The human being is completely and utterly conditioned by life....to think that they are completely and utterly unconditioned by life.

... to think it's not an instrument.

If thought continues to include the false notion that thought is a volitional function of an independent separate person in control of when and what is thought, then the lynch pin of suffering (belief in personal doership) remains in place. 

Thinking is a byproduct of the body&brain's genes and up-to-date conditioning interacting with the circumstance it finds itself in, none of these factors have ever been in it's control. 

Thinking happens, there isn't a volitional 'thinker'.

The deeply ingrained belief in personal doership keeps this impersonal dynamic from being appreciated because whenever anything happens through the body/brain (including thinking) it's automatically assumed by thought to be the result of "me the doer".

This thought of 'being the doer' is just an inaccurate assessment of what's happening produced by a programmed instrument. 

There never has been, and never will be, a "doer", no one has ever "done" anything. Everything is a happening according to Source or God. 

Blame, guilt, pride, worry and expectation all ride on the back of this unsubstantiated belief in personal doership. This is why suffering is sometimes referred to as unreal and why it can end. It's an error resting on an error, which is meant to be there until as destined the instrument is reconditioned to no longer create the error. 

Peace for now. 

A very strange thing happens in life: the very essence of who we are fades into non-recognition. 

Understandably so when this happens, the experience of life starts to feel uncomfortable, and as the disconnection grows the uncomfortableness intensifies. 

The returning of attention onto this essential core of our existence is a game changer. 

This shift in attention is a shift from head to heart, a shift from experiencing everything through a filter of belief, judgement and thought to simply finding that there is another podium to stand at. 

Drop out of the obsessive thinking about how things should or shouldn't be, about yourself and the other, and in that moment you'll find you ARE, untouched by all that's happened, and you'll smile. That's your reconnection to Source.

Peace for now. 

On the physical level all humans share commonalities, for example we all, without fail, have a heart. 

All humans also WITHOUT FAIL, in fact it is our very core, include another most precious quality. It is this quality which is our life line, it is the source of relaxation, unwavering contentment and peace here in life. 

Here's the twist in the plot, this precious quality is by default covered up by a load of suppressed guilt and blame from the past, and expectation in the future, and because of this load life is not experienced as contenting and peaceful. 

Spiritual teachings in different ways are there to release this for the purpose of peace of mind in daily living. 

When a focus on spirituality comes into one's life this is an intensifying of this ongoing process of realising this core of our being through the process of undermining what's in the way. 

This is completely available for all of us, it is simply a matter of the right strokes being delivered by life, and this is already happening. So even if in this moment you're feeling lost allow a ray of gratitude to come in for this fact, and for those who in this moment are clear that this is what's happening then bathe in the grace and gratitude.

This core is covered up by a load of guilt and blame from the past, and a continued similar attitude to life in the present. 

You are not the doer, the other is not the doer and your happiness isn't dependent on outcomes in the flow of life. It is the deep seeing of this which uproots the load of past and future which then naturally and effortlessly allows a resting in the core of who we are to happen.

Peace for now.

Follow these suggestions step by step if you feel inclined.
(or listen to a 4 minute recorded version at the bottom or here) 

Sit quietly and still, become aware of the environment you're in. Allow your center of consciousness to drift down out of the head into the chest as if dragged down by gravity (this is its home). 

Soften and open your gaze, look at the vista infront of you with this soft open gaze, notice your periferal vision, left and right, above and below, and notice how the entire visual experience arises within what you could call the field of vision. Stay here for half a minute or so allowing everything to be as it is. 

Notice that the visual experience is there regardless of whether you label it or not, so for a while, no need to label. This is much more an exercise about becoming aware of (bringing attention to) the actual functioning of sight as a sense, the seeing itself. 

For a minute or so bring attention to this seeing function free of labelling and just see the entire vista all at once as a single visual experience. Keep the head still but allow the the eyes to move around very slowly so that attention doesn't get fixated on any one spot, this can help thinking to remain absent. All the while noticing the full vista as a single visual experience, a bit like a painting. 

Remember this is about becoming aware of the seeing itself independent of the functioning of thought. Just bring attention to the act or sense of sight itself.

Then, from this position of being aware of seeing play with this notion: even though everything points to the fact that it is the eyes that are doing the seeing, they aren't. The seeing is happening from outside of the body, not through the eyes, but from some place behind your head. 

This is not something to think about, this is something to be experienced, here it is again:

Once attention is on the act or sense of seeing itself, play with this notion: even though everything points to the fact that it is the eyes that are doing the seeing, they aren't. The seeing is happening from outside the body, not through the eyes, but from some place behind the head. 

What is seen in the visual experience is all contained within that which sees it, a field of awareness you could say. Nothing is outside it, the body is a visual object within the overall visual experience. 

The body is not the Subject as often felt, it is not what is aware, it is what's 'awared'. That which is aware, which is experience itself, pervades the entire space and all the visual objects. Nothing is outside of the experience.

Don't think about this, be the act of seeing, be Awareness, the body is an object 'awared' not the Subject.

Become often, consciously aware and amazed that you are here now, in life, that you exist. 

Not aware that you exist as this or that, succeeding or failing, happy or suffering, but rather stop and BE that innate and undeniable feeling or sense 'I Am', 'I exist', prior to all those labels.

This is what gives life meaning. 

Peace for now

... the question of personal doership

The root from which so many forms of suffering flower is the belief in personal doership. 

There's guilt and shame, blame and hatred, pride and arrogance, worry and expectation.

See this for yourself based on your own investigation, that's a great start.

The reason this is highlighted, is because, whether it's realised or not, the only state which truly satisfies on an ongoing basis is the state of being human free of psychological suffering - this is happiness through peace of mind.

If each person really is an 'independent doer' then the suffering which arises in life would be accurate and we would have to conclude that suffering is not something that can realistically end. On this basis It would be wise to feel guilty for my actions which delivered bad outcomes, wise and realistic to feel blame towards others who hurt me, and wise to feel pride for my actions which are successful.

On the other hand, If the interpretation of humans as 'doers' is an error, then the suffering that stems from that interpretation must be an error too.
Good news in my book, maybe there is hope.

Peace for now

The pointers I put forward work in a very specific way, and if your intellect is relating to them in the wrong way then the understanding may not sink in deeply. I'm going to throw in an affirmation I heard recently to demonstrate my point.

"every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better"

There is a place for these sorts of affirmations, it sounds very nice on the surface and can be useful in certain contexts, and I'm sure we've all from time to time run with something like this for a while. However if you apply just a bit of critical thinking to this statement you can see that it is not entirely accurate. 

I use the above example to highlight that sometimes our relationship to concepts is to believe and take them on without really processing what is being delivered. As humans, because of the way we develop, starting as a baby, then infancy and so on at first relying heavily on parents, this believing tendency can become a default, and as we grow older sometimes it doesn't fall away and can mothball certain faculties of the intellect without us even realising it. 

Some people actually believe that there is a God out there somewhere, who has a son, who sent his son down from heaven to earth, specifically to die for the sins of mortals. 

I'm using these examples, not to ridicule or judge but rather to highlight how easily beliefs can get formed when concepts are presented and a certain faculty of intellect is not applied. The sad part is not only that we tend to become limited by beliefs until they are seen as such, but more-so this movement of simply believing prevents an actual experiential seeing of various dynamics which are being described.

If a concept I share is only believed, even if it is accurate, it will have limited value.

So, when relating to this teaching, please take the concepts and really understand what they are saying. Then, once there is a clear intellectual grasp of what is shared there is a chance to really SEE the dynamics for yourself in your own daily life.

This requires a honed intellect that will realise that these concepts are descriptions of daily living and are asking you to see the dynamics described and NOT to believe. This post is aimed at honing the intellect to recognise this difference.

After having understood a concept intellectually then every time you confirm its accuracy for yourself in your own life the understanding goes deeper. 

Take for example this concept: "You are not the 'doer', the other is not the doer, everyone functions in each moment based on an impulse which arises which on investigation is seen to be an impulse we didn't create, it's a happening, and these happening drive us forward, life is a happening and not our doing". And this concept: "the inaccurate attitude of 'doership' is highlighted because guilt, blame and pride rest on it, and given we only live a satisfied life when these forms of suffering end then it's critical to see that 'personal doership' is not an accurate interpretation of the what moves us in life". 

If the intellect really digests these concepts, meaning it has an intellectual understanding, then this dynamic may be seen for yourself, ticked off as accurate based on your own experience, and that's how the understanding goes deeper and deeper.

Ramesh used to say "One day, after having really looked at what the concepts are pointing at, seen them to be accurate based on your own investigation in daily living, it will dawn on you "I simply cannot be the 'doer', and my happiness can't possibly be found in the flow of life."

Peace for now

If you experience uncomfortableness around decision making, notice that it's not actually because a decision is not forthcoming but rather because there's a persisting attitude which assumes a decision needs to be made by "me", yesterday, or at least now. 

You don't need to worry about making decisions in life. 

A decision gets made only when life infuses a strong enough feeling, thought or impulse into the moment, that infusion is what motivates a decision, it is the decision. 

Whether we appreciate this or not, the various impulses are not created by "me", a "doer", any more than you create the feeling of hunger which drives your decision to eat. Hunger arises when it arises, it's a happening, and any mental struggle against hunger arising or not arising is independent to the hunger.

If in a particular moment life doesn't include a clear impulse one way or another regarding a set of options you're considering, then appreciate that it's destiny for in that moment for you to make no decision, just like we could say it's destiny (not your doing) that hunger arises or not at a certain time, it's meant to be that way. You could even look at it as a decision to make no decision when there is no clear impulse.

It's not your job to struggle for the moment to look a particular way, you can relax, a decision, when it's time, will come even if you're not trying to make one. The 'trying/forcing' a decision would just be conditioning which doesn't quite understand this point.

Relax, you're being lived - always. 

Peace for now. 

...or Self, or the Absolute, not even Truth.

Be clear on what it is you are seeking from your own enquiry and experience and not based on a belief you've picked up along the way. With enough pointers and investigation you'll see that you're actually just looking for the end of suffering.

You're not looking for awakening, Self, the Absolute, not even some magical 'Truth' or any of the revealing insights, you're actually, when you keep it real, just looking for peace of mind in daily living which is the end of suffering.

Awakening and the other revelations are quite simply useful contributors which assist the undermining of the beliefs on which suffering stand. And for some, life dissolves the beliefs without the need for certain experience, for others, states and experiences are a large part of the methodology. 

As each phase, which takes a particular form, falls away and transitions into the next phase it may starts to become clear that it's not about any particular phase, state or experience, it's not about witnessing, or Being either, all these pronounced states subside and eventually you find yourself living life as a person in a world, simple as that, not living in a dream or being formless awareness, just a person in a world with other people but simply unable to produce certain forms of thought and feelings which used to be second nature. Now they no longer arise. 

The emphasis on Consciousness, the Absolute, non-doership, illusion and reality, nothingness and everything and so on, all have their place, these contemplations and insights contribute what needs to be contributed in order to undermine certain core false beliefs. But remember, as you engage in these contemplations, you're just looking for unbroken peace of mind in daily living. That's the only time seeking stops completely. 

I can't emphasise this enough, realise this and that is clarity, then all else falls into place. 

Peace for now.