SOUL

People often interpret illusion to mean 'does not exist' yet it more accurately can mean 'not as appears'. So an illusion does exist... it's just not as it appears.

Wait... we have the option to not evolve? Haha

@Anton Rogachevski Well, even the words 'unmanifest awareness' are just labels we use to communicate meaning to another and our mind uses those labels for conceptualization so labeling itself isn't what causes the feeling of separation. When we attach our awareness of being to a self identity in something like labels, beliefs, concepts and on and on that sense of separation blossoms in our consciousness because it realizes the division between what we are and we are not in the mind through the sense of self identity. Even if someone identifies as the one who severs attachment, dissolves ego, dis-identifies, becomes no-self, resists something or actively does something to attain it creates a feeling of separation as duality. Abiding in unattached awareness of being is such a subtle non-activity it confounds the mind because it has nothing to cling to in self identity. So, in effect the feeling of separation is the source of self suffering and abiding in the unity of unattached awareness of being is liberating to our conscious experience.

A duality is perceived in the feeling of separation from the sense of self which is the attached awareness of our consciousness in the manifest. Our unattached awareness of our consciousness is unified with the unmanifest awareness of the absolute and feels connected so there is a perception of unity. The question is do we bring attention to and endorse the attached sense of separated self or do we abide in the unattached sense of the unified being? That will answer whether there is a perception of separation/duality or a perception of one/unity. I experience liberation and there are still beliefs. I believe that these words I type have meaning that can be communicated, I believe that when I hit 'submit reply' these words will post on the forum. Although, I also believe that the meaning and posting of words have no influence and effect on my experience of liberation. Liberation is the cessation of self suffering not the cessation of belief. Belief is merely a mechanism the mind uses to help us successfully navigate in the manifest existence. Belief can cause self suffering when we attach our awareness to those beliefs so create self identity on those beliefs. If we abide in unattached awareness of being present any belief held has no self identity creating or sustaining effect in our experience so the cessation of self suffering can be realized in liberation. Belief in that experience is nothing more than just a psychological feature that helps keep the organism alive and not the cause of self suffering. You have beliefs as well since you type out words trusting they have meaning that can be communicated and hit 'submit reply' trusting they will post on the forum. If Leo paid the bills they will.....we believe.

Yes, I probably should have said at least one of the forms of awareness is formless. This unmanifest awareness is accessible to our consciousness and from the perspective of it we perceive the unity and it's absolute nature.

Even if one holds beliefs Liberation can be realized.

.....is a belief.

I have learned that searching for 'truth' can cause self suffering and often does cause it in one's inner life so I prefer to be at peace with life even if it is an illusion we are deluded with. That's really kind of you to say, thank you. It really depends on what one considers 'thoughts' and 'awareness' so it can happen that there is some misunderstanding between people in discussing it. In my view thoughts are a form of awareness, they are derived from the stimuli and sensations of our body and culminate in our mind but I perceive that we have many forms of awareness in our manifest experience. There is a form of awareness which we can perceive free from the influences of the self conscious and that does perceive the self conscious but isn't 'separate' from it. Thoughts are a product of the sense of self the body naturally creates for survival and has the effect of feeling a separation. So thoughts feel separated but we can perceive from that unified awareness as well.

I simply explained the way yearning contributes to self suffering, it's not about wrong or right. That's coming from your own desire to know the 'truth' creating your suffering by causing you to 'feel' like it's 'wrong'. I didn't say it was wrong, it is what it is. The concept of capital 'T' truth is a fabricated illusion of a dualism mindset which the ego uses to justify it's identity through knowing it. There just is what is and there is no what it isn't because... it isn't.

Most people pursuing non-dualism mistakenly interpret 'illusion' to mean 'does not exist' so go about denying and resisting the physical manifest. Illusion really means 'not as appears' so though our thoughts are something we experience in the manifest life they aren't as they appear. Thoughts are awareness from a limited perspective, it's awareness of the self and to create this perception the body creates a sense of self. As we expand our awareness it ceases to be limited to just our sense of self perception to recognize a unified perception beyond just the separation of self. So by not attaching to the separated perception we continue to realize the awareness of unified perspective. It's not a denying or resisting of the thoughts, we can accept and embrace them for what they are but it also isn't a clinging to them as sole identity. We are aware that thoughts are not as they appear and doesn't provide the context of the unity perspective we experience in awareness.

That's the yearning for answers and more that breeds discontent and can lead to self suffering that I was speaking about. Genuine liberation is freedom from that yearning and is the fulfillment of being at peace with what is in the moment.

I literally laughed out loud when I read a poster named @Truth Addict asking what's so special about truth, such a beautiful irony. Then as I'm reading this post that appears to be a kind of checklist of spiritual things to say I am wondering if all this is where you are at it sounds pretty amazing to be, just be at peace with it. Although, where you are really at seeps through your words, you aren't at peace with it, you are still desiring something more. This is the core of our discontent and can lead to suffering, the existential yearning that motivates all of our desire and craving. Quenching this yearning will bring a peace that transcends all meaning. If you are at peace in just being and the existential yearning has been quenched there is a fulfillment that creates the presence in which anything we experience is enough, there is no wanting more or something else. To quench the yearning is through appreciation of what is, simply savoring and enjoying the moment for what it is. If you had this 'existential bliss' there would be no questions to ask, no 'what's next' or 'what more', you would experience the whole, the fullness of it all. Which may sound like the opposite of the emptiness you asked about but in unity there is no difference between them, it's all one, it's complete. This....so concisely put.

"Wage slavery" is a state of mind which infects so very many from all economic strata that yes, the system is geared towards conditioning people into having. Chasing monetary gain like all materialistic pursuits as a means of identity and meaning enslaves one to self interest and is an unfulfilling craving whether one is a billionaire or flat broke.

Well, I won't suggest I know what either Spira or Maharishi meant because words are interpreted differently. Although, it seems to me from a mystical point of view and even a scientific point of view that thoughts are an accumulation of awareness in many forms and layers that culminates in the sensations in the mind called thoughts. Then another form of awareness in the present moment, our being now, is made aware of these mind sensations called thoughts that manifest in many forms such as inner dialog. memories, conceptual ideas, paradigm, emotions, intuition, impulses, urges. They are the way the body attempts to motivate our behavior to self survive. The awakening that leads to liberation is us freeing our aware being now from the identity of self conscious which is naturally occurring. In not being attached to that self identity serving psychological mechanism and what is produced by it we cease to be motivated and influenced by this source of self suffering.

Why would you ask if I'm interested in discussing to "deepen understanding" when you also say it can't be understood with the intellect? So which is it? Actually, never mind, I know the answer. I didn't intend to disturb you in your 'I am enlightened ask me anything' guru thread by pointing out the obvious so pardon me for interrupting your teaching of the incomprehensible using limited words. Peace.

I actually do understand it, you mistakenly understand illusion as to mean something 'doesn't exist' when it means 'a mistaken perception'. So ironically your perception of illusion is mistaken, it's not the words that are limited in this, it's your perception.

Illusions do exist, they are illusions and illusions are a misperception of what is, not a nonexistence of what is.

Awareness is a building block of the manifest existence intrinsic to everything from the effect of observation on the quantum level to the every interaction that happens in the environmental nature to the expression of self conscious experience.

A watched mind doesn't think......hehe

Realizing the abiding genuine aware being presence and to transcend the yearning for self enquiry is the cessation of asking who..... It is what it is... no questions asked.

I meditate while drumming and that is anything but calm. Haha. You could try to use some motion in your meditation to temper that physical reaction like drumming, a fidget spinner, walking or any number of simple activities. Use something that you already have well established muscle memory in doing so you don't have to 'think' about it to do it. There's no right or wrong way, it's what works for us that is it.

Haha.... I guess you didn't understand my reference to the quantum nature of the universe, do you see it now?

It isn't just a 'young on the path' phase, it starts with the learning of methods and techniques then moves to practicing then on to teaching but it all can become a fixation of the ego to justify it's identify. Even the 'truth' reality can be just another way that ego justifies it's identity in a dualism mindset to separate itself from the 'false' illusion. Awareness of just being present is what one can hope comes from those methods and techniques but isn't really a product of them because the fruit of presence is savored in absence of practices. I even chuckled to myself when I was writing the word 'exercise' because I am aware of the paradox in using it. Thank you, @Serotoninluv @DrewNows, so kind of you to say.

Everything is predetermined.... to be indeterminate...... until observed.