Peter Dziuban is, I think, the first spiritual teacher I got to know personally. I had been holed up in my house for a while, trying to get oriented within awakeness when I stumbled across his first book, the very sharp and clear, Consciousness Is All.
My awakening had occurred just a little over a year prior to that, and I was, at least in perception, moving back and forth between identifying as self and Self. You know what I mean. That book helped bring me back into present conscious awareness, which is the only awareness that counts.
I wrote a review of that book, Peter and I began to email each other, and a friendship was born. We've been in touch ever since. So it's my great pleasure to bring you Peter's new book, the first in a series, called Simply Notice. Peter and I have talked and we both agree that in order for this teaching we both represent to grow, it's got to reach a broader audience. This is his contribution toward that.
This is not your average Nondual title. Here's part of a note Peter emailed me, "I almost forgot to mention the most important thing about the book. It's specifically written to make some of the deeper points of spirituality/awareness accessible to a MUCH wider audience. As you'll see, it's a very simple, basic book. I know a lot of your audience is well-read in nondual literature so they should know up-front that this is not any kind of deep, latest-and-greatest pointing. (Yet so far it's been pleasantly surprising to see how many "advanced" readers enjoy it just for its simplicity.) So...maybe you could mention that somewhere as a heads-up as to what to expect."
This is quite a long excerpt, for which I'm very grateful. Wind your way through over a period of several visits. Find out what happens.
Fred Davis
10.17.13
SIMPLY NOTICE
Book I
Clear Awareness Is the Key
To Happiness, Love and Freedom
To Happiness, Love and Freedom
Table of Contents
Why This Book?
Introduction
1 Overview—This Book In One Chapter
2 Notice Some Things About Noticing
3 Like A Crystal Clear Windshield
4 Life Is Not A Hoarder
5 Notice Whose Life This Really Is
6 Life Turned Inside Out
7 Mission Impossible: Find “I”
8 The Blue Sky Never Struggles To Be Blue
9 A Movie Screen That Is Alive
10 Notice Like An Astronaut
11 Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
12 Yes, We Have No Bananas
13 What Is A Day, Anyway?
14 It’s Only A Sense Of A Body
15 What On Earth Have We Been Believing?
16 Life Itself Is Not A Dream
17 Alive As Unlimited-ness
18 Love Is Alive
19 The Softness Of Life
Why This Book?
Introduction
1 Overview—This Book In One Chapter
2 Notice Some Things About Noticing
3 Like A Crystal Clear Windshield
4 Life Is Not A Hoarder
5 Notice Whose Life This Really Is
6 Life Turned Inside Out
7 Mission Impossible: Find “I”
8 The Blue Sky Never Struggles To Be Blue
9 A Movie Screen That Is Alive
10 Notice Like An Astronaut
11 Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
12 Yes, We Have No Bananas
13 What Is A Day, Anyway?
14 It’s Only A Sense Of A Body
15 What On Earth Have We Been Believing?
16 Life Itself Is Not A Dream
17 Alive As Unlimited-ness
18 Love Is Alive
19 The Softness Of Life
Why This Book?
Welcome to an adventure in the power of noticing.
Noticing is familiar to all because it is so natural and easy to do. It is as easy as noticing the words on this page.
Inside, you’ll go far beyond visual noticing (such as seeing these words) to experience many other types of noticing.
What exactly is meant by noticing? The dictionary says that to notice means to observe or pay attention to.
Noticing is like being aware—but there’s a slight difference. Noticing actually is what occurs thanks to being aware or conscious.
Imagine a sun-like light so brilliant it can illuminate anything. The light itself, which is always on, is like awareness, consciousness. The focusing of the light on something is similar to noticing. It’s usually a focusing of attention.
For example, you are aware as these words are being read. It is thanks to first being aware that you are able to do anything. And at this moment, being aware is what enables you to notice and focus on these words.
In the bright light of noticing, many things about oneself, one’s world, and the astounding nature of Life itself become crystal clear.
Awareness and noticing are such an integral part of living, that to speak of them in terms of benefit almost sounds silly. It’s like saying breathing is a benefit.
Noticing is one of the most natural, normal things that go on all day. It is so effortless, most of the time it isn’t even noticed that noticing is happening!
* * * * *
Yet look at how powerful it is.
Noticing basically drives everything you appear to do.
Would it have been possible to get the body out of bed this morning without having first noticed you were awake?
Could any meals have been eaten today without having first noticed the food?
Could you have gotten this book without having first noticed that it said something of interest to you?
When noticing is used intelligently it becomes priceless.
It can remove whatever might be in the way of experiencing greater happiness, love and freedom.
Chapter Three shows how awareness is a bit like the clear glass of a car windshield. It is through this windshield of awareness that you appear to experience your entire world.
In its natural, normal state, awareness is pure and clear. But it gets covered sometimes with the mental sludge of old conditioning, negative thoughts and emotions, or maybe just too many thoughts and emotions.
Then we try to navigate through daily life with all of that stuff obstructing the view.
Noticing acts as wipers which keep the windshield clean and clear.
Another huge benefit of noticing is that it frees you from false beliefs. Beliefs often limit how you see yourself and your world—thereby severely restricting your life. Yet this isn’t even realized.
Suppose you were given a hot new sports car. But when it was given, you were put under a belief, like a hypnotic spell: “Use this car whenever you want, with one rule. You must drive it only on your driveway—nowhere else.”
One day you snap out of the hypnosis. You see the driveway story was a belief, not a fact—and you are free to go wherever you wish.
Beliefs are nothing but mistaken assumptions parading as facts. They are like mental clouds. But clouds never block the sun from being the sun.
Similarly, beliefs cannot block or limit you once they are exposed. When false beliefs fall away, the limitations and unhappiness they caused fall away with them.
Other times, noticing is just plain fun, and yes, exciting! The wonderful thing is, noticing is much more than a belief remover. It shows how magnificent Life is, in ways previously unimaginable.
Simply Notice follows this author’s first work, Consciousness Is All
– Now Life Is Completely New (Blue Dolphin 2007). Consciousness Is All is an experiential book on the nature of Life and Reality for experienced readers of spiritual literature. For reader comments, please visit www.ConsciousnessIsAll.com or for reviews see www.Amazon.com.
Simply Notice says many of the same things, but in a simple, fresh and entertaining way, intended to interest a wider range of readers.
If you have peeked at the pages after Chapter One, you have seen each page stands alone, as a simple noticing of something.
The noticing may be about what you consider yourself to be. Or it may be about thoughts and emotions (this is belief territory).
There also is noticing about everyday things, such as bananas and cell phones—or more serious subjects such as the world, and Life itself. Increasingly, you’ll see the value of noticing, and how various aspects of noticing work.
With each simple noticing comes a fresh seeing, a sharper awareness and discernment. This ends unnecessary struggling and leaves one free to enjoy Life as it naturally, effortlessly is.
So don’t think of these pages as a task, as a new project you must take on in order to improve yourself.
This is meant to be a delightful—and at times eye-opening—discovery of how magnificent and free you already are.
The noticing on page 15 says: “Noticing is self-expanding. The more you notice, the more you notice that you are noticing.”
It’s really true. So this Book 1 is first in a series, all with the main title, Simply Notice. Each will have its own theme, but thanks to its self-expanding nature, the noticing will spread in many directions.
As you continue reading you may begin to feel, as the author does, that this book could say so much more. That’s correct—and it’s actually a good thing.
What will happen is that a noticing here will trigger something you will notice on your own. And that will lead to still more noticing.
You likely will ask, “Why isn’t the book talking about this—and why doesn’t it mention that, too?”
Countless things could be said about noticing. That’s just an indication of its unlimited power.
Introduction
As just mentioned in the Preface about noticing, its very power led to something huge that influenced the writing of this book.
It is, as they say, a game changer. It may be the game changer.
This doesn’t mean you continue the same game, and change its outcome. It means suddenly you’ve got a brand new kind of game.
The new game is an incredibly significant fact about the limitless nature of Life and awareness, consciousness.
Bottom line is, there truly is only one universal consciousness. It is the very consciousness you are now aware of being—and it is not stuck inside the head of the body holding this book.
Consciousness embraces the entire universe.
These pages enable you to experience this, rather than merely reading theories about it.
Amazingly, this has been known for centuries. Yet it has gone largely unnoticed by most of us, and continues that way today.
The reason this is not more widely known is because it is hidden by an illusion. That illusion is the way the human senses—mostly sight and touch—make the everyday world appear.
If all this sounds far-fetched, don’t worry. Making it crystal clear is what this book is for, and simple steps of noticing walk you carefully through it all.
It’s like being invited backstage after a magician’s show. You see firsthand how the tricks and illusions work. Exposing the illusion begins in Chapter Twelve, “Yes, We Have No Bananas.”
All these points kept coming up during the writing, as if asking for special emphasis—so they became the theme of this Book 1. A first glimpse is just ahead in the overview in Chapter One.
You are about to go way beyond “thinking outside the box.”
That has long been a popular phrase. Notice something about it now, which you may not have noticed before.
Of course, “the box” means the limits of an old way of thinking. So you get outside of that box by using a new way of thinking.
But notice that even when outside of the old limited thinking, you’re still thinking.
So now you’ve got a new box—but it’s still a box!
Thinking is a very useful thing, but know this: thinking is the box. This is an adventure in getting altogether outside of thinking.
You are going straight to pure consciousness, unlimited awareness— that which gives rise to, and notices all thinking.
This is similar to having a big Aha!
To have an Aha! is great—but notice something about those, too. The Aha! itself is not really where it’s at.
What you want is where all the Aha!’s come from. That’s the juice.
That’s unlimited awareness.
1 Overview—This Book In One Chapter
To say “simply notice” is a call to attention.
Rather than telling you to blindly accept and believe something, it’s like saying, “See for yourself.”
It sounds funny, but there is a lot about noticing you may not have noticed.
What usually gets the most attention is the thing that is noticed or
what is noticed.
What is noticed can take many forms. It could be an item such as this book or a vivid red tulip. It could be the smell of fresh paint. A change in a tone of voice can be noticed. When you change your mind you notice that, too. It is even possible to notice a certain mental or energetic atmosphere when entering a room.
In another sense, it’s also possible to notice an absence of something. Suppose these words were flowing along, and suddenly a blank space appeared right here in this sentence. It’s like noticing there’s nothing to notice.
Then there is the act of noticing, itself. If noticing is like a focusing of attention, who or what is doing the focusing? If awareness is what notices, what exactly is awareness?
Why are some things actively noticed, such as enjoying a sunset, while others are passively noticed, such as the sound of thunder intruding upon the silence?
Then there are many things that seem to have gone unnoticed. Perhaps some of those will soon be brought to light.
Your entire experience can change in an instant when some things that have gone unnoticed are suddenly noticed.
The words simply notice as used here are an invitation, too.
They invite you to an entirely new way of experiencing Life, and seeing that Life really is magnificent beyond your wildest dreams. Yes, really.
This doesn’t mean pumping you up with a lot of inspirational talk.
These pages point out a very different, yet specific and definite way to see or perceive your world, and see what you really are.
It is totally natural—and, in fact, it is already happening right now. It has just gone unnoticed by most of us.
Start with a few things about yourself that may have gone unnoticed until now.
At this moment, there is a “you” that is conscious and aware and noticing these words.
To say, “There is a ‘you’ that is aware,” means to begin knowing yourself more as a state of awareness—instead of as just a body.
This “awareness-you” seems able to be aware of other things, too.
The area near your body can be noticed. Perhaps there is a chair on which the body is now seated. Notice it.
Be aware of the feeling of the body’s weight against the seat. Really notice the feel. Is it hard or soft?
This you that is aware might be able to notice other things. If there is a window nearby, the outdoors might be noticed; maybe the sky.
Now come back and notice the body again as it is holding this book.
Pause after each of these sentences to closely notice the body. Notice your right foot. Raise it up and move it around a bit.
Specifically, be aware of how it appears—the color and shape. Feel the weight.
Next, slowly pull your left thumb up close.
Really notice the fingernail. There it is—just a fingernail.
Now notice something usually overlooked, yet extremely telling. That fingernail never notices you.
Always, you are the one that notices or is aware of the fingernail. It never is the other way around.
Stop and see if it ever happens that the fingernail is aware of you.
That fingernail never has said to you, “You’ve been aware of me all day! Now we’ll switch and it’s my turn to be aware of you.”
Stop and confirm this now with other parts of the body. A whole
finger. A leg. Chest. Try a tooth. An ear. Even your entire head. The answer always is: no part of the body ever is aware.
The body never is the same as the you that is aware of the body.
If no part of the body is aware—and yet you are aware—then you must be something more than the body.
The body is what you seem to use. It is not what you are. Awareness is what you really are.
Perhaps you never noticed this before. That’s okay. Notice it now. Now take it even further.
Stop again to really notice the body as it is breathing.
The gentle up-and-down rhythm of the lungs is noticed as supposedly occurring inside the body.
Go slowly and let these sink in. Notice that the heartbeat, a muscle cramp, and even the taste of toothpaste, are other things that would be noticed as being inside the body.
Now notice this book. It appears to be outside the body.
Notice other items again where the body is seated. Notice a window if you can. Suppose the moon could be seen through the window.
The book, window, and moon all appear to be outside the body. So—some things are noticed as being inside the body.
Some are noticed as being outside the body.
Either way, inside or outside—all these things are noticed.
That’s what counts. Both the inside and outside things are within your noticing. They all have that in common.
It means the muscle cramp and the moon really are found in the exact same “place.”
Everything always appears to be going on within this state of noticing or awareness.
Be alert that some things appear to be outside the body, of course. But nothing you experience is ever outside of noticing or awareness. Otherwise, that thing could not be noticed.
Even the body itself appears to be included within awareness. Awareness is all-inclusive of every last bit of your experience.
The more you notice about this, the more it is clear.
This all-inclusive “bubble” of noticing or awareness really is where the entirety of your universe appears to be experienced.
The popular belief today is that you are a body—and awareness, consciousness, is limited to functioning only inside that body.
But you’ve already begun showing yourself the opposite view.
It can equally be said that you are a state of awareness, and this awareness appears to have a body—and everything else!—within it.
The following example is far from perfect, but here’s another quick way to get a sense of the difference.
For a moment, think of one of those clear glass decorative balls that have a miniature snow scene inside them.
If you’ve never seen one, these glass balls are about the size of a baseball. Inside the glass might be some tiny trees, maybe a house, a sleigh, and a tiny person or two. The glass ball also is filled with water and tiny white flakes.
Pick the glass ball up, shake it, and it starts snowing inside.
You are taught to believe you are limited to being like one of the tiny people in the scene. Supposedly, consciousness or awareness is stuck inside that tiny body.
What you will see in these pages is that awareness is like the glass.
The glass (awareness) is not inside the tiny people. It includes or embraces everything in the scene.
In other words, the “seeing” is no longer happening as if looking out from inside the body. Now the seeing is done from a state of all-embracing awareness.
The difference simply lies in changing what your starting point is—from body to awareness. It’s a change of what you consider yourself to be; what you identify as.
Don’t be surprised if this stirs up some questions, because you’ve begun to challenge a huge, long accepted belief.
If any of this seems unusual or intimidating, just know that a lot more simple examples of noticing are coming up. All these points will be made crystal clear—that’s what the entire book is for—and this chapter is just a quick overview.
On the other hand, if this isn’t new to you, please be patient and open to the possibility that you may see something new here, too.
If all things—body, earth, even the moon and universe—can be said to be within noticing and awareness, it changes everything.
You need an entirely new way of seeing how Life works.
In the new view, it’s as if the perspective is turned inside-out. Formerly it seemed you were aware or seeing from inside the body. Now, as awareness, you’re not stuck inside there.
All experience, and even what had seemed to be a separate planet earth “out there” with Life on it, now is seen to be within this all- embracing awareness, consciousness.
This awareness is not some far off ethereal state that must be attained. It is this very awareness you are presently aware of being.
It just has gone unnoticed.
The irony is that none of this is new.
The notion of an all-embracing universal consciousness or Life has been known to sages, saints, and philosophers for centuries.
It gives new meaning to the spiritual saying, “The kingdom of God is within you.”
Today this is increasingly accepted by scientists. Their way of putting it is to say that there is no world “out there” that is separate from the observer (awareness) that observes it.
Rather than merely telling you this as if it were an abstract idea, these pages allow you to see and live this experientially.
This little scenario may help put its significance in perspective.
Imagine being able to leave this current year, and talk with those who appeared on earth in the year 1000.
One of the first things you might say is, “Hey! Earth is not the center of the universe, and earth is not flat! That’s an illusion. Don’t let that false belief limit you! There is a new way of seeing things. Earth is round, floating in a vast space.”
Now suppose you fast-forward to the year 3000. You are able to look from there, and have a talk with yourself here, today.
You’d likely tell yourself, “Hey, you are not in the world. The world appears in you. But you aren’t what you now believe you are—not a mere body. You are Life’s boundless state of consciousness which includes everything—even the whole universe—in its alive embrace. The universe really is made of Love, not space.”
The 3000-you then says, “Do you realize what else this means? Life is not on earth! If anything, earth is in Life. That old belief needs to be dropped, like the old flat earth! There’s an entirely new way of seeing.”
“Earth has gone from flat to round to now being like an idea or concept in awareness! It’s so magnificent it becomes indescribable!”
Finally the 3000-you says, “This is true now! It doesn’t have to be waited for, any more than the round earth had to be waited for.”
This book is the rest of that conversation with yourself.
It is the very Life you are, showing yourself the magnificence of the Life you are.
3 Like A Crystal Clear Windshield
Simple noticing is like being the clear glass of a car windshield. The clear glass windshield simply provides the view.
The clear glass never comments on the view.
When driving down the street, does a clear glass windshield ever say, “I would prefer another scene. Choose somewhere else to drive, please!”?
A clear glass windshield never adds to, or complicates, what comes into its field of view by also thinking about the view.
The clear glass doesn’t project a judgment or story on the view, and see only that.
In other words, things can be seen as they really are.
Simple noticing is the same—it is a pure, raw awareness or perceiving.
Like clear glass, this clear awareness is not cluttered with an overlay of mental chatter due to beliefs or prior conditioning.
Clear awareness is a silent seeing.
So—a windshield remains clear, no matter what seems to appear in its view.
Notice how the crystal clear glass always is stress-free, too.
It is the same in everyday living when naturally being aware and perceiving—even right here, now.
After the next line, pause reading a moment.
Keep your eyes open, just relax, and without thinking, be aware
silently.
This is seeing simply—like clear glass.
There is no internal commentary or judgment about what is seen. This is clean perceiving—as it naturally, normally is in Life.
It is simple and easy.
It literally feels light, too, because there is none of the added-on mental weight of thoughts, judgments or feelings.
In other words, there are no added burdens, no stress.
It was said earlier that there are certain ways in which Life naturally works.
This clear, unburdened seeing or awareness is one of them. This is the Life and awareness you naturally, normally are.
What counts is that this simple, clear awareness or seeing is naturally present first in Life.
It functions automatically. It is virtually effortless.
Does it take any effort to simply be aware of this page prior to
thinking about it?
Notice that there seems to be effort only if thoughts and commentary start up: “What was said back on page 17 again?” or, “I wonder where this is leading.”
Only when there are a lot of thoughts or feelings added on top of Life’s clear direct seeing—only then does Life seem to go from simple to complex.
Pause again—and feel what it is to simply, silently “be a clear windshield.”
Notice how mentally uncluttered, how open and free this feels. Enjoy how natural and easy this is.
Now notice if any thoughts come in and try to add their commentary.
If they do, be clear glass with those thoughts, too.
Simply notice them without additional commentary on the commentary!
During the day, pause frequently to be like clear glass.
Notice that the presence of this clear awareness is not something that “you” personally are causing to be present.
It is Life itself that is effortlessly doing all of it. Feel again how un-tense and unburdened this is.
The clear glass of a windshield need not struggle to be clear. It is inherently clear and need not make effort to be clear.
Clarity is simply its nature.
In fact, it can’t avoid being clear.
Sometimes rain and dirt may get on the surface of the glass. But underneath, the glass itself remains pure and clear.
The beauty of Life’s simple awareness is that it, too, is inherently clear.
All clutter and stress seem to be found on the surface, on the level of thinking and emotions.
These seem to come from personal experiences and conditioning.
All of that, for good or for bad, is what makes up the conditioned personality.
Before thoughts and emotions come in, Life’s seeing is clear and
unconditioned.
Notice that it’s as if the personality’s activity is superimposed on pure, raw Life.
Thinking and emotions are what a personality does. Being purely alive and aware is what Life itself does.
Feel this easy, natural, clear presence of awareness again—this time knowing it is not necessary to struggle to make it be present.
You may notice a tendency to get caught up in the constant movement of thoughts.
If so, it may seem hard at first to experience this natural calm, clear stillness of raw Life.
That’s okay—there’s a lot more coming up about this. Don’t fight with the thoughts or try to stop anything.
Rather, just keep noticing and feeling how Life’s clear awareness always is effortlessly present underneath all the surface movement of thinking.
Notice how this clear, silent awareness remains perfectly present whether thinking thinks or not.
Notice how, no matter what thinking thinks—Life’s clear awareness can’t be made to go away!
Notice that Life’s clear awareness simply never is absent.
This is the real You—and You already are here—so You don’t have to get here.
Just don’t identify with the thoughts that try to superimpose themselves on Life’s simple clarity.
What is said here about clear seeing doesn’t mean one should try
not to think.
Thinking and judgments obviously are essential for decision making in daily living.
Fantastic new insights also often come directly from thinking deeply about something.
But when thinking runs out of control—that’s what leads to problems and creates its own artificial unhappiness.
It isn’t that thoughts and feelings know about a state of unhappiness.
The burden of those superimposed thoughts and feelings themselves would be all there is to unhappiness.
Meanwhile, Life’s clear awareness is always unburdened and immediately present.
It’s the way the clarity of the windshield is always immediately present as the glass.
This is not a perfect example, but for now just notice this:
A clear glass windshield can take virtually anything into its field of view.
The one thing the clear glass never can see is itself.
A clear windshield never can stand outside itself and see itself as some kind of noticeable thing or object.
The clear glass by itself never could prove it is even there as glass! But this doesn’t mean the glass isn’t there.
Notice a similarity to how a clear glass windshield never can see itself.
You never have seen yourself.
To say you never have seen yourself doesn’t mean you’ve never seen your body.
Obviously the body has been seen countless times.
By this is meant, you never have seen the noticing or awareness that right now is aware of the body.
You never have seen the “you” that is a state of pure awareness or consciousness.
You never have seen that which notices or is aware of thoughts and emotions.
This is the “you” that is Life itself, and not see-able in that way—just as the clear glass windshield can’t see itself.
For now, just notice this.
Awareness, consciousness, and perceiving as used here do not mean the brain.
The brain, supposedly, is an organ of the body.
Being aware and perceiving is not an organ—it is an experience, an activity, a functioning.
While reading, the thought may come, “All this noticing is fine, but how do I use or apply it? What am I supposed to do with it?”
It’s not necessary to do anything, other than to continue noticing.
When bright sunlight evaporates a fog, leaving only clear seeing—it’s not because the sun is trying to apply itself to the fog.
The sun is just being what it is, the sun.
Similarly, just by being the simple, clear awareness you naturally, normally are, the fog of excessive thinking evaporates, too.
This book doesn’t say Life will be magnificent only after something is done with what is noticed.
It says Life is magnificent.
Yes, there is a lot of noticing in these pages.
But each step is a simple one, which effortlessly leads to another.
Soon, the light of Life’s clear awareness and natural happiness is unavoidable, inescapable.
It is seen to be the very Life you are right now—not after years of study.
Contrary to popular belief, Life’s happiness never is something separate that must be attained.
It is what is right here, already.
4 Life Is Not A Hoarder
Notice what typically happens throughout each day.
Most noticing is concerned with things, not Life’s clear awareness. Over the course of a day, countless things get noticed.
Imagine trying to count how many items seem to be noticed just visually or by the sense of sight in a day. You could count thousands before lunch.
It begins at home, the instant the body wakes up, with many things noticed in the bedroom.
And that’s before seeing what’s in the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, or noticing family members or anything else.
Things are noticed visually about the car, or what is on the street. There are all the things noticed visually at the workplace.
Many items are seen or noticed multiple times—co-workers, phone, computer, and so on.
If that’s not enough—there is everything noticed by way of sound.
Voices, birds chirping, dog barking, water running, phone ringing, TV, radio, wind, car engine, on and on.
Even the thoughts in your head are usually experienced as a sound— the sound of “your thinking-voice.”
And how many of those occur each day?
There is an easier way to get a handle on all this.
First, notice that almost all things in daily living are experienced by way of the five senses.
If some thing is noticed or experienced, chances are it has been seen, touched, heard, tasted or smelled.
As just said, on waking in the morning, the body is often the first thing noticed, thanks to the sense of sight. It is noticed as being in another thing, the bed.
Notice how the sense of touch seems to support this.
The tactile feeling of bed sheets on the skin, a feeling of a mattress and pillow—all these touches seem to confirm the sense of the body being in bed.
The sense of hearing contributes, too. Perhaps it was the sound of an alarm clock, or voices, which led to the waking up.
Thanks to the sense of smell, all this might be followed by noticing an aroma of fresh coffee or toast—and later accompanied by the sense of taste.
And so it seems to continue throughout the day.
The day seems to be a constant flow of sensory experience— countless sights, touches, sounds, smells and tastes—some more noticeable than others.
The five senses will be talked about a lot more.
For now simply notice that the senses often involve the experiencing of what are called objects, or tangible items—such as a body, bed, or cup of coffee.
What are other types of things that get noticed? What about thoughts?
First, consider the extent to which it is possible to notice thoughts.
If you’re not certain of your capacity to notice thoughts, think of a banana.
There it is—a yellowish, sort of oblong image in thought. Now think of a zebra.
Of course, it’s easy to tell the difference between that thought of a zebra and a banana—because each is a different image that is noticed.
Often, instead of being an image, a thought is just words.
As said earlier, the words usually are experienced as a sound, “a voice in your head,” instead of as an image.
Seeing those images and hearing those voice-sounds is all there is to noticing thoughts.
Each and every thought can be noticed—although thoughts can seem to flit in and out so quickly, it’s hard to keep up.
Right now, stop and notice one or two thoughts that come up. Perhaps there’s a thought, “This is getting mildly interesting.”
Or maybe it’s a thought that all this noticing is opening some kind of Pandora’s box, and there is a feeling, “I don’t want to go there.”
That’s okay. Notice that, too.
For this little exercise, there is no right or wrong type of thought.
Right now, stop a few moments to simply notice any thoughts that come up—even if it’s the thought, “I’m not noticing any thoughts.”
Is there a temptation to rush on to the next page for more information?
Or is there an actual stopping to be aware and really notice some thoughts?
Notice if a thought comes up and then there is a judgment about that thought.
It might be, “That is a ridiculous thought.” Or, “That is a brilliant insight.”
Or it might be the judgment, “There are way too many thoughts going on!”
It might be followed by, “Uh-oh. I shouldn’t judge so much.” Sometimes there are even judgments about the judgments! Simply notice this also.
Even a judgment is just another thought—that’s all.
You also may have noticed that thoughts often seem to be followed by emotions or feelings.
Perhaps a loved one has been away, and the thought of her/his return leads to a warm feeling of affection.
Or perhaps the thought of an uncomfortable meeting with the boss tomorrow leads to an emotion of dread or fear.
Usually such emotions then lead to still more thoughts. They are like links in a chain of events.
One thought or emotion seems linked to another thought or emotion, and then another—leading you along throughout the day.
What if this chain of thought-emotion-thought-emotion were dominating your experience each day?
You’d be kind of chained, wouldn’t you? Being chained is not the way to be happy.
What if there were an alternative—but you hadn’t noticed it? Life itself is not chained.
Again, in the following examples, there are no right or wrong types of thoughts or feelings, and no judgment.
There is only whatever comes up, and simply noticing that. Be a clear windshield again.
Impartially notice a few thoughts or feelings that come up. After that, notice something else.
When was the last time a thought or feeling noticed you? Has it ever happened?
Seriously—can you recall the last time a thought or feeling noticed you—rather than you noticing it?
No—because it never happens. Pause and let this in.
Say you are looking forward to dinner at a favorite restaurant. You’ve thought of the restaurant half a dozen times during the afternoon.
Can that thought of the restaurant ever change places with you and say, “You’ve already thought of me six times today. That’s your limit—no more!”
On the other hand, could that thought ever say, “I’m going to make you think of me 100 more times today.”?
No thought or feeling has its own inherent life, power or intelligence to do anything on its own.
No thought ever can dominate that which perceives the thought. Notice what it feels like to realize this.
Notice that it feels free.
Each time there is simple noticing of this, it’s like breaking a link in the chain.
No longer can the chain bind and control your experience the way it used to.
Thoughts by themselves have no power to notice or do anything. Stop right now and really see how impossible it is.
Think of the letter A. See it as an image in thought, in “your mind’s eye.”
Can that A by itself ever notice that which is now perceiving A?
Can that letter A by itself ever change places and say, “Okay, you’re done noticing me. Now I’m going to notice you.”?
Does that A have any life, intelligence or power to do anything on its own?
Notice that A simply appears to be there. It never acts on its own. Thoughts by themselves can’t do anything.
They just seem to come and go.
If you never noticed this about thoughts before, it’s not your fault—so don’t feel foolish or guilty.
Simply notice it now.
Notice that this is not saying to stop thoughts or feelings altogether.
It is saying to simply notice them.
This is what stops the unconscious identification with or as them. This breaks the chain.
It doesn’t mean becoming cold and insensitive, or a mindless robot.
Rather, you use thoughts and emotions instead of them using you. Thoughts and feelings are merely what seem to come and go.
They are merely what you seem to have. They are not what you are.
Thoughts can be likened to billboards on the highway that pass by. Thoughts are like mental billboards that pass by.
When riding in a bus on a highway, suppose some billboards appear to go by.
Could any billboard ever change from being a mere billboard?
Or, could any billboard suddenly leave the roadside, get on the bus, take control and start driving?
Sounds silly, doesn’t it?
The thing is, thoughts sometimes can be more subtle than billboards.
They may seem to come and go almost under the radar—until they are noticed.
How often are rushing, random thoughts allowed to drive the bus in daily life—without really being noticed?
Yet why should a bunch of mere flitting, mind-less thoughts be the controlling force in daily affairs?
It sounds foolish—especially since no thought can notice or do anything by itself!
Is any thought by itself intelligent or aware? Or is it a mere unaware thought?
If this noticing of thoughts seems new, it may lead to even more, new kinds of thoughts.
Notice any thoughts or feelings such as, “Now that I see this, it’s so obvious. I should have known this before.”
Don’t latch onto them because they would be just more links in a new chain—and they lead right back to being bound.
Most importantly, notice that no thought has any inherent power of its own to control or influence you or your happiness.
Invariably, thoughts and feelings will arise, yes—but one need not always accept or act on them.
Do you act on what’s said on every single billboard you pass on the highway?
If you did, you’d never get anywhere.
You’d be stopping at every motel, gas station and fast food restaurant along the way!
They’re just thoughts.
If it ever seems as if thoughts are bombarding, sit back and calmly notice.
They might be thoughts and feelings of pressure or inadequacy.
They might be pushing really hard: “Get to my next appointment… Get the kids to practice…Get groceries during practice.”
Instead of being pushed around, pretend you’re at a dinner party.
See this serving of thoughts as if they were hors d’oeuvres on a tray.
They are being offered up to you.
It might seem tempting to accept them, to grab hold of one or more.
After all, they are constantly in your face.
Simply notice that it is possible to say, “No thank you.” Notice how free, how unchained this feels.
If thoughts can seem like mental billboards, notice that emotions can seem like undercurrents.
Emotions, too, can seem to quickly take over and pull you right along with them in daily living, just like thoughts.
Emotions as meant here, refer to feelings such as fear and confidence, depression and elation, frustration or satisfaction, resentment or sympathy, etc.
Each emotion usually has its flip-side, or opposite.
Sometimes emotions seem more subtle—like invisible currents of electricity.
What counts is that emotions are felt.
They aren’t something that can be seen like a billboard—which is why emotions sometimes are not noticed as readily.
If your body ever goes swimming in the ocean and there is an undercurrent, it definitely is felt, although it may not be visible.
Just because something is not visible doesn’t mean it’s not
noticeable.
The difference between emotions using you—or you using emotions—is the extent to which they are noticed.
This is easy once the noticing is on a feeling level, instead of a thinking level.
Then if emotions seem to suddenly pop up, they can be noticed for what they are and dealt with appropriately—rather than them controlling the day.
They can be treated like hors d’oeuvres, too.
So—thoughts can be like billboards and emotions can be like undercurrents.
Now what about Life’s pure, aware seeing or noticing?
What is Life’s pure perceiving—distinct from thoughts or emotions that seem to be perceived?
It’s like asking, what is a clear glass windshield all by itself—distinct from what appears in the view?
The simple, clear presence of Life’s awareness never is a billboard.
Life’s clear presence never is an undercurrent or feeling of pressure.
It simply is present.
Thoughts seem to move, come and go. Emotions, too, always move, come and go.
Whatever appears in the view of the clear glass comes and goes, too. But the clear glass never alters.
Life’s capacity to simply be aware and perceive never alters either. It doesn’t come and go. It is always calmly, effortlessly present.
It may seem at times as if Life’s calm, clear presence is overlooked or covered over, but actually it never is absent.
Feel again how delightfully effortless and light Life’s clear, aware presence is.
Feel again how unfailingly it is present.
Sometimes in daily experience, situations seem to arise without anyone being able to control events.
Notice that what can be controlled is the response to the situation. One need not react blindly like a link in a chain of events.
Suppose the phone rings while eating dinner with the family.
It’s an aggressive telemarketer. You politely tell the caller you’re busy and want to hang up.
The caller gets more aggressive, then rude and angry. There may be a temptation to get angry and react accordingly—a chain link.
Suppose just prior to calling, the telemarketer was told by his boss, “If you don’t close a dozen sales tonight, you’re fired.”
Notice the links of the chain.
Notice there was no anger before the phone rang.
One feeling or thought during the phone exchange leads to another, escalating into an ugly situation.
Without noticing all this, these feelings and thoughts play out their story—and you are entirely manipulated by the links in its chain.
Blindly reacting makes one a mere puppet of the story.
By noticing, one is free of the chain and can respond calmly— resulting in an entirely different experience.
Did you ever notice how skilled actors can quickly change their emotional life during a scene?
A versatile actor is able to express the full range of emotions. To do that, emotions must be allowed to come and go.
The actor is free because there is no bondage to any single emotion.
There is neither resistance to them, nor any clinging to them. Good actors are like Teflon. Nothing sticks.
On a scale of 1 to 10, all emotions rate a 5.
The actor fulfills the role to the very best of his/her ability, but always knows it is all make-believe.
Throughout the day, play your role to the full. See how many 5’s you can notice.
Then notice what it feels like to be Teflon.
Just like a clear glass windshield, Life’s clear awareness does not hoard or accumulate views.
Whatever appeared in the view of the clear glass yesterday has come and gone. It isn’t present today because nothing sticks.
Life, as it naturally is alive and aware is just like that—a pure, present
seeing.
It is not an old thought. It is not an old emotion.
Life’s clear awareness always stays, or is, in the present tense only.
Notice that this present-only nature of Life simply is how Life is naturally being alive and functioning, right here, now.
This, too, is how Life “works” and cannot be changed—so why let thinking try to oppose it?
Again, Life’s clear awareness does not think. Only thinking seems to think.
Life’s pure awareness is not a hoarder of everything mental and emotional—beliefs, resentments, regrets or desires.
Notice if thoughts and emotions come with a temptation to cling. Notice it’s possible to say, “No thanks. Life is not a dumpster.”
Life’s awareness is naturally fresh and clean, not cluttered, and this can’t be changed.
So there’s no point in trying to pretend otherwise.
When reading, are you an underliner or a highlighter? Perhaps you like to mark passages that have significance.
If so, you’ve probably noticed when going back later that the passages sometimes don’t have the same impact. Or, new ones jump out that weren’t underlined before.
(This author knows—he used to be a world champion underliner!) Notice something about this whole process.
Life’s ease of clear awareness stays perfectly present if something is underlined or not. It is not dependent on underlining in a book.
Relax and silently be a clear windshield for a moment. Notice again that Life’s clear-seeing presence never goes away.
Really feel this un-go-away-able-ness.
Now notice closely what it would feel like if nothing were underlined. At first it might feel like letting go of a security blanket.
Now notice what’s behind that feeling.
There might be a feeling of nothing to hold onto. There is only a kind of openness; maybe it feels like a free-fall, or a freedom.
But notice that Life’s awareness still is perfectly present! This open freedom is Life itself being present—the real You! Life doesn’t need anything to hold onto!
Yet Life never fails to be perfectly present.
Can you stay free, and not underline—even what’s on this page? Dare ya.
7 Mission Impossible: Find “I”
Suppose you were asked, “Are you aware right now?”
The instant response would be, “Yes, of course, I am aware.” But what, exactly, have you said?
Who is this I that is now aware, conscious? See this I in what is perhaps a new way.
Say the word “I” to yourself silently.
Do not voice I aloud. Let I be said only silently within.
Say “I” very slowly and very softly. Let this I keep repeating itself— very slowly and easily—“I,” “I,” “I.”
Keep going slowly until you clearly hear this I within yourself. Then try to closely notice the nature of that which is saying I.
What is important is that which is doing the saying. The word I being said is not so important.
What can be noticed about the nature of this voice that says “I”?
This I-voice is not the same as some thing that can be seen, such as a book or a body, which is visible.
Notice that “I” is like an inner voice that is invisible.
In doing this, do not first identify yourself as the visible body and assume it is the one now saying I.
Start or identify directly as this invisible I-voice only. Deal only in terms of invisible I, all by itself alone.
The saying of “I” is not taking place by way of a physical mouth or vocal chords, is it?
It is clear that “I” is being said—but I is not being heard by way of physical ears, is it?
Can the fingers touch I? No. Nor can I be tasted or smelled. I has nothing to do with the five senses.
Notice that when saying “I,” the visible body never changes places and becomes this invisible I.
In the same way, invisible I never becomes visible as the body. This I that is voicing itself is invisible-ness only.
Invisible I by itself is not like a physical object with a form. Rather, I is form-less.
You cannot find any hard, physical edges or border to I, the way physical objects like this book seem to have.
I has no physical length, width or height as its dimensions. I is un-dimensional.
I, in terms of itself alone, has no solidity like a body; no thickness or density. If anything, I seems to be an incredible softness.
Meanwhile, this voice, this I-ness, seems to be a specific, distinct
presence.
This I that is voiced is like an invisible presence rather than a visible person.
So when saying “I am aware,” one cannot be referring to the body, because the body is not the I that is aware.
Now take it further.
Notice when “I” is not voiced.
First there is the voice “I.” Then there is nothing, silence.
This silence in between each inner voicing of I is the quiet inner space mentioned in Chapter Five—it is a silent, open stillness.
But it definitely is not deadness because you still are alive, aware, even though “I” is not voiced.
Notice that, like the I-voice, this still, alive silence is invisible, too. It is not even something that can be thought or conceptualized.
Now notice that when the invisible I is voiced inwardly, it seems to be kind of ethereal.
Somehow it is clear “I” is being voiced, yet invisible I can seem elusive. It is hard to hold onto, or pin down.
Notice also how the I-voice seems to come and go. It’s temporary. When voiced, the word “I” seems to arise out of pure awareness. Then the I-voice seems to leave, dissolving back into the stillness.
Now notice that the moment “I” seems to arise as a voice or thought, it is already starting to fade out or leave.
The I-voice is like a phantom.
Pause again to notice the difference between the arising of the I-voice and the absence of I—the calm, gently alive, open stillness.
If one were to ask, “What is I ‘made of’?” this I-voice seems similar to having a thought.
Thoughts are also sort of ethereal, elusive, and hard to hold onto. Yet it is clear they are being thought.
Like the I-voice, thoughts, too, often come and go as an invisible inner voice.
And like the I-voice, thoughts seem to arise out of the stillness.
Notice the similar nature between the voice “I” and other thoughts when the “inner-you voice” is normally thinking.
They seem to be of the same stuff.
Now notice something very significant. Without the specific inner voicing or thought of I, there is no I.
I not only ceases to arise. I literally ceases to exist.
It’s not as if there is an “I” hanging around somewhere, waiting until it is voiced again. That would be just an assumption.
Unless there is the specific voicing or thought, no I can be found anywhere. I has no permanent life or presence of its own.
Life’s awareness is present, you are present, and the body still appears to be present—but there is no I.
Notice again what is present without the voicing of I. There is only the naturally open, clean, alive silence.
Life, awareness, is present, but “I” is not.
Rather than trying to “hold onto” the alive, open stillness, notice something else.
Actually, this aware stillness can’t and won’t go away.
It never leaves—because it is Life itself. Only this is what is alive and aware here, now.
This is the real You.
The “I” comes and goes. Again, it is merely transitory, temporary.
Notice that when I is voiced, there is an awareness of the I-voice, but which is not the same as the I-voice.
Even the I-voice is just something that Life’s awareness, the real You, seems to temporarily be aware of.
The I-voice can’t be You because even when “I” is absent, You are present.
Life’s open, alive awareness is always present, always alive.
You do not personally cause it to be present. Only Life does that.
Life itself really is the only one alive here so that “I” can be said—and yet Life does not need to voice “I” to perfectly be the Life it is.
Feel how Life’s alive openness never shuts off from its aliveness. Feel how Life never is blocked from its own aliveness.
Is there a limited supply of Life’s open aliveness—is it a matter of physical volume, such as only a few liters?
Or is Life’s silent aliveness like an endlessly supplied fountain of gently alive peace—which never runs dry?
What is it to be alive as this never-runs-out-ness?
What does it mean that “I” seems to arise only periodically—and that it’s impossible to find an “I” as a permanently present entity?
This “I” is often called the limited or finite, personal sense of “I.”
Many books have been written about this “I” by everyone from spiritual teachers to doctors.
Generally speaking, the “I” is said to be the personality, ego, or personal mind.
It is the so-called localized mind or self, assumed to reside in each specific body or person.
In a deeper sense, that which notices the “I” is often said to be the greater, unlimited presence of Life’s awareness itself.
Life itself, the real You, is invisible, infinite—having no form or location.
As Life’s awareness, You are always present “pre-” the voicing of I, and whether I is voiced or not.
In some spiritual teachings and religions, this is known as the I AM, the Divine I or Divine Self.
It is not any one body or person, thus is not personal. It is present and functions impersonally, infinitely.
Notice that this page appears to have a visible rectangular shape.
It has visible, measurable borders or limits, where the page appears to begin, or come to an end.
The body holding this book also has visible borders or limits where it appears to begin and end.
What about the I-voice? Although not visible, it still is noticeable, too, as something awareness seems to be aware of. It also is limited— having a beginning and end—one moment it’s there, then it’s not.
Notice that, always, all beginnings and endings, all borders, all limits, are found in the things or forms one seems to be aware of.
Now what about Life’s pure awareness—distinct from the I-voice and everything else you seem to be aware of?
Can the awareness that perceives this page be said to have borders or limits—like a rectangular page or a body?
Stop and see if you can find such a border. Is it possible to find a wall—even a mental wall—where invisible alive awareness stops being alive and comes to a clearly defined end?
That which is aware, that which appears to perceive this page, has no limits, no discernible beginning or end point.
How can you know this for certain? Suppose you said you did find an end or limit to awareness. How would that be known?
That very end also would have to be something you appeared to be aware of in order to say it was there.
So—even this so-called “end” would be something within
awareness.
Thus awareness really wouldn’t be ended or bound by it at all.
As Life’s awareness, aliveness, has no noticeable form or limits, it cannot be said to have any measurement.
Where would a ruler be placed on invisible awareness in order to begin measuring?
Then Life’s awareness, aliveness, really cannot even be said to be like a windshield, or round like a glass ball.
Those are imperfect examples, used only to make certain points.
A big flaw of the windshield example is that it implies a seeing is taking place from inside—inside a car. Be alert that the use of the windshield example is not meant to imply Life’s awareness is similarly inside the body.
As Life’s measureless awareness, you are presently alive and aware— yet totally formless and limitless.
Since Life’s awareness has no edge or end-point, how could it be confined inside a head or brain?
Stop to consider it. If awareness were confined, it would have a border and come to an end where the head or brain ends.
Awareness has no such border or end.
What does it feel like to be vitally alive—yet have no length, width or height?
If all this seems abstract or of little value, notice it is speaking of You as You really are—not a mere limited visible body.
This inability to pin down Life’s awareness or give it a form may seem frustrating at first.
The thing to notice is that it seems frustrating only to the thinking mind, not to awareness!
Notice that any frustration merely would be something that is noticed, too!
It actually makes perfect sense that the formlessness of awareness may seem elusive to the thinking mind.
It’s because the thinking mind’s very job is to try to give a mental form to, or conceptually grasp things.
Yet there is nothing about pure awareness itself to be grasped.
So—it is becoming increasingly difficult for thinking to get some of what is being said here—and this is how it’s supposed to be.
This is important to notice—and nothing to be alarmed at.
Life’s awareness is not trying to mentally grasp or pin itself down. It simply is being aware, period.
Be open to the possibility that this un-grasp-able-ness may be good news.
The fact that awareness cannot be physically located or mentally grasped simply indicates how unlimited awareness, aliveness, is.
This shows the unlimited-ness of that which is perceiving all this here, right now.
What is it to notice that, because Life’s awareness, aliveness, is
invisible—it cannot be said to have any color? Do you realize what this means?
As Life’s invisible aliveness, You have no color.
You cannot honestly be said to belong to any one race. How could invisibility belong to a race?
Invisible awareness, pure aliveness—which appears to notice all bodies—is not the same as any noticed body of any noticed color.
As the invisible aliveness which is now noticing all this, You do not belong to a mortal race—and never have.
If anything, all races appear to be embraced equally by the one Life’s impersonal aliveness.
Notice any thoughts or feelings that come up in response to all this.
There may be a feeling of, “I’m not sure I want to be invisible or unlimited.”
Or, thinking may say, “I don’t deserve to embrace all there is. I don’t want all that responsibility.”
Notice again that Life’s capacity to be alive and aware here, now, is not a personal ability.
Nor is it a personal responsibility.
This simply is another way in which Life “works” or functions. Life cannot fail to function and be present this way.
The capacity of Life’s awareness to be unlimited and embrace all there is, is infallible.
It takes no work or responsibility on the part of a person. Nor can any person claim personal credit for this.
Since this cannot be changed, why let thinking or old beliefs try to pretend otherwise?
You are not merely some insignificant thing that is in a universe.
As Life’s unlimited awareness, the entire universe effortlessly appears to be within you.
What is it to sit back and actually enjoy this fact?
Notice that it really is not accurate to assume a “you” has risen to a higher state of awareness or perceiving.
It may seem that way, yes.
But it really isn’t that an “old you” has gained some awareness, some clarity.
All awareness and clarity “belong” to Life itself, and Life is always
present in full.
What’s happening is that some old superimposed thinking and clouds of belief of an “old you” are fading away, or evaporating.
What remains is clear, fully aware Life.
When the blue sky appears to be clear after a storm, it isn’t that the clouds have taken on some blue-ness.
The clouds have evaporated.
All that’s left is the blue sky which always was present.
8 The Blue Sky Never Struggles To Be Blue
When something is simple, how do you know?
Most of the time, it’s because it’s easy and it feels easy.
But what exactly is being felt when something feels simple or easy?
Maybe it’s better to ask what is not being felt. There is no feeling of struggle, no feeling of tension.
It sounds funny, but when something is simple, it almost feels as if there is not much to feel.
It is as if you are alive and fully present, but there is no burden, no work that has to be done.
There is just a feeling of lightness—a wonderful ease. Sometimes it’s almost like a happiness.
Notice this.
Right now, tune in and notice how it feels when something is beautifully simple—when something is wonderfully easy.
Have you ever noticed a clear blue sky struggling to be blue? Try to feel how easy that is.
Relax into the incredible, delicious ease of it.
Feel whatever this feeling of ease and lightness is, even if it feels like “nothing.”
The more it feels like nothing, the better.
Notice that you can pause this way and be like the blue sky, be this ease, almost whenever you wish.
And it doesn’t cost anything.
When something is easy, did you ever notice that somehow it feels sort of inherently right that it be easy?
The ease just naturally feels good.
There even may be a feeling deep down, “Things always should be this easy!”
Did you ever stop to question why this is?
When things are easy and simple, it is no accident that it feels natural.
Ease and simplicity are the very nature of Life itself, the Life that is effortlessly all-embracing here, now.
It’s just like that blue sky.
Feel again how effortless it is for Life’s awareness to simply be present now.
This easiness, this simplicity, literally is what You are, as Life’s present awareness.
This is why ease feels so natural or inherently “right.” It’s what led you to pick up this book.
Consider when something seems difficult. Say it’s the task of fixing a leaky sink.
The area under the sink is crowded with pipes. The wrench is the wrong size, and keeps slipping. Water is running all over.
The leaky sink has plunked itself down in the middle of your day with its whole package of complications and feelings of difficulty.
Contrast those feelings of complication and difficulty with blue-sky
easiness.
Again, how does easiness feel?
In comparison, doesn’t easiness or simplicity feel kind of clean or empty?
This ease is really the absence of those added-on feelings of frustration and complication.
The feelings are said to have been added-on because they weren’t there before the sink was leaking.
When living is easy and simple, there is none of the added-on baggage.
The point is, easiness is always what is naturally, normally present
first in Life—as Life itself.
Ease doesn’t have to be created or attained in Life. Ease is Life.
It still may be necessary to fix sinks at times.
It’s just a matter of not taking on the baggage while doing it.
The enjoyment this book offers is not gained by racing through these pages.
There is no benefit in trying to reach the end as soon as possible.
The real enjoyment and value come when the reading stops momentarily.
Perhaps it’s after having read only a page, or just a sentence. The enjoyment is a matter of quietly “being with” what is noticed. There may be an Aha! or two.
Mostly there is a gentle ease and lightness—a kind of happiness.
And what is noticed is seen to be not mere words, not a theory—but a living reality.
It feels as if ease, lightness and happiness are all rolled into one— and it is alive.
This alive ease is Life “experiencing itself” as Life really is, right here.
Noticing does not mean struggling.
While reading, a lot of new noticing may seem to happen. That’s the whole idea.
However, while reading, also notice if there are any feelings about
noticing.
There may be feelings of, “I should be noticing so much more! I’ve got to work at this until I’m a better noticer.”
That is not how noticing is meant here. Noticing is effortless. It just seems to happen.
So if there is a feeling of pressure, obligation, or a heavy sense of burden to “do” something better—simply notice that feeling, too.
See it as a mere passing feeling—another wanna-be chain link. Don’t claim it as “your” feeling. Don’t act on it.
Be alert, yes. Notice, yes. Struggle?
No.
Notice this difference in feel right now: First sit back and just relax.
Don’t try to do anything. Not physically. Not even mentally.
Just “bask” in the feeling or natural ease of simply being present
without wanting a single bit of more information.
Then contrast this ease with the feeling of pushing and tension that wants to rush on to the next page to get more information.
Can you feel that difference?
The ease is natural, normal. The feeling of pushing is something added on.
There is nothing wrong with information. But don’t get pushed around.
Next time the push is felt, simply notice it and say, “No thanks.” Here is one of the most useful pieces of information in this book:
Life’s clear seeing and ease—as it is simply being—is not dependent on information!
Does a clear blue sky need more information in order to be blue?
Notice one thing these pages are not saying.
They are not saying that you should live this way, or you shouldn’t
live that way.
They simply are saying to notice how Life itself naturally is present and effortlessly functioning.
Life functions the way it functions whether a personality agrees or not.
If a personality wishes to ignore this or tries to oppose Life itself, that’s up to the personality.
But that’s what leads to personal unhappiness. Notice it never will change Life itself.
Noticing is its own reward.
With all the noticing going on while reading, be alert if there is a thought, “I can’t get a handle on the purpose of all this. Where is all of this leading?”
Noticing and awareness are not supposed to be leading anywhere. This is about awareness itself—and pure awareness or perceiving
itself is not a “where,” not a goal.
One value of perceiving is in staying free from the mistaken assumption that everything always should be leading somewhere!
Now turn the perspective around. See as Life itself.
What if, as all-embracing Life itself, you already are being the “ultimate”?
What if, as all-embracing Life, you already are perfect, happy and totally satisfied forever?
What if everything that tried to say you were not already there was a dream?
It would mean you don’t really have to get anything or go anywhere— because you’re already there.
All that would be necessary is to wake up from the dream that you’re not already there.
Feel, or be alive as, Life’s gentle, ever-present ease of awareness. Relax and really feel the aliveness of this aware presence.
As this simple aliveness, feel how aliveness never shuts off.
Notice again that the only one alive here, now, to be experiencing Life’s aliveness really is Life itself.
It never is an experience being had by another.
Notice how Life’s aliveness cannot avoid or escape being the aliveness it is.
Life cannot ignore its own alive-ing.
This is simply how Life functions—with no effort. Now notice where your identification usually is.
If the identification is with, or as, thinking, it seems as if thinking can
flit in and out, and sometimes ignores aliveness.
When the identification is directly as aliveness, Life is always already “at” or being its aliveness.
So why not be directly alive as aliveness—instead of assuming it requires thinking to access it?
Aliveness need not think first in order to be the aliveness it already is being!
Notice again that it is Life being this aliveness—this isn’t something a “you” has to do or know how to make operate.
The experiencing of aliveness right here truly is the presence of Life itself.
Don’t feel it is necessary to remember everything that is said in these pages.
Just stop and notice that Life’s awareness does not function on the level of thought or remembering.
Yet the ease of Life’s awareness never fails to be perfectly present.
Does the clear glass of a windshield need to remember anything in order to be the clear glass it never fails to be?
LINKS
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