Soraya guides a short Meditation 4 mins – Tat Tvam Asi
Meditation on the field of awareness-consciousness where we meet as one. The one space which we call the ground or sense of being. We are reminded of Tat Tvam Asi – That Thou Art. This is the one divine field where all separation melts away.
Tat Tvam Asi – (That Thou Art) from the Chandogya Upanishad reminds us that we are always that (consciousness). Tat Tvam Asi reminds us of our one essential being which is Brahman, God, Love or Divine Essence. This one ground of being which contains everything is the basis of Advaita. The unconditioned essence or nature, the inner essence of yourself and the nature of Brahman is one and the same. Open, free, all-pervasive, infinite consciousness.
Conditioned Awareness
So by Unconditioned love is restored by dropping conditioning that holds us in separation. Seeing through the patterns made up of beliefs, fears, craving, aversion that holds us stuck in separation, feeling alone and unsupported. As separate from that divine field. Only when we are free from these patterns and conditioning being played out through the mind can we experience unconditioned awareness. And see that thou art – Tat Tvam Asi.
We Still Have a Body Which Can Experience Pain
We may live in peaceful presence with the understanding of the divine unfolding yet we still have a human body with a nervous system so physical pain may still exist. Yet with the understanding of this divine essence and unfolding. So we can remember the “Great OK-ness” we have spoken about. That there is nothing wrong with anything. It is the judgemental mind that is the very source of suffering. There is simply the unfolding of life as it is experienced here through these patterns and beliefs. And as this conditioning clears, we begin to experience a deeper sense of peaceful love and presence.
Q: How do we stay with Oneness during the periods when the mind pulls us away with doubts, confusions, elations.
S: We live with a mind and the mind will do what the mind does. Which thoughts do we choose to energise. Through our awareness we bring those thoughts to life. The mind does doubt sometimes yet we do not need to energise these thoughts. Understand we are not our thoughts.
The Mind Train
We don’t have to jump on the mind train and leap from thought carriage to carriage. Chose to step off the thought train onto neutral ground. The platform is where we simply become the impartial observer or the seer. This is a continual practice which requires mindful attention and presence.
What is a Thought
Thought is not a thing, it is no thing or nothing. So why do we give our thoughts so much power. If we learn to focus on the space in which thought arises, thought begins to lose its power over us.
What Juice is Here
When you poke a lemon you get lemon juice. Well when we are poked by life whatever juice (our patterns) is here will come out. Our thoughts and more importantly our reaction to these thoughts certainly reveals to us what patterns we are running. And what patterns need to be dropped or seen through. This helps us in the quest to know thyself , which ultimately leads us to freedom.
Q: The story of the neighbour and brambles.
A: The brambles of the mind can catch us time and time again. They are sticky. We can however let the mind do what the mind does and not respond or react. Just let the mind train go on without jumping on it. Just like clouds drifting in the sky. When patterns and triggers are neutralised there is no reaction. If you find yourself looping on the mind train, jump off… laugh at the drama of it. Laughter is good medicine.
Are We Motivated By Love or Fear?
Remaining as awake, present and loving as can be through this, is the highest offering we can give. The seeing through our patterns allows greater clarity. We are affected by less and less conditioning. We begin to finally experiencing life as it is. Unconditioned Experience of life unfolding.
Q: Many people are not against face masks themselves. They are afraid of being controlled. Can you speak about this.
Who Loses Control
A: Yes, This ignites the deep shared human unconscious fear of losing control. Which brings us back to two questions: Firstly, do I chose love or fear?
And from a pure non-dual point of view we could ask, “Who is here to lose control?” And this would be me as the separate-self. This is our attachment to ME and Mine. Me and You. Them and Us. Me against the world. To the very separation that creates suffering in the first place.
There is Nothing In Waking Up for The EGO
Waking up or living awake or as consciousness itself is about the melting away of our attachment to our ego-self or the separate-self. In waking ups we melt into consciousness itself. The drop becoming or realising it is the ocean. There is nothing in living as awake consciousness for the ego or the projection of the separate self to gain. It is a dropping of all masks and returning to unconditioned experience of life as it is. For many this is not appealing.
Be Still And Know That I AM
Expressing from this divine essence there is a relinquishing of any form of control. Spirituality in its deepest form is Tat Tvam Asi. Be Still And Know That I Am. Humanity has created the split with the projection of me against you. Them and us. Boarders between countries. War and Judgement.
Even through entrepreneurship by setting ourselves up to be someone separate, someone better than. This split created by humanity creates two sides at war with each other. We have created the light and the dark.
And the great paradox is that we will still have a body in the world of duality but we can live as awake-ness, as Brahman, as one consciousness in this dreamed world. Yet still the separate self thinks: I am in Control of My life.
Layers of Looping Thought Themes
We will find ourselves looping on the mind train again. This reminds us how little we are actually in control. But by continually standing as the witness on neutral ground and dropping the thought theme again and again we slowly begin to clear away old patterning.
This often occurs is stages. We begin to peel back layer upon layer of old conditioning. Awareness is the key.
Conscious Relationships offer Support During the Unfolding
In conscious relationship we can begin to support each other without criticism. Once we have seen through our triggers we can begin to laugh at the patterns.
If we can simply see the thoughts for what they are no-thing or nothing, then we can support each other in disempowering these mental dramas. We humans are very good at making mountains out of mole hills. We need to see through our attachment to drama and relax more and more into peaceful presence.
Terry Shares: We are in a deep hypnotic trance in a holographic Universe.
Consciousness limits itself by entering into humanity.
Terry shares a quote from our friend in India, We are in a deep hypnotic trance in a holographic Universe.
If we can question the solidity of everything it becomes much more malleable. And if we can somehow disappear the view of ourself as an object in a world of other objects. This offers the opportunity to reappear as the solitary subject which is consciousness. So then we only have to wake up as one dream, one experience.
We Can Never Explain This
We have this wonderful experience that is opening up here all the time. So let’s enjoy it. It is beyond explanation.
Thought Takes Care of Us
Thought is not the enemy it takes care of us. It the background process that takes care of everything. Waking is the end of the illusory character that is created by thought. Thought creates the universe or the world of form.
Awakening is a Calamity to the Ego
The Zen master has to dangle a carrot because the ego would never want to self-destruct. That carrot is all those things peace, euphoria, bliss the end to suffering. But I can tell you the awakening is a calamity to the ego. A complete disaster because it is the annihilation of that sense of separation.
Soraya Sums Up
Namaste