| You have probably already heard all of the | | | | disappear and you remain as consciousness in a |
| Spiritual Enlightenment sayings like "Consciousness | | | | state of unconditional peace. Very blissful. |
| is all there is," And "Advaita means - not two." | | | | I do not expect you to see this immediately. But |
| And although all of these things are true, the | | | | at some point in time if you do your best to try |
| words themselves filed away as knowledge, don't | | | | and notice your thinking, you will come to a point |
| get you any closer to Spiritual Enlightenment. | | | | where thoughts arise and you realize "I did not pull |
| So in this article, I am not only going to help you | | | | that thought up myself, it arose by itself." You will |
| understand consciousness, I am going to give you | | | | have some thought come out of left field and it |
| the direct experience of consciousness, so that | | | | will become clear. "I did not just think of purple |
| by the end of this article you will be able to | | | | pigs, that thought came all by itself." |
| experience a state of nondual consciousness | | | | Sounds silly but this is a huge step towards |
| which can lead to Spiritual Enlightenment. | | | | spiritual enlightenment. Because suddenly you no |
| Then all that is left for you to do is practice | | | | longer define yourself by your thoughts. You see |
| staying in this state of consciousness, or rather, | | | | you exist completely free of the mind. Thoughts |
| practice stopping yourself from leaving your | | | | are arising all on their own without your |
| natural state. There is nothing complicated about | | | | involvement. |
| it. Once you have the direct experience of | | | | If you are interested in understanding |
| consciousness then it is up to you to grow in | | | | consciousness, this is a very important point. |
| nondual awareness through practice. | | | | Because if you see thoughts arise by themselves, |
| First, before we go any further, I would like you | | | | then what are you? You definitely are not the |
| to forget everything you know about spiritual | | | | thinker of the thoughts, but you were conscious |
| enlightenment, consciousness, nonduality, advaita | | | | of your thoughts. You were aware that thoughts |
| and all other spiritual knowledge you have tucked | | | | were happening. |
| away. Throw it all out because it is useless for | | | | Try this now: Close your eyes and don't have any |
| what we are going to do. | | | | thought. Just for a second, don't have any |
| You can have it all back after this article if you | | | | thought. What is there? |
| want it. But if you want spiritual enlightenment, | | | | Do this now. |
| you have to learn to experience this moment | | | | So what is there? If there was no thought, your |
| fresh and new, without relating it to what you | | | | eyes were closed, you were just blank? But you |
| know. Because it is what you know that stops | | | | were aware of the blank, yes? You were there, |
| you from experiencing pure consciousness. | | | | noticing that blank. |
| And rather than getting into some intellectual | | | | So you see the same conclusion comes from |
| advaita essay on spiritual enlightenment, let's get | | | | watching thoughts, or watching no thought. |
| our feet wet and experience pure consciousness: | | | | Whatever the situation, you were conscious of it. |
| Right now, in this moment, take about 20 | | | | And in fact if you really look, there is no you |
| seconds, close your eyes, and notice your | | | | there being conscious, there is you as |
| thinking. You are not to change your thinking or | | | | consciousness! Consciousness and the sense of "I |
| seek a certain thing out, you simply are to close | | | | am" are one and the same, they cannot be |
| your eyes and notice your thinking. Do this now. | | | | separated.' |
| On the surface, it seems that you cannot notice | | | | To go one step further, you cannot separate, |
| the process of thinking, because you are the one | | | | you, this moment and consciousness. |
| thinking the thought. The thought arises about | | | | So forget understanding consciousness, you are |
| what you had for lunch and suddenly you are | | | | consciousness! |
| re-living having lunch. There is no noticing | | | | Now it does no good to believe this, to file this |
| happening. | | | | away in your knowledge of spiritual enlightenment. |
| So when you try and notice your thinking, thinking | | | | You have to practice it. You have to in this |
| either stops, or you get involved with the thinking | | | | moment and in every moment, remain as |
| and there is no noticing. | | | | consciousness,here and now. To be aware of |
| On the surface, you could conclude from this | | | | consciousness itself. |
| observation that you are the thinker of your | | | | The only time you will feel you are not |
| thoughts. | | | | consciousness, is when you are identified with the |
| But in truth this is a false assumption. Look closer. | | | | happening, you are identified with the thoughts |
| Close your eyes again and notice the thought | | | | arising. You are personally involved in the thought. |
| arising. Start in a space of no thought and watch | | | | You have to look closely here. Because |
| the thought arising. | | | | consciousness has not stopped when you are |
| Do this now. | | | | involved with your thoughts but the action of |
| If you practice this and really allow the thoughts | | | | identification with the thoughts distracted you |
| to come and still remain noticing the thoughts, you | | | | from the essence that is always here, |
| will see that thoughts arise by themselves. You | | | | consciousness itself. Because if consciousness was |
| are not thinking the thought, the thought arose by | | | | not present, you could not remember, "I was |
| itself. You were noticing no thought, a thought | | | | identified with my thoughts and emotions." |
| arose and you noticed it arise. Another thought | | | | And a side note here: It is not that you should not |
| arose, or many thoughts arising at once and you | | | | have thoughts or emotions. It is very important |
| are noticing it happening. | | | | that you allow whatever is here to be here. |
| You are not doing the thinking. The thinking is | | | | Trying to control the thoughts and emotions will |
| happening by itself. | | | | only lead to stress. So allow it all to come and go. |
| This in itself is a state freedom. It is the beginning | | | | In this allowing, you are conscious of it. It does |
| of Savikalpa Samadhi. It is when thoughts arise | | | | not mean you have to identify with it or become |
| and you remain completely detached from any | | | | involved with it. You can watch it arise and |
| involvement with them- a state of witness | | | | disappear without ever holding on to anything. |
| consciousness. | | | | It is not about some cold experience of advaita |
| What usually happens when you are not conscious | | | | consciousness where you separate yourself from |
| is that the thought arises and instantly you | | | | what is happening. It is allowing life to be as it is in |
| identify with that thought. Instantly you claim "I | | | | this moment and being aware of it, and as you |
| thought that thought, it is my thought, it defines | | | | grow, being conscious of consciousness itself. |
| me." And then you make the thought important | | | | So whatever is here, allow it to be here and |
| and are involved with it. | | | | notice it. And be aware of the noticing. Because |
| The thought arose, you took responsibility for it | | | | really if you look, you are not noticing it, noticing is |
| and you defined yourself by it. The thought is | | | | happening. Just like thoughts are happening or not |
| about you, your life, what you saw on TV, what | | | | happening. |
| you read, what you know, what you did. The | | | | You can remove the thoughts, you can remove |
| thoughts are personal. You are identified with the | | | | the emotions, you can even lose identification with |
| thought. You think "I am sad" and sadness | | | | the body, but the noticing cannot be removed. |
| becomes your identity and it becomes your | | | | You can see whether there is thought or no |
| reality. | | | | thought, you still exist. Consciousness always |
| But once you learn to watch the thoughts, the | | | | remains. Resting in this state of pure |
| thoughts become impersonal. They no longer | | | | consciousness will lead you all the way to spiritual |
| define you or bind you. You are free from the | | | | enlightenment. |
| involvement with them. They can arise and | | | | |