“The self DOES NOT EXIST.”
When self-observation or self-inquiry is conducted from the impersonal, divine dimension—where there is neither an observer nor an inquirer—then, whether the object of focus is the “self” or another, the experience is inevitably non-judgmental and devoid of any separation or division. Awareness can perceive one of expression by “The Self.”
This is the direct observation of Oneness (totality), made possible through “openness” of clarity—unhindered by the assumptions, beliefs, or values to which the “self” can be unconsciously attached.
“You are me, and I am you.”
Only when witnessing everything from this dimension can Awareness begin to perceive both the self and the world, or raw reality exactly as they are.
࿓࿓࿓࿓࿓
The mind (the “I,” thoughts, the ego) unconsciously perceives a constant distorted reality—a world built upon the unquestioned, unexamined, taken-for-granted premise that “I am seeing things as they truly are.”
Yet, the mind has no self-conscious of this distortion.
By questioning these unconscious, taken-for-granted assumptions or beliefs and examining their roots, and at the same time, by abiding in a “no-one”, the divine dimension, awareness can effortlessly remain vigilant and humble regarding the fact that the mind’s prone to be(come) someone because of its own low self-perception is infinitely cunning—Awareness truly begins to awaken—not as someone who has acquired knowledge, nor as a thinker, a seeker, or a “spiritually awakened” individual, but as something beyond any such labels or roles.
Nevertheless, because the aspects of identification with—and attachment to—the narrative of “me” are so incredibly diverse, it is by no means the case that everyone awakens in the same way, at the same time, or at the same pace, eventually realizing the ultimate truth: that there is no such thing as a “self,” that only formless consciousness exists, and that neither an observer nor an observed object exists anywhere.
At times, the mind (the “I,” thought, ego) may become intoxicated by the fantasy that the construct of “me” has achieved something; the “I” might even attempt to “correct” others or change the world based on this illusion.
Alternatively, when spending long periods with those to whom one feels psychologically close—people with whom one has habitually engaged in reflexive, unconscious reactions but not be aware of that fact, one might still keep repeating those very same patterns, confronting what could be termed “karma” or a “spiritual challenge,” yet one might be fixated on perception that problems were theirs own, not me.
Even so, a process of awakening has indeed begun.
Thus, the stages and depths of spiritual awakening vary tremendously.
Precisely because things simply happen—and experiences are merely experiences—it is essential to recognize when a sense of “ownership” is being unconsciously claimed over internal movements such as emotions, thoughts, memories, and interpretations. Awareness must be aware that “awareness” itself is indulging in this identification and attachment, unconsciously masquerading as a “me.”
By paying attention to when awareness as identified with the “I” is obssessed with superficial phenomena—which are in constant flux, arising through dependent origination (the principle that phenomena are shaped by countless causes and conditions)—and by tracing these back to their source, the truth and facts can be finally revealed, and the illusory “self” is inevitably dismantled.
Yet, there is no “self” present to dismantle this “me.”
Nor is there any “self” anywhere that is undergoing a spiritual awakening.
This ultimate truth is remarkably simple—and precisely for that reason, it is the hardest to notice. (OM 🙏)
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