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The First Instant

THIS IS A FREE VERSION CONSISTING OF EXCERPTS FROM

THE COMPLETE BOOK AVAILABLE AT

HTTP://WWW.SHININGTHROUGHTHEMIND.NET

All there is - is Knowing

A guide to a direct, unmediated Knowing

of your own true nature – Wakefulness

by Gilbert W. Schultz

In the belief and appearance of being an individual, your true nature,

which is the open nature of the infinite, has entered into a finite situation.

This text is presented as a ‘pointer’, through which you may

discover how you entered into this finite aspect.

This knowing is a ‘return’ to that which you have never left - the immediate

actuality of your own true nature.

“tihun loka ujaagara”

This light (of Knowing) illuminates the three worlds.

- from an Indian song

Copyright © 2005 Gilbert W. Schultz



Contents

Foreword 3

Prologue 4

Authentic Being 8What is the First Instant? 9

All Psychological Suffering is Completely Unnecessary 14

The Struggle 15

Ordering Information for The First Instant 17



Foreword

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ForewordBy ‘Sailor’ Bob Adamson

In the year 2000, I received an interstate phone call from a man I did not know. He told me

he had been listening to an audiotape of one of my meetings, which had been given to him by

a friend. He was obviously moved by the message he heard on the tape. He asked if he could

transcribe it. My immediate response was “Oh yeah, another one” (as many others had previously

tried to transcribe the meeting tapes and had given up, probably because of the poor quality of

the audio, coupled with a lack of true understanding of the content). So I said “Go for it” - not

expecting to hear any more about it.

Some weeks later a booklet appeared (in the post). Questions were asked. More tapes were

transcribed. A book was published (titled “What’s wrong with right now, unless you think about

it”).

Continued questioning, listening to and transcribing of tapes eventually led to the end of

questions and the quiet confidence of knowing was clearly evident. That knowingness expressesin myriads of shapes and forms.

This book, THE FIRST INSTANT, is an expression of that knowingness. It is direct, immediate, ever

fresh and new. Nowhere to ‘go’. Nowhere to ‘come from’. No one to ‘do’ either. It IS as it ever

IS. THE FIRST INSTANT.

Read this book and be directly introduced to the timeless reality that you really are -THE FIRST

INSTANT. Allow it to resonate and suffuse your being with the quiet confidence of immediate

knowing.

Gilbert Schultz is the man who made that phone call and edited the book. Since then, this

present book THE FIRST INSTANT has emerged, no longer ‘transcriptions’ or ‘listen-ings’ but

coming from the direct knowing - expressions of the IS-ness of THE FIRST INSTANT.

‘Sailor’ Bob Adamson



The First Instant

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Prologue

The First Instant is this ever-present actuality — which is nothing other than this boundless being-

ness — the essence of what you truly are. You cannot move away from this instant and you never

have been anywhere other than right here ‘in’ and ‘as’ this one and only first instant. This, asa concept, appears to be considerably challenging for the mind, even though this obviousness

is undeniable for anyone who really examines the present evidence of what is immediately

appearing as the ‘presence of what is’ which is this world and its nature. From the individual

perspective, one’s whole life has been a never-ending appearance and disappearance of objects in

this immediate living-ness — this first instant.

The direct unmediated knowing is always the primary awareness. It only appears to be hidden for

the ‘individual’, by the habitual ways of looking, a continual series of fixations on mind content,

and the constant referencing to the ‘me’.

This immediate awareness, this directness, is the ever-present actuality and this does not change

at all — ever. It is very subtle compared to our usual habitual ways of looking at the world, which

is nothing much more than ‘objects’ in mind. Words, names, descriptions and the like are allobjects in mind and none of these actually obscure awareness at all, even though we believe that

they do.

It is usually very difficult to communicate that our belief in the concept of ‘time’ is actually

erroneous. All concepts about objects slipping into a realm called the ‘past’ are just concepts

and nothing more than that. There is no evidence that supports that there are any objects in the

past. Even to say there ‘were’ objects in the past is erroneous.

Just because the majority believe in this common vague concept along with its apparent

subsequent mindscape (a series of concepts) does not make it a fact. The direct evidence, which

is ever-present, is prior to the translating processes of mind and it remains untouched by anything

that arises as thought. It is so obvious and yet seemingly so challenging to our belief system,

including the concept that one is a separate individual.

This primary belief is the main culprit and the last to be let go of, for those that open to the

ever-fresh newness of effortless living. Many years can appear to be wasted on ‘practices’ and

‘methods’ and these ‘delay tactics’ can never bring you back to the fullness of this first instant of

being-ness — because you have never left it — ever.

The ever-present fact of being is the ever-present fact of knowing and this is your true nature.

When have you not been? Is there a ‘time’ when you were not?

This pure functioning of direct cognition is the case with ‘everyone’ no matter what the apparent

condition of body or mind may appear to be. It IS and always has been ‘One without a second’

— IT is the ever-present nature of all and everything.

The direct knowing-ness is ever prior to the content of mind. It is pure intelligence. The true

nature of mind is clear and empty and nothing can lodge in its pristine openness. You are this

ephemeral openness — that formless knowing. That is what is referred to as Essence. It is

insubstantial yet it is totally suffused with the immediate intelligence of knowing.

This simplicity of direct knowing is so simple and so obvious and yet it appears to be so elusive for

so many who are caught up in fixated consciousness and intellectual pursuits. This writing may



Prologue

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reveal to you why that is so.

In the first instant of the pure functioning of ‘seeing-knowing’ there ‘in’ you and here ‘in’ me

and in every single sentient being on this ball of consciousness, which we call Earth, is the very

same ‘seeing-knowing’. It is not two. It appears as many, however it never divides at all. It is

the pure functioning of ‘One without a second’. Those who imagine that they need to refine thisimmediate knowing are misled. It is pure knowing in its immediate pure functioning.

It does not require any refining at all. It is only the mind that aligns itself with this pure

intelligence or not. Realization appears in the mind but the ever-present fact of ‘seeing-knowing’

is the light that illuminates or is the essence of any true realization.

The only thing that appears to obscure this ever-present fact of direct illumination is the belief in

being a ‘person’, a false center called ‘me’ or whatever. Most obscuring factors depend on this

belief in a false center.

Read this book from this perspective: You are ‘pure knowing’ which is instant and ever present.

You are not the ‘content of mind’, which appears to grasp at some knowledge for its survival.

In the most authentic aspect of yourself, you are the light of knowing and nothing more that.

“I am (you are) the light of the world”.

A direct and simple introduction to this First Instant is:

All there is is direct cognition. It is the first instant of knowing. There is nothing else, anywhere,

at any time. The various patterns, shapes and forms appearing within and before you are just

this direct cognition — Awareness. It is nothing but Awareness.

The world is pure energy. All its patterns, shapes and forms are appearances within the realm of

direct cognition. There are numerous names for this and all names are within the realm of mind

and this, in essence is pure, direct cognition.

That is all. All is That. All there IS, is KNOWING.

There are no appearances, which can be separate from this. All appearances are registered in

direct cognition. In essence all appearances are nothing but this direct and immediate expression

of awareness.

Don’t take my word for it — pause and look — see for yourself. It is obvious. No appearance has

any independence whatsoever from this directness. Look and see for yourself. Even the terms

Non-Duality or Oneness are just words or concepts appearing within the realm of direct cognition.

You are this direct cognition. KNOWING.

You are nothing but this. Simply BE the seeing; it is the knowing of this — directly.

You do not have to think about it. You will not come to this through thought alone. It is instantly

here prior to thinking. It is unprocessed direct seeing. Seeing – knowing — not two.

This profundity is a kick in the teeth for the intellect, which is a borrower . All that seemingly

arises within the immediacy of this experiential realm (mind) is nothing but direct cognition. It

is nothing but this. It does not split into two. If you repeatedly return to this ‘pointer’, it will

unfold all the complications of mind stuff. It is not a mantra. It is simply ‘knowing’ itself.



The First Instant

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You are this cognizing factor. Words cannot touch it. At best they can only point back towards it.

All these words here are pointing to it. The seeing is it. You are the seeing — simple!

To say that you do not know this is an absurd statement. It is too obvious for the mind to grasp.

It is the actual presence — the non-conceptual actuality. It is all immediate and never anything

else but the unmediated knowing — being-ness. Do not attempt to turn it into an object — youare THIS cognizing factor. There is no ‘past’ or ‘future’ in this. From the ordinary point of view,

the dualistic mind cannot cope with concepts of non-duality. Much argument springs from this for

intellectuals.

These concepts expressed here may appear to take you beyond the dualistic mind; however you

are there already (here). The fact is simple and plainly evident: Whatever arises in mind – you

are ever prior to this content – you are present and aware. No doubt can arise about this simple

fact — you ARE.

All of the mind-realms of words, images and concepts are nothing but an appearance, which

invariably registers in the immediacy of direct cognition. The ticking of the clock, an original

sound and its echo all register in the immediacy of direct cognition.

You may say that is obvious. The light of knowing illuminates the obvious. You are this light

of knowing. Any thought that springs forth from this immediate knowing, that it is obvious, is

registered in the immediacy of direct cognition like a reflection in a mirror. The very knowing

that it is obvious is this light of direct cognition. This is all that there is. It is all that. All is That.

You are ‘in’ this instant — the instant is ‘in’ you. One, not two.

You are looking from this first instant. You are looking into this first instant and all you see and

know is this first instant. The knowing is the first instant. It is direct, unmediated cognition. The

mind is like a mirror and everything is reflected in the mirror without preferences. Preferences

appear in the mind’s processing and these are fixated reflections in mind.

Direct cognition is not a process of mind. Anything that is re-cognized from this is a reflection in

the mind and this reflection is also cognized directly and immediately in this first instant.

I AM (YOU ARE) the Knowing of That. It is one knowing. One awareness. Not two. Nothing is

transmitted.

So, anything that is triggered off in the mind from reading this is a process of mind, yet the direct

remains direct and does not move. From the viewpoint of mind this is very subtle, yet from the

direct unchanging, unmediated knowing, it is simply obvious. No questions arise in this direct

knowing. It simply IS.

Beyond what you call yourself, within what you call yourself, is this vastness of direct cognition —

unlimited and untouched. This pure functioning is unchanging and untouched by anything. When

this is cognized fully and completely, the ‘entity’ (which is simply imagination), with all its story

of being caught in the realms of re-cognized mind stuff (memory), is overcome and the belief is

dissolved spontaneously. Some call this enlightenment. It needs no name at all. It transcends all

phenomena including all concepts of realization and non-realization.

You are this light of seeing; you are unmediated knowing. You are this direct knowing. It is only a

belief in mind that it may be otherwise.

I repeat: “To say that you do not know this is an erroneous statement”. You are this knowing and



Prologue

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whether you affirm it or deny it, it does not make a scrap of difference in the immediate knowing.

You are this knowing; it is not going to come in some future time. It is right now! Right now is all

there IS — it is presence/awareness.

The Ultimate truth can be nowhere other than right here in this first instant of knowing. It

is clearly evident without any thought or process in mind. Without any mind contortions orcontrived actions in trying to see this ever-present evidence, it is found to be nothing but this

instant of knowing. ‘Seeing-knowing’ is spontaneously happening. Not one speck of anything

‘other’ than itself is in this space of knowing. It has been referred to as space-like awareness.

In this, nothing is created and nothing is destroyed since its very essence or nature is emptiness.

Therefore, even logically, in the mind, you can determine once and for all, that there is no one

that can ‘get it’ or ‘not get it’. All such nonsense is merely the apparent comings and goings of

appearances in mind.

That is why I say: Don’t waste time trying to change your conditioned mind — simply be the seeing

of it.



The First Instant

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Authentic Being

You may be a long-term seeker or a fresh new seeker of your own wholeness.

It makes no difference. Each is paid in full — each receives the message.

The message is ever-present and appears as every particle in this singular instant of unicity

expressing itself.

There is NO realized ‘person’ anywhere.

Yes I am awake. Yes, I am present and aware. So are YOU.

I am not a teacher. Yes in the appearance, I appeared as a seeker.

Yes it appears that I was fortunate enough to find a true teacher.

In the pure functioning of wakefulness, there are no doubts here.

The message is simple and it crosses all boundaries and objectifications.

The message is for self-knowing naked awareness.

I am not a teacher. I am simply a messenger.

Just like a bird singing at dawn, the message is clear yet there is no one that hears it.

In the appearance of being a teacher or a student, there appears differentiation.

These two aspects are one at their source. The teacher invites the student into the singularity

of the source. In the pursuing exchange, the student and the teacher exchange places and the

boundaries blur. At a certain point equality suffuses these two and they become one.

If the teacher keeps the student ‘on the path’ of practices then it is simply a mind game.

Ignorance is blindness to that which already IS.

If you cannot recognize your own authentic being directly without doubting yourself — then use all

your powers of discernment to find a teacher who resonates in your own authentic being.

Seeking elsewhere for that which is true is simply ignorance.

Belief is useless in this search, except as a tool for exposing the false.

Here in this body-mind, there are only transparent beliefs.

My teacher directed my own light of knowing into an investigation without compromise.

What a gift!

Since this has happened here, it can also happen there. No doubt.

It is obvious.



What is the First Instant?

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The first instant can be described simply as this vast unbounded presence. It is completely

indescribable yet all talk is not about anything other than this presence.

The first instant is all there is.

There are actually no limitations to this space of knowing (which you are). If you explore it, it

simply opens up more and more as this unfolding first instant of knowing.

As this moment unfolds before you, there is a ‘space of knowing’ in which everything unfolds.

We call this unfolding, ‘time’.

If you stay quietly present to this subtle unfolding of time, you may notice that everything of this

unfolding is registering clearly within this space of knowing. It never budges. It has no qualities

of coming or going to it. It is as if this space of knowing is absolutely still. The scale of these

movements or unfolding vary from large and obvious movements down to very subtle impressions

of change.

All of these impressions are registering on awareness without causing any change to the space of

knowing.

This clear open cognizing is the first instant of knowing.

Without a thought or story being attached to this open cognition, it remains clear and without

hindrance.

When the mind latches onto some movement in this unfolding, a fixation takes our attention into

a mind realm. This can be called inadvertence. We tend to be less present to the unmediated

registration of direct cognition. In retrospective analysis, it appears that we had gone into the

mind’s matrix.

However, in the first instant of direct cognition, what we truly are has never gone anywhere.

We are the first instant of cognition–knowing.

There is nothing that is not of the first instant. This instant right now is it. All moments from the

so-called past are it. All moments of the so-called future are it.

It is One moment—the first and only instant.

What is this first instant? You are this first instant. Unmediated knowing.

There is no ‘other’ here in this first instant.

You are the center of your world. Start from the fact that YOU ARE.

This immediate being-ness is not negotiable. It IS.

Everything else is belonging to this flow of unfolding phenomenal changes.

All that appears in this flow will disappear.



The First Instant

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Find this first instant in yourself.

It can’t be told in any finite manner.

The direct cognition, which registers the impressions of the moon and the finger pointing at the

moon, is IT.

Everything is registering in this first instant of cognition without any preferences.

It is the mind which introduces preferences, concepts, etc. This mind realm, in its totality, is

registering in direct cognition without exceptions. In other words all content of mind is ancillary

to the pure function of direct cognition

‘Who’ is lost in this mind realm? ‘Who’ is a seeker?

The way out is the way in. Seeing that clearly, one recognizes that there is no ‘in’ or ‘out’.

THIS is IT. Direct and immediate.

This is the first instant.

Nowhere to go and nothing to get.

Since not everyone can see this, we need to continue with various expressions that point towards

the obvious until it is seen clearly. Behind your eyes, in the space of seeing and knowing, the

unknown is filled with knowing in the immediacy of a single instant. It is the first instant of

presence awareness. You are That.

Whether you know it or not, you have always been THAT. It is ever prior to any content that

appears in the mind. It is the knowing of all that appears and disappears in the mind and in the

world. This world and this mind are not two things. They are one.

This is an introduction to the First Instant. The word ‘first’ is quite obvious. The word ‘instant’

implies quickness but this is not really what is meant here. The ‘first instant’ simply means

‘before anything else’. Before ‘time’ appears in mind or comes into play. Before the mind

interprets anything.

These states, which you appear to identify with, are actually all transient and insubstantial.

Even the concept of identification is insubstantial. This revelation challenges the very fabric of a

‘person’. In the pure space of your essence you are the knowing that this is so.

This pure space of wakefulness remains true and unchanging. It is pure knowing, no matter how

it may appear to be translated in mind. Instead of going with what the mind interprets from its

habitual ways, stay for a moment with the simplicity of this direct seeing. Open to this seeing

— seeing from this pure and empty space of being.

It is nothing more than pure knowing. It doesn’t become any ‘thing’. All is revealed for what it

is, in this first instant of being - seeing - knowing. The apparent limitations of mind are not really

there. These beliefs just appear to be there, like reflections in a mirror. Take a look for yourself!

Isn’t this direct knowing the very first thing in this knowing of what you are? Right here, before

anything else? — Always! Isn’t it so clearly obvious? Isn’t everything clearly obvious as ‘What Is’?

This wakefulness does not change and is not touched by the changing content of mind.

In essence you are this first instant of direct and immediate knowing, prior to anything that may

be appearing to happen in the mind. This fact is so simple, yet it is impossible to grasp with the




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mind — because it is not a concept — it is the actuality.

Allow a conscious intention to spread throughout your being. I call this ‘resting back’ into simple

wakefulness. From here, all is self-evident and clear. Awareness is the obvious primary factor.

The psychological ‘you’, what you think you are is subsumed in awareness — your true nature.

At some point the ‘person’ may appear as a wanting to make a practice of this. This clarity is

not achieved or done by a person — it is neither the presence nor the absence of any contrived

personal ‘doing’. It already is and so it can never be a practice. You can (or will) be the seeing

of this for yourself. In this wakefulness, all the senses are registering directly, prior to the mind

labels and translations.

What I am saying here is too revolutionary for a ‘person’ — too subtle to access from an identified

position or attitudinal posture in mind. All that the mind can appear to do with this information is

to dispute it (resist) or relax back into itself (non-resistance).

No matter what psychological position is taken on this, it is all registering in the ever present first

instant of simple wakefulness. Stay open as this wakefulness. Watch everything from this open

view.

A ‘one way’ view from a fixating thought-based mind will not perceive this. Awareness could be

said to be omni-directional and yet there is no direction in awareness at all. The feeling is one of

simple openness.

It is every ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how’.

It may be simply described as openness.

Openness is impartial awareness.

It is not ‘personal’.

It has no bias — It is Universal Awareness.

This is what was once referred to as Cosmic Consciousness.

Once the mind truly rests back in this first instant of wakefulness — then all things are found to beof one taste. The first and only instant is full of the light of knowing. It is time-less. You can’t

get out of it. Any contraction of attention can only ever be partial.

There is nowhere that is not IT!

The inner light, the innate knowing that abides in us all, guides us from the darkness of ignorance

into the full light of immediate knowing. The nature of this light (awareness) is to shine and it

shines time-lessly. This is irrespective of conditions and obscuring mind stuff.

You are this light of knowing

The cloud of unknowing is just a passing shadow

All shadows are cast by the light itself

You are the light

It is all-inclusive, open, self-shining awareness

You are the light of seeing

Direct cognition

Unmediated knowing

One without a second

The truth of this cuts through all manner of obscuring mindsets. Whether you accept it or not,



The First Instant

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you are this One. The ‘second’ can be taken as the psychological stance (of a ‘me’), which

appears within this One.

There is no difference between what you truly are and the Great Sage, the Buddha, or Christ or

whatever ‘Ideal’ personified consciousness you may have attached importance to. All of these

realized beings have simply opened fully into being-ness, oneness — the Universal, the Unicity of Being.

From this openness you see directly into the nature of all things. You see that you are this infinite

appearance of ‘connectedness’. Even this concept of connectedness is appearing ‘on’ or ‘after’

the unmediated knowing which is prior to all thoughts, states and all appearances of these

apparently independent ‘parts’.

“The sum of the parts is not equal to the whole.”

Go (back) in the ‘direction’ (so to speak) of the wordless ‘I am-ness’. All contrived movements in

mind to achieve this openness are only obscuring the view and they prolong the belief (through

continued use) in a concept that one is independent and separate. It is just not so!

If someone were to ask me for advice on this ‘search’ for completeness, I would say something

like the following: All the contrived ‘postures’ and ‘attitudes’ of my seeking led me nowhere,

except around and around on a circuit of endless mentations. Only with the expansive openness

of ‘not seeking’ did a clear view dawn in me. Many helpful hints and examples (of it) were

thrown my way by Teachers and Life itself. This intrinsic knowing shines through the ignorance of

seeking. What is not apparent for some is that this intrinsic knowing is already here. Its fullness

is seemingly diminished (ignored) by mind stuff in the psychological posture of a ‘person’ that

is ‘seeking’. And so I would say, relax back into your own true nature of openness. From this

openness, a view dawns that all is well.

All formulas and concepts are a trap if they are held onto. An open and unbiased concept may

deliver the mind into this openness that it is pointing at. From this openness, there is an increase

of resonance — in immediate knowing — which is seeing. All is appearing within this seeing. It isdirect.

By not attaching to, or fixating on, anything that is appearing, the openness remains open (as it

always is). The absence of an ‘entity’ in this openness is tasted and the intrinsic knowing is that

this openness (this awareness — this simple wakefulness) is what I truly am. Stay with the warmth

of that. It is formless — I am formless — One formless Being.

The Buddha speaks of this formlessness. The transcendent wisdom mantra: Tadyatha – gate – gate– gate – paragate – parasamgate – bodhi – svaha. Briefly translated this means: I am formless, I

am formless, hooray!

The so-called true teaching of Non-duality can never be a structured system. There is no non-dual

teaching as such. There is no non-dual teacher either. All there is is a ‘pointing’ to THAT which

IS. THAT WHICH IS NOT is of no consequence. Belief in ‘that which is not’ will be eliminated or

rendered passive as that which IS becomes ever more clear and obvious.

Your true nature or authentic being-essence is this unmediated, direct knowing which is prior to

all mind interpretations and concepts.

The First Instant is this ever-present Is-ness. Your essence is prior to the mind’s interpretation.




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The re-cognized, the efforts to organize a repeat of Is-ness, is simply obscuration in mind of this

Is-ness. This unmediated, direct knowing is prior to all.

All these endless and so-called heavy mind games float freely beyond you like a leaf on the

river. Nothing touches you and nothing sticks — the leaf still gets tossed around (for awhile but

this abates) and the leaf dissolves into the river of life. Apparent substantiality resolves itself spontaneously and continually.

It is well worth repeating that you will not acquire anything. This point is one that brings up

resistance in those who are ‘well down the track’ of some Sadhana or practice path. If there is a

process, it appears as a process of elimination only. In its simplest form, this teaching is nothing

more than the elimination of erroneous beliefs.

You will not recognize an ‘awakened one’ simply by appearance or behavior. Wakefulness is not

conditioned in any way whatsoever. In a naked wakeful state (in yourself) you will see that this

wakefulness is actually everywhere. Those that are free may shine clearer and brighter simply

because the mind is not cluttered with fixations. A sense of equal-ness pervades.

You are present

I am present

Both present

In this immediate timeless presence.

We call it ‘Now’

‘Right now’

This ‘now’ has no beginning to it

It has no ending to it.

It is the vast presence of Eternity

— Timeless Awareness.

It spans the entirety of everything there is

Without a hint of movement.

THIS CHAPTER CONTINUES IN THE COMPLETE VERSION OF THIS E-BOOK AVAILABLE AT:

HTTP://WWW.SHININGTHROUGHTHEMIND.NET

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The First Instant

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All Psychological Suffering is Completely Unnecessary

In order to begin to be free from psychological suffering, one must first feel some warmth towards

oneself. This warmth arises from our authentic being. This is a prerequisite.

If this warmth is absent then things will not proceed very far.

If you have emotionally beaten yourself over along period, this may appear too difficult.

It is not. Your normal rational intelligence can proceed to assist in the first steps of self-discovery

and then warmth will arise of itself.

In order to feel a warmth and love towards oneself, we need to transcend the emotional baggage

belonging to memory and habitual states of mind and body.

With a willingness to make a direct enquiry, things start to happen.

These long standing beliefs in mind weigh us down and inhibit our natural open nature of being.

In order to transcend these fixations in mind we must investigate them.

In investigating them thoroughly we discover quite clearly that they are simply transient

reference points and so are found to be nothing but appearances in mind.

With this completed investigation comes a revelation.

We find that the present view, which is presently active, is already transcendent to these fixations

of self-doubt and emotional baggage. Everything is seen clearly.

In this way, warmth of being spreads throughout the natural presence and this includes all the

instruments of cognition.

This is so simple that no one believes it.

Who else is going to make this investigation? Only you can do it.

All that can be done from here is to point this out.

The rest is up to you.

Once completed, you will be amazed at how simple it is and it will baffle you as to why you did

not see the simplicity of it before.

The first bird of the morning sings its simple song. Is anyone listening?



The Struggle

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The Struggle

If you live with the expectation of becoming ‘enlightened’, then you have been definitely and

unequivocally misinformed. The essence of what is commonly believed to be enlightenment is

actually with you right now, it is the natural state.

The un-enlightened aspect, the ignorance or the ‘denial’ of this true nature is an ‘obstacle’

seemingly preventing a realization of its natural open presence.

Enlightenment is just a word. Don’t get hooked on words. Words can only ever point at that

which IS. Pointing at that which IS NOT is useful as a tool for the negation of erroneous beliefs.

The natural state, being natural, is not affected by realization or non-realization. It is beyond the

dualistic realm of ordinary ‘mind content’.

The non re-cognition of it is simply due to an identification or fixation with mind ‘content’, which

has arisen from a one-way ‘looking out’ accompanied by an ignorance of ‘within’. However,

this boundary between within and without is only a concept and a way of looking at things.

Pure seeing is not divided into seeing and not seeing. Seeing is knowing. You cannot stop theseaspects of awareness. Even ordinary seeing with the physical eyes continues when you close your

eyes. Pure ‘seeing-knowing’ is omni-directional.

The psyche, the senses, are all habitually turned out towards the world of appearances through a

conditioning brought about by involuntary imitation or apparent assimilation of influences around

us. We, as a fixating aspect of mind, get hooked into a realm of elongated mind content.

Is it that simple? You tell me.

You, as a fixation with mind content have been seemingly filled with concepts from ‘others’

and this has been the inherited condition for ‘common man’. It’s all embroidery upon a plain

cloth. Mere belief itself is neither right or wrong. It is their bias that attaches them to more

substantial habitual states in body and mind. The self-center is the central bias point of fixatingconsciousness. What do you know of it? Truly?

Whether a belief appears to be right or wrong can only be just another opinion. It is just another

reference point in mind. This ‘conditioned mind’ and its ‘beliefs’ are actually insubstantial and

they collapse upon investigation. They are just not there. Any fear of that ‘collapse’ keeps the

mind busy with its structures of thought support for a false entity in a false world.

There is no such collapse as such, it is more like a cloud vaporizing. By ignoring your natural state,

you have inadvertently, yet only seemingly, bound yourself ‘in’ erroneous concepts. They actually

appear ‘in’ you and you are not bound by them—at all. Paradoxically, your argument about this

fact is your bondage. It is just a belief. Who is bound by what?

Look through your own eyes to the immediacy of What IS.

With assistance from the ‘one who is free’ of the conditioned mind (in yourself or from outside),

an investigation can take place wherein all erroneous beliefs are cleared away or seen through.

This may appear to take ‘time’ just as the ‘seeming’ accumulation of conditioning has appeared

to take ‘time’. (Time is mind). When ‘time’ disappears, the natural state is pristinely evident as

your own true nature.



The First Instant

- 16 -

This is immediate and direct unmediated knowing — pure awareness. IT IS. Enlightenment or pure

awareness (true nature) is timeless. IT IS. (It is not a process).

Throughout all the ages, in the diverse appearances of the One, there have been those who

‘know’. Their words, directions and instructions are simple enough. The common belief is that

a transmission is needed. Nothing is actually imparted by the guru or teacher and the so-called‘transmission’ is just a concept. The guru reveals to you your own light of knowing which is ever

direct and present. You have only seemingly forgotten it.

The full potency of the message, just like your own authentic being, is so simple and so obvious,

that most miss it all together.

All that is needed are just simple directions as to how to make this investigation within the scope

of your own awareness. A process of the elimination of all concepts including the primary concept

of ‘I am’ brings one to the un-doubt-able fact of open awareness (Where one finds that it is

already open).

So-called ‘teachers’ that promise enlightenment through elaborate ‘practices’ and ‘methods’

are themselves misinformed. The true Master holds a ‘mirror’ in which you see yourself. Inpure seeing the ‘Master’ and the ‘seeker’ vanish. Seeing-knowing remains as the ever present

actuality. The ‘seer’ and the ‘seen’ dissolve into pure seeing-knowing. They may all continue to

re-appear, yet the substantiality of the ‘objects’, which they appear to be, is clearly known to be

awareness and nothing else. Thus, the true meaning of ‘One without a second’, reveals itself — to

itself.

You are THIS! It is a constant revelation — ever fresh. This moment —THIS MOMENT — has never

happened before.

The infinite web of subtle energy runs throughout (is) the whole manifestation—there is no

‘entity’ that has independence or substantiality anywhere. No one to claim ownership of even one

atom let alone a body or mind.

As Nisargadatta says: “You have taken yourself to be something that you are not”.

As ‘Sailor’ Bob Adamson says: “Relax and be what you are”.



Ordering Information

- 17 -

Ordering Information for The First Instant

This free e-book consists of excerpts from the complete The First Instant e-book which is available

for order on the Shining Through The Mind web site at http://www.shiningthroughthemind.net.

This e-book and its contents are copyrighted by Gilbert Schultz. You may freely redistribute this

free version of the e-book provided you only distribute an unedited, unmodified, complete copy of

the electronic file as you obtained it from the Shining Through The Mind web site.

Gilbert welcomes all comments and questions. He may be contacted via e-mail at gilbert@shining

throughthemind.net.

http://www.shiningthroughthemind.net/

mailto:[email protected]




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