing does not mean a vacuum or void. In spite of being no thing, you ARE. And what you are is aware. And what you are is perfectly whole, complete, adequate, untouched, beyond manifestation and at peace. This is also the source of life, energy and intelligence of all that appears. There are many pointers to what you are. All are inadequate because you are not a word! - John Wheeler

Morning Mists