SeeingandNotSeeing

Asimple,direct,butfundamentalshiftinperceptionrevealsthatallthere isisliberation.Butonenessdoesnotbecomeapparentthrough somethinggained,ratherthroughsomethinglost.Manywillcomeacross thisrareandradicalmessageandquicklyshufflebacktothatwhichthey thinktheycanknowanddo.Buttherearethosewithwhomthis communicationwillresonate...andtherewillbeasuddenseeingand fallingawayofallseeking,evenforthatwhichtheyhavecalled enlightenment. Allthereisisthis.Onenessisbeingthis...whateverisapparently happening...readingthesewords,breathing,bloodcoursingthroughthe body,soundsbeingheard,thoughtscomingandgoingandfeelingsinthe bodythesenseofsittingonaseatmaybe.Hereisonenessbeing alivenessasthis. Noeffortisneededforthatalivenesstobe.Nobodyisdoingaliveness.Is anybodydoingsittingonachair?Thinkingisonenessthinking"Idon'tget wherethisisgoing",or"thisistoosimple".Allissimplyaliveness, oneness,being.Itcannotbetaughtorachieved.Whoisapartfrombeing toachievebeing?Whocanloseorgainthiswhenthisisallthereis? Resistingonenessisonenessresisting.Seekingonenessisonenessseeking itself. Alivenessisonenessapparentlyhappening.Alivenessisbeingalive.There isonlybeingandthenatureofthatbeingisemptinessandfullness, nothingandeverything,movementandrepose. Inthatwholenessarisestheidea"Iamaseparateindividual".Thisseems tobethebeginningofadreamcalled"mebeingsomeoneinaworldwith whichIhavetonegotiate". Hereinthisseparationistherootofallfearandfeelingofdisquietcoming outofasenseofloss.Againitistheappearanceofoneness,andinthat

appearanceweembarkonajourneyinwhichwemeetparents,teachers, maybepriests,bossesandlovers,andlearnhowtogetwhatwethinkwe wantseeminglythroughpersonalchoiceandeffort.Thepursuitof pleasureandtheavoidanceofpaingeneratetransientexperiencesof gratificationanddisappointment.Thewholemanifestationthatwecall lifeissimplythedramaofonenesslookingforitself,foralldesireisthe longingforoneness. Forsometheideaofenlightenmentseemstoofferthepromiseof fulfilment.However,theseparateindividualcanonlydreamindividuality. Thatisitsfunction. Inevitablyinthesearchforenlightenment,thedreamseekerisattracted toadreamteachingthatpromotesandreinforcestheideaofindividual choiceandeffort,which,throughdisciplineandsacrifice,canleadtothe promisedultimateexperienceofenlightenment.Butthisteaching reinforcestheillusionthatthereissuchathingasanindividualwhohas freewillandthechoicetobecome. Whatisinseparablefromthedreamofindividualityistheideaof ownership."Whatishappeningishappeningtome.Ihavealifecalledme andIcan,orevenshould,dosomethingwithmylifeinthetimeallottedI havetosucceedIamanindividualandpersonalendeavourcanbringme whatIneed."Thismisconceptionpromotesthecontinuationofthedream ofpersonalenlightenment. Theideathatpresumesthepossibilitythatdualisticpracticescanleadthe apparentseekertothenondualisticperceptionissimilartotheideathat withsufficienteffortanddeterminationyoucanteachablindmantosee. Toquote"Doctrines,processesandprogressivepathswhichseek enlightenmentonlyexacerbatetheproblemtheyaddressbyreinforcing theideathattheapparentselfcanfindsomethingitpresumesithaslost. Itisthatveryeffort,thatinvestmentinselfidentitythatcontinuously

recreatestheillusionofseparationfromoneness.Thisistheveilwhichwe believeexists.Itisthedreamofindividuality."(TheOpenSecret) Outofallthemanyawakeningsthathavebeendescribedtome,itis continuouslyconfirmedthatoneofthefirstrealisationsthatarisesisthe seeingthatnooneawakens.Andyetweseethatthemajorityofteachings, bothtraditionalandcontemporary,areconstantlyspeakingtoanapparent separateseeker(subject)andrecommendingthatinordertoattain enlightenment(object)theyshouldchoosetomeditate,selfenquire, purify,cultivateunderstanding,stillthemindandtheego,surrender,be honest,seekearnestly,giveupseeking,dotherapy,donothing,behere now,andsoon...theideasareasendlessandascomplicatedasthemind fromwheretheyaregenerated. Theserecommendationsarisefromthebeliefthatthe"enlightenment"of the"teacher"hasbeenattainedorearnedthroughtheapplicationof choice,effort,acceptanceorsurrender,andthatotherseekerscanbe taughttodothesame Ofcoursetherecanbenothingrightorwrongwithearnestseeking, meditation,selfenquiry,understandingandsoon.Theyaresimplywhat theyappeartobe.Butwhoisitthatisgoingtochoosetomaketheeffort? Whereistheeffortgoingtotaketheapparentchooserto?whereisthere togoifthereisonlyoneness? Ifthereisnoseparateindividualthereisnovolition,andsohowcanan illusiondispelitself? Thereisnopersonthatbecomesenlightened.Nooneawakens.Awakening istheabsenceoftheillusionofindividuality.Alreadythereisonly awakeness,oneness,timelessbeing,radicalaliveness.Whenthedream seekerisnomoreitisseen(bynoone)thatthereisnothingtoseekand noonetobecomeliberated.

Hereisoneness,therealisationofwholenessthatcannotbeattainedor owned.Thisistheawakeninginwhichtheawarenessofwhatisarises togetherwiththedreamingofthatwhichcannotbeknown.Therecanbea dancebetweendreamingandbeing,andinthatdancetherecanbea returntothefascinationofpersonalownership. However,therealisationthatthedreamseekerisalsoonenessis liberation,theuncaused,impersonal,silentstillnesswhichisthe celebrationofunconditionallove.Thisisallthereis. Thereisnomeoryou,noseeker,noenlightenment,nodiscipleandno guru.Thereisnobetterorworse,nopathorpurpose,andnothingthat hastobeachieved. Allappearanceissource.Allthatapparentlymanifestsinthehypnotic dreamofseparationtheworld,thelifestory,thesearchforhome,isone appearingastwothenothingappearingaseverything,theabsolute appearingastheparticular. Thereisnoseparateintelligenceweavingadestinyandnochoice functioningatanylevel.Nothingishappeningbutthis,asitis,invitesthe apparentseekertorediscoverthatwhichis...theabiding,uncaused, unchanging,impersonalsilencefromwhichunconditionalloveoverflows andcelebrates.Itisthewonderfulmystery. TonyParsons