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TheDreamofSeparation

Allthereis,isNothingBeingEverythingandwhatappearsaspartofthateverythingisthebeliefand

experienceofbeingaseparateselfanapparentindividualwithitsownfreewill,choiceandabilityto

act.Thishappeningisuniquelyhumanandiscalledselfconsciousness.Tomostpeopleitisthereality.

Thatapparentfeelingofbeingseparateisattherootofthesuffering,inadequacyandsenseoflossthat

drivespeopletosearchforescapeorresolution.ItisBeingdreamingthatitisapartfromitself,looking

allovertheplaceforthatwhichisalreadyEverything.Itisthehypnoticdreamofseparationwhich,for

thedreamer,isveryreal.

Thedilemmaforthedreamseekeristhatthefeelingofseparationdrivestheseekingforresolution,

whichfurtherfuelsthesenseofseparation.

Thedevelopmentofanintelligentunderstanding'mind'apparentlybringswithittheabilitytomake

choicesandtakeactionsinanattempttonegotiatewith'theworld'livedin.Thesenegotiationsarenot

alwayssuccessfulandtheindividualseemstoexperienceitsownpainandpleasure.Italsodevelopsa

greatrespectfortheguidanceandcontrolapparentlyemanatingfromtheunderstanding'mind'.

However,aslongasthereisasenseofseparation,thereisasenseofdisquietorlossandthereisa

seekingtodispelthatsense.Itseemslogicalthatthemuchrespectedunderstanding'mind'mustbe

capableofinvestigatingthecauseofthisdisquietanddiscoveringwaysofdispellingit.

Theseparateentitycanonlytrytoimagineorprojectanideaofwhatitmustbelikenottobeseparate.

Whatissoughtisthepossibilityofafuturegoalorstatethatcanberealisedandtherefore,logically,

mustbeapproachable.Consequently,thefunctionofseekingandtheteachingofbecominglocksthe

seekerintoastateofcontinuouslyapproachingsomethingthatitcannotcomprehend.Allofthisisthe

expressionofBeing,arisingasthegood,old,dependableandreliableunderstandingmindfunctioning

asitcanonlyfunction...incontinualmovementandanticipation.Itisthisactivityofbecomingwhich

veryeffectivelykeepstheseekerinthehypnoticdreamofreachingoutforsomethingitcannotgrasp.

Ofcourse,Liberationcanapparentlyhappendespiteallofthiseffort.

Theonlyotherhopeforthedreamseekeristobelievethatanotherbenevolentenergy(sayGod,

Consciousnessorasocalledenlightenedteacher)wouldbemotivatedtoguideandinfluencetheseeker

alongapathwhichwouldeventuallyleadthemtofulfilment.Alloftheseideasofbecoming,purpose

anddestinyariseinthedream.

But

the

paradox

is

that

although

Being

appears

as

the

dream

seeker,

Being

is

not

a

state

that

can

be

imagined,conceivedof,attainedorevenrealisedbytheseekingofit.Beingrequiresabsolutelynothing

itistheNothingandEverythingthatisalreadyimmaculatefulfilmentandwholeness.Nothingneeds

tobechangedorattained,lostorfound,forBeingtosimplyBe.Theappearanceofseparationissimply

theexpressionofBeing.Theveryideaofsomethingneedingtoapproachthatwhichitalreadyis,is

wonderfullyfutile.Beingisacomedianwithanaudiencewhichneverlaughs.

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Thedreamseekerfeelsasenseoflossandunworthiness,andsoisveryattractedtodreamteachings

whichinvolvepurification,hardcommittedeffort,surrender,devotionandthedevelopmentof

renunciationanddetachment.Thereisakindoflogicalinevitabilityandworthinessabouttheseideas

whichresonateswiththesenseoflack.Thealmostendlesspathofstrivinghappilyensuresthe

continuationoftheindividualexperience.Theseideasseemtoariseoutofaverysubstantialand

reliablehistoryoftraditionalwisdomwhichsurelymustberespected,eventhoughitisonlyavailableas

wordsonbitsofpaper.

Twotraditionalwayswhichseekresolution,orescape,fromthesenseofseparationaremeditationand

selfenquiry.

Inmeditationitseemspossible,throughapparentchoiceandguidance,toreachcertainstatesof

stillnessorblisswhichseembetterthanfeelingseparate.Thebeliefisthatcontinuouseffortwith

meditationwillsolidifythestateandeventuallymakeitpermanent.Butthesestatesareonlyrefined

personalexperienceshappeningwithinthedreamstory.Solikeallothertimebasedactivitiesthey

comeandgoaway.

Selfenquiryisasimilarprocessinthatthegoalisfortheindividualtochoosetotakeactionormakethe

efforttoreachaplacecalledawarenesswhich,itsteacherspromise,willbringpersonalpeaceofmind,

happinessandtheendofallsuffering(?).

Thereisagreatemphasisontheneedforproperlycarriedoutinvestigationofthoughtprocessesetc,

andthenecessityforvigilancefrombeingdistractedbyselfcentredthoughts.

Allofthisactivityisbasedontheprincipleoftheenquirergettingonenessandmaintainingpersonal

possessionofit.

Theeffectofthestateofawarenessisapparentmovementintoaplaceofdetachmentwhichatfirst

feelsveryfreeing,powerfulandsafe...ratherlikebeinginaglassboxfromwhichlifecanbewatched

withoutthewatcherbeingaffected.Itisstillasubtlydualpersonalexperiencewithinthedreamstoryof

separationandsoitistransitory.

Awarenessoflifehappeningisnot'Beinglife'.

Predictablythestateofawareness(Buddhistmindfulness)iseasilyforgottenormislaid,oritcanbe

overwhelmedbydreamthinkingoranypowerfulemotionalsituation,forinstance.Theglassbox

shattersandtheplaceyouseemedtobeinseemslostagain.Thedreamseekereitherstartsself

enquiring

again,

for

another

boost,

or

it

is

realised

that

awareness

is

just

another

refuge

from

within

the

dreamofseparation.AllofthisissimplytheexpressionofBeing.

AnotherwayforthedreamseekertoavoidsimplyBeingistotrytounderstandordevelopclarityabout

itsownnature.ItisveryeasytogetstuckinAdvaitaornondualconcepts.Thesingularand

unrelentingreiterationofsuchideasasallthereisisBeing",everythingistheexpressionofBeingor

thereisnooneareanaridandsimplisticformofcommunication.Itdoesn'taddressorilluminatethe

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dreamseekersapparentdilemmaanditobviouslyignorestheprimaryenergeticessenceoftheimplicit

alivenessofsimplyBeing.

TocontinuouslysaythatbeingawakeorbeingasleepisnotrelevantbecauseBeingisallthereisislike

tellingablindpersonthatitsOKtobeblindbecauseseeingisallthereis.Thisispureidealism.Of

course,thereisnosuchthingasbeingasleeporbeingawake,butthisisnotseenuntilthereisnoone

looking.

TheOpenSecretcommunicationisnotdependentonclearconcepts,howevermuchtheymayexpose

confusedconcepts.Speakinghappensandwordscanonlypointtoanotherpossibilitywhichisbeyond

verbalexpression.Itistheeternallynewmessagewhichishiddenwithinthescripturesandeither

overlookedorrejectedinthemind.

Theideaofprescriptiveteaching,guidanceortheofferofanykindofhelpsimplydoesnotarise.Thisis

amessagewithouthopeorcomfortofanykindfortheindividual,butinvariablythedreamseekerwill

stillbelievethatsomethingisonofferthisisthefunctionofseeking.Itisalsopossiblethatallthatwill

beleftisnothing,andthenanotherpossibilitycouldarise.However,thereisnoagendaormotive

becausenothingisforsale.

Itispossiblethatclaritycouldarise,butabsoluteunderstandingisnotliberation.Nevertheless,allofthis

conceptualcommunicationissecondarytotheprimaryelementthatismostilluminating.Thatprimary

elementisenergetic,impersonalalivenesstheimplicit,vibrantwonderofsimplyBeing.Itisan

energeticshift,apparentlyoutofcontractionintoboundlessness.Thisboundlessnesscannotbeowned

andsocannotbegiven.Itssimplicityutterlyconfoundsthemind,butwhatarisesisanimpersonal

recognitionthatthereisnooneandnothingtobeliberated.Allideasofseparation,individualsuffering,

freewill,choice,meaningandpurpose,destiny,hierarchyandtradition,aresimplyseenbynooneas

thedreamplayofBeing.

Itseemsthattheseekingmindisfascinatedbystruggleandcomplexity.Thewholefabricofseekingis

fullofstoriesofgreatedifices,seeminglyarisingoutofsimplebeginnings.Buddhism,Christianityandso

manyotherdogmas,ariseandgrowandfighteachotheroverhavingbettergods.Catechismsofsinand

worthiness,degreesofawarenessandlevelsofenlightenmentareinvestigated,dissectedandstruggled

over.

Themindlovestheideaofenlightenmentbeingsomekindofdistant,virtuallyunobtainable,perfect

placeofpermanentbliss,freefromsufferingandfullofomniscience,omnipresenceandlotsofother

importantomnisstompingaround,shoutingtheoddsandsavingtheworld.Andofcourse,becauseall

thisgloryandspecialnesshastobeattained,itseemstherehastobealonghaulthroughthedarknight

ofthesoul,endlesspastkarmas,originalsin,rightthinking,rightactionandpreparationforthebardos.

Itisataletoldbyafool,fullofsoundandfury,signifyingnothing.

YetNaturalBeingissuchanordinaryandgentleconstant.Whenitisseenitis.Whenitisavoideditis.It

requiresnoeffortanddemandsnostandards.Beingtimelessthereisnopathtotread,nodebttopay.

Whenthisisheardandconfusioncollapses,whenthecontractionofstrugglingtogetsomethingfalls

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awayandthevibrantenergyofbeingalivenessbecomesapparent,somethingelseisseen,verynaturally

ofcourse,becauseitisalreadyallthatis.

TonyParsons

1stJuly2006