Moksha

If Consciousness is nothing, and the cosmos arises from and returns to it, then everything comes from nothing. The paradox is that everything Consciousness creates is also Consciousness, appearing to be other than it ultimately is. Like all language, the terms nothing and everything are equally misleading. Consciousness is beyond nothing and everything. It can't be conceptually captured. Instead of trying to understand reality, realize it.

For a long time, I avoided God as a pointer because it tends to invoke beliefs born of our conditioning. I use it more now, as awakening is ultimately a spiritual rather than conceptual realization. God is paradox. It is beyond everything and nothing, and is incomprehensible to the human mind. It can only be directly realized. For that reason, Mystery resonates from the Tao Te Ching, as does Tat from ancient eastern mysticism, which is translated as, "That." We can't know what "That" is, we can only realize it as our ultimate nature.

@Terell Kirby Great to hear! There's a French expression: reculer pour mieux sauter. It refers to taking a step back, in order to jump farther forward. Consciousness (i.e., the real you) is calling the shots, enjoy the journey

The ego is so sneaky, it can creep in as self-recrimination. It is actually my ego's favorite weapon. I've learned that Judging myself only makes the ego stronger. By all means, learn what keeps you present and what doesn't, but be kind to yourself in the process.

Enlightenment is just a word for Consciousness becoming aware of itself, within the dream. There is no "you" becoming enlightened, only Consciousness acknowledging itself. Sure, the brain has to be functioning for Consciousness to realize itself through it, but personality type is not a limiting factor. The purpose of every human life, regardless of personality, is to realize your ultimate nature as Consciousness. There is nothing that Consciousness loves more than discovering itself. If a vindictive, law-obsessed Pharisee like Saul can become enlightened, anyone can

Enlightenment happens when Consciousness chooses to become aware of itself. It has nothing to do with the personality of the individual, which is only a disguise. Every person, regardless of their psychological profile, is Consciousness manifesting itself in a unique way. We are all the same Consciousness, and the personality of the apparent self is only part of the dream.

@roopepa So limitless that we can't even imagine it

Instead of pursuing enlightenment, which is a grace rather than an achievement, learn to be present. It is the greatest gift you can give to yourself, and to your family. Children are a litmus test for your capacity to remain present

If by "real substance", you are referring to ultimate reality then no, none of the stories of divine intervention actually happen. Within relative reality though, which is the dream of Consciousness, everything is possible. Just keep in mind that the ocean is only apparent, as is the parting of it, and the footsteps traversing it to the other side. All of it is Consciousness, appearing to be separate forms, but in reality the separation is only an appearance.

That sense of absolute clarity comes from the Self within, and is directly realized. You can't hear it, see it, smell it, touch it, or taste it. It is beyond physical sensation, perception, and the thinking mind. There is a profound sense, beyond the form senses, which is spiritual and undeniable. Trust that.

Why do you feel that meditation grants you some relief? Maybe the secret to happiness is simply being, free from the false promises of thought. Identifying with the monkey mind is the fundamental source of suffering. Career and personal development will help with survival, but they cannot bring you happiness. That is only realized from within. Realizing the ridiculous is a good step toward awakening

Well said. Love is more profound than the human emotion. It is the dissolving of apparent boundaries, and the realization of the seamless Self. Even as an apparent self, it is possible to see this. There is a resonance with the same Self in all things. It's not just limited to people. You can see the sameness in a tree, in a dog, or in a sunset. It is all Consciousness, appearing as separate forms, but ultimately entirely unified. That is the realization of true Love.

I started with the Gita, but have since found a lot of wisdom in the Dhammapada. I agree that spiritual writings are merely pointers, rather than direct channels to truth. What I find beautiful about them is that regardless of tradition, they speak to the same ultimate reality. As Aldous Huxley summarized in the Perennial Philosophy: The Perennial Philosophy appears in every age and civilization: There is an infinite, changeless reality beneath the world of change This same reality lies at the core of every personality The purpose of life is to discover this reality experientially, that is, to realize God while here on earth Amen! May all beings be happy, especially realizing that our ultimate nature is beyond the apparent separateness of form. The more clearly we see this, the less identified we are with form, and the brighter the light of our true nature shines within.

@OneHandClap That was true of me as well. For a long time, I avoided God as a term because it tends to be so dogma-driven, and can reinforce identification with beliefs. Earlier in my life, I saw God as a being. Then I dropped the idea of God entirely. Now, I love God as a pointer to my ultimate nature. During the period of bliss that I described earlier, I kept finding myself drawn toward sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. There is a joyous awe of the divine in them that I can only describe as spiritual. I don't espouse the beliefs of Hinduism, Buddhism, or Christianity, but I love the essential truths that all of them point toward.

@Flyboy Thanks for your encouragement ? I see that there is no I, and God is just a name for ultimate reality, rather than a being. Yet, God is writing the story of this self, to itself. As God, I am already free, but the apparent self isn't fully liberated until it is dissolved. The more translucent it becomes, the more free it will be.

@Flyboy I'm still slogging through the night, but it's less dark than it was. Sometimes the path takes me to a higher place, where I'm able to see the sun peeking over the horizon and feel its warmth. God speaks to me when I need it most, and the feeling of abandonment has transformed into humility and deep gratitude for those sacred moments of reunion. When it grows dark again, I try to move forward through the suffering in silence, knowing that the darkness continues to be a transformative gift. I am gradually moving away from my suffering self, toward the translucent self I want to be, before surrendering it entirely. I find myself pleading for God's grace more often these days, and have realized that without it I can't make any progress. After leaving religion behind, I never thought I would utter another prayer, but there you go. ?

People sometimes realize the joy of the unitive state, followed by the horror of the void. How do you reconcile these realizations? Each path is unique, but as I have experienced it, awakening to the Love of God was absolute, effortless, bliss. My entire life changed, and spirituality was my mainstay. I no longer suffered, and believed that I would continue to see myself in God for the rest of my life, until I finally dissolved back into my ultimate nature. Then I made the mistake of asking God to take me deeper. I sensed that seeing wasn't enough, and needed to release all of my attachments, until there was only a transparent self left. I deeply wanted the light of God to fill me completely, knowing that this light would entirely reveal the illusory idea of me. Be careful what you ask for ? It was through grace that I first saw God, and through a deeper grace that I was no longer able to see. Again, my entire life changed. I fell into a horrific void, where the God that I had seen was no longer present. The suffering that I experienced before seeing God was nothing compared to this. It is worse to feel the love of God, and be forsaken, than not to feel it in the first place. I now realize that this was the most loving gift God could have given me. It has deepened my awareness of the emptiness of the self, and stoked a desperate fire of desire for the love of God. I see that I am literally nothing without God, and am more prepared to let go of this I, and return to the ultimate state of my true nature. I call it God intentionally, because it has been a deeply spiritual journey, and the divinity of it cannot be denied. I have been contemplating, "Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross (the Mirabai Starr translation and commentary are beautiful). For anyone going through something similar, this is required reading. St. John was captured by the friars of the established church, and interrogated and tortured. They imprisoned him in a tiny closet that had previously served as a toilet. He suffered near starvation, brutal cold in the winter, and stifling heat in the summer. After 9 months, his clothes began to rot on his body. It was in this state, where he felt utterly abandoned by God, that he composed "Dark Night of the Soul". My suffering is nothing compared to his, but I have found deep inspiration in his words. My favorite verses from Songs of the Soul: with his gentle hand He wounded my neck And all my senses were suspended. I lost myself. Forgot myself. I lay my face against the Beloved's face. Everything fell away and I left myself behind, Abandoning my cares Among the lilies, forgotten. I hope this is helpful for anyone else going through a similar experience.

@Mz Hyde Glad to hear that you have discovered the simple joy of it ?

Suffer, suffer, and suffer. It is the divine gift that will grind down attachments to the conditioned mind, until you are finally able to release them. Why else would you sacrifice the self, unless there was no other choice but to remain in the suffering state? Radical humility is beyond self-deprecation, to truly seeing the monkey mind for the source of suffering that it is. It is begging for the grace of the Self, whose light is always here, waiting to heal us from ourselves.

Good. Meditation will prepare you, but enjoy the journey within, rather than holding your happiness hostage to an awakening state. Even a moment of true stillness is beautiful. Awakening is a gift, not an accomplishment, and usually it happens when there has been enough suffering to ripen you for the realization.

@OneHandClap I agree. The human mind loves to localize and categorize. God is me, but not you. Hinduism is true, but Christianity is not. Awakening is realizing that ultimately, God is beyond everywhere, nowhere, everything, and nothing. God is all, including the appearance of the confused human mind that cannot comprehend its creator. Words, attempting to describe the indescribable, and meaningless until there is a direct seeing.

@BlackMaze Cool thing is that when you are present, the quality of everything is enhanced. You still engage with the world, but consciously rather than unconsciously.

Through meditation, not by thinking what it would be like to withdraw the senses, but by letting go of thoughts entirely, and abiding in the silence of the Self.

@BlackMaze Seeing your true nature is only the first step of the spiritual journey. That realization doesn't instantly dissolve decades of conditioning. The real work of spirituality is learning to let go of our attachments, and surrender to the stillness of the Self.

It's said that the wise learn to withdraw their senses, as a tortoise draws in its limbs. The senses threaten to flood us from the spiritual path, but in stillness we discover the pure awareness that we are. The way to enlightenment is learning to remain aware, while reengaging with the phenomenal world. We are in it, and able to enjoy it, while realizing that we are not of it.